Home Solar Power Systems – Discover Secrets of Slashing Your Power Bills Or Eliminating Them
Home Solar Power Systems – Discover Secrets of Slashing Your Power Bills Or Eliminating Them
Home solar power systems certainly have come a long way in the past couple of decades. From the huge bulky solar panels that weighted “a ton” to the sleek compressed solar electric panels that are being used today. The cost of solar energy systems is within the reach of millions more than a short while ago.
I am not going to go on for pages about our responsibility to the environment. We all know that we should consider our actions in an eco-friendly way.
Fossil fuels are being depleted more with each passing day. No wonder, countries around the world have used oil, coal and natural gas to operate our automobiles and provide electrical power to our homes, offices and industries for years.
Fifteen years ago the “average” person on the street would have thought that our “punch had been spiked” if we told him what we pay for a gallon of gasoline today. I know that he would want to cry when he receives his monthly energy bill.
The future cost of these conventional fuel bills worries me even today. With proposed legislation to impose much higher taxes on power producing companies, the worst is yet to come.
I really don’t consider myself one of those people who always talk about gloom and doom and try to alarm people. I am just concerned.
Millions of us worldwide have decided to do some things to lessen that concern, one of the things is to implement home solar power systems.
It’s actually not that hard to do. It is possible to purchase products that have easy to follow step-by-step instructions on how to build solar electric panels. The best of these products have videos that let you see what you are building should look like as you progress with the project.
The cost of these products is a lot less than you might think.
If you don’t know much about electrical wiring you might want to hire someone to do the hook up of your system. You might tell someone who is qualified to do the job that you will tell him where they can get the home solar power system product for the same price as you for a discount on his work. Just a thought I know works.…
Solar Power Toys and Science Kits
Solar Power Toys and Science Kits
Solar power is undoubtedly going to be one of the great sources of power in the earth’s future. The sun can be used to power virtually everything, from cars to houses to flashlights. It is the cleanest form of energy imaginable and cannot be used up. Solar technology gets better every year and now there are a variety of toys that run on solar energy. Besides providing entertainment, these toys are useful tools for teaching children about the potential of solar energy and the many uses for which it can be harnessed.
One of the crazier solar powered toys is the T3 Transforming Solar Robot. This awesome transforming robot requires no batteries and uses only the power of the sun. It comes from OWI who are known for producing high quality solar power toys. The robot has three modes, and can transform into both a tank and a scorpion. It comes with easy to follow instructions so that kids can build the robot themselves using simple construction skills. The solar cell will last for over two years of regular use and the kit contains 70 pieces. The T3 Transforming Solar Robot is an award-winning toy, picking up a MomLogic Award and a Toy Fair Hottest Toys Award in 2010.
One of the ultimate kits for teaching kids about solar power comes from Thames and Kosmos, makers of various high quality educational toys. The Physics Solar Workshop Science Kit teaches about physics as well as solar energy, and can be used to build 12 different models that harness the power of the sun in unique and useful ways. The kit contains 320 pieces and includes 30 experiments alongside the model. The full color 64-page instruction booklet provides easy directions that are easy for kids to understand. Along with gaining knowledge about solar power, kids using the Physics Solar Workshop Science Kit will also learn about motors and basic machine operation. Perhaps the best part about this kit is that it can be combines with pieces from other Thames and Kosmos kits to build even more exciting and intricate models.
One of the big uses of solar power currently is in hybrid vehicles that can run on both solar and electric power. The Amphibious Solar Vehicle can run on both solar power and batteries, so it can still be played with at night or in overcast conditions. The Amphibious Solar Vehicle comes in a kit and must be assembled. During assembly, kids will learn about the advantages of solar energy, different types of solar power and how solar batteries work. When the vehicle is complete it can be used both on land and at sea. It has been specially designed to make it resistant to capsizing and this vehicle is one of the most exciting ways to learn or teach about solar power.
