Considering Solar Power for Your Home

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Written by Cristian Stan

Monday, 23 November 2009

Due to the ever rising cost of electricity and because of environmental issues, many householders are seeking information on the alternatives, particularly solar power generators. This is not a new idea; however, with today's demands on our pocket and our planet's finite resources it is a serious and viable option.

Firstly, it must be said, that one does not have to live in a perpetual sun blessed climate on the equator for the suns ray's to provide free and convenient power. Even some of the world's gloomiest climate areas can benefit from this green energy.

Generally there are two types of solar power generators:

1. Photo-thermal.

2. Photo-voltaic.

Photo-thermal:

Photo thermal solar power generators, as the name suggests, generate heat from the sun's rays. This heat can be utilized to heat ones domestic water supply, central heating system or swimming pool.

These systems work by focusing the sun's energy on to collectors that heat water, the heated water is then circulated or pumped on demand. This type of system can be used on a large industrial scale when the water is heated to high temperatures creating steam, this steam then goes on to turn large turbines to generate electricity, however, we are discussing home use in this article and this method to generate electricity is not practical for the domestic environment.

Providing useable heat from the sun's energy is expensive and some local authorities and governments are funding or subsidizing installations in the interest of reducing carbon emissions.

Photo-voltaic:

Generally people think of solar panels as devices that directly generate electricity; these panels are photo-voltaic and that is exactly what they do. This method of providing free electricity is becoming more available and can be very inexpensive. For example, have a look around your local DIY store and you will find many gadgets and devices for the home and garden that are powered by the sun such as pond pumps, garden lighting, security alarms to name but a few.

Solar power on this scale is becoming very cheap and convenient not only saving money on the electricity itself but on having to install cables to these devices.

Considering powering one's home in its entirety using photo voltaic or solar panels although initially expensive, overtime, will provide free and green electricity and, today, is a serious and viable option.

Other Considerations:

There are considerations than one has to bear in mind before embarking on a large scale solar panel installation.

Check with your local planning office to make sure you are not contravening any local by-laws and obtain any relevant permission. Also make sure your property can withstand the added weight of solar panel arrays before going ahead with a roof or terrace installation.

Large solar installations are not really the realm of the DIY enthusiast and will require experts to calculate the number and size of panels you require for your power needs. There is much information on the Internet also you may be able to get advice from a local solar panel specialist who will be able to design a system for your individual needs.
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Visit HomemadeSolarEnergyPanels.Com to learn how to make homemade solar panels, advantages of DIY solar panels and homemade solar energy!

How to Create a Solar Panel

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
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This article outlines how to build a low-cost solar panel to heat water. It uses components normally available from glazing companies, home improvement and car parts shops.

Steps

1. Get a double-glazed unit for the sunlight to pass through. Glaziers and window manufacturers sometimes have scrap units for patio doors or large windows that can be bought very cheaply. Glass with a low-emissivity coating such as Pilkington K glass is ideal.
   
2. Get a single-panel room radiator that is slightly smaller than the glass unit. Scrap yards sometimes have old radiators, or ask a plumber who is refurbishing a central heating system.
   
3. Build a strong wooden box to fit the double-glazed unit. Use 12mm plywood for the back and 150mm x 50mm timber for the sides. Make sure it is deep enough to accommodate 50mm of insulation plus the radiator. The glass should exactly fit the box on three sides but overhang the box on the fourth side so that rain water will drip off the glass when the box is set at an angle.
   
4. If the box will sit on a flat surface build a support so that the box can be installed perpendicular to the sun. In the UK an angle of 35º from horizontal works well.
   
5. Treat the outside of the box to make the wood water resistant.
   
6. Glue aluminum kitchen foil to the plywood inside the box.
   
7. Screw two radiator brackets inside the box to support the radiator.
   
8. Insert a layer of 50mm thermal insulation slabs over the kitchen foil.
   
9. Fit the radiator onto the brackets and drill 20mm holes in the side of the box where the pipes will come out. You can route one pipe inside the box to make both pipes exit the same side of the box if your installation requires it.
   
10. Plumb in the radiator so that two pieces of 15mm copper tube extends 100mm from the outside of the box. Use threaded straight connectors rather than radiator valves to fit pipes that go straight out of the box.
    
11. Spray the front of the radiator matt black using heat resistant paint, such as that used for spraying the radiant parts of coal and gas fires.
    
12. Screw two angle brackets onto the bottom edge of the box and bend them up to stop the glass sliding off the box.
    
13. Run a bead of silicone sealant around the edge of the box and place lengths of electrical tape over the bead so the glass doesn't stick to it.
    
14. Place the glass on the box and leave the silicon to set. This will create an airtight seal between the glass and the box and increase the thermal insulation.
    
