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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.

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

Solar Energy Facts

Most power plants in the United States and all over world are using fossil fuels to operate and generate electricity. They have been used as an energy source as long as man has learned to generate power. These traditional fuel sources have been around for ages and when man started using this energy sources no one though about the consequences. Fossil fuels will eventually run out and there will be a shortage of it in near future. This shortage in will have its affect on our daily live and various industries. Today we see some of these affects already, prizes are raising and electricity is becoming more expensive. Although these fuels are more scares, the need will still be here and will not decrease in near future. To solve this shortage we will need to look for other possibilities for our energy demand.

Fortunately, alternative energy sources are growing in interest. For instance, locations with high water falls are experimenting on building a hydro-electric power plant, which turns out to be successful. Other locations with high wind speed make use of a power wind mills that can convert wind power into electricity. Also thermal and tidal powers are good alternatives.

Solar energy is also one of the energy sources that is gaining in interest. This form of energy has steadily been growing. Today it is widely used in the US and other parts of the world and the advantages are numerous. Our solar energy source, the sun, its life span is estimated to be another 4.5 billion years. It is fair to say that this energy source is almost endless.

Rate of Energy from the Sun

The sun’s radiation reaches a certain unit of area in space in the region of the Earth’s orbit and is estimated to be at 1,400 watts per square meter. Out of this, photovoltaic cells (also known as solar cells) can capture 19 to 56 watts per square meter (for 15% efficiency) or an equivalent of 0.45 to 1.35 kilowatt per hour (kWh) in an annual day and night average.

Therefore, if there would be more area that will be covered by several solar panels, these panels can produce slightly more energy in the form of electricity than what is currently available from oil, gas, and other sources of energy combined (assuming 8% solar cell efficiency).

Conversion of Solar Energy

There are two ways of conversion of solar energy. First is the direct solar energy which involves only one conversion into a usable form. For instance:

* Sunlight hits the solar cell, converting it into electricity.
* Sunlight hits the absorber surface of a solar thermal collector, converting into thermal energy which can be used to heat homes during cold season.

The second is the indirect solar energy which involves more than one conversion to reach a usable form. For instance:

* Plants use photosynthesis to transform solar energy to chemical energy, which can be burned later as fuel to generate electricity (also known as bio-fuel technology).

* Hydro-electric dams and wind turbines are indirectly supplied by solar energy through its interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere.

Pros and Cons of Solar Energy

Just like any other types of energy resources, this energy source has its pro’s and cons.

Pros:

* Pollution-free.
* Solar facilities can be run with little extra input or maintenance.
* It is abundant. As mentioned earlier, most of the inhabited areas here on Earth can be reached by sunlight.

Cons:

* Although it is abundant, some areas receive little sunlight. Thus, power that will be produced in these locations is a minimum.
* Only available during daytime, thus a need to conserve to energy for use in night time.
* Photovoltaic cell technologies generate direct current (DC) power which needs to be converted to alternating current (AC) power used in distribution grids.

Once massive development of the use of solar energy is materialized, expect that every household or industry in the world will now be powered by solar energy. It is not just a dream, it will be a dream come true.

Tagged with: Energy • Facts • Solar

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.

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Solar Energy: Technical Facts

Following are some of the basic technical facts about solar energy.

A photovoltaic module or solar panel is made up of about 40 photovoltaic cells. “Photovoltaic module” and “photovoltaic cell” are the “technical terms” for “solar panel” and “solar cell.” When a photovoltaic module is used to charge batteries it is commonly referred to as a “solar battery charger.” Several photovoltaic modules or panels arranged alongside each other are referred to as a “photovoltaic array” or a “solar array.” The usual setup for a system in the home consists of an array consisting of ten to twelve panels or photovoltaic modules. The color of the panels varies, depending on what material is used to make the cells inside the panel. Energy from the sun can be collected by hybrid chargers and used to recharge batteries, or to recharge cell phones and other gadgets directly.

