Solar Power FAQ

I am sure you know the that solar power is energy that is actually harnessed from the sun. The sun may be millions of miles away from earth, but if we had the ability to harness all the energy that reached the earth, there would be more than enough power to provide all the energy we would ever need.

In fact, there is enough energy to provide plenty of energy for 10,000 earths. While you can use solar power for a variety of appliances and other items, you have to realize that this is different than using this power to produce heat.

There are two different principles that are used with solar power:
Solar Thermal: If you want to produce hot air or hot fluids, then solar thermal principles are used.
Photovoltaic Principles: If you want to product electricity, photovoltaic principles are used instead.

If you want to produce solar power, there are four components that you would need:

• A battery
• A charge controller,
• A solar panel,
• An inverter.

It is the solar panels that actually get the radiation from the sun and use it to charge up the battery. Then, the charge regulator actually makes sure that the battery charges as it should. Of course, probably the most important pieces of equipment are going to be the solar panels and usually they output energy in watts. These panels can be wired in a variety of ways, although usually parallel or series wiring is done to either increase the amperage or the voltage.

So, are there benefits to using solar power? Yes! There are a variety of amazing benefits to using solar power. In fact, many people all over the world are already using this type of energy to supply their electricity. Some of the benefits are as follows:

- Creation of new hi-tech jobs
- Protection of the environment
- Solar power is abundant, free and renewable
- Fuel supply is diverse
- Rapid and cheap deployment

As long as the sun is hanging there in the sky, we will be able to have the energy that solar power produces. In fact, there is so much energy there, more than 10,000 times the amount of energy we need is available. You should learn as much as possible about solar power so that you will know about the great benefits offered and how your life will change for the better if you decide to go with solar power instead of using other energy sources.

CONCLUSION

Whether you have a business or a home, you’ll find that solar power can offer many advantages for both. Solar power is one of several alternative fuel energy sources that is cheap and renewable. From a business perspective this can add to the bottom line tremendously. From the home perspective using this can cut down on expenses. Since solar power is friendly to the environment, you will not have to worry about toxins or pollutants from this type of energy and you won’t have to worry about the issue of global warming either.

Could Refurbished Solar Panels work for you?

 

Some selfish reasons for you to use Solar Power

There are many reasons why you might be looking at Solar Panels, and I am sure you have thought about all the good you will do for the environment and the future of the planet, and these are good reasons, but, lets have a look at the entirely, hedonistic and self serving reasons.

Solar leads to cost savings, meaning you save money

All one has to do these days is open up an electric and heat bill to see how much it costs to heat and light your home. Solar power is a great way to just about eliminate the costs associated with lighting and heating your home. For those that are using solar powered heating and lighting equipment today there is little if any cost associated with heating and lighting their homes. Yes, there is an up-front cost to installing these units but pay back times through cost savings and tax credits are getting shorter and shorter due to better technology and awareness. These current users report that they actually make money from using solar power systems just by paying a little closer attention to how they use the power that they have. For the most part, they indicate that a 30 second glance at back-up batteries for piece of mind is all the extra time required to start saving money.

Solar Power could make you Money.

Some may say that piece of mind doesn’t go very far when it comes to a series of cloudy days. Batteries, they say, can run out or get low. From all reports, however, cloudy day issues, in a majority of the world’ s climates, are not an issue. In fact, a majority of users find that they have an excess of electricity that ends up just going to waste. Or so most people- once – thought. Although the entire US is not quite there yet most sates require that utilities buy back excess power generated from those desiring to remain on the power grid. Although it may sound a bit odd, solar power users find that their electric meters actually run backward quite a bit of the time when solar power systems are in use. God forbid there were a few weeks of nothing but clouds and cold, but if there are the owner is free to use the power that they sold back to the utility. Past the home front, add a water wheel and a wind mill and you have a nice little income generator with the electric utility paying you.

Live Off the grid

There is a certain segment of the population that just does not want to be connected to the “grid”, as the power and information society calls it. For these people solar power is a great option. Solar units are fairly low cost and getting lower cost every day. They can also withstand a  hailstone traveling at 50mph. For survivalists or even for a farmer that needs to irrigate his crops in the middle of nowhere, solar is the way to go.

