Month: July 2020

Solar Roof Shingles – Reduce Your Power Bill Today

The largest form of energy in the solar system comes from the sun. We have not been able to utilise this energy as electricity due to less concentration and inability to capture enough sunlight to convert it. It would be of great help to the world if this energy can be used for day to day activities reducing pressure on the other sources of energy. A step forward in this direction is the Solar Roof Shingles. These are solar panels fitted to your roof that absorb sunlight and convert it to small currents or sources of electrical energy. This energy can then be easily used in the day to day activities.

The roof shingles can be easily stapled on to the roof and are also aesthetically appealing. The shingles come in deep blue or purple colours and cover the roof effortlessly. The electricity generated from them is DC, and the once used at home is AC. Pone would need to buy an inverter along with the shingles to make use of the electricity generated.

The Solar Roof Shingles were commercially available since 2005 and were expected to generate a whopping $5 billion by 2010. Many new constructions already have the solar roof shingles on their roofs and is a good move considering the rapid developments in the field of alternate energy. If the shingles are able to produce a substantial deal of electricity they will drastically reduce the electricity bill thus reducing strain on the non-renewable sources of energy.

A great advantage that the shingles have is that they do not occupy any extra space like solar panels. The shingles care fitted on the roofs and do not need the space of some other equipment. The electricity generated by these shingles is maintenance free and also as good as a one-time investment that gives continued returns.

A problem with solar roof shingles or any equipment that uses solar energy is that it does not come cheap. The use of the solar panels or shingles is thus restricted to those who can afford it. However continuous efforts are being made to make the use of this energy economical and affordable. The scientists aim at making it available to everyone so that we can make use of this alternate source of energy thus doing our bit in keeping this planet green. Nature provides us with a tremendous source of energy, products like the solar roof shingles are an excellent way to utilise it.

The Solar roof shingles now come in different colours and blend in perfectly with the colour your roof. The brown colour is generally preferred as it suits the roof and does not stand out like the initial blue or purple.

The solar power users get an additional tax rebate in USA. This is another advantage one gets on installing the solar roof shingles. The government believes that using solar energy reduces the strain on existing resources and thus encourages it.

The roof traditionally was used to protect you from the different climatic conditions, but with the advent of the Solar roof shingles, the roof will keep producing electricity for you, and provide it to you in case of a power failure.…

Why Should a Roofer Install Your Solar Panels?

Solar power is redefining the way homeowners think about their homes, their finances and ultimately their impact on the planet. Many industries are adopting solar energy into the products and services that they offer, and technologically advanced roofing companies across the nation are leading the movement.

Energy- and Eco-conscious individuals, families and businesses have begun to explore the advanced technology of solar power, which is infinite and which – properly harnessed – is an absolutely free resource that creates no pollutants or ozone destruction to the atmosphere.

For homeowners considering a transition into solar, there are a few good reasons to consider having a roofer administer the installation. This article will describe the benefits of turning to a roofing company for your solar power needs.

Why should home and business owners consider a roofing company to install their solar?

Knowledge and Familiarity of Roofs

It doesn’t take overt technical knowledge of solar energy to understand that – in nearly all structures – the ideal placement of a solar panel is on the roof. The roof is the part of the home that consistently absorbs the most sunlight and ultraviolet rays – and covering a portion of your roof with solar panels allows you to absorb and convert the energy provided naturally from the sun.

If we were talking about a technology that converted water from your sinks and showers into energy, perhaps we’d suggest a plumber – because they are familiar and have a deep knowledge of pipes, valves, drains and other plumber-specific knowledge. Because solar panels are placed on roofs, the best possible installation professional would need the same familiarity of roofing. Roofers have this unique expertise and will be more competent to install solar panels and energy systems in ways that work best for each particular home or business.

Structural Integrity

Solar panels are also highly valuable pieces of equipment and can range anywhere from $15,000 to $70,000 per household or business. It is a rather hefty investment for many people, and most people want the insurance of knowing the installation will be stable and secure. Wise investors and consumers wouldn’t make a purchase without having a secure place to store it. Roofers can ensure that your roof is strong enough to support the solar panels, and their acute knowledge of roofing structures enables them to install solar equipment on the strongest positions of the roof.

