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Electricity Saver 101: All About Residential Solar Energy

Not only gas prices are soaring nowadays; electricity bills are, too. In some countries, a lot of people have started utilizing electricity sources that bring about more savings. The most common are the so called solar panels, which are able to make use of solar power to produce electricity. Electricity that comes out of solar panels is more popularly known as residential solar energy that can help you save on electricity bills. How the said type of energy is produced is something that needs to be answered.

Panels that bring about solar power actually work in a simple manner: their job is to ensure that the sun’s light is transformed into usable energy that will give their users the electricity they need. This is done through silicon atoms that bond with each other in order to facilitate electron-sharing and therefore help in giving off electricity.

Part of the process of producing electricity through panels that produce solar power is combining silicon atoms with the photons that are produced by the sunlight. Once silicon atoms, their electrons, and the photons are mixed together, electricity is generated. Take note however that for a big amount of electricity to be produced, a lot of solar energy is also needed, which equates to the fact that more solar cells are also needed.

Some people may think that solar power producing panels may be hard to obtain, let alone placed in their homes. The truth, however, is that there are now various manufacturers that offer solar panel kits that come with easy installation and are definitely easy to use. The said kits also come with tools, better known as inverters that enable the production of power for home use.

If you have the desire to purchase solar panel kits, keep in mind that to get maximum benefits and to ensure that the output works properly, have those kits installed by the experts. Though it may be true that those kits are extremely easy to install, there are still some factors that may affect the performance of your finished product such as the roof angle of your residence, the directions the solar panel’s trackers face, and many more.

Finding out everything about how solar energy may be produced and how solar panels may be utilized are usually some ways of motivating people to consider the use of solar power in their homes, offices, shops, etc. Electricity produced from panels that emit usable energy may also be used in street lights, lighthouses, and even in traffic signs. Through the use of solar power, the process of energy conservation is practiced. Take note too that the electricity a user gets from solar panels may be described as reliable and very simple to maintain.

In our world that is bombarded with the rising prices of utilities, specifically high electricity bills, the only way to save a significant amount of money is to look for other sources of energy. Residential solar energy has a lot of benefits that we can enjoy for as long as we learn the right ways to obtain it.

Facts About Solar Energy Systems

Solar Energy Systems

The use of solar energy or solar panels, has been catching on during tha last year or so. Originally due to the “Go Green” mentality , solar energy and wind turbine was a great way for us to conserve energy and be apart of earth conservation. But the recent boom in home made energy efforts , combined with current economic climate, leads many to believe that saving money is the newest reason for the solar energy upswing.

Solar Energy Help

Solar energy systems are actually not that complicated to build. Fpr the most part you can get everything you need from home depot. For under $150 , many have constructed 2 or 3 solar panels in there backyard, and some have even made small ones for the roof.

Some Facts About Solar Energy

The average household uses about 850 kilowatt hours a month, about $90. 30% of which is used solely for heating water. With lights being a close second place in over all usage. Solar energy panels that can be bought are around $10,000 for a 10×10 foot Solar System.

Solar energy can -

Be used for creating electricity
Dry clothes
Heat water through the use of Photovoltaic cells
Be used for powering cars
Heat swimming pools
Be used for lighting and small appliances
Even be used for heating food

Standard Solar Systems Premade-

Usually about 10 ft x 10 ft
Typically creates 1000 watts of energy (Burn a light bulb for 10 hours)
1600 hours of electricity a year.(Considering you get 5 hours of sunlight a day)
Saves 170 lbs. of coal from being burned
Stops 300 lbs of CO2 from being released
Cost $10,000
Energy can be stored in batteries

Homemade Solar Energy Panels-

Total cost of materials- $150-$200
Usually 8×8 ft
Absorb 1200-1600 kilowatts per year
Save the average family $500-$750 a year

Energy can be saved to batteries (The batteries can be acquired freely)
They can be created within 2-3 hours depending on size of panel and ability of person.
Can be used for heating water, drying clothes, running small appliances, charging cell phone batteries and car batteries, bigger ones can light 2 or 3 rooms.

Learn How To Make Your Own Solar Panels

Government Incentives

It is widely known that the Government provides huge checks for those that take it upon themselves to use Solar Panels and Wind Turbines for homemade energy. Although the incentives vary due to unique situations, they are usually enough to cover the complete cost of a homemade system.

