Save Some Money With Electrical Power Utilizing Solar Powered Energy

October 4, 2011 | By Articles are the property of their respective Authors In alternative energy | Comments(0)

Solar energy is probably the most untapped sources of renewable energy available in the ecosystem. Although a solar panel pay for itself with the energy it adds to your house that saves you money, but it is probably the few energy sources used on the globe that is 100 percent renewable and 100 percent pollution free. Unlike energy sources such as coal or nuclear which produce toxic gases and byproducts that are harmful to the environment, solar power leaves zero carbon footprint and no harmful emissions in the act of absorbing sunlight to product electricity.

Solar Panels are made by mounting solar cells on a backing plate. Some panels are rigid and can be roof mounted while others are flexible and can be rolled up and put into a rucksack

Solar Cells are usually made from silica which comes from sand

Solar cells are small semiconductors which produce a small voltage and electric current when light shines on them

Solar Panels are getting cheaper now. With so much pressure from climate change concerns lots of technological effort is going into producing more cheaply.

Solar Panels are also getting more affordable due to central government grants and perhaps local grants too

Solar panels are gaining in efficiency in extreme measures. Wikipedia has it that the first solar cell was only 1% efficient and commercial cells are commonly 20% efficient. Breaking news would be that the latest experimental cells in a laboratory setting are 45% efficient. These cells hold a promise of smaller cheaper panels with even cheaper electric power.

Do-it-yourself enthusiasts are also building their own panels. The main skill needed for this sort of D.I.Y. project is soldering. You need this skill because the panels consist of, for example, 24 solar cells hooked up electrically and with leads soldered onto each cell. And in order to connect to your residence electric circuits even a keen D.I.Y. enthusiast would be recommended to call in a qualified electrician experienced in home solar energy to check what they’re doing!

The price of a factory made solar panel varies widely with its size and construction. It will be in the $ 800 to $ 1200 range and the home would need perhaps a dozen of these or more. You can view why the DIY market exists with prices like these!

It’s correct that electric utility companies may buy solar electricity out of your home should you be generating more than you are using but not all utilities do this, so check beforehand if this sounds like one of the goals

A solar survey done by an experienced solar installer will help you and advice on the position and direction of your panels. The panels need to face the sun and in the northern hemisphere they will face South but shade from trees and chimneys may mean that an installation is not practical on that roof. Some people solve that problem by mounting their panels on poles or frames well away from their home. Do not forget to read about metal garage buildings for an alternative storage soultion.

Solar energy is over a hundred years old and is now developing very fast. It is well worth checking to see if it may help you reduce both your impact on the environment your living costs.

Written by JMoser

Please Note... All links within articles are placed by their author-owners and not by this blog.Products with in those links may or may not be the best in the world.If it sounds too good to be true it could be a scam.Articles are posted for their info,ideas and or entertainment value only.

Powered By WP Footer

Filed under: alternative energy

Affordable Solar Power Systems – Make A Homemade Solar Energy Panel Below $200

October 3, 2011 | By Articles are the property of their respective Authors In alternative energy | Comments(0)

by The Rocketeer

Solar power systems can be very affordable if you can apply a little elbow grease. By constructing solar energy panels yourself, you can a truckload of money on expensive setups and installation. You can also experience the joy of creating something useful.

A typical solar power generator costs at least $ 35,000 to $ 40,000 for a complete set up in a regular-sized home. You also have to consider maintenance costs. And if the panels break for whatever reason, you’ll need to spend money to replace them.

For many homeowners, their main aim of using solar energy panels is to be able to harvest the freely available energy from the sun. Then at some point in time (usually 10 to 15 years) their photovoltaic panels will eventually pay back the price they were bought for. This is commonly known as the payback period. It’s at this time when the owners start seeing financial benefits coming from theirsolar energy panels. Sadly, most of us will not have the patience to wait that long to experience the benefits.

By making your own solar panel, you can possibly shorten the payback period by a good ten years. This is because homemade solar energy panels cost much lesser. Thus even if the energy production is not superior to commercial panels, their payback period can be reduced dramatically.

Each piece of solar energy panel you build may cost less than $ 200 if you know how. This is a big contrast from professionally made panels. The entire construction process is simple and can be learnt from a DIY solar instructional manual. With nothing more than glass, plywood and some other commonly found parts, you can make an energy producing photovoltaic panel that can probably last you for two decades.

A possible challenge when making your own solar energy panel is where to source for cheap and reliable solar cells. This is because solar cells are the most important components of a solar power generator and cheap ones are not commonly found. This information can be found in good instructional guides. In fact, these guides can lead you step-by-step to complete your first homemadesolar energy panel even if you have got no prior experience in DIY projects.

There are also tips and secret techniques that can transform your ordinary-looking solar energy panels into professional-looking ones. More importantly, you can build a more efficient and longer-lasting solar power system with good instructional guides than doing it by the trial-and-error method.

Written by Rafael Borba Castro

default Affordable Solar Power Systems Make A Homemade Solar Energy Panel Below $200

Please sign the Declaration of Endependence at www.endependence.info/declaration . Short and concise explanation of solar photovoltaic systems. How do they work? Do I need batteries? Produced by the on-line local action network, Endependence.info. Show us how you are saving energy. We’ll copy your great ideas. Energy independence, we can’t do it alone, but we can do it together.