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Energy prices are increasing and a great way to reduce your energy costs is to use solar power generation. Unlike most forms of energy you don’t have to pay for the suns energy. Electricity and other forms of power come from oil, coal, natural gas etc. All of these energy sources cost money but solar energy does not cost anything. You can collect the suns rays for free. Solar power has been used for centuries in various ways. Solar energy has mainly been used for heat and there are specific branches of architecture deigned to utilize this to heat your home, just think of any south facing windows.

A popular form of collecting solar power is to use solar panels. Solar panels can be placed to collect the power that can then be converted into usable energy like electricity. Solar energy from solar panels can be integrated into supplying your houses power. You can completely run your house off of this power during the day and then use batteries for the night, these batteries will be charged by the sun during the day. You can collect so much solar energy that you can actually supply energy back into the power grid.

Other applications of this that can be used to concentrate minerals like sea salt, disinfections, pasteurization, cooking, drying and more. You can also concentrate the energy to power plants. Solar energy is typically used to heat water and swimming pools, particularly in countries close to the equator. It can be used to power batteries that can be used to run any number pf appliances and electronics. The main costs associated with solar power generation are installation and maintenance making it a great environmental energy option. Maintenance is usually performed every 10 years or so as your panels will need to be replaced due to scratching and from rain, wind and snow

By: George Moss

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Considering solar power for home use? If you are, you are not alone. As a matter of fact, many homes today are constructed with ready-made solar array on the roof. These solar panels are a definite improvement compared to the huge panels of the past. They are much smaller, more unobtrusive, and better-looking. More importantly, they are more efficient and can convert more solar power for home use with little space needed. Naturally, they are still visible to anyone who takes the time to look up, but they blend easily with the shingles so they will not make your house look like a block of metal fell on it.

Most people expect that once they have a solar powered home, they can immediately eliminate utility bills. This is not always the case. You see, solar panel systems are capable of producing enough electricity to power everything inside the average American home. But this can only happen under ideal conditions. The effectiveness of solar panels depends on where your house is. If your house barely gets six hours of direct sunlight the whole year round, then you will not be seeing much in energy savings. This means that a house in Arizona will need fewer solar panels than a house in Vermont to produce enough solar power for home use.

Not surprisingly, homes that use solar technology do not rely on the panels alone. They use a mix of traditionally generated electricity and solar energy. During times when solar panels generate more than enough energy for home use, homeowners can actually sell the excess energy to utility companies. When this happens, homeowners can actually make cash off utility companies rather than be slapped with a hefty monthly bill. If you want to give solar power for home use a go, ‘Earth4Energy’ is a good resource. The manual is downloadable and walks you through the process of setting up your own solar panel using materials you can get cheaply from the local hardware.

By: George Moss

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Solar power efficiency is a key term when it comes to determining the economic feasibility of using solar panels. The efficiency of the solar panels energy absorption coupled with the energy output are very important. In other words, the amount of energy in compared to the amount of energy out.

A solar panel works by absorbing energy from sun light during peak sun hours, or the time when the sun is strongest. This energy, in the form of photons, is absorbed by a substance like silicone.

This absorption knocks loose electrons to run free. Next, an electrical field channels the electrons along a specified path creating a current. This current is called direct current; you may know it better as the type of energy batteries use. As we, all know our homes are not battery powered; therefore, this must be converted into alternate current.

Now that is a simplistic look at a solar panel system but as you can see, there are many interdependent parts that will need to work efficiently to maximize productivity. What are some things that can affect efficiency?

One of the most important aspects of solar power is the solar panels. These panels have very specific requirements to work effectively. The first is the tilt; a solar panel should be tilted in direct proportion to your geographical latitude. For instance if your home sits near 40 degrees latitude then this is the angle degree required by your solar panel. If the tilt is not sufficient then the solar power efficiency will be affected.

More importantly, than the angle is being sure that there is no shading or blocking of the panel. If even one cell in your solar panel is shaded, the output is cut by 50%, a great loss in solar power efficiency.

All the components of the solar panel are potential areas for loss in efficiency. Technology is addressing more and more the need for better quality solar cells. One new innovation on the market today are solar cells on film. This smaller lighter material makes it much more cost effective to produce them as well as being more efficient.

Equally important is the efficiency of your charge converter better known as a charge regulator. This device regulates the flow of electric into the battery. When the battery gets low the regulator allows energy in, but not too much energy, it also limits the ingoing charge to protect the battery. Overcharging or undercharging a battery is detrimental to the life of the battery.

The type of battery used is important to the overall solar power efficiency. A small insufficient battery will wear out quickly costing you more for operation. A good economical choice is a marine deep cycle battery; they have the capacity and strength to hold up to intensive use.

