Posts Tagged ‘solar panels’

Answers About Solar Power

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Home solar systems are no longer rocket science. Putting solar on the roof of a house is as easy as hiring a contractor. Those cells either heat water or convert light to electricity (photovoltaic). If it generates electricity the juice is either used, stored in batteries, or fed back into the power grid for storage. Unfortunately, instead of embracing the big pictures, most people feel they need to understand the details of the picture before they can make the move to solar.

At first glance, that makes sense. After all, this in new technology. Well, actually, the first photovoltaic cell was created in the late 1800s. So, it isn’t new. Although, it would be fair to say that it has only become efficient enough in the last thirty years to be a viable option.

In truth, there are a number of technologies out there with wide acceptance regardless of a lack of understanding of the exact mechanisms involved. How many people have cell phones who wouldn’t know how to build one? Case in point, a majority of people could no more build an electric generator than a solar panel.

Putting those aside, the real issues remain. Consumers are mainly concerned with issues of cost and benefit. Also, They Want To Know How The experience of have solar will be different.

The typical home system costs between eighteen and forty thousand dollars. Although numerous local, state and federal programs offer tax incentives for going green with solar power. There are also a number of companies that offer creative financing for systems.

This does add to the number of things in the house that can break. Roof maintenance is certainly more difficult with all that solar equipment in the way. In cold climates, solar panels heating water can freeze, which necessitates the use of anti-freeze. Also, having a single solar panel go out can drop the production of the entire system by more than a quarter, so that needs to be monitored. If the system has a battery backup, those batteries need periodic checking for fluid level. Fortunately, most solar systems come with a twenty five year warranty.

The benefit of the system is free power, for photovoltaic, or free hot water. The value of that is directly related to the cost of electricity from the local utility grid. Since most utility company pricing is vulnerable to oil price considerations, it is unlikely, with diminishing fossil fuel reserves, that those prices will go any direction but up. Taking the projected power output of the system and multiplying that by the current cost from the grid and projecting a reasonable rate increase percentage, gives a good idea how quickly the system pays for itself. Then, after that, it’s free electricity.

Home solar require a large initial dollar investment. The few added maintenance tasks are less involved than maintaining a hot tub. The system will usually pay for itself around seven to ten years, and it is guaranteed to last at least twenty five. After that, who knows what mankind will be using for power.

For more info on Solar Energy, check out my Solar Power blog.

How to Build a Solar Panel

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

Solar Panels could be one of the best moves you make. It seems a steep investment at first, however the benefits far outweigh a small

dent in your pocketbook. For one your home instantly becomes more valuable with an array of solar panels on your roof and if you are

‘GRID TIED’ and hooked into the main power grid, the power company will most likely be sending you a monthly check as long as you live

in a sunny area and your solar panel system is installed and setup correctly. You will be contributing positively to the health of the planet.

Solar Panels could be one of the best moves you make. It seems a steep investment at first, however the benefits far outweigh a small

dent in your pocketbook. For one your home instantly becomes more valuable with an array of solar panels on your roof and if you are

‘GRID TIED’ and hooked into the main power grid, the power company will most likely be sending you a monthly check as long as you live

in a sunny area and your solar panel system is installed and setup correctly. You will be contributing positively to the health of the planet.

There are numerous federal & local financial incentive plans that you can take advantage of when you install solar panels on your home.

In the end it all all be done at a very reasonable cost.

The price of ALL energy, is only increasing. You can see for yourself the rapid rise in the price of gas at the pump. Don’t you think it’s

going to keep rising ?? Many things are related to the cost of oil. And as you have no doubt noticed, the middle East is in a very unstable

state right now, the price of oil could suddenly go through the roof….. The less dependence you have on oil the better.

World population now is about 6 billion, in 2050 it is projected to be close to 9 billion; that’s a lot of people. This planet has never had so

many inhabitants. They are ALL going to need energy.

At present most of our energy comes from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas. These energy sources are NOT clean and they lay

waste to our planet. Isn’t it time we did something about REVERSING the flow of Destruction that we are imposing on our planet daily ??

We are tearing the living guts out of it on a daily basis !!

Don’t you agree Solar Panel Systems are a perfect way of creating power and helping put the planet on the right track…..

Move over Oil….

It is easily obtainable, renewable and CLEAN…. You also have to consider what this increase in demand might do to the price of energy.

