Posts Tagged ‘solar’

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Solar Energy: Advantages & Disadvantages

Sunday, December 6th, 2009

One of the energy sources that modern technology has recently put to good use is solar energy. Solar energy isn’t anything new, but new advancements in technology have been placing solar energy more into the mainstream, and it may one day be one of the more primary power sources.

- Advantages of Solar Energy

Since solar energy comes directly from the sun, it is not only renewable, but also accessible in any part of the world. As long as the proper equipment is utilized, unlimited amounts of solar power can be collected and put to good use.

Solar power is also one of the cleanest forms of energy, since it creates no pollution, and produces no greenhouse gases or waste products.

For residential uses, solar power minimizes any negative impacts on the surrounding environment, making it a safer alternative to wind or hydro power.

Not only is solar energy non-pollutant, in terms of gases, but it also causes zero noise pollution – since there are no moving parts in any of the devices which are used to capture the sun’s energy.

Because no moving parts are used, maintenance costs are low as well – only occasional cleaning and periodic battery replacements are needed. Most manufacturers of solar panels provide twenty-year warranties for their equipment, guaranteeing long-life operation.

Solar panels placed on rooftops also double as a heat absorbers, slightly cooling the top area of the house which is directly below the roof.

- Disadvantages of Solar Energy

The most obvious drawback of solar energy is its sole dependence on the sun. Once the weather becomes cloudy, or night strikes, energy collection comes to a halt. However, recent advancements of technology now allow the generated power to be stored in special batteries which provide roughly enough electricity to last a night. This is why solar-powered devices, including flashlights, are gaining in popularity and are proving to be efficient energy savers.

Solar panels can also be expensive, because of the materials that are used to create them. And even when these materials are taken out of the equation, the entire process, considering the other devices involved, can be a bit costly. This includes portable devices that utilize solar energy. But most of the cost involved is in the initial purchase and installation of a solar power system – not running costs.

Fortunately, there are some people who sell damaged solar cells, which are much cheaper. These damaged solar cells can be used to build fully functional solar panels, using the application of simple do-it-yourself techniques.

Although sunlight hits every part of the world, at some point in time, direct sunlight is needed in order to make the most of the sun’s energy, and to generate the highest amounts of power. This significantly restricts the placement of solar panels. And some areas in the world may receive little benefit, due to lesser sunlight.

- What’s the Bottom Line?

More research and development continues to be invested into this growing technology, and that’s a good sign for the future of our households – as solar power may, one day in the future, be used even more frequently than other energy sources. Of course, solar energy isn’t flawless as an energy solutionFree Web Content, but it makes a great complimentary addition to other energy forms.

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Home Solar Power

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

Basic facts about home solar power systems

A home solar power system has several standard components they are as follows:

* PV Modules or solar panels (to turn solar energy into electricity)

* A charge controller (this is an electrical device that prevents batteries from overcharging and from power running from the batteries into the solar panels).

* Batteries, to store the electricity for night time usage.

* An inverter (an electrical device that changes the electricity created through the solar panels into electricity ready for use in your regular household wall plugs). Solar panels create Direct Current DC and a household runs on A/C Alternating Current.

* In the case of a hybrid home solar system, an automatic switch to get current from the electrical grid, or some other power source such as a generator would be included as well. The advantage of using a hybrid system is that you will not be dependent upon solar energy alone.

* A 1-kilowatt home solar system is sufficient for most households.

* A 1-kilowatt home solar system will provide roughly 1,600 kilowatts per year in a sunny climate (receiving 5.5 hrs of sunlight each day) and about 750 kilowatt hours per year in cloudy climates (receiving 2.5 hours of sunlight each day).

* A 1-kilowatt home solar system is uses about 10-12 solar panels and requires about 100 square feet of installation area such as the roof of your house or a section of land on your property.

* A 1-kilowatt home solar system reduces waste and pollution by about 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, 300 lbs of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere and 105 gallons of water from being consumed each month! A big step toward protecting our environment, in other words.

* With abattery back-up, a solar power system can provide electricity day and night, no matter what the weather conditions. Other options such as back up generators or grid tie systems provide total security.