Environmental Facts:

All life on Earth is dependent upon solar energy. In fact, without it, there would be no life at all. Even the lowest life forms on Earth, such as plankton and microbes, need energy in the form of sunlight in order to survive. Solar power is completely environmental friendly, producing absolutely no carbon emissions or other harmful byproducts, whatsoever. It can be used successfully and cost-effectively in just about any location on the planet. You do not need to live in a tropical or desert climate in order to benefit from its use. It 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 technology. Currently, the cheapest and most effective way of using solar power in your home is through the use of solar hot water heating systems. In fact, these systems have been commercially available in the United States for over a 100 years. The sun’s energy can be used for heating homes effectively in cold climates, as well as in warm climates. In fact, this form of heating has been in use many cold-climate northern European countries for several decades now. Solar energy technology has advanced far enough that it can be a viable and cost-effective replacement for regular grid-electricity. It is rapidly increasing in popularity – so much so that the demand for solar-powered gadgets is currently greater than the supply.

There is no shortage of energy on Earth and no need to use damaging fossil fuels. It is simply a matter of advancing and utilizing alternative energy technologies for a cleaner future.

Tagged with: Energy • Facts • Solar • technical

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

Solar Energy; The Real Facts

Most power plants in the US and all over the world are using coal to operate and generate electricity. Fossil fuel has been used as an energy source as long as man has learned to generate power. Coal has been around for centuries and when man started using this energy sources no one though about the consequences. mineral fuels will run out and there will be a shortage of it in near future. This shortage in fossil fuel will have its affect on our daily live and various industries. Today we see some of these affects already, fossil fuel prices are raising and generated energy is becoming more expensive. Although mineral fuels are more scares, to need for fossil fuels will still be here and will not decrease in near future. To solve this shortage of mineral fuels we will need to look for other possibilities for our energy demand.

Fortunately, green energy sources are growing in interest. For instance, locations with large rivers are experimenting on building a hydro-electric power plant, which turns out to be beneficial. Other locations with strong wind speed make use of a wind generator that can convert wind power into electricity. Also thermal and tidal powers are good alternatives.

Energy from the sun is also one of the alternative energy sources that is gaining in interest. green energy has steadily been growing. Today energy from the sun is widely used in the US and the advantages are tremendous. Our green energy source, the sun, its life span is estimated to be another 4.5 billion years. It is fair to say that this energy source is almost endless.

Rate of Energy from the Sun

The sun’s radiation reaches a certain unit of area in space in the region of the Earth’s orbit and is estimated to be at 1,400 watts per square meter. Out of this, photovoltaic cells can capture 19 to 56 watts per square meter (for 15% efficiency) or an equivalent of 0.45 to 1.35 kilowatt per hour (kWh) in an average day and night average.

Therefore, if there would be larger area that will be covered by more solar panels, these panels can produce a little more energy in the form of electricity than what is currently available from our imported sources of energy combined (assuming 8% solar cell efficiency).

Convert Solar Energy

There are two ways of conversion of solar energy. First is the direct sunlight which involves only one conversion into a usable form. For instance:

• Sunlight hits the solar cell, converting it into electricity.
• Sunlight hits the absorber surface of a solar thermal collector, converting into thermal energy which can be used to heat homes during cold season.

The second is the indirect solar energy which involves more than one conversion to reach a usable form. For instance:

• Plants use photosynthesis to transform solar energy to chemical energy, which can be burned later as fuel to generate electricity (also known as bio-fuel technology).
• Hydroelectric dams and wind turbines are indirectly supplied by solar energy through its interaction with the Earth’s atmosphere.

What is Good and Not Good About Solar Energy

Just like any other types of energy resources, solar energy has its ins and outs.

What’s Good:

•   Pollution-free.
•   Solar facilities can be run with little extra input or maintenance.
•   It is abundant. As mentioned earlier, almost all inhabited areas here on Earth can be reached by the sun’s rays.

Cons:

•   Although it is everywhere, non-tropical locations can receive little sunlight. Thus, energy that will be produced in these locations is a minimum.
•   Only during daylight hours thus not available after dark.
•   Photovoltaic cell technologies generate direct current (DC) power which needs to be converted to alternating current (AC) power used in distribution grids.

Once extensive development of the use of the sun’s rays is materialized, expect that every household or business in the world will now be powered by solar energy. It is not just a dream, it will be a dream come true.

Authored By:

Dennis Killian

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Tagged with: Energy • Facts • Real • 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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Solar Energy; The Real Facts

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