Green Energy in Solar Power

Power from the sun is a green power source. This is simply because it can be replenished and it does not cause any environmental problems.. This source of power is achieved by transforming sunshine into electricity through the of use of solar cells. Other green sources of energy include wind power, hydroelectric power, biogas and thermal power.

There are three basic methods for using this form of green energy source namely passive, active and by using photovoltaic cells.

When we refer to passive solar energy, nothing is transformed into a different form. What happens is this case is the building’s design which helps to avoid heat loss and gets the most out of the warmth of the sun during the day.This can be most helpful in colder climates where heat is a necessary requirement for comfortable living spaces. In warmer climates, this design will help reduce the heat from the sun and therefore keep the building cooler than would normally be possible.   .
green energy
This type of methodology can also be used in homes because studies have shown that this can lower the heating requirements by as much as 80% with minimal cost. This would mean that people do not have to turn on the air conditioner or furnace that often.  Now if everyone does that, then we don’t use up that much electrical power which unfortunately we obtain through non-renewable sources.

The next technique which is active sun power is actually the first method of changing the sun’s rays into heat. People ought to realize that there tend to be some specific limitations to this particular one and just about all it could very well accomplish would be to ensure that you have hot water.

The 3rd tactic is the large scale edition and this can easily power an office or even an entire residence. This is accomplished with the aid of solar cells that transform the sun’s rays into electrical power. The tiniest kinds in existence can be found in hand calculators and wrist watches with big ones planted over huge plots of land.

The only restriction to this particular eco-friendly power source is the point that it is only able to create electrical power whenever the weather conditions are good and the sun is shining. Should it start raining, then almost nothing is collected and transformed. When this occurs, the auxiliary system is used until the weather becomes more favorable.

However, disregarding this fact, scientists and  even students themselves have designed photo voltaic driven vehicles. The National Aeronautical Space Administration has dispatched satellites into outer space which are powered by solar cells. A completely functional airport can easily operate on its own using solar power even if it is located in the midst of the frozen tundra.

Therefore people today can see the magnificent capability of solar energy, did you happen to know that a kilowatt of solar energy can produce 5.5 hours of electricity daily.The more cells that you have doing the job, the more power and the longer the electrical energy will last.

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Solar Panels – A good source of power now

solar power

Solar panels can be made to harness the reservoir of energy from the sun to some other kind of power. Generally the energy that results is going to be obtainable in the form of heat (to heat a building for instance) or electricity which can be utilized to power anything from a radio to a complete business. In this article we are going to talk about the bigger residential and industrial panels which are created to provide power for the home or company, where these panels are regularly placed on the top from the house or in close proximity to the home if space permits.

We are also going to focus on the kind of panels that generate electricity known collectively as Photovoltaic panels. Solar panels are a terrific method to cut energy costs and to decrease your carbon emissions, and to become a lot more self-sufficient. They are now becoming extremely popular in urban areas exactly where alternative power advocates and law makers are creating incentives for this friendly and quiet option energy source.

The state of Colorado, for instance, has been offering massive rebates on the up-front cost in acquiring and implementing a residential solar program. After the panels are installed, power from the program is going to be utilized to energize the house, or, when power is being created in excess of demand, diverted for use about the grid, exactly where it is purchased back by the electrical power company.

There might be times when you are really making income from your panels. With rebates factored into the initial cost it will usually take from seventeen to twenty-four many years to get back the initial expense, at which time you’ll essentially be generating power from the sun at no price. One little-known fact, however, is that solar panels are initially contributory to greenhouse emissions simply because it takes energy to manufacture a solar panel, that this power is very often fossil-based, and front-end loaded, and that therefore there’s a time period during which the solar panel has really added to carbon emissions rather than detracted from them. Until such time as the solar panel has made energy equivalent towards the energy used to manufacture it (its fossil-emission payback period) it is actually a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This fossil-emission payback period is usually considered to become five to ten years.

Low energy solar panels are usually obtainable in 12 v or 14 v configurations, while higher energy panels are available in 24 volt. As solar panels are DC, you might normally need a power inverter that changes it from low-voltage as Direct Current to another-voltage Alternating Existing to change it to become compatible with the voltage and type that feeds both the home and the grid. Conventional solar panels are constructed utilizing twin sheets of semiconducting silicon, combined with phosphorus and boron atoms. Amorphous silicon  solar cells are a highly powerful, emerging array of photovoltaics that differ in output, structure, and manufacture than conventional photovoltaics that use crystalline silicon. The H-AS solar panels are produced within the same way, but they’re made just 1 micrometer in depth by laying down polymorphous silicon at very higher pressures and temperatures.