Another great product from OWI that also teaches about the advantages of hybrid systems is the Triple Action Solar Car Kit. This kit comes with an aerodynamic shell design that is powered by a 1.4v solar cell. The transparent plastic body is paintable, or can be left transparent to display the car’s inner workings. It can operate on solar or battery power, is fully steerable and has an adjustable solar panel that can be fine tuned for better performance. The Triple Action Solar Car Kit even features a multi-speed transmission. This is one of the most exciting solar projects from is an ideal way to get kids interested in solar energy and alternative fuels.…
DIY Residential Solar Energy Systems
DIY Residential Solar Energy Systems
Install The System on My Own or Hire Someone to Do So?
If you are considering having residential solar energy systems for your house, you may have two ways to do so. You can install the solar power systems on your own or you can find someone to do it for you. But before making the decision, here are some considerations you may want to have a look so that you can make the wisest decision.
The most influential point is the cost. People who want to have residential solar energy systems also want to save money. You have to compare the prices of the two options. It is no doubt that the price of doing it yourself must be lower than that of the other choice.
But you still have to know the price difference. The reason is that although the price is lower, you have to spend time on figuring out the whole process. The high price implies that you need not worry about everything involved.
So the second thing you should think about is time. Do you have spare time to install the residential solar energy systems? Actually if you are focused enough, it will not take so long. You can build the solar power system in a few days. Some people claim that they can complete the task at one weekend. What if you are not sure about that, you had better find someone to do the job.
Assuming that you are going to make the residential solar energy systems by yourself, there is one step before you take action. You have to do research on how solar energy system works and how to build the different parts like solar cells and solar panels. It seems to be difficult but it in fact is not.
There are many solar energy programs available online. You just have to spend $40 to $50 dollars and then you will receive detailed and step-by-step guide and video made in plain English. Some of them even offer you a discussion forum with the membership so that you can ask questions whenever you want. So you have to ask yourself if you are willing to learn the instructions by heart.
These are the most important aspects you have to consider before deciding whether you want to do the job yourself or hire someone to help you. You have to spend a few hours thinking about it carefully. And you should bear in mind that it is really a simple job as long as you do research and get the instructions.
The last thing I have to point out is that the sooner you have the residential solar energy systems, the later our planet dies. Your little effort of using renewable and clean energy will save our world.…
Use Your Laptop Where the Sun Shines
Use Your Laptop Where the Sun Shines
There is no doubt in saying that computers have been making our works a lot easier than before they were invented because it is too easy to work with and it is really conducive. However, the working life of a battery pack is really short and could not keep up with your working time. It can be dead in the middle of your activity and lose your unsaved files. Most of the computer users have surely encountered such problem working with this gadget. It really pisses you off especially when there is no plug or source of energy where you can recharge it, right? So, to resolve that issue, why don’t you start utilizing the solar energy which is available everywhere where the sun comes out and shine your day?
Believe it or not, with the use of solar power you can now recharge your battery packs even when you are outside and have nothing to plug your laptop but the sunlight. The question now is how will you be able to do it?
Of course, you need to buy a solar panel that produces power enough for the need of your laptop. For small computers, use forty five to sixty watts power but if you are using a gaming computer laptop then you will probably need up to ninety watts.
To identify the amount of power needed for your laptop, check on the power adapter. If the list does not include the watts then multiply volts and amps. Buy the solar panel that is rated more than 20 percent of what you need.
Aside from the panel, you will also need to buy a solar charge controller to help keep the panels from putting too little or too much energy into your battery and to keep your laptop working until night time or in cloudy times.
You will also need a type of battery that can work well like those in cars and boats; it should be 12-volt battery. But if you can’t find one of these kinds, you can start with a small battery intended for garden use for the meantime.
In addition to that, you will also need to purchase an inverter AC-to-DC to have a standard wall socket where you can plug your laptop into.
Get your charge controller connected to the solar provided that the male and female plugs are combined on each of them.