* On average a 1-kilowatt home solar system takes about 1-2 days to install and costs around US$10,000 (though prices are coming down), but can vary greatly and does not take into account any tax incentives offered by the government for reducing carbon emissions.

* Most systems come with a 5-year warranty, although the solar panels are warranted for 20 years. As technology advancesHealth Fitness Articles, some systems are even coming out with a 30 year warranty.

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Home Solar Electricity: Module Solar System Designs

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Integrated Structures: Solar Energy Systems Manufactured in Pieces

The module structure is designed to protect the solar cells from the environment. It consists of a number of layers to protect the circuit of solar PV cells and to make the module easy to install. The materials used in these layers determine the cost and durability of the modules.

The solar cells themselves and their circuits are totally wrapped in plastic. A shock resistant, shatter proof glass covers the solar PV cells and provides a clear, low absorption cover for the solar panel. It is also tempered for strength in order to reduce the effects of falling trees or hail. The multi-layered back sheet protects the plastic and cells from abrasions and prevents moisture from getting into the module.

An edge seal is applied to protect the edges of the glass from the infiltration of dirt, water, or other non-friendly substances. The metal frame is secured around the entire glass laminate. The all metal frame provides the structure and strength. It is the frame that is then bolted to the mounting system embedded directly into the roofing structure. Common Solar Module Design Types

There are three basic module solar designs. The first is the standard frame module that you may have experienced in the past. This design approach has been used for 30 years and usually involves an aluminum frame that allows the modules to be mounted onto a rail structure of some kind that is then directly attached to the roof. The modules are positioned above the roof surface, providing space for air to flow under the module, which helps cool the system and makes it work more efficiently.

At the same time, rain water, leaves, twigs, and other debris can also flow under the solar panels. The rail structure is attached to the roof by means of posts that are secured into the roof rafters with long lag screws. Roof mounted systems is a good fit for structures comprised of ceramic tiles and wood & asphalt shingles. The roof is sealed tightly after the posts are installed to prevent any chance of leaks.

Modified Metal Frame for a Ground Mount Module Design

This module design can also be mounted to a ground based frame structure. Such a structure can be built on any stable terrain, can be made of metal or wood, and can hold the modules at any tilt angle or azimuth orientation (note: see previous articles related to sun angles). The ground mount can also be a pole structure to cut down on foundation work to your home. It can be stationary (i.e. not have a small motor to constantly orientate the solar panel with the sun as it tracks across the sky) or it can use a small motor to track the sun throughout the day and year.

Residential Roof Integrated Solar Energy Modules

A second type of module design is one that allows the module to be integrated into residential roofing materials. Systems connecting directly to the roofing materials (i.e. replacing shingles or laying flat to the roofing boards) are called integrated solar modules. The module frame design is modified so that it has the same profile as neighboring flat concrete tiles. The modules are not mounted to a rail structure but are attached directly to the roof surface. This low profile mount allows the module to blend in to the look of the roof and avoid the retrofit appearance of standard mounted solar energy modules.

The emergence of this more attractive roof integrated product has encouraged many production home builders to incorporate solar systems into their projects. This type blends in with the roofing materials and is attached directly to the roof surface.

Types Integrated Solar PV Panels

One is the mono crystalline ridged frame design offered by some existing manufacturers. The integrated solar cells have better through put and are gaining in efficiency all of the time. They also incorporate well into existing roofing materials like shingles and tiles. These solar cells use the same crystalline silicon technology as standard modules today. This set up has more mounting frame with fewer solar cells connected in series. The can result in a solar system that is a little more expensive. Because the roof integrated systems mount directly to the roof, they do not have the air flow of standard modules therefore the solar cell temperature gets higher, limiting their efficiency.

The other integrated solar cell product offered, by UNISOLAR, is a flexible amorphous technology. Often this type of solar energy module is called thin film or nano-solar cells. It is made to blend in with an asphalt shingle roof. It is somewhat less efficient, tends to degrade more quickly, and may have a shorter workable live spam. The manufacturer claims that this module is better in high shade situations.