It can only increase. An easily obtainable, CLEAN, renewable, energy source, sounds a good bet. Why do we not use it more ?? Because

the oil companies have NO INTEREST in the idea of everyone powering their home with sunshine, however it is definitely possible…..

READ ON….I’ll show you how to set up a Solar Panel System that can run a house. No electricity company, sending you bills every

month….You can even get them to send you a check….!! (Of course to get any solar panel system to function correctly, it must be getting

the required amount of sunshine and be installed & setup properly) Just you, your home, your appliances, some solar panels and some

sunshine…. Did you know that you can get Solar Lights now ?

With all the advances in solar technology the new solar panels outperform the panels of yesteryear by a long way…. Solar Panels are

used in a wide variety of applications now. Storage Battery technology has come a long way too. One can only expect these trends to

continue. If you live in an area that gets a decent amount of sunshine, you can now set up a Solar Panel System that should handle most

of your household needs and if you go GRID TIED you may be able to collect a monthly check from your Power company$$

If you just want to set up a couple of panels in the yard with a battery or two and run some appliances for free, this e-book will show you

how to do it. Solar Electricity is an amazing thing when you see it in action. Can you imagine the appliances in your house being powered

by sunshine?? Clean Power too. Isn’t it time you considered your contribution to the Sustainable planet? Wouldn’t you like to help the

planet stay Green? Isn’t It Time You Thought About Solar ?

Solar Panels are becoming more and more common. Download Peter Green’s NEW book Solar Panel Systems 5 Crucial Components. This article, How to Build a Solar Panel is released under a creative commons attribution license.

The Bright Side To The Energy Crunch

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

It’s shocking the amount of money it costs to fill a automobile’s tank these days. Elevated fuel expense is having an effect on just about every facet of life. Food costs and various physical product prices are inflated as a direct consequence of increases in transportation and shipping. For those who drive, most Americans, disposable salary is decreased. It is hard to identify a silver lining in all of that.

However, there’s one positive side-effect. Quite similar to the oil crunch in the 1980s, the substantial cost of fuel has turned the Public’s eyes back toward renewable power and sustainable energy. In plain speak, the discomfort of fuel pricing has exceeded the complacency. There is now a greater interest in fossil fuel alternatives.

Alternative energy is most often defined as the capability to generate energy in the present without compromising that ability of our children and grandchildren to produce power. It generally describes using natural sources of energy which replenish themselves. Unlike oil, that is certain to finally be consumed entirely, other sources, like sunlight, wind, rain, and tides will last for as long as our world will.

Solar panel technology involves harnessing sunlight to either yield electrical power or heat water. The effectiveness of solar technology can vary depending on climatic conditions and location. Nonetheless, the issue can be overcome by feeding the national electric utility grid from locations with suited characteristics. For individual property owners, a key downside of solar is definitely the initial, installation costs that can be quite high, although the long-term savings and tax breaks can fully offset the initial expenditure during the lifetime of the solar energy system.

Considering the recent introduction of electrical passenger cars and automobiles with gas backup generators, solar powered energy now offers the actual possibility to replace virtually all gasoline use in non-commercial motor vehicles. The current generation of these passenger cars will run 80 to 100 miles per charge. The normal American drives under forty miles every day with work commuting.

Employing wind turbines to produce electrical energy is really a further development of a 1000 year old technology that uses windmills to pump water. It has different but similar topographical limitations to solar panels. Having said that, windmill farms in mountain traverses can create power for the nation’s power grid much like desert solar farms.

As far as water goes, technologies have evolved quite a bit since the hydro-electric dam. Which is still a highly viable technology that’s been around for quite some time. Presently, studies are under way to use the tidal motion in the ocean in order to create electricity with a buoy system.

The clear theme here is that alternative energy technology has been in use for a long time. Nevertheless, only the current pain of high gas costs have inspired consumers to turn from the significantly more convenient non-renewable fuels. Almost all growth includes some pain.

Check out our Solar Energy Pros and Cons report, or our Blog.

Trying To Be Eco-Friendly With Solar Panels

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

As our world suffers global warming, we want to be eco-friendly with solar panels and do our part to help. By reducing energy costs, and powering your home with renewable energy you can help in a number of ways. Beware, as this technology is just emerging, costs are high, but there is still a return on investment.

