Posts from — October 2008

Are you searching for an economical way to energize your home or business with power? You can enjoy using having the energy when you need it, even if the traditional means of power goes off. You can even help create a better world by using solar panels as they are very economically and environmentally user friendly. Using solar panels will also reduce the amount due on your monthly power bill and they make great backup sources when you need them, whether or not the power company line is working. Solar panels are fairly easy to install and can be used in conjunction with other economic energy solutions such as wind or water power as they do compliment each other very well. However, there are a few things you should know about solar panels before you begin.

You might like trying your hand at making your own solar panel, which can make a really interesting home or school science projects when you make these with your children. You can make just one solar panel to see how they work or you may want to make a lot more and install them on your roof or on poles to create the energy you require. On the other hand, you can always purchase solar power kits now; there are various types from which to choose. These various kits will include all you need for solar panels such as wires, mounts, inverters and either photovoltaic or thin film panels. You might like to install them yourself and save money or you might want to hire a professional contractor to install them for you. Having a professional install them for you offers the advantage of other benefits such as solar power user incentives and an assortment of rebates.

Your solar panel incorporates the use of Photovoltaic cells. These cells will generate the power by transforming natural sunlight into energy which is then stored. You can use this energy later when you need it. When you make your own solar panels, you will also have to have an inverter when making residential treatment, especially made for converting the DC energy current that solar panels generate into, 110 AC energy for your normal everyday use.

There are also thin film solar panels which are much more lightweight than regular solar panels. Using this type of solar panel eliminates the need for rack mounting. They are generally quick and easy to install as they are applied to the roof panel. It normally takes about ten minutes to install your thin film solar panels.

Basic Supplies for making your own solar panels include:

- 1 Sheet Copper Flashing - A pair of Shears to cut your Copper Flashing - 1 Wide Mouth Jar or 1 Clear Plastic Bottle - An Electric Drill with a Brush or Sandpaper Attachment - A 110 AC power Inverter - 1 Micro-ammeter - Some Tap Water - Some Table Salt - 2 Alligator Clips

Having solar panels installed on the roof of you home or business are worthwhile additions to your structure, whether you choose to make them yourself or buy one of the various kits. You really should consider using solar panels to help lower you energy bill, whether you choose to use a photovoltaic or thin film solar panel.

Solar power for homes has come a long way since the boxy design of the solar panels most of us are familiar with. Tremendous advancements have been made in solar cell construction that allow many building materials to be manufactured with the solar cells incorporated into their design effectively turning them into virtually undetectable solar panels.

Solar power for homes can be generated using one of two methods. An off the grid system is not connected to your utility company electricity supply and has to meet all of your home's needs. It usually has another backup system and will store current in a battery bank for use at night. The other form is on the grid or net metering. It is still connected to the utility company and can either be used as a supplemental system or if you create enough electricity it can be sold back to the utility company.

The basic components to generate solar power for homes are the same whether you opt for a standalone system or a supplemental system. The key component is the photovoltaic panels, commonly known as PV cells or solar panels, these panels are lined with a semi conductor or solar cell that turns the rays of the sun into electricity. This electricity is then routed into a regulator/controller that keeps the current at the voltage/amperage level your system is designed for. The electricity is then routed either into your homes electrical system or into a battery array or storage system that will keep that solar power available when the sun goes down.

As long as your house is hooked up to the power company's grid, you won't need to set up a separate storage system. However, setting up your own storage is more advantageous as your monthly utility bill be reduced further and you'll still have power even during an outage.

Augmenting or altogether replacing your power requirements with solar power for homes has never been simpler or more cost-effective than it is right now. There are new building materials include roofing material, car port roofing, awnings, and even the edges of your window-panes that contain solar cells. These types of solar panels are known as Building Integrated Photovoltaics. The application of the roofing materials not only serves as solar panels, they also provide for the same degree of protection as regular asphalt shingles.

One of the greatest obstacles to using solar power for homes has traditionally been the up-front expense. Now, however, there are avenues to offsetting that expense. Government grants are available which go a long way toward subsidizing your household's conversion to solar power. Federal rebates for solar power installations can vary year from year, and each state that offers one has its own incentives ranging from additional rebates to offering low-interest rates to finance green projects.

Aside from reducing your home's environmental impact, perhaps one of the greenest returns you will see will be in your utility bill which you can reduce or eliminate through the use of solar power for homes. Most utility companies even have a metering program that enables you to sell the excess power generated by your solar power system to the utility company, now how's that for green! Net metering is a good idea in terms of environmental impact because it gives individuals an incentive to sell their electricity to the power companies which can then be sold to other users. This can reduce the power companies reliance on fossil fuels that are thought to cause many of the environmental problems we currently face.