Home Solar Power

Review

“Ambitious and highly readable. . . . [Little] expertly ties together disparate strains of history to make her case. . . . Jargon-free and written with a fine eye for detail-one of the best books on America’s energy crisis to emerge in recent years.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )”Power Trip takes a most timely and complicated issue and weaves a fast, fun, and gripping story-one that’s both candid and unflinching in its approach. Amanda represents the best of a new young perspective, a new voice of green.” (Robert Redford )”Lively, engaging and most thought-provoking. . . . Little answers the questions that perplex many-and, so importantly, identifies the key questions that only the future will answer.” (Daniel Yergin, Pulitizer Prize-winning author of The Prize: the Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power )”It’s hard to imagine a book about energy that would appeal as much to a business executive as it would to an eco-activist-or, for that matter, to a soccer m (more…)

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Over the course of a day, the sun emits huge amounts of potential energy in form of light and heat. This energy can be harnessed in a few different ways, including:

- Simply using the sun to help regulate home temperature (passive solar energy)

- With the help of mirrors, thermal solar collectors can amplify the heat of the sun and pass it on to water or other substances

- The light emitted by the sun can be converted into electricity with photovoltaic cells

When done effectively, taking advantage of the heat and light energy displaced by the sun can have a substantial impact on your monthly bills. Harnessing the suns power in this sense is known as Passive Home Solar Power. A few ideas to help you take advantage of the suns passive energy include:

- A well insulated home. This should result in an inside temperature that stays fairly constant. It is vital to have properly insulated ceilings, walls, and floors. Other key areas include around windows, doors, and electrical outlets. This is the most important step in taking advantage of passive solar energy.

- As mentioned in the “energy saving tips” section of my home page, curtains are another effective way of keeping warm air in or cold air out. Along these lines, clear insulating window covers or shutters also play a strong role in maintaining inside temperature.

- Vegetation placed strategically around the home can also greatly effect the inside temperature of the house. For example, plants located near windows and doors can absorb a great deal of summer heat, in addition to providing fresh air.

In addition to taking advantage of the sun in a passive way, one can use a more active approach. As mentioned above, a thermal solar collector is a great tool for using the suns tremendous temperature output to heat water or a space.

A thermal collector is a device that features an array of dark metal plates, covered in a sheet of glass. The sun warms these metal plates, which absorb the heat and transfer it to a substance, for example water or air. This heated substance can now be used immediately, or stored in a well insulated container for later use.

In conclusion, light can also be converted to electricity through the use of photovoltaic cells, commonly known as solar panels. A very basic description of what happens inside these panels is that the light displaced by the sun causes a reaction within the cells, resulting in charged electrons. These can then be used directly as electricity in a home, or stored in a deep cycle battery for later use.

About the author: Miles Novak is a writer and enthusiast of home energy. Check out his site for more info on Do it Yourself products and Home Energy Solutions.

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From Booklist
Learn a new vocabulary! Take a refresher course on the electrical power of the sun and the wind! Although the enthusiasm of renewable-energy experts Ewing and Pratt might get a bit wearing, they’ve developed a nontechnical reference and guide for home owners thinking about pulling the plug on their utility connections. In fact, after a look at the table of contents, the appendixes just might be the right place to start figuring out whether photovoltaic panel installation makes sense geographically and financially and which states offer rebates or incentives. A host of resources is also offered. Sidebars (e.g., special meter or no?) and trivia (e.g., the watt is named after its Scottish-born inventor) plus numerous (more…)

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