Home Solar Power

Since the dawn of time there has been one constant and that constant is sunlight. Many people as of late have been experiencing increases in their power bills, and that is why many have turned to home solar power for their electrical needs. After all, there is an unlimited amount of sunlight and it’s impossible to be charged for using it. Technology has been improving over the years, making home solar power a more and more viable choice.

It doesn’t take a huge amount of sunlight to provide one with the electricity that they need. All this really takes is a few solar panels, and suddenly you’ll have all the power you need for the house. It doesn’t matter how large or small your house is, you can install a solar panel.

The problem with many homes today is that they’re not positioned properly to get the sunlight they need. This is an issue, but makers of home solar power system have come up with a viable solution. The panels have been placed at steeper angles, and are able to deal with sunlight easier than their predecessors. Therefore no matter when or how your home was made, it can still take a home solar power system.

Normally, solar panels are placed on the roof with a rail system. You will be able to slide the panels to the place where they get the most sunlight possible, and this is also a great idea if you want to expand on your system down the road.

Before performing the installation, you will have to take a look at how much electricity your home will actually use. Look at your electric bills and find your usage, and then you will be able to purchase a home solar power system that suits your needs. As with anything else, it would be good to start out with just a basic setup, and you can expand as you go along. You might just be using this as a secondary power source, but in spite of that you will find that you can save up to eighty percent on electricity.

To start out, you can just do your outdoor lights. These can include your garden lights, fountain lights, and others. If you become comfortable with these, then you can feel free to move on to more advanced projects, such as indoor solar lighting.

While doing this, the inverter is probably the most important part of the whole process. This is the device that coverts DC to AC. It is important to make sure that you choose one that is adequately sized for your home.

If you just want to install a small system, then it should not affect the size of your inverter. There is a chance that you will want to expand later on, so use a large inverter for later!

If you’re not an electrician and you have limited knowledge about electricity and electrical components, try to hire someone to connect the inverter. The home solar power system needs to be connected into your home’s electrical system. Dangerous voltages are present and you might het electrocuted. Only an electrician can comply with the local codes so that your project can pass the inspection. The state and federal government also provides incentives for homeowners who decide to go for home solar power. You can avail of loans or grants so that you can install the home solar power system soon. Take advantage of these special programs so that you can start benefiting from an efficient and clean electrical system.

Get more home solar power info at Joe Maxwell’s site where you can find out all about residential solar electricity and what it can do for you.

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Today, more and more people have become worried about the raising cost of energy and about the lack of resources. So, people from all over the world have understood that it is necessary to find an urgent solution for these problems.

The solutions which we are waiting for can be obtained by different options to generate energy. One of the most developed is solar heating system. If you are wondering why this heating system is the one that can save our planet from destruction, the answer is very simple. The amount of solar energy that our planet receives per day is enough to supply human beings demand of energy for one year. It is possible to affirm that sun energy is never-ending.

Energy that comes from the sun is not just a fantasy that you can only enjoy in a science fiction movie. The energy called home solar power is the one obtained from the sun and it is useful to provide electricity. Naturally, this energy is powerful enough to cover electricity needs of all the inhabitants on the Earth. Consequently, home solar power will be the miracle of 21st century.

Scientists have discovered a collection of techniques to use energy from solar. Passive solar energy is often used in every home around the world. This method includes a collection of task we do with the help of sun such as clothes drying in the sun to heat water. On the contrary, active solar energy is the one which has been converted into electricity.

Solar panels are the most common tools to mount a complete solar home heating system at home. The equipment to install solar system at home may be a little bit expensive buy it is one time investment. But do not worry because once you have started using it, you will be able to save much money.

It is possible to build your own solar heating system but you will need to have more tan basic technical knowledge because you must also decide what elements are necessary to buy. If you decide to buy readymade panels, you will spend about $3000. If you build them, and the costs will lower up to $500. Solar cells and a semiconductor are two basic elements necessary to build your solar heating system. They will be the right elements to collect the light of the sun. Semiconductors are usually made of silicon.

Solar heating system also contain other elements, so you will be ready to buy some other elements to finish and install it. When buying all these elements from special stores, you will also find the help of experts who will assist you to finish your solar heating system without any risk.

It is necessary to plan new methods to collect solar energy and use it efficiently. To find out more about home solar power generation , please visit the link.

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This video discuses wiring solar panels for different voltages and currents. This is a simple explanation of “Series” and “Parallel” configurations for solar panels and DC batteries.

Electricity, Solar Power Batteries, Home Solar Power, Inverters, Portable Solar Power

I wrote recently about home solar power rebates and how they can give you a free, or nearly free, home home solar power system in many US states.  But what if you don’t live in a state that doesn’t have a rebate scheme?  And what if your state plan is oversubscribed or only covers a small part of the cost?

Solar power tax credits to the rescue!

In 2008 congress extended the tax credit on residential home solar power installations for a further eight years and also removed the previous $2,000 cap.  Many states are also matching the federal credit, so if you are dipping into your own pocket for solar panels this could make a big difference to your tax bill next April.