Connect the battery to the charge controller then the inverter using the battery clips and finally turn the inverter on and plug the computer cord to the outlet. Now, turn on your computer.…
Understanding the Advantages Of Using Solar Energy For The Home
Understanding the Advantages Of Using Solar Energy For The Home
Harnessing the power of the sun to produce useable electricity has been touted as a future energy source. With the massive use of non-renewable energy sources, it is only a matter of time before humankind empties the bowels of the earth with these resources. Proponents of widespread adoption of solar energy are saying that it is clean and that it is sustainable. While both are true, the ordinary person would not use those two factors in deciding whether it is practical to have a system that would generate electricity from sunlight.
For the people who are still on the fence whether they should invest in solar energy or not, the right information should be supplied so that they would be able to clearly make the best decision. With its popularity, many people can cite the advantages of harnessing solar power. By going through the details though, supporters of solar energy use can convince more people to jump into the solar energy bandwagon.
Since practicality is what many people are looking for before they make a decision, it is good to know that solar energy can save them money. The initial payment for a system that can produce enough energy to power a home for a long period of time can make a dent in one’s budget. But by crunching the numbers, one can find that the savings made from not using power from the grid would pay for the system.
Then, after getting back your investment in the components used to set up the system, what you will be getting is literally free energy. The fact that you can sell the generated power from your solar power setup to the power company can make getting back your investment faster. Furthermore, the government offers incentives to individuals who use green energy for their homes or businesses.
Another clear advantage of using solar energy to power your home is the fact that you will be running the system independently. No one would be able to tell you when to use it or for how long. In case of power outages, you can easily supply your home with needed electrical power. You no longer have to wait for the power company to come around and fix whatever is wrong with the system. This independence also highlights another advantage of using solar energy for the home.
The next point is that people who use solar energy are well schooled in how the system works. Even if you chose to work with a company that installs solar panels and everything needed in the setup to work, they would be able to talk you through what they have done and what you can do to self-service the system in case something happens. Of course, things like typhoons and hurricanes can damage the system but since you are educated on how it works, you can make simple repairs that would get the system going again in no time.
With these clear advantages in mind, you can make a better decision whether having a solar energy setup for your home or business is a practical decision or not. Countless individuals though have proven that using solar energy is indeed the future and the future is already here.…
How in the World Can a Little Solar Cell Make Electricity?
How in the World Can a Little Solar Cell Make Electricity?
Generating your own electricity from sunlight is a marvelous thing. We hear so much about the damaging effects and rising costs of the fossil fuel industry. One has to wonder why more people aren’t buzzing about the cleanness and simplicity of converting sunlight to electricity.
In 7th grade I had a great science teacher. He was great because he thoroughly understood his subject. He knew it so well he could explain it in the most basic understandable terms. When Mr. Bielski taught us something, there was no child left behind. As a result, our love for science grew.
Now I’m a grown-up student, learning from hands on experience. Solar power has been part of my life for the past 16 years and I wouldn’t trade it for all the electric bills that never came. I started with one of the most basic systems. It cost me only a couple of hundred dollars since some components were second-hand. It wasn’t what you’d call a power-house, but it helped me to understand solar power from the ground up. My old science teacher would be proud.
I must confess that at the beginning I really didn’t understand how the solar cell itself was working. I only knew that if I put my used solar panel array face front to the sun, it would put electricity into my cheap-o batteries and I could run DC lights, a radio, my computer and a few other things that made our new home in the middle of nowhere more homey.
Now I realize that knowing how those little solar cells have been cranking out the juice all these years is worthwhile. I’m building my own solar panels now so handling these little wafers has made me curious about how they keep working their magic.
It turns out that every solar cell is like a sandwich. In the center is a thin slice of highly purified silicon. The silicon sandwich has two types of bread. On one side is boron and on the other side is phosphorus. Sounds yummy.