Solar Energy Options Hitting a Roofs Everywhere

It is encouraging to see new solar energy systems hitting the market with enhanced technology, better integration options, and less complexity. It will take time to work out the bugs with these cutting edge products. It will be the newer solar technologies will increase solar usage dramatically as wells as enhanced financing options to help pay for the residential solar energy equipment.

New solar energy technologies are on the march. Exciting investments and technology proof of concepts are everywhere. It is hard to refute the good, faithful, and well-established silicon based solar cells. These systems have a life span of 30 years and have been in active use for decades. The only deterrent, until now, has been the high price for the systems. With the option to rental the entire solar energy system including the ongoing maintenance of the system for up to 25 yearsFind Article, the choices homeowners now have related to renewable energy adoption in their homes is very exciting.

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How a Solar Furnace Works

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

A solar furnace produces heat by concentrating solar energy in a specific location. In order to concentrate this energy, the furnace uses a set of reflectors.

A small solar furnace can be used to prepare food as a substitute for firewood. A large solar furnace can produce enough electricity to power a small community.

Some organizations have introduced this technology to developing nations, in the hopes that it might lessen the consumption of firewood, and help solve the deforestation problems in that particular region.

How Does a Solar Furnace Work?

This is a really a very simple system. In principle, one needs to use at least two mirrors, and point them in the same direction, so that they focus light on a concentrated area. This in return intensifies the sunlight, because the area not only receives heat from the sun, but also from the two mirrors. If you add more mirrors into the set, you can produce a greater degree of heat, which can then be used for cooking or in other applications where heat energy is necessary.

There are some groups which can create such a furnace which produces a large amount of heat energy to turn organic materials into ashes.

It has been said that the only limiting factor to the amount of heat that can be created, is how efficiently the mirrors are focused on a single spot. The more accurate the focus of each mirror, the more heat can be produced.

When used properly, a solar furnace can harness the sun’s rays to produce very high temperatures. This is done by using a curved mirror, or an array of mirrors, which act as parabolic reflectors that concentrate the light onto a single point. The heat thus generated can be used as an alternative energy source, can be used to produce hydrogen fuel, or can even melt steel.

Small-scale furnaces can be used for cooking and for water pasteurization.

The main drawback to this form of renewable energy is that it still depends on weather conditions for its effectiveness. Once the sky gets cloudy, its heat output diminishes.

Solar Furnaces in History

It has been said that Greek inventor Archimedes used a solar furnace to set the sails of enemy ships on fire. If this is true, he would have had to have known the technology to precisely focus sunlight on a distant target. In ancient times, mirrors were made out of polished copper or silver. They couldn’t be accurately focused as easily as our modern mirrors can. However, those were times of strength and skill. In 1973, The Greek navy did recreate this scenario for the purpose of experiment, and they succeeded in setting fire to a wooden boat fifty meters away.

There may be more we can learn from history on the use of solar power and alternative energy. After all, those were times without gas pumps and power grids. But what’s most important is that we continue to research, develop, and implement clean energy solutions, wherever we can in the modern world – both for the sake of our nations’ respective economiesFree Articles, and for the sake of a cleaner future on Earth.

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What is a Solar Roof?

Sunday, August 23rd, 2009

It has been said that the world is experiencing an energy crisis. And as oil prices go up, so do our electrical bills. One method of addressing this problem is by installing a solar roof over your home. A solar roof can become your very own home power generator.

A solar roof is made out of photovoltaic materials, which replace usual building materials. For flat roofs, thin-film cells are integrated into flexible polymer roofing membranes. For pitched roofs, you can use either multiple roof tiles, or solar shingles (which are designed to look just like regular shingles).

Not only will you’re roof look good, but you’ll be saving on your electrical bills as well. The roof will still shield you from the elements, and it will also and generate electricity when the sun is up. In other words, instead of buying ordinary roof tiles or shingles, you would be buying solar shingles or roofing material, which will serve both purposes.

Anyone planning to install a new roof should consider getting solar roof. This is one investment that can have a long-term impact in your financial situation.

Solar roofs are built to last as well. It has been said that solar roofs can last for up to fifty years. That’s comparable with the most durable building materials around. The typical installation involves laminating photovoltaic (PV) strips onto the roof pans, before the roofer puts them into place. The wires would then run in the ridge cap, out of view.