The final piece in the puzzle is your power inverter. An inadequate inverter can lead to a loss in usable electricity. When choosing a system it is important to be sure all these components are in good working order and efficient.

Save 80% on Your Electric Bill By Building Your Own Efficient Solar Power System.

By: George Moss

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The first thing you might ask – what is solar radiation and how does it related to solar generated electricity? A good question and one that is discussed in one of our article dedicated to home solar power. This article, on the other hand, explains how kilowatts are calculated based upon the energy output of your solar array. We will also highlight the difference between solar cells connected in parallel versus in series.

The average American home uses about 25 kWh of electricity per day. The following example illustrates how to calculate the power produced by a residential solar energy system. By consulting a solar radiation map, we find that a house receives 5 hours of direct solar radiation a day, averaged out throughout the year.

Solar radiation maps are highlighted on may websites throughout the Internet. You can do a quick search for “solar radiation” to find one. They essentially plot the amount of sunlight based upon time of year and physical location that will hit the United States in any given area.

Calculating the power from a solar energy system

Divide the average kWh per day by the average sun hours per day. For this example, we take 25 kWh divided by 5 hours of sun per day = 5 kW system This 5 kW system will generate 25 kWhs under optimal conditions in direct sunlight for 5 hours, or 25 kWh on an average day with some at peak production and most of the sunlight at less than optimal angles.

Future articles related to solar energy will continue to explain the effects of sun angle, reflection, and refraction on the design, output, and installation of solar panels.

Energy as it Pertains to Solar Modules

Individual solar modules that are measured in watts have a particular voltage (around 40 volts) and a particular amperage (around 5 amps). A solar module with 40 volts and 5 amps is called a 200-watt module, which means that it has the potential to produce 200 watts of electricity when in direct sunlight, away from trees or shading, and clear of snow or debris. Since most electrical components around your house are only rated for 600 volts DC, it is rare to see a solar array with a string larger the 15 solar modules. On the other hand, since inverters need a minimum voltage or pressure to turn them on, you will seldom have a solar array with a string solar modules with a size smaller then 6.

Electrical components, like solar cells, panel modules or batteries, can be connected in either series or parallel. This makes a big difference in the total quantities of energy produced from the solar energy system, as well as the stability of the technology over time. Each solar module or component has a positive and a negative pole. In essence, this is the same way batteries have their negative and positive poles arranged. Take a look at how you but batteries in a flashlight. Same idea here. The manner in which these poles are connected makes a big difference. Connect Solar Panels in Series

When you connect residential solar energy systems in series, you connect the positive (+) pole on one component to the negative (-) pole on the next. When modules are connected in series, the voltages are added. Adding voltage together in this fashion creates a long chain of solar modules all working together, depending upon each other, and creating a flow of current that increases along the length of the system.

These modules in series are called Strings. The average string is 8-12 modules so the voltage would be 320 – 480. Unfortunately, we encounter some negative aspects of of this type of construction.

Connecting Solar Panels in Parallel

When you connect solar panels or components in parallel, you connect the panels so current can travel to your inverter and to your house via multiple paths. Unlike adding solar modules in series which increases the volume of current as it goes, the solar panels connected in parallel has the effective of leaving the current or volume of electricity passing through the system the same.

Solar panels or strings of solar arrays tied together in parallel are called parallel systems. Their amps are combined together but the total voltage remains the same. Adding amps is like increasing the volume, the pressure stays the same but the volume goes up. Inverters can only handle so much volume so you will seldom see more than 1 to 3 strings in parallel; positive ends to positive ends with negative ends to negative ends.

One of the advantages of parallel connection is that electricity continues to flow, even though one of the components (or strings) is damaged. If a system is entirely in series, one damaged component stops the entire system. You may remember the ever-frustrating Christmas lights that were connected in series. Often difficult to trouble shoot, strings of lights connected in series are hard to fix when one bulb blew out. Now, the modern Christmas lights are connected in parallel. You can see this because there are two wires connecting each lamp. You can feel this via their less frustrating maintenance and operation.

Options for Residential Solar Energy Systems

In this article, we explained in some detail how solar modules calculate the power they produce as well as how connecting solar arrays in series or parallel can have an large impact on energy output as well as complexity of design. Our next article will cover how sun angle affects solar energy systems and how to quantify the solar power produced from the sun.

New solar energy system rentals allow you to upgrade your home to solar generated electricity with no large system to purchase. You can rent the solar energy equipment needed to generate up to 100 percent of your electricity needs. Exciting aspects related to clean, green solar energy are emerging all around us.

