Benefits of Solar Power in Your Home
June 13, 2010 by SolarInfo
Filed under Home Improvement
Jarrod Brake asked:
Solar power systems can be directly integrated into your power system so you can utilize solar energy. Solar energy is a great alternative energy as it is environmentally friendly, low in cost and highly effective. Solar energy can be used to power your electrical appliances, heat water, used as light sources and more. Solar panels and shingles can be mounted on your roof or close to your home to collect solar energy to power your home. Solar energy has been used frequently to heat swimming pools and water systems, particularly in low latitude countries.
Storage is extremely important when using solar energy for your home. You can have your solar power directly linked to the electricity grid so you supply the electrical company with your excess solar energy during the day and use electricity from the company at night or you can use batteries. The batteries are charged from your solar energy system during the day and then run your home at night or on very cloudy days. One battery can provide up to eight hours of power for your home. There are also additionally ways to store solar energy in high thermal mass material like stone, earth and water and in phase change material like wax and salt. Before the usage of batteries salt was widely used to store thermal energy as it has a high specific heat and low cost.
The government and electrical companies provide financial incentives for those who use renewable energy like solar power. You can receive a partial refund of your installation costs as well as renewable energy certificate and credits form the electrical company. These credits are for the energy that pumps back into the electrical grid. As the price of fossil fuels increase and pollution worsens solar energy is a great energy option that should be utilized even more in the future.
Solar power systems can be directly integrated into your power system so you can utilize solar energy. Solar energy is a great alternative energy as it is environmentally friendly, low in cost and highly effective. Solar energy can be used to power your electrical appliances, heat water, used as light sources and more. Solar panels and shingles can be mounted on your roof or close to your home to collect solar energy to power your home. Solar energy has been used frequently to heat swimming pools and water systems, particularly in low latitude countries.
Storage is extremely important when using solar energy for your home. You can have your solar power directly linked to the electricity grid so you supply the electrical company with your excess solar energy during the day and use electricity from the company at night or you can use batteries. The batteries are charged from your solar energy system during the day and then run your home at night or on very cloudy days. One battery can provide up to eight hours of power for your home. There are also additionally ways to store solar energy in high thermal mass material like stone, earth and water and in phase change material like wax and salt. Before the usage of batteries salt was widely used to store thermal energy as it has a high specific heat and low cost.
The government and electrical companies provide financial incentives for those who use renewable energy like solar power. You can receive a partial refund of your installation costs as well as renewable energy certificate and credits form the electrical company. These credits are for the energy that pumps back into the electrical grid. As the price of fossil fuels increase and pollution worsens solar energy is a great energy option that should be utilized even more in the future.
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How Home Solar Power Systems Work
April 1, 2010 by SolarInfo
Filed under Home Improvement
Adrian Whittle asked:
There are a few ways to use the Sun's energy to create home solar power systems. They can be categorized as passive and direct systems. Passive systems have been use for thousands of years and the inspiration behind such systems was probably the fact that our ancestors felt hot in the Sun. From this point they realized that the heat from the Sun can make water hot, cook food, dry clay bricks and countless other applications. Today there are systems that can passively heat the home living areas and the water used in the home. This article will not cover these topics but focus on the direct use of the Sun to create electricity for use in the home.
In terms of the use of solar energy, creating electricity from sunlight is a relatively new innovation. The technology needed to create electricity from sunlight was first developed to a commercially viable standard in the 1950's. It is known as the photovoltaic (PV) cell. A PV cell is made of a silicon compound that reacts when photons from sunlight strike it. This reaction causes an electron from the silicon atom to be thrown loose. When a number of PV cells are linked together in a serial configuration, the electrons flow to a positive charge creating an electrical current.
A number of PV cells in a serial configuration is known as a solar module. When numerous solar modules are linked together in either a parallel or serial configuration they are known as a solar panel.
Solar panels are the devices that you may have seen on the roofs of houses in your neighborhood. They can be placed elsewhere, but the roof is often the most sensible place as it is likely to get exposed to direct sunlight and the panels can't be damaged or vandalized as easily or take up room in the yard.
The solar panels create direct current (DC) electricity. This is often pushed through a power inverter. The inverter converts DC to alternating current (AC). AC is used in the home to power most appliances.