Specialization in Solar

As mentioned, many roofing companies are leading the solar movement by specializing in solar installations and partnering with developers of solar equipment. Because of this, they not only know roofing, but they understand the intricate specifications of solar panel placement and set up. More often than not, a roofer will be able to set up a solar installation more securely and more effectively than other solar power providers due to special training and accreditations – both in roofing AND solar energy.

Economics

And of course, one of the biggest draws towards solar panel installations is that it is a financially sound decision that will save every household and business thousands of dollars a year (tens and hundreds of thousands over time). Knowing this, the cost factor of an installation also comes into play, and typically, roofers are more economically priced than solar technology companies. The partnerships we mentioned also means that roofers get reduced and wholesale rates on the actual solar panels and equipment, so they can offer homeowners a better price.…

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy in Vehicles

Can solar energy power a vehicle? The answer is “yes”, but because nothing is free in life, you will have to invest in some solar panels which (in time) will offer you the possibility of enjoying free rides. You will forget about visiting gas stations and you will not pay a single cent for fuel.

Benefits and shortcomings of using solar panels in cars

The advantages of using solar panels in cars are obvious. They function mostly like the panels placed on the roofs of houses that already benefit of this type of green energy. In fact, most of those that have enjoyed the use of solar power in their houses, would love to use the same type of system in their cars.

A plus for the solar panels used for cars is that they are lesser and are not used all the time. A house has all sorts of appliances that are powered all the time, like the fridge, TV set, media player, the security system and many others, so the panels have to provide energy permanently. In the case of a car, those panels have to provide energy only when the engine is running.

Solar panels harness the energy from the sun, converting them into electricity. That electricity fuels the battery, which further on, transmits the energy to the car’s motor. However, some changes have to be performed inside of your vehicle, because you have to connect the battery you already have or replace it with another one that is capable of connecting to solar panels. Keep in mind that this operation must not be performed under any circumstances by yourself; plus it is generally very expensive; you should visit an automotive center, where people specialized in such things will perform this operation. If you want to avoid the replacement of your car battery, you can ask the technician to make the connections necessary to transmit the power from the solar panels directly to an electric motor.

In other words, this means that you have to buy an electric car and use solar panels for powering the engine. The costs of buying an electric car nowadays may be high, but you have to think that your investment is going for the long haul.

An investment like this can be recovered in several years, especially if you use solar energy from the beginning. With the worlds oil supply running out, we will start to see more solar powered vehicles on the road.…

Advantages of Solar Energy

Are you interested in getting free electric power generation? Are you tired of letting the companies take all the money you have earned? Well you can save all your hard earned money by simply generating power from the natural resources. Using the natural resources will help you cut down on your electric bill and save you a lot of money.

One of the natural resources you can use to get electricity is the sun. Solar energy is considered the force for the future. Using solar to generate energy has its many advantages.

Advantages of using the sun

A� Solar energy is renewable. The sun is always there during the day and therefore we can never run out of it. With this constant supply of energy you can be sure that the next day you will still be able to use the solar energy. Unlike oil which is not renewable at all.

A� Using solar power is pollution free. When you use the sun to generate power for your home you will not cause any form of pollution to the environment that may result to global warming and many other pollution effects.

A� The sun is free and therefore this makes it the cheapest way of getting energy. All you need are solar panels and you will be enjoying the free given sun at your home.

A� If you live in a very remote location then this will been of great advantage to you. Solar power can be harness if you live in a place far from any town or urban center.

A� Some place can be hard to build power lines and therefore the only option you may have is using the sun for your daily home energy routine.

A� The solar cells are quite silent. The cells extract energy from the sun without making any noise at all. This would not be the same if you were using a big machine to drill oil from the ground so that you can use it.

A� The solar cells do not require a lot of maintenance. You do not need to keep checking them every time as they do not have any moving parts that may require regular checking and fixing.

A� The solar panels are quite easy to install. They will not also cost you a lot of money to do so.…

Roof Damaged By Solar Panels?

The best choice to reduce this so-called global warming as well as your carbon footprint on this environment, which keeps us healthy, would be to opt for solar panels. Solar panels not only reduce these things and make the environment we live in better, but also, it is a great way to trim down those energy costs. This advantage of these panels has let many companies and manufacturers in to developing various and innovative kind of technologies, with which homeowners are taking advantage and are making the environment greener.

