Panels for Solar Heat Considerations

October 7th, 2008

Many people are realising that harnessing solar energy is currently one of the best ways to provide heat and electricity for their homes. The technology has been around for some time now and has proven its viability for most types of homes. However, the initial outlay is still a major obstacle for homeowners who wish to implement an environmentally friendly energy system. It is possible to obtain cheap solar panels from a variety of sources and suppliers. However, do your research so you know what type of panel you are looking for and how many. Producing solar heat for example is a very resource hungry system and will require more panels. The ease of installation, the maintenance of the system and the efficiency of the panels are all important factors to be considered. 

Another way to keep the initial cost of solar energy down is to buy used solar panels. Obviously care must be taken beforehand to ensure the supplier is reliable, and that the equipment is in good working order.  If you already have a solar heating system installed, buying second hand panels could also be a way to upgrade your current system. A variety of systems are now available, as the industry has progressed over the last few years. Whatever you decide to do, being clear about your requirements and your budget will help ensure you make the correct choice for your home.

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Cost Disadvantages of Solar Energy for the Home

September 25th, 2008

There’s quite a controversy raging around the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy usage in the home as an alternative energy source. Some feel they are one of the least cost-effective ways of tackling climate change and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in the UK have gone so far as to say it will take 100 years to pay back the cost of their installation.

Their view is that roof panels as an energy source for heating water and generating power are unlikely to save enough from energy bills to make them financially viable in a home owner’s lifetime. Better alternatives, it is argued are loft and cavity wall insulation, replaing draughty windows and using energy efficient light bulbs.

However, the costs of solar energy may be reduced as products improve and already are, relatively, cheaper since gas, electricity and oil prices have risen so much lately. Also, many governments offer subsidies for using alternative power.

Whatever, the truth it still remains that there is a lot that we can do on a daily basis to cut down on energy usage. Turning off lights, taking appliances off stand-by and turning of mobile phone rechargers all make a positive contribution.

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Charging Solar Lanterns

September 23rd, 2008

One of the more interesting solar energy products I came across recently was a set of solar powered yard lanterns. I was told you needed to leave them on for a full 3 days though, in order to charge them up before they were used for the the first time. After a bit of research I discovered that you don’t actually need the sun for your solar outdoor lights, any type of bright light will do although it’s arguable whether an alternative would be powerful enough and by the time you’ve used the electicity to power the light to charge up your solar ones it would seem to defeat the objecr somewhat!

Then, when I looked more closely I discovered that the lanterns had 2 rechargeable AA cells. I took those out and replaced them with batteries and the lanterns worked. Now I’ve got an alternative for days when the weather’s a bit gloomy.

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Solar Panels Outside the Home

September 15th, 2008

Using solar power outdoors is becoming more and more common. In fact one of the most popular uses in the US is that of heating a swimming pool. Generally these systems increase an unheated pool’s temperature by more than 10 degrees which means you can often swim for an 3 extra months. And when the solar panels are no longer heating the pool, you can use them to send the water to your hot water heater, inside your house, instead. However, you’d have to have a valve installed to prevent the pool water from mixing with your household supply and contaminating your drinking water.

Another popular use for solar power in the yard is outdoor house lighting. Energy is stored during the hours of sunshine and it is then transfered to your lights in the evenings, to illuminate your porch, path or patio.

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Solar Energy Vounteering

August 26th, 2008

If you are keen on learning more about environmental issues such as wind, alternative and solar energy products, one way to get involved is to become a volunteer for organizations in your local area. For example, if you live in new Mexico , for example, you may want to contact The New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA) who regularly advertise for volunteers on their website. The nonprofit organization is run completely by volunteers so they are always looking for new people who are intersted in learning more about and promoting solar energy and related sustainable practices.

Currently they are looking for help with:

Bulk Mail Assistance
Chapter Leaders
Instructors
Event Co-ordinators

There are many similar organizations through the United States so if you’re interested in volunteering you could do a online search for those in your locality or try the local library.

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Solar Energy Lighting

July 17th, 2008

Using the sun’s energy to light our homes, both inside and using solar outdoor lights, is an interesting prospect. Especially as this could be done in such a way that we would be free from electricity bills. However, the charges associated with installing the necessary equipment is off putting to a lot of people.

Solar energy is most commonly converted into electricity to power lighting, through the use of photovoltaics.

A photovoltaic cell consists of semi-conducting materials, such as silicon, which absorbs some of the sunlight that falls on it. A number of these cells are interconnected in series or parallel, to form a solar panel. The energy produced by such panels depends upon the number of individual cells within the panel, and the way in which they are organised. Depending on the arrangement, the photovoltaic cells in a solar panel produce voltages in increments of 12, such as 12, 24, 36, 48 volts, for example.

Sunlight photons, which are streams of energy particles, generate electricity when they hit the silicon atoms of the solar cells. Fresnel lenses and mirrored dishes concentrate these photons onto the photovoltaic cells. The electrons are freed when they hit the negatively charged plates, producing an electric current. This can be drawn off and used externally for things such as lighting.

One advantage of using photovoltaics to generate electricity is that it doesn’t produce any pollution. This goes for noise aswell since, as it has no moving parts, it is silent during operation. It also requires no or very little maintenance.

Most photovoltaic systems are designed to supply electricity as and when required, and deep cycle batteries to store electricity generated by the solar panels. The power stored can then be released at night, for example, to run indoor and outdoor lighting. To control the charge and limit the discharge, these batteries require DC/AC inverters.

After the initial cost of the panels, inverters and other equipment you get free electricity generation and can light up your home with clean solar power. Unlike solar heating, lighting can more easily pay for itself.

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