Posts from — November 2008

The cause of global warming is the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In order to decrease the amount of greenhouse gases and control global warming, a search has begun to find alternative sources of electricity, instead of coal, oil and to a certain extent nuclear power plants which emit pollutants causing this catastrophe in the atmosphere.

The Sun, our nearest and most powerful source of renewable energy could help us produce electricity by tapping its energy. But how could it be done? Well, with the invention of photovoltaic cells, a lot of which comprise a solar panel, makes this dream of tapping the sun's energy a reality. However, the three main drawbacks to the installation, use, and maintenance of these solar panels are - the amount of funding needed to set up a solar plant, rain, and snow. Some of the cost is offset by the savings from other energy sources, but not entirely until some of the costs of solar come down.

To understand how solar panels work one will have to brush up one's knowledge of chemistry. Solar panels work on the principle of chemical reactions that are induced to form the electric current.

The main component of the panel is silicon (the element Si on the periodic table) or in purely non-scientific terminology, sand. In its natural form, silicon has four electrons but has the capacity for accommodating double that number, that is, eight electrons. One silicon atom can combine with another to form a strong bonding. In this case both atoms share each other's potential capacity for eight electrons. The electrical current however can be produced only by one negative and one positive charge.

Here, you need some knowledge of chemistry! You add a negative charge to be introduced to the silicon atoms. Usually it is phosphorus, which has five electrons. Once combined with silicon, it lends a negative charge, that is, there is an extra electron that the silicon atom doesn't need, which floats around. A positive charge is created using boron, which has three electrons. When these positive and negative charges react, electricity flows!

The most important part of the chemical reaction is when the photons from the rays of the sun hit the silicon-phosphorus atoms, knocking off the extra electron. That electron is attracted by the positive boron-silicon atoms to compensate for the structure of the boron which has only three electrons. As the process repeats, electricity is produced.

To produce an adequate quantity of electricity for daily consumption, several solar panels will be necessary. In addition it is important to install back up power source to store the electricity produced. This dual installation is likely to be quite expensive. When it is all said and done, it is worth the trouble and expense to shift to cleaner energy sources. In the long run, installation and maintenance can actually work out to be cost effective.

Don't worry if you didn't follow the chemistry. The point is that the solar is a much cleaner way of meeting our electricity needs and can help us save our environment and the world.

Solar power for the home has made great strides since its early beginnings. Technological advancements have allowed commercially available building materials to incorporate solar cells, which turns them into solar panels that are virtually invisible to the naked eye.

There are two ways that solar power for homes is supplied. A stand alone solar power system acts as the sole source of electricity for your home. Alternatively, supplemental solar power systems, can supply all of your homes energy depending on sunlight availability. When sunlight is not available, your home can use energy from the power grid.

Standalone solar power systems and supplemental systems for the generation of solar power for homes contain the same fundamental parts. At the outset are the photovoltaic panels, generally referred to as PV or solar panels, which are equipped with a solar cell or semiconductor that transforms the sun's rays into electricity. The electricity then is routed to a regulator/controller which maintains the electric current at the voltage/amperage level the system is made for. Electricity then is routed into your home's electrical system or else into a battery array or a storage system which will keep the solar power ready for when the sun sets.

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.

Supplementing or replacing your electricity needs with solar power for homes is becoming easier and more affordable than ever. Some building materials include roofing material, awnings, car port roofing and the edges of the panes in your windows. This type of solar panel is called Building Integrated Photovoltaics. When used in roofing material these panels offer the same level of home protection as asphalt shingles while functioning as a solar panel.

One of the largest setbacks to adding or converting your home to solar power has always been the initial cost, there are however a growing number of ways to combat that cost. There are grants available on both the state and federal level to help offset a large portion of using solar power for homes. While the federal rebate may change from year to year, individual state rebates vary from state to state, with some states offering special low interest financing as an added green incentive to rebates.

Besides the fact that you'll make your home greener using solar power for homes, you'll also be seeing lots of "green" with all the savings on your utility bill. You may even be able to eliminate a utility bill altogether. A growing number of utility companies now have a metering program allowing you to sell to the power company any excess power produced by your solar power system. It certainly pays to go green!