By: George Moss

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Much of the “news” relating to residential wind power, and solar power for that matter, usually comes in the form of a press release. Unfortunately, the first time consumer of a particular product, like a wind turbine, assumes the information he or she just read in the press release is sufficient to make an informed buying decision. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Here’s a good example. It’s a wind turbine for home use by designer Philippe Starck, better known as a designer of consumer products like toothbrushes and wristwatches.

His new residential wind turbine, which he has named “Democratic Design,” is a transparent polycarbonate rectangle about 12 feet wide and 18 feet high and, according to the press release on Inhabit.com, can generate 20 percent to 60 percent of a home’s annual electricity. Democratic Design will reportedly sell for $630 when it becomes available in September, 2008.

The project was realized with the help of Pramac; a Milan, Italy based manufacturer of portable and stand by generators and a recent entrant into the field of renewable technology.

Judging by the comments submitted by readers of the press release, they were enthusiastic at the prospect of cutting their electric bills in half for a one time investment of only $630. And who wouldn’t be? The problem is, a complete grid tied wind power system requires additional components (how about a tower?) not included in the $630 price tag.

Another problem with Democratic Design is the vague power output projections. Power output is expressed as kilowatt hours, not as a percentage of your home’s energy needs. Every other wind powered turbine sold today has a specific kWh (kilowatt hour) rating. When the kWh rating is combined with local wind speed data, you can size a wind turbine to provide a certain percentage of your home’s energy needs, not the other way around.

Also of interest is the degree to which Pramac is involved in the production and distribution of
Democratic Design. When I visited their website, I discovered that they had, in fact, recently become involved in the distribution of solar PV systems, but no mention was made of their participation with Democratic Design.

I find this odd considering a scheduled fall release – less than two months from the date of this article. That is not to say this newly designed wind turbine won’t revolutionize wind power someday, but at this stage it’s more important to consider the practical aspects of Democratic Design and how they influence the estimated cost for a complete wind system.

First of all, let’s look at the sheer size of this thing. At 12′ x 18′ high, this isn’t something you want to plunk down in your back yard for the neighborhood kids to try to jump in and out of as it spins around. Neither do you want anything with the dimensions of your living room mounted on the roof of your house.

The solution is to mount it on a tower. But I’m not an engineer, so I can’t tell you for certain if any of the towers used for other wind turbines would accommodate, or be adaptable to the Democratic Design. That being said, prices for towers vary by height and construction. A 30′ guyed tower, not including installation, costs around $800. While a 35′ monopole tower, also uninstalled, costs about $3,400.

The next component not included in the price of Democratic Design is the inverter. An inverter is necessary to convert the DC (Direct Current) power generated by the turbine into AC power compatible with household appliances.

The inverter size is determined by the output of the turbine. Assuming Democratic Design will provide 30% of a household’s annual power consumption; you would need an inverter in the 3000 watt range costing approximately $2,300.

I think you get the point. Already, $3,000 – $6,000 has been added to the cost of Democratic Design without considering the cost of installation, or optional equipment such as a performance monitor.

But don’t get me wrong, if Democratic Design really works, the initial cash outlay for a complete system would still be competitive with other wind powered systems. However, until Democratic Design gets approval from the appropriate state and federal agencies, it won’t qualify for the tax incentives that make renewable energy affordable.

Press releases are great for creating interest in a particular topic or product. And residential wind power news is no exception. Just bear in mind; most news is factual, but doesn’t always contain all the facts.

By: George Moss

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How much does a wind turbine cost can be answered. Wind turbines can be found to have many shapes and sizes. The cost of it can be indicated clearly as per the following paragraphs. The cost depends upon the project size, purchase agreement construction contracts, type of machines, and the projects location as well as other related factors.

How much does a wind turbine cost can be answered partially. Cost components for wind turbines which are distinct from commercial scale wind turbine as outlined above. The cost includes wind resource assessment, site analysis expenses, the freight of the turbine and its price, as well as tower, construction expenses, interconnection studies, utility system upgrades, protection, transformers, as well as metering equipment, operations, warranty, maintenance, repair, insurance, legal and consultation fees, etc.

Other factors which have an impact on your project economics are financing costs, the size of the project and applicability of taxes.

How much does a wind turbine cost can be answered as under:

The cost of the commercial wind turbines varied from $1 to $2 million per MW of nameplate capacity installed. The same turbines 2 MW in size cost roughly $2.8 million installed capacity. These turbines undergo significant economies scale. Smaller farm or residential scale turbines cost less but they are more expensive when per kilowatt of energy producing capacity is applied on the rates.

This would indicate a 10 kilowatt machine might cost roughly around $48,000. In this manner 100 kilowatts wind turbines would cost roughly $2,800 to $4,800 per kilowatt of capacity.

To conclude, how much does a wind turbine cost can be summarized by proper negotiation, considering engineering and other related factors and reducing over all cost incidence on the production process.

By: George Moss

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