If the homeowner prefers to use PV shingles, then the shingles are installed by nailing them to the plywood sheathing of the roof. The interconnectors are laid in, under the plywood, and the roofers use regular asphalt shingles of the same color to fill in around the edges. The DC current generated by the shingles would is then be diverted into a battery bank which can be used around the home.

Governments of some countries provide tax or other financial incentives to encourage people to install solar roofs. Establishments with these installation can sometimes produce enough energy make them independent from other sources of electricity. Some governments even offer subsidies which help those who wish to have solar shingles or tiles placed on their own buildings.

Solar roofs are a great alternative energy source. They provide 100% clean and renewable energyFree Web Content, and the earth would definitely be a better place to live in if more homes used solar power.

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Solar Hot Water

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

Solar hot water heating systems are a great tool for conserving energy and significantly reducing your energy bill.

Contrary to popular belief, solar hot water heating is not at all a new technology. Solar water heating systems have been used commercially for over a century now, with the first commercial water heater (the Climax Solar-Water Heater) going on sale in 1891 in the United States. By the year 1900, over 1600 houses in California were equipped with this solar water heater.

Due to its low cost and its effectiveness, solar hot water heating gained popularity until, by 1941, more than half the population of Florida was getting its hot water through solar water heaters!

Solar water heating only lost its popularity as a result of lowered electricity rates, and an aggressive campaign by Florida Power and Light to increase electrical consumption. This was done by offering electric water heaters at bargain prices. Thus Florida’s solar water heating was brought to halt.

The United States is not the only country with a solar water heating history. There are many other countries where solar water heating was used in the past and has since fallen out of use – but not all of them. In fact, currently more than ten million Japanese households heat their water using solar water heating systems. This is definite proof that it is a workable technology.

Important Facts about Solar Hot Water Heating Systems

* Solar water heating can be used in any climate. Sound unbelievable? Check it out on the U.S. Department of Energy website. They say so as well.

* The fuel used to run a solar water heater is sunshine. And, at the time of this writing, sunshine is free – no tax has been added yet.

* A solar hot water heater can reduce your water heating bill by fifty to eighty percent. But with energy prices going up, the amount of savings (as compared to normal prices) will soon be even higher.

* Aside from reducing your energy bill right now, a solar water heating system will protect you from future energy price increases. Your heating will no longer rely on fossil fuels for electricity.

* When building a new home, or when refinancing, the economic aspect of this becomes even more interesting.

You can, for instance, include the cost of a solar water heater with a new thirty-year mortgage package. This would usually add up to about $13.00 -$20.00 a month. Federal income tax deductions for mortgage interest would reduce the payment for the solar water heater by about $3.00 -$5.00 per month.

If your fuel savings with a solar water heating system is $15.00 or more per month (which it likely will be) you will have reduced your monthly heating bill right then and there.

* Solar hot water heating will significantly reduce your carbon footprint. It will reduce the use of fossil fuels which pollute the environment.

* Solar heaters can be installed in combination with backup systems. In fact, you could install a solar water heater next to your existing system and make it possible switch to conventional water heating whenever necessary. This way you are guaranteed to always have hot water.

-Types of Solar Hot Water Heating Systems

There are two types of solar water heating systems, active solar water heating systems and passive solar water heating systems. They both work on the same principles.

The only difference is that active systems have a pump or other mechanical means of moving the water through the solar heating systems, and passive systems rely on nature’s principles: warm water rises to the top, and cold water sinks to the bottom. Therefore, with a passive solar water heating system, the water storage tank must always be positioned above the solar water heater collector.

- Active Solar Hot Water Heating

There are two main designs of active water heating systems. Which one is best for you depends on the climate you live in.

There is what’s called an “indirect circulation system” which uses a non-freezing heat-transfer fluid to transfer heat from the collector to a heat exchanger (a device used to transfer heat from the heat transfer fluid to the water in your storage tank). This is good for colder climates.

There is also the direct circulation system, in which case water is simply passed through solar heat collector and is then routed to the water storage tank for use. This system works fine in milder climates.