15. Screw L section UPVC strips to the three sides where the glass is flush with the box to prevent rain ingress. 45º mitres on the two corner joints makes a smart finish.
    
16. Get rubber engine hose with an internal diameter of 15mm from a car parts shop and attach it to the 15mm copper tube with jubilee clips. If your hose is slightly too big solder straight connectors onto the ends of the tubes to increase their diameter.
    
17. Finished. You now have a solar panel ready to heat water. In order to have a functioning system you will also need a water tank, a water pump and (if the pump does not run on mains electricity) a photovoltaic panel and control unit to power the pump.
    

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Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a Solar Panel. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

HUGE SOLAR REFLECTOR

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Solar energy projects can save you money

Solar energy projects can save you money on home water heating and other energy needs or you can start a solar energy project that is fun as a science project. In fact, solar energy is used in many objects in your life today. Have you every looked at that small cordless calculator you use and noticed five or six little cells on the front? These are collectors for solar or light energy. The same concepts that operate your calculator are used in larger projects from residential to commercial to small science projects for students.

Your swimming pool and even all your home hot water needs can be supplied by solar energy projects if you install solar collector panels of your roof directed at the sun's light and a hot water storage system into your home to hold the heated water for use on demand. You can maintain capability to generate hot water through traditional means if you want a backup to your solar energy project, but many people use only solar hot water, provided they install a sufficiently large system in their homes.

Solar energy projects can also generate electric power for residential homes. These systems store the energy generated in battery-like storage cells until the power is call for. Excess power can be sold to the traditional power companies, in fact, lowering dependence on utility power companies even more.

A simple project you and your child can do to see how solar power projects work is to create a hot dog cooker from a cardboard box, aluminum foil and some poster board. For this project, select a long, narrow cardboard box to make the project most effective. Design a parabolic curve with a focal point five to ten inches down from the top of the box. Measure and cut a piece of poster board that will create this curve and fit flush inside the box. The piece of poster board will be longer than the box so that it will curve downward for this solar power project. Cover the curve with glue and apply aluminum foil with the shiny side facing outward. Be sure the foil is as smooth as possible. Attach to one end of the cardboard box with tape curve down and tape the other end in place. A spot of sunshine should focus on the bottom of the curve. Remove the paint from a coat hanger and place the hot dog on the coat hanger. Install the coat hanger over the bright spot of sun and cook away.

Solar power projects, both large and small, can be much less complicated than you probably thought. By understanding how this power form can help save traditional fuels, we can make a difference in our lives and our planet.
About the Author: Anita van Wyk strives to make make more people aware of the benefits of using solar energy through her website http://facts-about-solar-energy.com/

Make The Right Choice With Solar Energy Technologies

Make The Right Choice With Solar Energy Technologies
by Burtonimus

There are many different solar energy technologies available on the market today. It is a good idea to learn about what is out there, whether you choose to use a contractor for installation or not. In addition, you can save some money if you already have an idea of what you want. Contractors can concentrate on installation and you will not have to pay them to spend time determining what to install.

The first thing you will need to do is decide if you want to go all the way solar or not. There are systems available to convert your entire house to solar energy. There are also different technologies that you can use to convert only certain things. Either way you choose, you will still be able to save money and the environment at the same time.

Solar Panels

Traditional solar panels are mounted on small stands and then placed either on your roof or in your yard. There are other necessary components that depend on what type of system you choose.

Solar Powered Shingles and Tiles

Solar powered shingles and tiles are an aesthetically pleasing alternative to regular, bulky solar panels. Instead of having multiple solar panels attached to your roof, you just re-roof your house. These shingles have a photovoltaic substance spread on top of them that allows for the collection of solar energy. Added benefits of using solar shingles are that they blend in very well and will not reduce the value of your house.

Solar Powered Batteries

Solar powered batteries are a wonderful invention. It is inevitable that your solar electric system will generate more power than you need. When solar powered batteries are included in your setup, you can store the excess power to be used later. You will be thankful for that on rainy days when your system is not generating power.

Solar Heater

You can use a solar space heating system to heat the air in your home. It can be implemented in one of two ways. A passive heating system uses features such as south-facing windows and heat-absorbing floor and wall material to collect heat during the day and release it at night. An active heating system uses solar collectors, fans or pumps to distribute the heat. In addition, a storage system is needed to hold heat for cloudy or rainy days.

Solar Water Heater

Installing a solar water heater is a good option for those who don't want to go completely solar, or who just can't afford to do so. There are only two parts to this: a solar collector and a storage tank. The solar collector uses sunlight to heat the water, which is then held in a storage tank.