Develop a new technology

Man at his basic is a curious being. What if? Is always being thought about whether it’s just a casual thought during the day or figuring out how to get to Mars. Advancing technology is just who man is. Using solar may satisfy our current environmental issues but it also satisfies our intellectual needs. If solar power isn’t used it won’t advance and our need to know won’t be satisfied. Intellectually, solar is a great idea.

Leave the world a better place

Using solar, at the moment, appears to be one of those good intentions. It may end up being a bad thing 200 years down the road, but for now, it may be one of the only ways to leave the world a little better then when we got here.

The Concept & History of Solar Panels

A solar panel is basically a device that enables the collection of and conversion of solar energy into electrical energy or even heat.

The Concept of Solar Panels

Solar panels are also known as photovoltaic panels and the atoms that are present in these panels are excited by the action of the sun’s energy. These atoms are present in a silicon layer that lies between two panels known as protector panels.

A formation of electric current takes place as a result of the action of the electrons from the aforementioned, excited atoms, and these are then used by a myriad of external devices. The history of solar panels dates back by hundreds of years, when their sole purpose was to heat the water for use in homes. Many-a-times specially shaped mirror is used for the concentration of light onto a tube of oil. Due to this action, there is a heating up of oil and as these heated oil travels through a vat of water, it instantly results in the boiling of this water. The steam that is a resultant of this process of boiling is used to turn a turbine for the generation of electricity.

The History of Solar Panels

It was in the year 1839 that the photovoltaic effect was discovered by Antoine “Cesar” Becquerel, a French physicist. His experiment in this regard involved the placement of an electrolyte cell in an electrolyte solution; two metal electrodes made up the electrolyte cell.

When this device was exposed to sunlight, Becquerel found that the generation of electricity saw a marked increase. It was in 1883 that Charles Fritts coated sheets of selenium with a thin layer of gold and built the first genuine solar cell. Over a period of time many experiment were conducted and discoveries were made when it came to solar cells. Albert Einstein also published his thesis on the photoelectric effect, during this time and also won the Nobel Prize for his research.

It was space satellites that made large scale use of solar electrical energy for the first time. By 1980, the United States of America, produced a solar cell which provided an efficiency of nearly twenty percent, this efficiency was increased to around twenty four percent in the next two decades and currently there are a few companies that are manufacturing solar cells that offer efficiency levels of nearly twenty eight percent

The Working of Solar Panels

Pure silicon forms the basic element of all solar panels as its makes for an ideal platform that aids transmission of electrons. This material is used on the plates that form a solar panel. Solar panels are also created by combining silicon panels with other elements, with negative or positive charges.

The Silicon atoms are exposed to the bombardment of photons when negative plates of solar cells are faced towards the sunlight. Once all free electrons are drawn away from the plates, enough electricity is generated to power various electronic appliances that do not require too much electricity to power them.

Features and Types of Solar Panels

Basically there are three types of solar panels, namely mono-crystalline solar panels, polycrystalline solar panels, and amorphous solar panels. The life expectancy of solar panels depends on the type of solar panels selected by you; generally it’s around twenty years or so.

Solar panels do not require sustained maintenance for their upkeep although; if lead acid batteries are used then they must be checked every six months and topped up with distilled water if required. If you are looking for a solar panel for your needs and do not know what size to go for, then the best way would be to calculate your average consumption of electricity on a daily basis. This would give you a fair idea of what kind of solar panel to go for. In the long run, solar panels will reduce your electricity bill by a long way, and hence the option of using solar energy must be explored in a positive manner.

What are the Benefits for you switching To Solar Power

Everyday the cost of your utility bills continues to rise, solar power is now seen, more than ever, a clean and viable source of energy for the home and for business. Over the last couple of decades in the USA billions of dollars have been spent promoting and developing this technology, and since the 1970s it is estimated that the cost of the equipment to power a home with solar energy has fallen by 90%.

In most cases, using solar energy to provide electricity for a home involves installing special solar photovoltaic cells in the roof of your home. It is true that the initial investment is quite expensive but this money should be recouped in savings on electricity bills over time and significant savings can be made in the long-term.

In sunnier areas solar power can meet and even exceed an average home’s electricity needs at certain times of the day. Excess electricity can be stored in batteries or in certain areas it can even be sold back to electricity supply companies.

