Renewable Energy and Solar Power
Hi-tech ways to capture enough sunlight per day every day to power everything in a home or business hasn’t been discovered yet. The current cost of solar panels can run into thousands of pounds, which would require the panels to produce electricity for years without maintenance in order to see a return on investment. What is needed is more grants available to people to enable them to afford renewable energy in the homes. Otherwise only the relatively well off will be able to afford paying over £2000 for solar panels and then saving money over the next 10-20 years. B & Q and other retailers in the UK have now started to advertise solar and wind turbines on TV, they must becoming more mainstream for them to do this.
Currently, many people use solar panels, which can be placed on a side of a roof to attract sunlight during the day to heat a small number of rooms and water. Solar panels can be purchased at a number of locations throughout the UK, as well as online. To view UK companies involved in renewable sources of energy see the green directory. Panels do a great job of helping families and businesses to conserve energy. Hopefully, solar panels will become a part of daily life, in order to prevent the disappearance of natural resources and to maintain energy conservation. In August 2006 high street chain Currys have said that they will start to sell off the shelf solar panels at a substantial discount to existing suppliers. Also, houses that are being built locally now have wind turbines attached to create energy! At last progress from the house builders are making an effort – they can be the real drivers behind this change.
In the recent 2006 Budget announcement by Gorden Brown, millions of pounds have been allocated to helping homes and businesses take advantage of renewable energy and the benefits that it brings. This is a welcoming strategy by the government. More and more homes are also attaching mini-wind turbines to their homes to boost the electricity generated by solar panels, British Gas (Centrica) have recently been looking for volunteers to pilot this with.
Developing countries with sunny climates such as Africa are the perfect place to take advantage of this renewable energy especially in rural areas that are not connected to the national grid for electricity. There needs to be a commitment from the G8 and other government around the world in providing funds to achieve this.
I have just read about the founding of google and the founders are keep to develop solar power and have invested in a number of companies that have solar panels attached to like a mat that you can roll out and stick onto a building instead of the current large, expensive panels that are available at the moment!
Davinos Greeno
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/renewable-energy-and-solar-power-84548.html
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How renewable energy solar power works?
My father is asking me to post a question about this.He is planning to buy an alternative renewable energy resources.Is it true that you will save electricity from alternative home energy solutions? Any suggestions and help on this post is highly appreciated thanks.
sorry idunno
References :
I am from India. Though here it is illegal to use alternative energy sources at home, without notifying it to the government. In Us, i dnt have any idea about this. But yeah, it does help wen the main source suppy is off. Usually alternative enery sources are cheaper and benificial to use at home, but ya..it can take time more than usual/ Like cookin food in solar cooker can take 45 minutes, where as in LPG, or natural gas.. it takes just 10 minutes. So if one is looking to keep a backup//its very useful at times.
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It’s basically a panel of millions of solar cells (photons) that have this amazing ability to convert UV rays into electricity. The electricity is captured by wires embedded in the panels and sent through a main cable, where it goes wherever you need it to go. The cells are extremely expensive when used in large projects (such as a house), but ultimately pay off. I have friends that actually sell their excess energy from their solar panels to the electric company, and get a pay check from them every month (keep in mind though, they live in a desert climate).
I would suggest waiting before buying though. The technology is bound to become more efficient and affordable with the amount of research going into this field. Wait before you end up buying thousands of dollars worth of solar equipment only to have them become obsolete in a few years.
References :
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/10/06/dow-says-out-with-solar-panels-in-with-solar-shingles/
Solar electricity panels consist of 2 different types of semiconductor stuck together. One has excess electrons, one has few electrons. When they stick together the electrons go from the excess electron side and stick to ions in the other side, creating an electric field.
When light hits a semiconductor, electrons are knocked off atoms and can move about the crystal. In a solar cell, you have an electric field (as explained above) and the electrons are pushed in one direction. Electrons moving in one direction = electricity!
They are currently very expensive and unless you have very expensive electricity or the government gives you subsidies then they’re probably not worth buying. Germany and the UK now have ‘Feed in Tariffs’ that pay you loads of money and make them worthwhile.
You need a panel and an inverter. The inverter turns the DC electricity from the panel into AC electricity you can use in the home. When it’s sunny your panels will make electricity that you can use – if you can’t use it then you may have either ‘grid tie’ the system which sends the extra electricity into the grid and your power company will pay you for it. Otherwise you can have batteries which store the electricity for you to use at a later date.
In general, ‘grid tie’ systems are better because batteries cost lots and you don’t necessarily get bad rates for your solar electricity if you sell off the stuff you’re not using.
References :
Did a physics masters in solar cells.
The best thing you can do is use a combination of alternative energy sources! Because you cannot rely on just 1. Look into backyard wind turbines, solar roof panels, and even hydroelectricity!
Recently, a new design of the traditional wind turbine has been introduced. It is safer for birds and looks nicer. It’s called the Windspire.
http://windspireenergy.com/purchase/find-a-windspire-dealer/
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First when talking about Solar we need to discuss the different applications. There is Solar electric called Photo-voltaic or PV for short. There are several types here to but mostly they work the same. When the sun hits the panel it starts electrons in motion which creates DC current. Here you have the option to convert it to AC by way of an inverter or use DC appliances. The main difference in the different types is efficiency and new technology is creating more efficient panels as we speak.
Solar thermal use the sun’s heat to create thermal energy (heat) for water. You may hear it called Solar Hot Water. When I started installing Solar we called these DHW (domestic hot water) systems. These panels are either a flat plate glazed, evacuated tube, or a plastic panel (used to heat swimming pools.)