Due to state and federal requirement for power companies to source more green energy, they are more willing than ever to buy back generated electricity (it makes your meter run backwards) thus eliminating the need for expensive battery storage for home use.

Consult your tax professional before making any commitment.

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DIY solar panel in action.  This uses 45W of panels which you can get from eBay or Harbor Freight Tools with a total cost of around $250.  Shown running lighting, a fan and a drill.

Electricity Electricity, Home Solar Power

What would you say if I told you that you were effectively paying over $300 per KWh for your electricity?

Electricity is billed by all utility companies by the kilowatt-hour (kWh). If a single electric heater consumes 1 kilowatt ( 1000 watts) and the heater is left on for one hour then one kWh is used. Using a 60 watt light bulb for one hour consumes 0.06 kilowatt hours of electricity. Using a single 60 watt light bulb for one hundred hours consumes 6 kWh of electricity.

The average price of Electricity in the USA according to government statistics is 11.94 cents per KWh.

You may well be paying over $300 per KWh if you use disposable batteries in your flashlight, radio or camera.

The cost of a single AA batery is $1.47 at Walmart if purchased in a pack of 4. The average capacity of an alkaline battery is around 2900 mAh with a voltage of 1.5.

Since it’s a convention to measure energy in Joules, I’m going to convert the theoretical energy available in both cases. The battery, discharging to 0.8v a cells gives us 15390 Joules, or 15.39 KJoules of energy. Since 1 W/s is 1 Joule of energy, 1 kW hour = 60 x 60 = 3600 kJoules.

A single KWh of electricity therefore gives us 234 times the theoretical energy of a single AA battery. The actual energy obtained from the battery will be lower in practice since most devices stop working once the battery voltage drops to a pre-defined level, but I’m going to err on the side of caution in this analysis. Your battery power is therefore costing you $343 per KWh equivalent ($1.47 x 3600/15.39).

Luckily there is a solution to reduce these costs somewhat.

Rechargable batteries are widely available with around the same capacity of the disposable alkaline AA battery but these can be recharged up to 1,000 times. The average cost of four rechargeable batteries is $11. Even assuming they are only recharged 250 times, this brings the per usage cost down to a single penny. It’s true that you will need to use your relatively cheap mains electricity to recharge the batteries but, since this blog is about home solar power, there’s an even better solution. Amazon, and I’m sure many other stores, have a Home Solar Powered Battery Charger for less that $20:

So ditch those expensive polluting disposable batteries and go buy some rechargables.

Electricity Batteries, Electricity, Home Solar Power

First some obvious advantages:

It’s free.  Once you are set up there are no ongoing costs, whether it be used to generate electricity or for heating water.

It’s literally inexhaustible.  It will always be there in our lifetime.

It’s non-polluting with zero carbon emissions.  Good for reducing greenhouse gases and global warming!

It’s silent and has little visual impact.  No noisy generators, no ugly power stacks.

And, unfortunately, some disadvantages:

The initial costs may be high, especially for electricity generation.  It may need a long payback period, often several years, before the costs are recovered.

It doesn’t work well at night (duh!)

It isn’t as effective if you live in an climate where there is a lot of cloud cover, or in northern latitudes where the intensity of sunlight isn’t as high.

Obviously given the advantages and disadvantages of using residential home solar power are down to your unique and individual circumstances.  If you feel you can afford the substantial up-front investment and you live in a sunny climate home solar power make a lot of sense.  Living in the far north under a cover of cloud for 10 months of the year?  Not such a good idea.

Electricity, Hot Water, Solar Power Home Solar Power

All of life here on this planet is made possible by the light and heat from the sun. Without our sun, we would not be here. There is an unlimited supply of home solar power. It has been there for several billion year and should continue for many billion more. It causes absolutely zero pollution and creates no carbon-dioxide greenhouse gases.

The question I put to you is “why are we not all using this free unlimited source of energy?” We have all been spoiled by relatively cheap energy derived from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas. These are no longer as inexpensive as they once were and the carbon dioxide being release when we burn them in our power stations is undoubtedly leading to climate change.

Free solar energy has a number advantages over conventional fossil fuel sources of energy. The power from our sun is free and unlimited. Our only expense is that of collecting, using and storing this energy. These cost of recovery, whilst still high, are falling as new technology comes on line and it’s now becoming possible to generate much of the power for your own home from alternative energy sources, such as solar and wind power.

There are two main methods for recovering solar energy for the home:

Flat-Plate Hot-Water Collectors: These can allow every home to provide free hot water heated directly by the sun. They are relatively inexpensive to buy and install and have a payback time that makes these an economical prospect in sunnier climes. They are often composed of a number of copper pipes running through an enclosed sealed panel. They are mounted on a south or south-west-facing wall or roof and will provide hot water dring most of the year, even on cloudy days.

Solar Electricity Generators: These are photo voltaic cells which convert sunlight directly into usable electricity. These cells have become the world’s fastest-growing energy technology with production doubling every two years. This increase in manufacturing capacity has caused the prices of these cells to fall to a level that is affordable for use in home home solar power generation.

Electricity, Hot Water, Solar Power Climate Change, Electricity, Flat Plate Collectors, Global Warming, Home Solar Power, Hot Water