Here are some of the main benefits of solar energy:

It’s cheap
Once you make the initial investment to have solar technology installed in your home it is a free source of energy. Once it has paid for itself you can make make significant savings on your energy bills. You may even qualify for government incentives to help cover the cost. What is more it will add significantly to the value of your home. Green homes are becoming ever more popular in today’s environmentally aware climate so this investment will increase your home’s value and make it easier to sell if you ever move on.

It’s clean
Solar is one of the cleanest and environmentally friendly sources of energy out there. If you want to do your bit to combat climate change solar energy is the way to go.

It’s easy
Solar energy systems require very little maintenance. Once the system is installed you will have a constant source of energy and you won’t have to worry about adding extra fuel, paying bills and the other chores associated with conventional sources of energy.

It’s consistent
If you use solar energy you do not have to worry about power failures. Even if your traditional source of electricity fails you will still have a back-up. In addition, if you live in a remote area that does not have easy access to centralized sources of electricity solar is an excellent alternative.

It’s neat
Even if you live in a heavily populated area installing solar panels should be no problem. Since they slot easily into the roof of your home there is no need for them to take up precious garden space. Also, while the panels themselves are costly, they are very easy and quick to install.

It’s wire free
There are a number of stand alone solar-powered appliances available today that eliminate the need for wiring. For example, you can install solar powered garden lights that you simply place in your garden that run of the sun’s energy. These even have light sensors so they switch off and on automatically depending on the light.

The use of photovoltaic cells in the home can be quite expensive. However, it is not the only way to make use of the sun’s energy. In colder regions homes are increasingly being designed to make the best use of the sun’s energy to provide warmth. This involves sensible design of houses by using methods such as having large glass windows on the south side of the home which will help warm the home during the winter. The home will need to be protected from too much sun in the summer so trees can be used for this.

Another option is to use the sun to provide hot water from the home. This method simply involves using thin water pipes, painted black, and running them through a ‘greenhouse like’ box that is exposed to the sun on the outside of the home. In warmer areas this can provide hot running water throughout the home for free.

Solar energy isn’t for everybody. Where you live will determine whether or not it is the right choice for you. If solar panels are not viable for you, or you are unsure if you are ready to take the plunge, you should still consider buying solar appliances when possible. There are any number of solar appliances available today including video cameras, watches, radios, fountains and much more. These all eliminate the need for batteries and/or wiring.

A look at Solar Cells Through The Years

Back in the 1950’s when solar cells first came on the scene they were a simple affair. Nowadays you have a wide variety of cells and as innovation in solar energy takes hold and improves more cells are coming available.

An Overview of Solar Cells Through The Years

Solar cells are the basic component of any active system used to convert sunlight into a form of energy. Traditionally, solar cells were used as the key part of panel systems that generated electricity or heat for homes. These days, the technology is used in a wide variety of applications, which means the style of solar cells vary per application.

A traditional solar cell consisted of some very basic pieces. The cell was typically a flat square made up of a glass or plastic panel attached over a crystallized silicone substance. The silicone was imbedded with metal wires. The process worked by having the sun strike the silicone, which kicked off neutrons. The neutrons produced a small electrical current that was collected by the wires. The electricity was in the form of direct current, which had to be converted to usable AC electricity with an inverter. The electricity was then stored in batteries or fed into the grid of the local utility company.

The problem with the first solar cells involved efficiency. To be frank, there was not much. Initial cells converted sunlight at a rate of one to six percent. More energy was lost in the conversion from direct current to AC. It worked, but was so inefficient that huge collections of solar cells were required to make enough energy.

As technology improved, the components of solar cells became more efficient. A silicone base was still used, but modified to convert more spectrums of the sunlight. As efficiency rose, the cost of using solar cells dropped because less where needed to form a panel. Still, efficiency was in relatively low, making the systems cheaper but not really cost effective compared to buying power from a utility.

These days, referring to solar cells is somewhat misleading. Much of the new technology is abandoning the traditional concept of cells. Instead, companies are thinking out of the box and coming up with entirely new platforms. Options include nanotechnology whereby quantum dots are developed to covert the sun to energy. When fully developed, the dots will be part of the paint you use on your house. Technically, you can call the dots cells, but they are not in the traditional understanding of the term. Other options include the use of Germanium as an alternative to silicone, but this hasn’t been fleshed out as of yet. Thin solar cell technology is also popular, but involves the basic pieces of a traditional system.