Tagged with: about • Energy • Facts • Solar • Systems

Important Information about Geothermal Heating and Cooling Technology

Durability

Geothermal heat pumps are durable and require little maintenance. They have fewer mechanical components than other systems, and most of those components are underground, sheltered from the weather. The underground piping used in the system is often guaranteed to last 25 to 50 years and is virtually worry-free. The components inside the house are small and easily accessible for maintenance. Warm and cool air is distributed through ductwork, just as in a regular forced-air system.

Since geothermal systems have no outside condensing units like air conditioners, they are quieter to operate.

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How Do They Work?

Remember, a geothermal heat pump doesn’t create heat by burning fuel, like a furnace does. Instead, in winter it collects the Earth’s natural heat through a series of pipes, called a loop, installed below the surface of the ground or submersed in a pond or lake. Fluid circulates through the loop and carries the heat to the house. There, an electrically driven compressor and a heat exchanger concentrate the Earth’s energy and release it inside the home at a higher temperature. Ductwork distributes the heat to different rooms.

In summer, the process is reversed. The underground loop draws excess heat from the house and allows it to be absorbed by the Earth. The system cools your home in the same way that a refrigerator keeps your food cool – by drawing heat from the interior, not by blowing in cold air.

The geothermal loop that is buried underground is typically made of high-density polyethylene, a tough plastic that is extraordinarily durable but which allows heat to pass through efficiently. When installers connect sections of pipe, they heat fuse the joints, making the connections stronger than the pipe itself. The fluid in the loop is water or an environmentally safe antifreeze solution that circulates through the pipes in a closed system.

Another type of geothermal system uses a loop of copper piping placed underground. When refrigerant is pumped through the loop, heat is transferred directly through the copper to the earth.

As with any heat pump, geothermal and water-source heat pumps are able to heat, cool, and, if so equipped, supply the house with hot water. Some models of geothermal systems are available with two-speed compressors and variable fans for more comfort and energy savings. Relative to air-source heat pumps, they are quieter, last longer, need little maintenance, and do not depend on the temperature of the outside air.

US Department of Energy http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12640

Residential Geothermal Tax Incentives

30% of total GHP system cost
Credit limited to $2000 for 2008
No limit to credit amount for 2009 to 2016
Can be used to offset AMT tax
Can be combined with solar and wind tax credits
Can be used in more than one year

Eligibility:

Home must be located in the U.S.
Includes houses, apartments, condos, mobile homes
Does not have to be your main home
GHP must meet Energy Star requirements
Installed between 1/1/2008 and 12/31/2016

Commercial Geothermal Tax Incentives

10% of total GHP system cost
No limit to total credit amount
Can be used to offset AMT tax
Can be combined with solar and wind tax credits
Can be used in more than one year
10% grant available in lieu of tax credit

Accelerated Depreciation:

5 year MACR depreciation for entire GHP system
Eligible for 50% first-year bonus depreciation for 2008 – 2009

Eligibility:

Building located in U.S.
Original use begins with taxpayer

Installed between 10/3/2008 and 12/31/2016

Recent Congressional legislation has improved the tax credit for installation of residential

heat pumps. With the new laws, a residential customer who installs a residential

geothermal heat pump may be eligible for a tax credit of 30% of the installed cost of the

system, no cap.

As part of the economic rescue bill (HR 1424) passed in October 2008, a residential

system installed and placed in service anytime between January 1, 2008 and December

31, 2016 was eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 % of the installed cost of the system up

to a cap of $2000 for a single residence.

The Stimulus Bill signed recently by President Obama improves that tax credit.

Specifically, systems placed in service after January 1, 2009 are no longer subject to the

caps. As a result, an installed system now is eligible for a 30% tax credit of the total

installed cost of the system. In addition, if the taxpayer can’t use the credit in the year

the system is installed, he or she can carry any unused credit into the next tax year.

Some key dates to keep in mind:

• If you installed a system and placed it “in service” anytime in 2008, you

are entitled to a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of the system subject

to a cap of $2000 for a single family.

• 2009 installations are not subject to the cap.