It just so happens that when this sandwich is bombarded by sunlight, some of the excess electrons are knocked off the side facing the sun. This creates a voltage difference between the two sides of the sandwich, which makes the electron very unhappy. They like to be balanced. So, the excess electrons try to go through the silicon to get to the side of the sandwich where there are fewer electrons. Unfortunately for them, that’s not easy because the silicon puts up resistance.
When we construct a solar panel, we string the solar cells together (usually 36 of them) with a type of metal ribbon, which acts like a wire. The unhappy crowded electrons find it easier to move down the metal ribbon than to fight their way through the silicon. When we attach a DC electrical device, such as a 12-volt light, to the wires coming off these metal ribbons, the electrons flow happily around the circuit and voila — there is light!
Does this matter? I think it does. When we realize how simple the solar cell is and how it makes electricity in such an uncomplicated way, we tend to think that the rest of the solar electric system can be understood, too… And it can.…
Installing a Solar Power System
Installing a Solar Power System
In time of crisis like these you can accomplish two things at once, save money for yourself and save power for the rest of the world… You can choose an alternative solution and make the right thing for the environment and the future generations.
The two most popular alternate power systems are solar panels and windmills, but they are subjected to the place you are living in. The solar power system is effective if you live in zones with abundant sun light, while the wind power system is more difficult to install, because you need not only a windy zone, but a wind speed of at least 11 miles per hour.
Many people use the solar power only for some of their energy needs, like hot water or lighting, however a complete solar system is made of the following elements:
The Solar Cooker Component: This is the most popular solar power device you can find today in many homes. Here are the main benefits of this alternative energy system:
Health Advantage: If you cook your food with a solar cooker is very healthy. Solar cooking is a delightful alternative to conventional cooking methods.
Variety Advantage: You can boil, roast, and bake using the same system!
Saving Fuel Advantage: In areas where sunshine is plentiful and conventional fuels are expensive, the solar cooker is an ideal substitute to a regular stove.
No emissions Advantage: with this method of cooking you avoid to emit any gas and to leave any residue. This is a cooking system that is really environment friendly.
The Solar Lighting Component: Stop and consider for a moment how much money would you save if you could runs all your electrical appliances using the solar energy. A solar generator will convert the solar energy into electric power through using photovoltaic cells. More electrical energy will be stored in cells and you will use it later, saving so much more money.
The Solar Heating Component: if you want to have a system that allows you to have the temperature you like, this is the way to go. A solar thermal system can make this without make your electricity bill soar. You won’t have to worry about bills anymore. Nowadays you can build heating system very effective in term of cost/benefits and with a nice looking too.…
How to Make Solar Panels on Houses
How to Make Solar Panels on Houses
There is no doubt that more and more people are thrilled over the use of the sun to generate clean electricity that is potent enough to power up the whole house. For this reason, even the government is working its way to allow people to realize that they should do the shift right at this very moment. This is seen through the fact that a lot of grants and rebates are given by the government just to persuade people to opt for solar energy rather than stay using the fossil energy. If ever you are one of those fellows who would like to start the change then this article will lead you through the process on the ways to know how to make solar panels.
The internet is your best resource when it comes to knowing the process to build solar energy system within your backyard. If you try to look around, you will see that there are wide ranges of guides which will open up the way for you to attain your own solar panels. These guides may come in the following forms:
• Books- One of the most famous option to know more about the process on how to make solar panels is to buy books available in a form of hard copy or soft copy like ebooks. This is the cheapest manner that these guides are available with and this is the thing that those people who are looking for a detailed step-by-step guide should try. There are so many resources online that it is possible for you to look for one in just a blink of an eye.
• DVD- Another option is to go for DVD lessons. The process on how to make solar panels are available in a video format which makes it more understandable by people who don’t like to waste much of their time in browsing books just to know about the process. Be sure though that the DVD you will get is created clearly so you don’t end up getting something which you won’t be understand in the end.