Solar panels are usually maintenance free of charge and numerous manufacturers will supply a guarantee of electrical output often for as long as 20 many years. Solar panels are installed on whichever side of your house that gets the maximum solar exposure. In locales south from the equator this would be the north-facing aspect, and in locales north from the equator it’s the south-facing aspect.

diy solar panels

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Pros and Cons of Solar Power

Solar Energy Pros And Cons

Okay, so you’ve thought about changing your power source to solar power.  But now it’s time to really take the plunge and decide for yourself what the right choice for you may be.  Here are a few advantages and disadvantages for switching over to solar power.

Solar Power Advantages

  • Solar power is a renewable energy source that does not harm the environment when it is produced.
  • Sunlight is prevalent everywhere which is very different from fossil fuels which exist only in certain places.  While sunlight does not appear evenly throughout the world, solar energy can be created anywhere, even though there is not a local energy utility.  This means you can create power in inaccessible places.
  • the components necessary to build a solar system can be bought and used to construct a system fairly inexpensively
  • Solar energy does not cost anything
  • The technology exists and is currently used to implement solar radiation as and energy source for electricity, heat, and mechanical power
  • Solar systems do not require fuel to be delivered to your home or business and the fuel (or solar energy) will never run out
  • Solar systems can last for many years as these systems contain no moving parts
  • You can determine up front, the amount of power that a solar energy system will produce
  • Solar systems are silent and, as the technology advances, are becoming less and less visible
  • You can qualify for financial incentives from the government to assist you in paying for the system and will receive tax breaks when the system is in use
  • Using solar energy reduces the use of fossils fuels and creating greenhouse gases

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

  • Solar panels require a great deal of space.  Therefore the roof is the best location but the direction you roof faces can impact the amount of power that can be produced
  • You can not generate solar power at nighttime which requires a method of storing the energy during daylight hours.
  • Batteries for storing energy for use later can be expensive. However, costs for these components are going down as more people convert to this type of power source. 
  • Bad weather can affect the amount of power generated
  • The cost of installing a solar power system can be expensive if you do not know where to find low cost components

solar power advantages

Notes from some other folks

Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Power

Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Power for Home. Demand for energy will be increasing by 50% in 20 years and there is no way to meet this amount with non-renewable nuclear or fossil sources.  […] 

Solar Power – Overcome the Disadvantages

Of late lot of research has been done to off-set the disadvantages of solar power for use in nights and monsoon conditions is to use dry-cell batteries, storing in the form of heat etc.  […].

Solar Energy Advantages And Disadvantages

Knowing solar energy advantages and disadvantages is essential when looking into installing a home solar power system. The good thing is that the solar energy advantages overshadow the disadvantages. […]

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Federal Incentives and Credits for Renewable Energy

Incentives as listed below can make solar power affordable for all of us.

Financial Incentives for Using Solar Power in Your Home
 by: Rick Chapo

It is undeniable that energy prices are going through the roof. Just take a look at your utility bill. The good news is using solar power can save your bank account, particularly with new incentives.

Personal Tax Credit and Deductions

If anything is more aggravating than exploding energy costs, it’s your tax bill. New and established government programs let you attack both by going solar. The first method is by simply saving money on taxes. If you install a solar energy system on your home, the federal government is going to give you a tax credit of up to $2,000. Tax credits reduce your tax liability dollar for dollar unlike deductions which are subtracted from your gross income. A majority of states now also offer tax credits you can use when paying state taxes. Each state handles the matter differently, but you can expect to get a credit for a percentage of your installation cost or a fixed figure.

incentives in texas for using renewable energy

Net Metering

Net metering is a concept that has resulted in exploding sales in the solar energy industry. Net metering refers to state laws that require utilities to purchase power generated from your residential solar system at the same price the utilities would otherwise charge you for electricity. In effect, net metering lets you use the utility company as a battery. While you are at work during the day, your solar system sends energy to the utility and your power meter actually runs backwards. When you come home at night and use power, the power meter runs forward. All and all, net metering will either slash or completely eliminate your utility bill. With solar panel systems having a life of 40 years, think how much money you’ll save! While a majority of states have net metering laws, not all do. Make sure to check if yours does.