Other provisions of the residential credit remain the same:

1. The system must meet Energy Star requirements in effect at the time the

system is completed.

2. The system must be in the taxpayer’s residence but is not limited to the

primary residence.

3. There are no specific requirements for the invoice. However, it will be

helpful if the invoice states “Geothermal Heat Pump” and that it “Exceeds

requirements of Energy Star program currently in effect” on it.

4. The taxpayer has to file the Form 5695 to receive the credit.

There is a special rule for Condos;

In a typical condo, the owners contribute to the upkeep by paying money to a

condominium management association. If the association puts in qualifying equipment,

each member of the association can claim the residential tax credits on his or her taxes

for his or her share of the spending. The condo has to be “substantially used as

residences.”

Last, in most cases, a condo association is not a taxable entity. The individual unit

holders would be the ones that can benefit from a tax credit.

Geothermal Tax Credits

An exciting new tax credit is now available for home and commercial building owners who install geothermal heating and cooling systems through the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (H.R. 1424). H.R. 1424 offers a onetime tax credit of 30% of the total investment for homeowners who install residential ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pumps.. A credit of 10% of the total investment is also available (no maximum) for a commercial system installation.

To qualify, the systems must meet or exceed EnergyStar requirements and be installed after December 31, 2007. While units installed in 2008 are subject to a $2,000 cap on the credit, units installed from 2009 through 2016 can take advantage of the full credit. Owners can file for the credit by completing the Renewable Energy Credits subsection on their tax return forms for 2008. For taxpayers that are subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax, they can claim the credit on their taxes for the following year. No proof of purchase will be required; however, in case of an audit, owners are encouraged to keep a detailed invoice of their purchase on file. The contractor who sold and installed the product should list the purchase as a “Geothermal Heat Pump” on the invoice and that it “Exceeds requirements of Energy Star program currently in effect”.

The tax credit is available through December 31, 2016. Consult your local tax professional for advice on taking advantage of the tax credit, as this announcement is not intended as a recommendation or endorsement of any financial strategy.

Download the brochure: Understanding the Federal Tax Incentives

Helpful Resources
– Excerpt from the Energy Improvement and Extension Act pertaining to geothermal.
– IRS Form 5695*: Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit
– More Information about the “Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit”
– Find additional tax incentives that may be available in your state – www.dsireusa.org

Consult your tax professional for details.
*Form 5695 for the 2009 tax year are not yet available.

Johnny@GreenAirExpert.com

www.geothermalexperts.net

Tagged with: about • Cooling • Geothermal • Heating • Important • information • Technology

Facts About Hydroelectric Energy

Ocean tides, streams, waterfalls and the hydraulic cycle itself are natural examples of the raw power of water. The most collectable and obtainable way to harness waterpower is to force the water to run down hill or find a natural occurrence of this and capture it and channel it. Hydroelectricity is by definition electricity generated by the production of hydropower through use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. Since man learned to use water strategically this has been the number one source of renewable energy in the world.

Hydroelectricity as a viable option for powering your home has been brought to people?s attention in news and popular culture and appears a wise option giving the climate of our current energy crisis and the need for new green jobs in our economy.

Sundance channel’s ‘The Green’ featured an episode where the family built a downhill water canal. Users of hydroelectricity produce no waste once the hydroelectric complex is constructed. However man made dams are constructed which does alter the environmental factors for humans, animals and plant life. To make things worse for fragile fish species, hydroelectric dams are equipped with rapidly moving turbines that can be deadly to entire species. This affects not just the fish but their place in the food chain for us humans as well.

Lake Mead is a one hundred and ten mile long reservoir and a popular water sports spot where water can be release and spilled from Hoover Dam to produce more or less hydroelectricity as needed. Inventions are being made to help encourage unity between natures and man made dams such as the use of ?fish ladders? around dams built in the Columbia River which allow Salmon to ?step up? the dam to their natural spawning ground.

The majority of dams still are design and used for their original purpose of providing irrigation for farming and flood control.