• Professional Help- It is possible for a professional to be eager to teach other people about the ways on how to build these solar panels. Just be sure that the professional won’t charge you with an escalating fee in exchange of his or her service, particularly if you don’t have much cash to spare.…
How to Eliminate Your Monthly Electric Bill
How to Eliminate Your Monthly Electric Bill
If you are interested in learning exactly how to generate free electricity and eliminate your electricity completely then this article is a perfect resource for you! In this short article, I will introduce you two alternative energy solutions for Home projects.
1. Make using of solar energy
In nowadays, many families in the US are using solar energy system. Solar systems work by capturing sunlight and convert it in to electricity. By utilizing solar power, you can largely reduce your monthly electricity bill. In addition, you can even start receiving tax credits from the government for using green energy.
However, not everyone can afford commercial grade solar panels which could cost up to $3,000 – $10,000 to install. The good news is that you can build a cheap system yourself for $200! Earth 4 Energy is a DIY free energy kit. It provides you complete step by step instructions on how to build your own solar panels for less than $200. However, there are a lot of disadvantages of using solar energy system. For example, solar energy installation requires a large area to provide electricity efficiently. What’s more, it can not work properly in cloudy days.
2. Make use of Magnetic power
Instead of using solar energy systems, you can also make use of magnetic power system. The magnetic generator uses magnets and the force from them to create electricity. Unlike other alternative energy solutions, a magnetic generator only takes a small space, you can install it anywhere. What’s more, it doesn’t need wind or sunlight in order to function. It is safe and works in all weather conditions!
Do you want to have one? Magniwork free energy kit is the most popular guide which teaches you how to build your own magnetic generator step by step, for less than $100. With such a generator, you can easily eliminate your monthly electricity bills. In summary, you can easily eliminate your monthly electric bill by making use of one of these two alternative energy solutions!…
Solar Cell Efficiency VS Cost
Solar Cell Efficiency VS Cost
When it comes to selecting solar cells for your do-it-yourself projects, one question many have is does solar cell efficiency matter? Answering that is actually quite simple.
The answer is yes, solar cell efficiency does matter. The important thing to note here is that it may not be for the same reasons you would think. It isn’t choosing the most efficient cells that matters the most, it’s balancing cost versus efficiency that will make all of the difference to the final price of your residential solar energy system.
Without getting into the different grades of solar cells, or talking about how you can save money by choosing grade B cells, let’s discuss how to correctly balance these two aspects of building a solar panel (or a number of them).
Solar Cell Efficiency in a Nutshell.
When it comes to choosing the right solar cells, my suggestion is always to stick with your standard polycrystalline cell. These types of cells are readily available on the do-it-yourself markets, and as far as efficiency is concerned most are rated at 16% – 20% efficiency. To translate that into a number that is more usable. A single 3″ x 6″ (80 mm by 150 mm) will produce 1.6 Watts to 2.0 Watts of power.
These are the best cells to use when building solar panels for one simple reason – cost. Your standard polycrystalline cell can be found for as little as $1.50 each (even less if you choose grade B cells) and they usually average around $1.80 on sites like eBay. Using this type of cell you can build a complete 100 Watt panel with about $85 worth of cells.
Where some confusion is beginning to appear is with the availability of 30% to 35% efficient solar cells. Although these aren’t yet as common on the do-it-yourself markets, they are becoming available and some people are looking to increase the efficiency of their residential solar power system using these cells.
The problem isn’t that high-efficiency monocrystalline, or thin-film, cells don’t work. You can just as easily build a solar panel using this technology as you could with the older standard cells. The problem is the cost. With the new 30% efficient cells costing as much as five times more than a standard cell, they simply aren’t worth it. You pay five times more for only a 10% gain in power production.
If you had determined that you needed 10, 100Watt, solar panels to run your home, with the standard cells you could feasibly expect to build your panels with about $850 worth of cells. To build the same system in the with high-efficiency cells you’d still need 9 panels, and the cost of the cells would suddenly increase to about $3825.
So to answer our original question, yes solar cell efficiency matters. but not for the reason you probably thought; it’s balancing cost versus efficiency that will really make the difference when you convert your home to solar energy.…