Solar Pool Heating

You can also use the power of solar energy to heat your swimming pool or hot tub. The basic principle is similar to that of the solar water heater. Your pool filtration system will pump the pool water through a solar collector. The heated water is then pumped right back into the pool. The one drawback to this type of heating system is that the solar collector is usually quite large. It needs to be 50 to 100% of the pool surface area.

Solar Lighting

Depending upon where you live, you have probably seen stores such as Wal-Mart using solar lighting systems. The system used for a single home is not as large, although the basic principle is the same. Most solar lighting systems are actually hybrids. Hybrid solar lighting systems combine solar energy with regular electricity, all funneled into hybrid light fixtures. The amount of regular electricity used is dependent upon available sunlight.

Trombe Wall

A trombe wall is glazed on the outside with a heat conducting substance. These walls transfer heat into your house to warm it up and out of your house to cool it down.

Solar Sunroom

The solar sunroom will always be positioned on the south-facing side of your home. The walls are made of extremely large glass panes that collect solar energy. The energy collected can either be funneled into the house or stored for later use.

About the Author

Video instructions for your next solar project. Solar How To. information is free and available to you.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Learn To Build Wind Turbines

How would you react if your neighbor told you she was going to build wind turbines? Pretty impressed? The truth is that it is not difficult to build wind turbines and many homeowners are taking the challenge to build their own wind turbines as a cost-effective means to utilizing renewable energies. It isn't exactly snap-your-fingers easy to build wind turbines either, but with the proper plans and a motivated builder you can be building wind turbines in no time.

It is definitely your best bet, before setting out to build wind turbines, to purchase an instruction manual or guide to follow. Remember that you get what you pay for when it comes to instructions. Make sure you find a manual that is easy to read with detailed instructions. There are also many online resources and forums to help guide you through your wind turbine building process.

To familiarize yourself with the basics, before you get started on your project to build wind turbines, there are four basic components to wind turbines. To build wind turbines you must be familiar with the towers, the batteries, the turbines and the tail and propeller assembly. The tools generally required to build wind turbines are simple as well, you will need wrenches, a saw and a drill. There may also be a need for additional tools depending on how of the wind turbine you will be building yourself.

One part that you will probably be ordering when you decide to build wind turbines is the motor. The motors on wind turbines do require regular maintenance and oiling for continued efficiency, but this is a small price to pay for the excellent energy these systems provide. In addition to the motor, you are definitely going to need a good-sized workspace. Depending on your target energy output, your propellers or blades could get up to 8 feet in diameter (4 ft blades).

It takes a little work to build wind turbines, but there is really nothing overly complicated about the process and generally the process can be fairly inexpensive once you are operational and your electric bills are dropping each month. Building wind turbines is also a fast growing occupation worldwide as technicians are tough to find. So learn how to build wind turbines for yourself and take advantage of the opportunities free electricity and know how can provide.

Find out just how easy it really is. Yes you can do it, a great family project. Just click the following link to the wind generator plans. You will get the Wind Generator book at the low price of only $19.97.

Wind Mill Click Here!

When asked about alternative energy or renewable energy, most people think of solar electricity. Generating electricity from the sun is a technology that everyone knows well. Whether it is your pocket calculator, home, or workshop, regardless of your power needs, solar electricity can get the job done.

Solar electricity has a number of unique advantages over conventional or grid-based electricity. Solar electric systems can be designed for a variety of applications and are extremely beneficial in remote areas where other electric opportunities do not exist. In addition, photovoltaic systems that generate solar electricity have no moving parts therefore requiring minimal maintenance, are easily expandable, and with many smaller units, transportable.

Environmental compatibility is a huge selling point for converting to solar electricity. The fuel for generating solar electricity is a free renewable resource, the sun. Solar electricity offers no noise pollution and actually almost no pollution from their operation. Another appealing factor for many who choose solar electricity over conventional electricity is simply the independence. It is an attractive offer to many rural dwellers to know that when the lights go out due to storms or blackouts, theirs are still working. No longer a slave to waiting on hold to report an outage to find it will be 10 hours before their service will be restored.Click Here!

The hardest part of converting to solar electricity is the cost of the system. Investing in a solar energy system can be a substantial upfront cost. The value of solar electricity is realized over several years. A professionally installed solar array for an average dwelling (avg. $100/month in electric bills) could pay for itself in 5 years. You could reduce that number by building your own solar panel system or by purchasing a used system. With many solar energy systems in less rural areas and only in some states, you can sell your unused solar electricity back to the electric company. In these situations the return on your investment is realized much more quickly.

Using the power of sun with solar electricity is a benefit to the environment and to your home. Solar electricity is already being used to supplement power for a number of large cities in North America. Take time to learn more about solar electricity and how you can have trade in your electric bill for a carefree life with solar electricity.