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Archive for the ‘Solar Power’ Category
Benefits from Reading about Photovoltaic
If your curious about photovoltaic ( Solar Power) and want to learn and get an understanding about how it works, why you should consider using it, and the great benefits from using any form of Solar power Energy. Whether the ideal would be for lights, heating, chargers, portable energy, self sufficient energy power or building and creating your own electrical energy. Then a good place to start is to grab a book on the subject, and read the information and learn, get a good understanding of how well it can work for your home and the benefits that comes with it.
Here’s a good book I read; ” Solar Power for your Home ”
Photovoltaic is now a one billion dollar industry, and it is growing rapidly in the near future as more pressure is put on limited fossil fuel resources an as advances in solar technology drives down the costs of residential solar systems. This book helps readers understand the basics of solar power and other renewable energy sources, explore whether solar power
makes sense for them, what their options are, and what’s involved with installing various ON and OFF-grid systems.
So grab a book, read up on the subject, and learn the great benefits you can acquire for yourself, your family, and your home. Happy Reading!
Solar Power System Component # 6
The Inverter is the next Solar Power System Component we can talk about and is one of the very important components we need to discuss and understand, how it works, why it works, and it’s main purpose of the Solar Power System.
Inverters transform the DC electricity produced by your PV modules into the alternating current (AC) electricity commonly used in most homes for powering lights, appliances, and other gadgets. Grid-tied inverters synchronize the electricity they produce with the grid’s “utility grade” AC electricity, allowing the system to feed solar made electricity to the utility grid.
Most grid-tied inverters are designed to operate without batteries, but battery-based inverters for off-grid use often include a battery charger, which is capable of charging a battery bank from either the grid or a backup generator during cloudy weather.
Most grid-inter-tied
inverters can be installed outdoors (ideally, in the shade, in a metal container.) Most off-grid inverters are not weatherproof and should be mounted indoors, close to the battery bank. Simply put, the Inverter is the component that changes the (DC) from your solar panels into the (AC) electricity so your home can be powered by your own renewable energy.
Solar Power System – 5 Factors
Want to invest in and your family’s future? Ask yourself this question: “If I have a sum of money to invest today, can I expect a higher return with traditional investments or with an investment in a supplemental solar-electric system”? There is analysis shows that generating your own solar-electric energy is often the better investment. The factors of this analysis comes from five areas- natural resource assessment, technology, energy consumption, economics, policy.
The first factor- to consider is the energy that the sun provides us. You can perform an accurate analysis for each month of the year, The National Solar Radiation Database ( NSRDB ) can be found at the Renewable Resource Data Center ( RReDC ). For this analysis the data is found in, The Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors.
The second factor- is to consider which Solar Power System to invest in, Their are two different types, “Grid-Tied” or ( “utility-tied”) and ” Off-Grid ” systems. Obviously the “Grid-Tied” system is the one that is connected to your homes electric panel box, and with a true net meter ( your electric meter spins in both directions) to consume the electricity your household uses or sell to the utility company. Either way, an investment in a Solar Power energy system of any size can then earn a maximum return, up to the amount of energy that is produced. Most Solar Panels are warranted for 25 years.
Third factor- Energy Consumption, with the use of a System Meter you can monitor your systems performance, it is better to produce more electricity than your household is consuming. That way you are not paying for kilowatts.
Fourth factor- Economics, even if your making good percentage off your stocks, and the interest is compounded and reinvested back into stocks, That’s Great, but something is missing? “Taxes” saving on utility bills are like post-tax income. You pay taxes on interest income, you don’t pay taxes on money you save.
Fifth factor- Policy, dramatically affects the return on investment in solar-electric energy. Exiting policies provide some important incentives for solar-electric energy and other forms of renewable energy. An excellent resource that lists renewable energy incentives is the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE).
Results are- Immediate personal reward is that there is money to be made with an on site Solar Power Electric Generating System. And is considered a low-risk investment into your future.
Solar Power System Component # 5
Main DC Disconnect is the next component we can talk about. The Main DC Disconnect is another very important component of the Solar Power System
. This component is very simply a breaker. In battery-based systems, a disconnect between the batteries and the inverter is required. This disconnect is typically a large, DC-rated breaker mounted in a sheet-metal enclosed box. This breaker allows the inverter to be quickly disconnected from the batteries for service, and protects the inverter – to – battery wiring against electrical fires. And will (TRIP) turn off when any grounding or a dis-function accrues.
So we can now see how the installation of the Main DC Disconnect is important, what it’s purpose is, and why we need this component installed.
Second Generation Solar panel
Let’s consider a new source of making Solar Power
Energy with Thin Film Solar Panel. Thin Film Solar Panels are used to a great extent in making satellites. Thin Film technology is being extended to use in residential and industrial and was named one of the best inventions of 2008 by Times magazine.
Thin Film Solar Panels are bendable, unlike the poly-silicon cells that are found in conventional crystalline solar panels. Thin Film Solar Panels are considered being as a second generation solar power technology. If a poly-silicon cell is damaged with a crystalline solar panel then their is a good chance the whole panel is damaged and not functioning right, but with the Thin Film Solar Panel will continue to operate. Thin Film Solar Panels are bendable and can be molded to a lot of different surfaces with glue or screws. They can be placed in areas were the traditional crystalline solar panels can not be mounted to. They can even be sewed onto materials like a jacket or maybe a tent or tent cover to supply charge to your hand held electronic devises.