But when they opt for panels, there is one question always hanging on their heads: if we opt for solar panels to heat our home, it wouldn’t do us good if the roof fell in would it?” This question that the significant weight of the panel increases the chance of damaging your roof, since roof is the place where the panels could catch the best and uninterrupted solar energy, is popping up in everyone’s minds. However, it’s a baseless question. If you have heard someone’s roof being damaged due to the panels, it is possibly because their roof was already damaged even before they installed the panels onto it.

The manufacturing companies take special care when installing the panels at your home and evenly divide the weight of the panels on the roof, so that no place is bearing more weight than it should. Different roofs are made in different ways, but most of the roofs can handle 8-10/sq. foot as it is. Also, with the increase of innovations in this field, companies are moving towards making lighter and sleeker panels so that they are easy to carry. But since this has just started, such panels would be more expensive. So, if you think your roof is withered, replace it or fix it before installing solar panels.…

Solar Panel Climate Issue – Will It Actually Work During Winter?

If you live in an area with 4 seasons and would want solar panels installed in your house you are bound to ask if they will work during winter time?

Is it actually possible for it to work during cloudy times of the day and if there is not as much as sun as summer. To answer this quickly, yes solar panels already work even if it is cloudy or if there is less sunlight as long as you pick the right type of solar panel for this setup.

There are two types of systems the off-grid and grid type systems for solar panel installation. The off-grid setup has batteries and is independent on the local electrical company for backup energy.

These batteries will store excess electrical energy and should be useful during cloudy times of the year and if it is properly setup for your region they will have enough batteries for cloudy days since the more energy storage you have the more excess energy your panels can store. Just in case you have issues with an off-grid system a backup generator is usually used by people who use this solar energy system just in case they lose power.

If you have a grid type system it is much simpler since it will automatically “shift” to your local electrical company’s energy line once there is no solar energy available this setup is easier than off-grid and will lower your electricity bills without the risk of power outage.

So Solar Panels actually work during winter, it is just a matter of doing due diligence and of course conserving energy especially if you are on an off-grid setup to prevent any problems later on.…

5 Reasons Why Solar Home Thermal Energy Is So Attractive To People

Utilizing the power of the sun as an alternative source of energy in the home is really the most popular choice of any of the new eco-friendly power choices today. At present most of us use forms of energy in our homes that are limited non-renewable and pollute our environment. Today solar home thermal energy is becoming the way to heat your home both now and for the future.

There are different ways of harnessing solar energy and putting it to work for us. The two most popular are solar thermal energy systems and solar electric systems.

Solar thermal energy systems are used to heat our homes and to heat the hot water we use instead of using oil or gas. It uses solar collectors to collect heat energy and then utilizes it in our heating and plumbing systems.

Solar electric systems utilize the sun energy and convert it into electricity through the use of solar photovoltaic panels.

The advantages of using solar power are abundant:

1. Solar power is great for the environment as it is completely emission-free. Even a small solar system can save huge on the CO2s emitted each year from your home. Not only that but solar power is also silent.

2. Solar power can effectively insure you against the ever rising costs of gas and oil prices. And the higher these energy prices are the quicker you recover your investment costs.

3. Solar systems reduce your oil and gas consumption, and thereby reduce the influence of oil rich countries controlling the majority of the world, including your lives.

4. Solar systems are a valued amenity and increase the value of your home sometimes even higher than the price of your investment.

5. Solar systems give you independence from the systems supplying traditional energy and therefore from the big companies which own them and are looking for huge profits at the consumer’s expense.

At the present time solar science is at a point where it is possible to convert sizable amounts of solar energy into usable energy for our needs, but we fall way short in our use of it. This is due to many things. People are still hooked into the traditional fuels which are from finite resources from the earth that are not only harmful to the planet but a foolish waste of these resources.

So now with this little bit of background info on the problems of doing nothing and why we need to change for our future generations are you still going to sit pat and do nothing? The benefits of solar energy greatly outweigh the negatives. In fact the only downside to solar power is the initial investment. But these costs are coming down and fairly quickly as more and more people convert to use solar energy and the efficiency will continue to increase.