Solar cells used to be fairly uniform with silicone, glass cells being the standard. The future of these solar cells is dubious, however, as companies seek out dramatic leaps in solar technology. In 30 years, we will look back at traditional cells like we now look back at the horse and buggy means of transportation.

5 Great Reasons To Harness Solar Power

Very simply put, Solar energy is energy that is derived from the sun. Our sun is an abundant source of energy; it gives of heat and light. The sunâ  s been revered by several cultures of the past and even by a few cultures still present today. The ancient Egyptians even worshiped the sun as a God.

All said and done, it was not misplaced respect; the sun certainly is an abundant and limitless source of power, at least for several generations to come; the merits for using its solar energy are numerous.
Itâ  s free
Every morning with each dawn, the solar energy released by the sun comes filtered through our atmosphere providing light and helping to radiate heat. This has been happening for millions of years yet it is only recently that we have begun to capitalize on this abundant source of almost infinite power.

In the past the Greeks and the Egyptians have been known to harness the power of the sun to heat whatever they wished to by concentrating its radiation.

It’s non-polluting
The energy from the sun is clean and free of any pollutants; unlike various sources of energy present today like petroleum or organic fuels that leave back residues and often leave back harmful gases when utilized to create energy.

Extremely reliable
The sun has been burning for roughly four and a half billion years now and is likely to burn on for another four to five billion years to come. That’ s definitely more than our lifetimes and certainly more than several generations of the future. Every morning it promptly shows up and vanishes for the evening while it lights up another portion of the globe.

The saying “as sure as day”   did not come about for nothing; assuming the sun is shining brightly, depending on which part of the globe you are you can harness the energy of the sun to either store it away or utilize its energy in a different way.

Limitless

There is no restriction on how much energy we can use from the sun. Apparently, the amount of energy that comes from the sun every few minutes if successfully harnessed can power the entire United States of America for a whole year. If we were only able to harness the immense energy of the sun we would be able to solve all the worldsâ   energy problems.

Why
Ever wonder why no one thought about this earlier? How come if there’ s so much energy just lying around, we simply cannot seem to efficiently harness it? How it that so much of the sun energy seems to go totally unnoticed and is ultimately wasted?

Well one of the reasons that this wonderful power reserve is generally wasted is the fact that the sunlight that we actually receive is so thinly dissipated across the earth to be able to contribute substantially enough if we try to harness it. For us to be able to actually harness the power of the sun we have to be able to manipulate, focus and store the sun’s energy. While this may seem simple it is easier said than done; So far we have only managed to develop three partially successful means of collecting solar energy.

The Reflection Method Mirrors / Parabola
The reflection method is based on the concentration of the sunâ  s rays through a single or a set of mirrors onto one point and then utilizing the concentrated heat energy that is produced for out need. A parabolic mirror much like a dish antenna can be used to capture the sunâ  s rays and focus them on a single point.

The radiation method
This is the principle behind the solar water heaters. Painted black pipes sandwiched between two layers of glass, have water inside them that is heated thanks to the rays of the sun.

Solar panels
A more recent invention the â  solar cellâ   is composed of treated silicon crystals, which when hit by the rays of the sun knock electrons out of their orbits and thereby create a void that needs to be filled by electrons from the other silicon crystals, this creates an imbalance of electrons and hence a flow of current which can be either immediately utilized or else stored away in a rechargeable battery.

What’ s stopping us?
Despite the apparent benefits of using solar power it is most unfortunate that there are very few solar power plants around the world. Sadly, with todayâ  s level of technology, cost and reliability are two major factors that are still hurdles in the way of mass usage of solar energy.
Technological limitations dictate that the most efficient solar cells created today are still not capable of generating enough power to be commercially viable without occupying huge surface areas. Furthermore, reliance exclusively on solar cells in not yet practical,  for if there were to be a cloudy day it could reduce the amount of electricity generated and that would be disastrous for those people completely reliant on that energy.

On the bright side, constant innovation and research on solar energy is resulting in much more efficient solar cells that are a fraction of the size of existing cells and churn out much more power. For now they are still expensive, but not far is the day when they will be affordable and available to the common man.