Some of our most powerful natural waterways include the Columbia River on the Washington, Oregon border or Niagara Falls in New York. When the water flow or fall is harnessed whether it is naturally occurring or created from a plant such as the Hoover Dam, the water flows thru a pipe or penstock, then pushes against and turns blades in a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity. In the United States over half of hydroelectric power is generated in Washington, Oregon and California. The Grand Coulee Dam in Washington is the nation?s largest hydroelectric facility responsible for producing 27% of hydroelectric generation. Oversees, the Rogun Dam across the Vakhsh River in southern Tajikistan is the highest dam in the world at 335 meters, although this could have been altered slightly by a flood at the dam in the mid 1990s.

There are not a ton of large sources of hydropower than this yet because to build a plant we still need the natural occurrence of a large plot of slopping land and a waterway. All the elements must be just right and it is a plus if the Dam provides flood control as well as power to the people who live around it.

Tagged with: about • Energy • Facts • HydroElectric

Some Facts about Solar Energy

Solar energy is for everyone simply because the sun shines in every corner of the planet. In fact, the history of solar energy can be traced back to the Greeks that were then passed on to the Romans which marked the first people to ever use the passive solar design.

Passive solar design is a way to warm the home based on the dwelling’s design. They may not have had glass windows back then but their architecture made it possible for the people to use the sun’s rays to light and heat indoor spaces. As a result, there was no need to burn food that often which was in short supply.

In 1861, Auguste Mouchout invented the first active solar motor. Unfortunately, its expensive price made it impossible to produce commercially. Less than 20 years later, Charles Fritts invented solar cells which will later on be used to power homes, heaters, satellites and other devices today.

Since what he invented was very primitive, other people experimented on solar energy. One such person was Albert Einstein who won the Nobel Prize for physics in his research on the photoelectric effect which is a phenomenon associated with the generation of electricity through solar cells.

In 1953, Bell Laboratories which we know today as AT&T labs developed the first silicon solar cell capable of generating a measurable electric current. Three years later, solar cells ran $300 per watt. With the Cold War and the Space Race on, this was used to power satellites and crafts.

But the biggest event in the development of sola energy occurred during the oil crisis of 1973. This prompted the US government to invest heavily in the solar electric cell that was developed by Bell Laboratories 20 years ago.

By the 1990’s, research towards solar energy came to a standstill as the price of oil dropped in the world market. Funds were diverted elsewhere and the United States which was probably the leader in this form of alternative energy was soon surpassed by other nations mainly Germany and Japan.

In 2002 for example, Japan had installed 25,000 solar panels on rooftops. Because of that, the price of solar panels went down as the demand for it was on the rise. To date, solar energy is growing at a modest 30% per year.

Although there have been improvements in solar energy, its fundamentals are still the same. The sun’s rays are collected and then converted into electricity. Aside from powering homes or office buildings, the technology has been used to power aircraft, cars and boats.

Unfortunately, none of these have been made available yet for public use. We still rely heavily on oil for electricity, gasoline for our cars, fuel for planes and ships.

In fact, the US is one of the biggest oil users in the world. To prove a point, the department of Defense consumes 395,000 barrels per day because of the wars being fought right now in Afghanistan and Iraq which is almost the fuel consumption of an entire country like Greece.

This has to change because our oil reserves are almost depleted and many experts believe that global supply for these non-renewable resources will be gone before the end of the century. We have to do our share to push for renewable energy and one of them happens to be solar energy.

Tagged with: about • Energy • Facts • Solar • some

Facts About Solar Energy

Solar energy consists of the light and heat emitted by the sun, in the form of electromagnetic radiation.

With today’s technology, we are able to capture this radiation and turn it into usable forms of solar energy – such as heating or electricity.

Although one could go into technical dissertations on the subject of electromagnetic radiation, how it is converted into solar energy, and the exact qualities of its electromagnetic rays, this is not something the average person needs or wants to know.

But in order to be able to benefit from the use of solar energy, there are a few facts you should know. Knowing these facts can assist you to make sound decisions, when looking at the use of solar power as a clean energy source for your home, RV, or whatever the case may be.

Environmental Facts about Solar Energy

All life on earth is dependent upon solar energy. In fact, without solar energy, there would be no life at all. Even the lowest life forms, such as plankton and microbes, need solar energy (in the form of sunlight) in order to survive.

Solar energy is completely environmental friendly, producing absolutely no carbon emissions or other harmful byproducts whatsoever.