References :
http://www.alternative-energy-sources-info.com
Well tell your dad solar is a great thing but learn how to build his own . They really are simple to build with a little practice . I get all my supplies such as solar cells off eBay really cheap and there all new . The dealers on there will even give you step by step instructions for free if you ask . What cost people $30,000 i build myself for a little over $3000 .
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Renewable energy solar power is much more than an alternative energy. It saves lot of energy compared to other sources. Installation of this system is also comparatively easy as well as cost effective one.
References :
Here are some great links to help you find all the answers you need:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panels
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power
I think it is a great way to go. When I have my own place I will be placing some solar power panels on my roof that is for sure.
References :
A solar panel is made of a series of photovoltaic cells. These convert sunlight into electricity. Each panel has a rated output in watts, under ideal conditions. Generally, the higher the wattage rating, the larger and more expensive the panel.
It’s worth noting that few people have ideal conditions either. Ideal solar conditions are considered to be a bright, cloudless sunny day, at sea level, at the equator. Sunlight in those conditions yields 1000 watts per square yard. But few people live in such a place, and if your local conditions are only at 40% of optimal, your 200 watt panel will only produce 80 watts.
You’ll need to figure out what the total power draw of your home is; Lights, heating, cooling, appliances, entertainment system, washer & dryer, etc. You may end up investing in more efficient appliances, since new appliances are almost always cheaper than more solar capacity.
You’ll also need other things in addition to the panels. Batteries (unless you only want your lights and heat to work during the day), transformers, power controllers, and so forth. I’ve included a link to a website that sells everything you need.
References :
http://www.solarpanelstore.com/
There are several types of solar systems; solar water heating, grid-tied solar electric, off-grid solar electric, grid tied solar electric with battery backup. You get the idea. Different types are good for different situations.
I highly recommend starting with a solar water heating system. This provides up to 75% of your hot water, rather than heating it all with your electric, gas, or oil water heater. It preheats the water so your water heater has to work much much less, saving you a lot of energy, depending on how you heat your water, up to 30% of your current energy use.
Next I suggest energy conservation. The best way to save money on your electric bill is to use less. For every $1 you spend on conservation, that’s equal to about $4 of solar. Much cheaper to save electricity than to make it.
Then look into a grid-tied solar electric system. This will allow you to make some power, based on how much money you want to spend on the system, and continue buying the rest from the electric company. That way you don’t have to have a huge system with batteries.
Get your electric bill out and see how many kilowatt hours (kwh) you currently use. Enter it in a grid-tied calculator like this one, (for the USA) http://www.altestore.com/howto/Tools-Calculators-Reference/Solar-Panel-System-Calculators-Load-Calculator/Solar-Payback-Incentive-Calculator/a65/. it will help you determine how much it will cost and how much you will save. There are tax incentives available in many countries to help pay for the systems. If you are not in the USA, you can try a calculator like this one that shows what size system needed, and then find out how much per watt installations cost in your area (it’s about $7 a watt here in the USA). http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/on_grid_calculator/
Also have your dad watch a couple of these free videos. They are are a great way for homeowners to learn the basics of solar, so you know what is required when hiring someone to install it. http://www.altestore.com/store/Books-Classes-Educational-Videos/Educational-Videos/c1138/
References :
AltE Store – http://www.altestore.com/
Simply put: Solar Panels are built to collect UV rays from Sun and the UV rays are converted by the solar panel to electricity that can be used to power your light bulbs, refrigerators, stoves and other electrical appliances.
Some appliances use direct current (DC) from the Sun. Such appliances can be powered directly by electricity emanating from the solar panel (or pvc panels). Most appliances works only with alternating current (AC) and therefore you need an Inverter to change the current from the solar panel from DC to AC. You may need a battery too to store energy for sun down and night times. For list of what you may need go to the source site referenced below.
For cost: You can get a lot of used materials (e.g. through eBay) to build your solar electricity system.
References :
http://www.environbusiness.com/AEEE/pvcs.html
Solar energy is very promising because it is renewable, which means that you can continue getting the power you need nonstop. The sun provides a large amount of energy that artificial units cannot sufficiently give. The small part of the power stems through to the earth in the form of sunlight. The rays that deliver the energy of the sun give both heat and power that can effectively be gathered and changed to other types of energy, such as electricity. Solar steam generators use solar power generation use the power of the sun to heat water and create steam to let electrical turbines work.
Another popular method of solar power generation is through the use of photovoltaic devices. The devices are made to use photovoltaic cells or solar cells to transform solar energy into DC electricity. There are plenty of ways to collect solar energy such as through parabolic troughs, solar panels, solar dishes and solar power towers that have reflecting mirrors. A number of solar collectors are categorized as either concentrating or non-concentrating.
There’s a free report how you can make your own solar power and other useful info about solar power in the links below
References :
http://www.bestwaypower.com
http://diysolarpower.bestwaypower.com
You can use renewable energy sources since it can be replenished in a short period of time. A the same time you can help the environment. And the best is it will never run out of sources of renewable energy as long as humans will exist. I found this website it says http://fastfreehomeenergy.com/alternative-energy-home.html "Many people (including myself) have reportedly slashed their monthly electricity bill by up to 80% through the methods mentioned above. If we can do it, so can you.". Just check this out for more details.
I hope i was bale to contribute a bit on your question.
References :
http://fastfreehomeenergy.com/alternative-energy-home.html