Even if you decide you can’t afford or aren’t willing to afford one right now at least you now know what you need to know for when you are ready to invest in your own home solar energy system. But I encourage you to become a part of the movement to save our planet right away. It is not only the smart thing to do but the right thing to do.…

Solar Energy For Homes – Using Solar Panels

Using solar energy for homes has its own benefits. After the recession when many homeowners have felt the impact of not being able to pay for their electricity bills, who wouldn’t like the idea of saving some money? Which brings me to my next question, who wouldn’t want to save on monthly electrical bills? Well, the answer to all that is through using solar panels.

For those of you, who don’t know the slightest idea on how to use solar panels for your house, don’t have to fret. In this article I will be talking about how you can use solar energy for your homes effectively. To start off with, you need to know how much requirement you need for your house. Before that, you will need to have a good idea on your surroundings.

If you are living in a hilly and heavily forested area, then I’m afraid you might not be able to use solar power very effectively. If your place doesn’t have sun light all through the year, then that also can be a problem. Of course, the sun doesn’t shine throughout the whole year, but you can still make use of the electricity which comes from the solar power systems.

Using solar energy for homes is a very wise idea as you simply collect the sun rays and then convert it to electricity by using solar panels. With this you are saving about 80% on your electricity bills every month. Doesn’t that sound great? However, there is no need to cut off your existing power supply. It is not a very expensive and tedious process to build a solar power system for your house.

There are lots of sources online from which you can information on DIY solar kits. They also come with step by step instructions on how to develop homemade solar panels. They are easy to understand as the instruction material provides diagrams also which are easy to read. A word of caution though, if you are not good in electronic terms and don’t have an idea on what’s going on, it would be wise to use an electrician.

The solar panels usually don’t have high volts, but your electronic grid has and it is the best option here as you don’t want any accidents. Using solar panels are not expensive as you will need to make a small investment to enjoy an unlimited source of renewable energy. It is important that you place the solar panels where there is plenty of sunlight. It can be either placed on the roof or an open space where you get ample light.

If you can afford ready made panels of $3,000, then go ahead or you can also utilize the DIY solar panel kits that come at only $200. Make sure to select a solar power system that is required by you. You can start of with a small system and later move on with a larger system.

You will be pleased to know that you will be saving almost 80% on your monthly electricity bills. If you are residing in a place where there is lots of sunshine, then you can benefit by building your solar panels.…

Is 2013 the Year You Start to Take Advantage of Renewable Energy?

The renewable energy market continues to grow, and 2013 could be the year that you discover the benefits of producing your own clean, green energy at home. Perhaps you have thought about it before but are yet to make a firm decision on whether you could take advantage of producing your own electricity. If so, here are a few reasons why you should make 2013 the year that you start to enjoy the benefits of renewable energy.

Top Benefits of Renewable Energy

There are a number of reasons why installing renewable energy in your home, such as solar panels, is a great idea.

One of the main reasons for many people is that it helps you to reduce your CO2 emissions. Greenhouse gases are wreaking havoc with the climate, and producing your own green energy is one of the best ways that you can help to do your part for the environment.

One of the other benefits is that you will be able to reduce your energy bills because you will generate your own power, meaning you will never have to worry about price rises. On top of this, there are other good financial reasons to choose renewable power (more of which later on).

Types of Renewable Energy for the Home

There are many different types of renewable energy, but in the UK the two main ones are wind power and solar power.

By installing a small wind turbine on your roof or in your garden, you can take advantage of the free and abundant power of the wind to generate your electricity. However, solar panels are proving to be even more popular, and you have probably already seen them popping up on roofs all over the country. They work even when the sky is cloudy, and modern technology has made them more effective than ever.

Do the Costs Add Up?

Many people do not take advantage of renewable energy because of the costs. However, often people fail to see the whole picture. Renewable energy is free once you have installed the system, whether you install a wind turbine or solar panels on your roof. In addition, solar panels are cheaper than ever before, and they require very little maintenance, often none at all, once they have been installed.

With the Feed-in Tariffs, you get paid just for generating electricity, and you can also sell your excess energy to the grid. You can often make your money back from the installation in a few years, and then you can enjoy free electricity for many more years to come.

If you think of it as a long-term money-saving solution, generating your own green power starts to look like a very good investment.

Conclusion

Start Thinking About Generating Your Own Electricity

There are many good reasons why you may want to start thinking about installing your own solar panels or a wind turbine to produce your own electricity for your home. As energy bills continue to rise and global warming continues to be an issue, why not make 2013 the year that you start to generate your own power in your home?…