An electrical service panel or breaker box then distributes the AC to various electrical points in the house or to the lighting system. A utility meter manages your electricity usage if you are connected to the grid.
For instance, if it is during the day when the sunlight is at its strongest, most electricity will be produced. If this coincides with you being at work the chances are you won't be using any of this solar generated power. Thus the meter may go backwards. This is effectively giving you credit for the electricity that you are creating with your home solar power system.
Your home solar power system can be connected to the grid as described above or it can be off grid. On the grid or grid tied (also known as a net metering system) is a way to make money with your solar panels. Many utility companies have their own set of rules governing this arrangement so you need to check with the company you are using beforehand. Many states have laws that dictate how the net metering system should work and what guidelines the companies should follow.
A true off grid system means you are not connected to a reliable power supply so you have the responsibility of creating your own energy. The primary source can be solar panels but there should always be a back up system in case you use more energy than you expected or the Sun doesn't shine as much.
Many people will have a fuel powered generator for this purpose. People more interested in renewable power sources might go for a wind power generator or some other renewable system. Another aspect of an off the grid system is that DC needs to be stored in a battery bank for use at night or when the Sun is not shining. This is another responsibility and space has to be found on the property to securely house the batteries.
Most people start with a grid tied system as it is easier to use and there is less responsibility. As you gain more experience you may think about going off the grid. This form of home solar power system will save you money on monthly utility bills but more work to run and maintain.
solar power
There are a few ways to use the Sun's energy to create home solar power systems. They can be categorized as passive and direct systems. Passive systems have been use for thousands of years and the inspiration behind such systems was probably the fact that our ancestors felt hot in the Sun. From this point they realized that the heat from the Sun can make water hot, cook food, dry clay bricks and countless other applications. Today there are systems that can passively heat the home living areas and the water used in the home. This article will not cover these topics but focus on the direct use of the Sun to create electricity for use in the home.
In terms of the use of solar energy, creating electricity from sunlight is a relatively new innovation. The technology needed to create electricity from sunlight was first developed to a commercially viable standard in the 1950's. It is known as the photovoltaic (PV) cell. A PV cell is made of a silicon compound that reacts when photons from sunlight strike it. This reaction causes an electron from the silicon atom to be thrown loose. When a number of PV cells are linked together in a serial configuration, the electrons flow to a positive charge creating an electrical current.
A number of PV cells in a serial configuration is known as a solar module. When numerous solar modules are linked together in either a parallel or serial configuration they are known as a solar panel.
Solar panels are the devices that you may have seen on the roofs of houses in your neighborhood. They can be placed elsewhere, but the roof is often the most sensible place as it is likely to get exposed to direct sunlight and the panels can't be damaged or vandalized as easily or take up room in the yard.
The solar panels create direct current (DC) electricity. This is often pushed through a power inverter. The inverter converts DC to alternating current (AC). AC is used in the home to power most appliances.
An electrical service panel or breaker box then distributes the AC to various electrical points in the house or to the lighting system. A utility meter manages your electricity usage if you are connected to the grid.
For instance, if it is during the day when the sunlight is at its strongest, most electricity will be produced. If this coincides with you being at work the chances are you won't be using any of this solar generated power. Thus the meter may go backwards. This is effectively giving you credit for the electricity that you are creating with your home solar power system.
Your home solar power system can be connected to the grid as described above or it can be off grid. On the grid or grid tied (also known as a net metering system) is a way to make money with your solar panels. Many utility companies have their own set of rules governing this arrangement so you need to check with the company you are using beforehand. Many states have laws that dictate how the net metering system should work and what guidelines the companies should follow.
A true off grid system means you are not connected to a reliable power supply so you have the responsibility of creating your own energy. The primary source can be solar panels but there should always be a back up system in case you use more energy than you expected or the Sun doesn't shine as much.
Many people will have a fuel powered generator for this purpose. People more interested in renewable power sources might go for a wind power generator or some other renewable system. Another aspect of an off the grid system is that DC needs to be stored in a battery bank for use at night or when the Sun is not shining. This is another responsibility and space has to be found on the property to securely house the batteries.
Most people start with a grid tied system as it is easier to use and there is less responsibility. As you gain more experience you may think about going off the grid. This form of home solar power system will save you money on monthly utility bills but more work to run and maintain.
solar power
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