How Solar Ovens work

Solar ovens or a solar cooker is a way of harnessing the sun’s power to cook your food. A metal box forms the simplest solar cooker. A set of large mirrors or lens to focus sunlight to a single point may also be added.

Apart from the obvious need for sunlight and the need to aim the solar cooker before you use it, using a solar cooker is not substantially different from a regular cooker. However since they use no fuel they are free to run, environmentally friendly and can be the perfect answer to cooking if away in the backcountry.

Humanitarian organizations are promoting their use worldwide to help slow deforestation and desertification caused by the need for firewood with which to cook.

On a sunny day a black baking tray or cooking pot can convert thousands of watts of light directly into heat. Temperatures in the oven can reach 400 degrees F (200°C). Remember that if using them in the backcountry this amount of heat is a fire risk.

 

Sunny Dispositions – How You Can Outfit your Own Home with Solar Power

As the years go by many people, for lack of a better term, go into sticker shock when they get their electric bill, especially during the summer months. The cost to power your home is outrageous these days. With the rising costs, many of you may start looking into alternative forms of powering your home. Of course, one of the most popular methods is through solar power.

So what exactly is the price tag for outfitting your home to run off of solar energy? The answer is that it can depend on a number of factors. First of all, your best bet would be to buy or build a home that was already outfitted for solar power. However, because it is still somewhat of an unknown quantity to many people, there are a few factors you have to take into account before even getting into getting a solar power system. Here are a few of those factors to take into account:

1. How much electricity do you use in a month? Because each month may fluctuate wildly, you will have to get a history of your electrical usage per month and round it out and determine how much it is per kilowatt hour.

2. Your area’s climate and peak sun hours can make a big difference as to whether solar power is optimal for your home. For example, the Seattle area may receive on average about three hours of sun a day since it’s a rainy region while places in Arizona and Texas receive six to eight hours. Obviously, the more sun you get, the more efficient your solar power would be.

3. Space availability is another factor for installing a system for solar power. First of all, you would need a place free of obstructions. Your solar panels will need full access to the sun; therefore no buildings, trees or other structures that would create shade should be nearby.

4. Do you plan to go straight solar power all the way or install a system, which allows for electricity access from the power company as needed? Also, will you try to purchase an entire solar power system or choose an option, which allows you to add components as your budget allows?

As you can see from above, there are a number of things you need to think about before jumping on the solar power bandwagon. Unless you have the money to install a complete system, your best bet would be to purchase a unit, which allows you to add components as money and time allows. There are a number of these units on the market and the best place to find them would be to search the Internet and your local yellow pages for vendors.

The next thing to think about is installation. If you are very handy at home and understand the basics of electricity and mechanical things, chances are that you could probably handle the project on your own. However, before you make that ultimate decision, you will want to check out the warranty for your equipment that you buy. Some manufacturers will void a warranty if a licensed professional does not install it. So you have to take the additional cost of installation into account if that scenario occurs.

The upside to solar power energy for the home is that you may get some tax credits! It depends on the state in which you live so you might want to look into whether you will get any returns such as a portion of the installation costs refunded to you. Just remember that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to solar power. If you take into account all of the factors listed above, you will be able to make an informed decision as to which system would work best for your needs and lifestyle.

What are Solar Cells and how are they used

You will have probably seen calculators that get there power from solar cells and as long as there is enough light they seem work forever, but the cells can be used in many other ways.

At the side off roads powering road signs and call boxes and in some cities parking meters. Powering satellites in space and nowadays helping home owners create their own electricity. The cells you see around you are photovoltaic cells.

Photovoltaic, as the word implies (photo = light, voltaic = electricity), is the process of converting sunlight directly into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are made of special materials called semiconductors such as silicon. When light strikes the cell, a certain portion of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is transferred to the semiconductor. This energy knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely. The cells also all have one or more electric fields that act to force electrons freed to flow in a certain direction, thus creating a current which by using metal contacts at the top and bottom of the cell can be used to power an external device.

Usually, the cells are electrically connected, and combined into “modules”, or solar panels. Solar panels, have a sheet of glass on the front, and a resin encapsulation behind to keep the cells out of the rain, hail, etc. They will be connected in a series of modules so that the voltage created by the cells add together. It will be these panels you see on top off homes

 

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