- Passive Solar Hot Water Heating

Passive solar water heating systems are usually cheaper than “active solar water heating systems,” as they do not need controls or pumps to circulate the water.

But generally, they are not as effective as the active systems. If you live in a warm climate, a passive water heating system may be all you need. Passive water heating systems are also known for being very reliable.

Essentially, solar water heating systems consist of a water storage tank and its solar collectors. The solar collectors are used to collect solar energy (which heats water)Science Articles, and the tanks store the heated water. That’s all there is to it.

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The Solar Attic Fan

Sunday, July 26th, 2009

One of the more popular uses of solar power in the home is the solar attic fan.

As its name implies, a solar attic fan is powered and activated by solar power. It is installed into the roof of the attic, with its panels facing the sky.

Why would one need a solar-powered attic fan?

Well, for that matter, what is the purpose of an attic fan?

Since heat rises, all of the heat in a home tends to rise up into the attic. If this heat has no easy outlet, it will simply get stuck up there. This causes the over-heating. When combined with a lack of proper ventilation, this leads to dampness, mildew, and the the like.

Furthermore, when the accumulated attic heat is not allowed to escape, the temperature of the entire home rises.

While there are some circumstances under which you want to warm up your home, there are other circumstances under which you would prefer to cool it down. A lack of sufficient ventilation in a hot attic can make matters difficult. Thus, an attic fan can play an important role in allowing you to control the temperature of your home.

Okay, now that we understand what the purpose of this fan is, why would we want it to be solar-powered?

The first answer is obvious – to use greener energy and to avoid using energy sources which damage the environment.

By using solar power for the fan, we can also save a bit of money on electricity.

But a more pragmatic reason for using a solar powered fan is the simple fact that it is basically “wireless.” You won’t have to worry about installing electrical wires and cables into your attic, in order to run your fan.

Solar-powered fans are relatively simple to install into one’s attic. But if you aren’t an enthusiastic DIYer ready to climb onto your roof with a knife and a hammer, you will probably want to get someone else to do it.

When installing a solar-powered fan into the roof, one has to actually cut a hole into the roof and install the fan in that spot. It’s smart to install it on the south facing side, which will receive more sun (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case you would obviously install it on the north side). There is a certain degree of skill involved, as is normally the case when one considers the prospect of climbing up on the roof, removing shingles and roofing material, and cutting a hole through to the other side without damaging any rafters.

But overall the process does not take a long time, for someone who knows what they’re doing. The installation of the fan should be well worth the trouble in the long run, particularly if you live in a hot climate. It will run at virtually no running cost, requiring little to no maintenance, while reducing the overall heat in your home. That reduces the costs involved with cooling your home (using less energy-efficient methods, such as air conditioning).

So, even if you don’t give a hoot about the environmentBusiness Management Articles, a solar attic fan might be a very worthwhile investment. Providing you do have an attic.

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How To Discover How Many Solar Panels Are Needed For Your Home

Friday, July 10th, 2009

So, you’re wanting to install solar power into your home. You’ve done some homework and checked out a few solar panels and visualized what they might look like in (or on) your house or office. Now, you’re asking, “How can I tell exactly how many solar power panels I will need?”

Here’s how to determine exactly how much wattage you’ll need, specifically tailored for your home individually and how to take that info and use it to know precisely how many solar panels you will need. Would that be useful? You know it would!

You have to start by establishing how much energy your home consumes. You cannot know the exact amount of solar power panels that you’ll need until you have accurately made that calculation.

Take a good close look at your old electricity bills. Establish your monthly average energy usage, ideally over the course of a full year to account of the changes in the seasons. Take note of the total amount of kilowatts per hour (kw/hr) your home consumes.

To get the average kw/hr your home requires, simply divide the total kw/hr by the total number of days in the billing period you’re looking at. Most utility company billing periods are for 30 days.

By doing that you will know how many kw/hr your solar power for homes system will require each day to meet your solar energy needs. If you do this for the whole year, you’ll know both your average daily usage and times in which your consumption is likely going to peak. This is essential information for sizing up how many watts your home needs.