Solar energy can be used successfully and cost-effectively just about anywhere on the planet. You do not need to live in a tropical or desert climate in order to benefit from the use of solar energy. Solar power has been used successfully in many cold climates and even in the polar regions.

Every area of the United States of America receives enough sunlight to benefit from and make use of solar energy and solar technology.

Currently, the cheapest and most effective way of using solar energy in your home is through the use of solar water heating systems. In fact, solar water heating systems have been commercially available in the United States for over a 100 years.

Solar energy can be used for heating homes effectively in cold climates, as well as in warm climates. In fact, for decades now, solar heating has been in use several cold-climate northern European countries.

Solar energy technology has advanced to the point where it can be now be a viable and cost-effective replacement for regular grid-electricity.

Solar energy is rapidly increasing in popularity – so much so that the demand for solar-powered gadgets is currently greater than the supply.

Facts about Solar Energy Usage

Solar energy can be used to provide electricity, heating and hot water for homes.

Solar energy can also be used to heat swimming pools. Many pools in Scandinavia and Europe are in fact heated with solar energy.

Solar Energy can be used to power vehicles, such as solar powered cars, and even a solar powered airplanes. NASA has successfully designed, built, and tested an airplane which is powered wholly by solar energy.

A few examples are: solar battery chargers, solar flashlights, solar calculators, solar radios, solar-powered attic fans, solar power backpacks (to recharge batteries for small devices), hybrid solar chargers (for cell phones, satellite phones, and more), solar-powered garden lights … and much, much more.

Tagged with: about • Energy • Facts • Solar

20 Facts And Figures About Solar Energy

20 Solar Energy Facts and Figures

1. Solar panel technology emerged in the 1800’s.

2. The first “true” solar panels were created in the 1950s.

3. Solar cell’s efficiency may be as little as 4% (organic cells) or as much as 40% (experimental multiple-junction solar cells). The higher the efficiency of the material, the more expensive it will be to manufacture it.

4. One 100W light bulb that’s constantly on, costs around $100 per year.

5. One photovoltaic roof shingle can produce as much as 15W of electricity. Several solar roof shingles could run one 100W light bulb that’s constantly on.

6. A solar cell with 10 percent efficiency output and a 100 sq centimeters (15.5 sq inch) surface can produce about 1W of power.

7. An average household uses about 9,000kWh of energy annually.

8. A 350 Sq foot panel that produces 15W of power per Sq foot would produce a total of about 9,000kWh of energy yearly, which could power an average household with all the energy that it needs.

9. An average homeowner that uses electricity from their utility grid could spend $50,000 in the next 25 years on their electric bills.

10. Tax incentives for buying solar can be as high as 30% of the purchased solar powered system’s cost.

11. In the US, tax incentives can result in shortening the time for the panels to pay back for themselves down to as little as 6-8 years.

12. You can get solar panels for free from homeowners or businesses upgrading their systems.

13. Solar panels typically have a 20-25 year warranty and 40 year lifetime expectancy.

14. In order to achieve the most out of solar panels, they have to be facing south and be installed at 20-50 degree angles.

15. You can wire solar cells to increase the Voltage of the system (series wiring), to increase the Current of the system (parallel wiring), or to increase both, Voltage and Current (series/parallel wiring).

16. Solar powered systems with a battery can provide a homeowner with electricity even during the time of local power outages.

17. You do not have to connect a home in the woods to a power grid, if you provide it with a powerful enough solar power generator.

18. Solar energy is very safe for the environment, since it produces negligibly small amounts of elements, and only during the process of manufacturing the solar materials.

19. In the future, we may see cars and houses painted with a translucent solar paint to generate energy.

20. Solar energy won’t run out until the sun ceases to shine, which is estimated to happen in about 5 billion years from now.

As you can see, there are numerous good solar energy facts. It’s also a fact that the whole world is anticipating further drops in the price of solar material, so that everyone will be able to enjoy all of the solar power benefits at a reasonable cost.

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Tagged with: about • Energy • Facts • Figures • Solar

Electricity Saver 101: All About Residential Solar Energy

Facts About Solar Energy Systems

Important Information about Geothermal Heating and Cooling Technology

Facts About Hydroelectric Energy

Some Facts about Solar Energy

Facts About Solar Energy

20 Facts And Figures About Solar Energy

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