There are homeowners switching to solar energy to cut costs on appliances and equipment that is expensive to use. Pool pumps, pool heaters, and water heaters are now being converted to solar energy options. It is can be very expensive to use electricity on pumps for a swimming pool. Spas and pool heaters in winter are also costly. Even though the panels can cost to get them, they do pay for themselves over time.

Many people are seeking alternative ways to run their household equipment. This has them turning to solar panels. These can be purchased a few at a time and then go bigger over time. There are many local governments that are giving tax breaks on installation of these panels. An approved solar dealer is sometimes required for the rebates or tax break. Others will allow proof with receipts. As the rates for electricity go up, it leaves many people wondering how much worse it will get.

For companies that offer installation, verify they are a company you can use if on the tax break list. You want to check out the company prior to any work getting started. Have them come out and do a visual inspection and walk through of your home. Get a quote in writing to include cost of panels and installation. You need a company that can do a proper installation to avoid any damages to your roof. Their are different levels of power collectors with the more powerful ones being a bit more costly.

Ensuring that the contracted work is fully inclusive is very important. Getting cost over runs tacked on is not a good thing. Make sure to use a well known company where experience and number of installs guard against issues. Be careful of new companies fishing for down payments on work only to go out of business.

There are many companies that sub contract the actual installation work. This can leave you open to problems. If you pay the company and they do not pay the sub contractor, this can allow a lien to be placed on your property. This has been happening more often.

If you live in an area that is mostly cloudy with rain, you might want to consider other options. The most important part of solar energy is that it is clean and green living. It may cost to start up but it helps our planet. The southwest is one of the best areas for solar. These areas can see their systems generate up to 7 hours of power per day. Many large solar plants are being built currently, and with advancing technology be able to support more homes in major cities soon.

If you are going to ever place your home up for sale, this type of system will add value to the home. There are people that search for homes that are already solar equipped. Solar financing is also a possible solution.

Reduce your carbon footprint now! solar panel as well as Solar panels installation is key to repairing our damaged O-Zone layer.

Home solar power systems

Thursday, June 30th, 2011

Modern world moves on electricity. However the disadvantages of the conventional fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are now well documented. They are becoming increasingly expensive and are highly polluting. You can opt for several non conventional energy resources in order to ‘go green’. Home solar power systems are a definite alternative which can be considered for the purpose.

What is a home solar power system?

Solar power captures the energy inherent in sunlight and converts it into a form which can be used in your daily life. Solar cells are positioned in such a way as to capture the maximum amount of direct and reflected sunlight. These cells use the energy of the light to produce direct current. If you need a larger amount of electricity, a number of solar cells can be linked together to form a solar panel, also known as a photovoltaic module. Solar cells can be mounted on walls or roofs Roof tiles may even have photovoltaic cells incorporated into them. In some cases you can maintain a separate solar panel, and the electricity is supplied to the home with the help of cables. A generator is used to convert the direct current into Alternating current (AC) for daily use.

Uses of solar power

* Passive use of solar power is that where you can arrange some space in your home taking the maximum advantage of natural sunlight.

* You can use the heat of the solar power for heating and cooling your home, heating the swimming pool etc. During the hottest days when the sun is shinning most brightly, there is the most need for power to cool the houses. Solar power can be used effectively at such a time.

* You can use the electricity generated by solar panels for all your household needs and may even move off the grid altogether.

The advantages and benefits

* Solar power is one of the most eco friendly alternative energy sources known to mankind.

* There is no carbon emission and no generation of any toxic waste.

* Sunlight is free. It is one of the few energy resources yet to be taxed. Also, it is long lasting.

* Though there is some initial cost of setting up a solar power system, it has been significantly reduced in the recent days. There is little or no subsequent cost.

* Sunlight is available everywhere. If your home is in a remote area, installation of solar panels may enable you to move off the grid. You are no longer subject to power cuts or the increase in the cost of electricity. Of course the availability of sunlight may vary depending on location and local weather conditions. But modern solar cells are well equipped to deal with the fluctuations.

* Electricity generated by solar panels can be stored in deep cycle batteries. This can even be sold to the utility companies, thereby generating income.

* Addition of solar panel significantly increases the real estate value of the house.

All these reasons are making solar power a viable alternative of the future. It is nonpolluting, everlasting and much cheaper compared to our traditional energy resources.

Acquire wealth of information on how home solar panels work, benefits and many other informative tips on saving electricity. For more information on home solar power systems, visit http://www.greenearth4energy.com/solar-panel-systems.html.