You have to confirm that your electricity company is happy to buy back the extra solar power that your solar power system makes. While it is rare indeed for an electricity company to actually pay you for the extra electricity you supply them, most are happy to buy back power up to the extent of your current bill. After that, they will accept it but only under condition that they won’t actually pay you for it. You need to check out where your local company stands on this matter.

If you are someone who is choosing to not go fully off-grid (which is perfectly reasonable by the way!) and you haven’t bought any batteries to store the additional solar power, then some days you’ll be selling your home-generated solar energy to the utility company. In the U.S., by law electric companies have to pay you whatever rate you would pay them. At other times, you won’t generate enough solar power and you may be paying them for energy. Either way, over the duration of a full year, you want to aim at having your energy bill end up around the zero mark. In other words, you want to have just the right amount of solar power panels, not too many and not to few.

Energy companies rarely (if ever) offer to give you money if you over-supply them. So do not build a solar power for homes system that will produce more solar energy than you could ever possibly use. You want the system to generate just enough to keep your bills at zero.

To establish exactly how many watts of solar power panels you need, you have to work out how many hours of direct sunlight that your solar power for homes system will receive. In short, on average, how many hours of direct sunlight does your home soak up over the course of any given year?

There are several ways to work this out. The ‘hard way’ is to take time daily to notice for how long the sun shines on the part of your roof where you are thinking of installing your solar power panels. Now let’s face it! Because you probably won’t want to keep this up this laborious daily chore for a whole year, this way is almost certainly totally impractical.

If your solar power for homes system has tracking system, (a built in ability to move and track the sun) the number of hours of sunlight your roof receives will not be the same as the number of hours of direct sunlight. Because the sun’s light strikes the solar power panels from many different angles (not only when it’s coming in at right angles to your roof) you’ll find that your calculations will vary.

Generally speaking, most houses enjoy roughly 5 hours direct sunlight on average throughout the year. This is a rough approximation, so don’t get upset with me if it turns out you get less energy than this article suggested! (You could always return to daily readings if you want!)

If you live in the U.S. and you want to get a far more accurate assessment, look for your local average regional value. In August 2004, the Florida Solar Energy Center presented a study entitled “Geographic Variation in Potential of Rooftop Residential Photovoltaic Electric Power Production in the United States” in which they tested power generation of a 2 kilowatt solar power for homes system all around the U.S.A. They took readings in more than 200 locations throughout the U.S. The research showed that on average a 2 kw rooftop system would harness between 5 and 8.5 kw/hr per day throughout the year.

So using the low end of the scale, a 2-kw system would see 5 hours per day of sunshine. Therefore, that 2-kw system could expect to enjoy 10 kw/hr of solar power per day on average across the period of the whole year.

Consider how you were planning to use the solar power for homes. Were you wanting to go completely off-grid? That will create greater demands on your solar power for homes system. Also, be aware of any potential problems such as tall trees blocking your sunlight to the solar power panels.

If your average power consumption were to be 600 kw/hr per month and you establish that your electricity company has a billing period of 30 days per month, then you can know that your daily energy consumption is 20 kw/hr per day (i.e. 600 kw/hr divided by 30 days per month).

Using the Florida simulation data found in the graphic entitled, “Geographic Variation of PV Power Production Around the U.S.”, we can see for example that the southernmost tip of Florida has an estimated value of 7.5 kw/hr based on the use of a 2kw rooftop PV system. Therefore, we can know that people living in Southern Florida receive an approximate average of 3.5 hours of direct sunlight per day.

If you know your home is currently using 20kw of electricity per day (aka 20,000 watts), then, given that you know you receive an average of 3.five hours per day of sunlight from which to generate the total amount of solar energy that you will need, then the solar power system you’d need would have to incorporate about 5Article Submission,700 watts of solar power panels to produce the correct amount of solar energy that your home typically uses every day.

So don’t delay. Nothing speaks louder than action. Go source and purchase those solar power panels today!

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Solar power is the ideal way to save energy resources and to save you money on utilities in the proc

Monday, July 6th, 2009

With rising energy prices and seemingly dwindling energy sources, more and more people are looking for ways to save energy now. Whether you are looking to save energy at the office or save energy at home, you only have to look out your window to see the most obvious source of energy. Solar power is the ideal way to save energy resources and to save you money on utilities in the process.