There is a downside to Thin Film Solar Panels, because they are thin they don’t take in as much energy. These panels are not as efficient as photovoltaic panels but they cost less. Thin Film Solar panels are a low wattage and need to have more space than the traditional panels but with that in mind, manufactures offer better warranties. Sounds like a good ideal for metal roofs.
Harvesting the Suns Power for Solar Energy!
A Home Owner that is enthusiastic about the environment and saving money, one good choice is harvesting the power of the sun for making Solar Energy. Solar Power Energy is a form of renewable energy that does not pollute the earth no matter how much you use. Harvesting more of this kind of energy will not in any way decrease the supply of solar energy on earth. It is a endless supply of a natural energy just waiting to be used in an environmentally friendly way, and can not be used to pollute or hurt our earth as for their is no left over waste that can be dumped into our soil or water system to pollute anything.
With your own set of Solar Panels, you can maintain the cost per watt of energy as long as the photovoltaic panels work for you. With conventional sources of energy, you are expected to pay more and more every year due to inflation and the ever depleting source of fuel, even as the costs for it just keeps rising.
Can you recall how much we had to pay on our energy bills 10 to 15 years ago? It absolutely hurts us today to see how much more were paying for it now. And can you honestly say that the price for energy may decline. I don’t believe so. That’s why if any time would be to start thinking about an alternative energy source then, NOW is the right time to start. Just taking baby steps toward the process of changing the way we think about harvesting energy could save us all a ton of money, I am sure we would like to use for the money for other necessary things.
Their are
many other amazing facts about Solar Energy that makes it the worlds preferred source of renewable energy. But how can we take advantages of harvesting the marvelous source of never ending power? There are many ways will talk about in later posts, but for now a good place to start is with Solar Panels for electricity.
There are many diy solar energy guides out their to help people understand that if your willing to learn and get your hands a little dirty you can build your own Solar Power Energy System at a fraction of the cost, as to hiring a solar energy company to install the whole system, which they would be more than happy to do so.
Solar Power: Efficient and Affordable
In the past, residential solar power was reserved for homes that were far off the beaten track. These were often ranch homes in the American Southwest where sunlight is plentiful and civilization relatively scarce. When you’re miles from the nearest access to the power grid, it just makes sense to become self-reliant. More recently, everyday Americans in cities, towns and rural settings are exploring the potential of photovoltaic cells.
Technology has improved over the last few years, and just as computers drop in price once they’ve been around a while, solar power systems are becoming less expensive and more tantalizing to the average homeowner. Once solar panels are set up and fully operational, they can reduce energy bills and provide real peace of mind. It’s nice to know that in providing energy for your home you’re not also leaving a carbon footprint.
Solar Power TO GO!
My son Trevor and I decided to go hiking, And we needed to put together a check lists of items we should take with us on our trip.
The list started something like this:
* Clothing items—
* Hiking Boots
* Wool Socks
* Long Underwear
* Brier tough trouser
*Equipment—
* 2 favorite hiking staffs
* 2 Backpacks
* 4 flashlights, extra batteries
* 4 MRE’s meals, trail mix
* small first aid kit
* Compass
* waterproof matches
* pocket saw, hatchet
That’s a good start, Trevor and I were going over the list of items, We were siting in the garage thinking about what other items we needed or something else we should take, after a few minutes Trevor say’s, Dad we have to take our cell phones in case we have any trouble on the trail. Yes I replied, we sure do. And Dad, I hope you don’t mind if I bring my ipod to just to use if I get bored. I said that was OK, Because I knew he didn’t want to hear me talking all the time as we walked. I knew we would be gone for about 3 days for a good hike, I thought about that for a minute and said,
“What are we going to do if our cell phone batteries go dead on us, or your ipod battery, that could be trouble couldn’t it”
Next Trevor said, Dad, just the other day I was on the internet looking at hiking supplies and I just happen to come across a Solar Power
Back Pack that charges hand held electronics,
“Really” I said “Yeah” Trevor said, and it wasn’t that expensive either. I looked at Trevor and said, let’s go get online a find us one of those back packs, Trevor said that sounds like a good ideal, LET’S GO
The Versatility of Solar Panels
A lot of people are looking for new ways to produce energy. Solar energy is one of the energy sources that are free, clean and renewable. Solar panels are used to harness the energy from the sun. The solar panels are arrays of photovoltaic cells that collect the sun’s energy.
Much research is still being done on building more efficient and cost effective solar panels for domestic and industrial use. You can save so much on your electricity bill when you can rely on the sun for heating your home. But you can see smaller applications that can be used in campsites. Since there is no access to electrical outputs in the outdoors, solar panels are used to supply some electricity in the site.
Solar Thermal Collector
A solar thermal collector is essentially a directed magnifying glass pointed at a specific liquid container. Water, oil, and anti-freeze have traditionally been used to store this solar energy for household use. They are great for storing solar energy because they each have a high boiling point, making long term energy storage possible.
There are many uses for this stored energy, such as heating an entire house, proving hot water, and heat for cooking. With a solar thermal collector, you add green energy to your daily consumption and lower your impact on the earth.