Property Tax Incentives

Property taxes. How we all hate paying property taxes. Well, many states now provide exemptions, exclusions or credits for homes with solar power. Each state handles this issue differently, so look into the potential savings in yours.

Rebate Programs

To promote solar energy, rebate programs are offered to homeowners by states and utilities. Again, the characteristics of such programs vary wildly, but typically come in the form of rebates ranging from a couple hundred bucks to $4,000 or more.

With your utility bills going through the roof, it is time to consider steps you can take to save money. The economic benefits of going solar have never been better, which makes now the time to convert.

About The Author

Rick Chapo is with http://www.solarcompanies.com – a directory of solar energy and solar power companies. Visit http://www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar electricity articles.

solar energy tax breaks

Texas Solar Incentive Program

Texas utility Oncor this week launched its first solar power initiative to encourage expansion of solar energy in the state. Oncor’s Solar PV Program, Take A Load Off, offers cash incentives to qualified homeowners, businesses and governments to add solar photovoltaic power systems.

Stimulus Plan Solar Power Incentives

Does anything in the stimulus plan he signed this week encourage the use of solar power? A: Yes, the stimulus was packed with incentives for solar, including U.S. Treasury grants that will allow consumers to recoup 30 percent of the cost of installing solar equipment.

Solar Incentive

Incentive Program that was created under the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 – right now focused on photovoltaic technologies and wind power. The full host of incentives for geothermal, solar thermal air and water heating.

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GM Using Roof Mounted Solar Heat Panels

commercial solar panels

General Motors, long inept at making cars with quality ratings that might persuade Americans to buy them, now finds itself too broke to install solar power.

But it has made a clever and commendable accommodation to its impoverishment. It has agreed to allow a solar-power company to install a system on the roof of one of its warehouses and then buy the power as it would from any other electric company.

In fact, the step may be so beneficial that GM now has similar plans for solar-power equipment installed on the roof of a second warehouse.

So sunhats off to GM! They may still not be clever enough to make a popular car, but at least they’ve found a way to make a popular choice about electric power.

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Answers to “What are the benefits of using solar power?”

Solar Power
 by: Andrew Palmer 7eb

Solar power is becoming more and more popular as the oil prices keep increasing. Our demand on our natural resources such as coal, oil and gas continues to grown on a daily basis worldwide. Not to mention what these types of fuels are doing to global warming and air pollution. So,  and maybe even save our earth.

Solar power is known to be one of the cleanest renewable energies around today. How solar power works is by photovoltaic tiles. These tiles change the sunlight into a form of electricity that can be used to heat our homes and even help our gardens grow.

What happens in essence is that the tiles are created with pieces of positive and negative silicon that is place under a thin piece of glass. The sunlight hitting the tiles causes the neutrons to move off of the silicon. The neutrons that are negatively charged are stuck to the silicon by the magnetic field that is caused because of the reaction. Then an electric current is formed. Then this current is passed to the area in which we wish to heat through as inverter which converts it to electrical power for us to use in our homes. This solar power can be used just like electricity for lamps, televisions, and of course heat.

Many people in the United States are now adding solar power to different areas of their homes, such as basements, sunrooms, or their entire home. These solar panels are not very hard to install but may be expensive according to how large the panels need to be and how they need to be installed.

Many states throughout the United States are now giving tax incentives to individuals and companies that wish to covert to solar power. You can find out more by talking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Energy.

Many schools throughout the national are now converting to solar power. This is a great way to save money for our school systems. Many schools have very high electric bills, due to the electricity that is being used on a daily basis to light the class rooms, keep our children warm during the winter and cool during the summer. This money that is being spent on electricity can soon be spent on better educating our children.

About The Author

Andrew Palmer maintain http://www.solar-panels.cc, an online source of information about solar power and renewable energy.

 

renewable energy sources over the years

Solar Power for Everyone

Our friend Ben has ranted about this before, but having just received an e-mail from the Mother Earth News with the subject line “Is solar power right for you?” has inspired me to rant about it again.

Growth of solar power for homes

One of the most frequently touched upon news subjects recently has been the extent to which solar power for homes has been growing. 

Is Solar Power Right for You?

Would solar power be a good choice for your home? In some cases, purchasing solar panels now can add up to big savings over time. But whether solar makes sense for you depends on a lot of different factors, including how sunny your house is.

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