Before you take the first step towards solar energy, you may want to look at how your home or office is using energy. Take a look around for all the appliances around your office or residence. There are of course a number of ideas on how to save electricity. The air conditioner is perhaps the largest drain on electricity in any building. You can learn how to save on electricity in the summer with central air. Use a thermostat to set one ideal temperature, and keep in mind that you want to turn up the thermostat in summer months to save electricity. In cooler months, keep the thermostat set lower and put on a sweater or layer your clothing to stay warmer.

Invest in a appliance that uses gas will save you energy. You can also save energy by turning off the lights when you aren’t using them, and unplug everything from major appliances to your cell phone charger when you aren’t using it to keep the phantom ghost from draining energy unnecessarily. To save on home energy costs can have many simple ways.

Yet even when you take these steps to lower your electricity bill, you are still pulling energy from the power plant and in effect draining the earth’s natural resources. There must be another way to save on home electric costs. The good news is there is a very simple solution – harnessing the power of the sun to power your house. If you have looked at solar power in the past, you likely have found it to be incredibly expensive. Installing solar panels on your house should not be a project for a rain day. Maybe you’re waiting for your car to be paid off or to finish paying for your daughter’s braces. Yet every day you put off installing solar panels on your home or office, you are losing money and wasting valuable natural resources.

There are a number of relatively inexpensive do-it-yourself solar panels kits on the market that allow you to save literally thousands of dollars on the cost of solar panels. All it takes from you is a little bit of time and effort into constructing the panels yourself. There is really no good excuse why you can not start saving on your home energy costs right away. In many cases, people that have taken the time and made the effort to convert to solar power have not only saved money on their electric bill, but often they have made more electricity from their solar panels than they can use. The result is that the power people will pay you for this excess energy!

Every day solar energy power shines down, yes even if it’s rainingScience Articles, on you make the savings switch today!

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Solar Collectors

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

A solar collector not a person who stands around collecting sun. A solar collector is a device which is essential to any solar heating system. It gathers the sun?s energy, converts it into heat, and then transfers the heat into water, air, or solar fluid. This device is mainly used in water heating systems, pool heaters, and space heating systems.

The amount of solar energy which strikes the earth’s surface in any given area depends on the location and weather conditions. But it averages out to around 1,000 watts per square meter, under good weather conditions, when the surface of the earth is perpendicular to the sun?s rays. To fully harness this energy, the solar collectors need to be positioned properly.

- Types of Solar Collectors

There are three basic types of solar collectors.

The first type is the flat-plate collector. This is the most common type, and is what is often used in homes, for water and space heating systems. It usually consists of an insulated metal box, with a plastic or glass cover, and a dark absorber plate. It can be used to heat air or liquid, at temperature lower than 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then there?s the liquid flat-plate collector. It works by heating liquid as it flows through tubes that are adjacent to the absorber plate. The simplest liquid systems would use potable water which is heated as it passes through the collector and then flows back into the building. Some solar pool heaters use this type as well.

Finally, there is the air flat-plate collector, which is commonly used to heat air. In this case, the absorber plates can be made from either metal sheets, or from layers of screen. The air would be passed through the absorber by the use of a fan, or by natural convection. It should be noted that less heat is conducted by air than by water. This method is thus probably the least is least effective, amongst the different types of solar collectors.

- Positioning

Solar collectors can be placed on the roof, but they must face the sun. If you?re in the southern hemisphere, it should be placed on a north-facing roof, while the opposite is true for those living in the northern hemisphere.

In a very sunny location, sunny, a 2 to 10 square-meter array might suffice to provide hot water for a standard-sized family home.

Due to the fact that space and water heating eats up most of the energy consumption of the household, utilizing a system such as this is an important factor in maintaining sustainable housing. Financially, if you are looking to invest in solar power for your home, the installation of a solar water heating system is usually the best way to start, as the investment-to-savings ratio is usually best with solar water heaters. This would of course have to be researched independentlyArticle Search, for your living circumstances and location.

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