solar power information

Solar Power

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Bright energy from the Sun has powered life on Earth for many millions of years. In a lot of different ways, we utilize the Sun’s energy each day. The Sun emits plenty of energy which can be used to furnish heating and to generate electrical energy. The Sun’s energy are the Sun’s rays of light ( Solar radioactivity ) that hit the Earth. Each minute sufficient Sunlight contacts the Earth’s surface to fill the earths energy demand for an entire year. A Solar Power System on your home or business exhibits your dedication to clean, renewable energy.
With increasing fuel cost, global climate change, and a rising demand for electrical energy, inexhaustible energy sources such as solar energy are progressively becoming an important portion of the World’s energy flux. Around the Earth home owners and businesses are seizing the power of the worlds most abounding innate resource “Sunlight” to supply energy employing Solar Power.
In addition to creating electricity, Solar energy can cut back our demand for electricity by heating water and air in our houses. Solar Thermal energy-heat can yield power when sunlight is concentrated at places, so we can offer our homes both heat and electricity. Lighting rooms with sunshine – Preheat water for showers , bathtub and washables – Preheat atmosphere to sustain cozy room temperatures – supply electricity to power appliances and tools are a few of the ways the Sun’s energy can do work in our households.

Other Uses of Solar Power

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For years Solar Energy has been the Power Supply of choice for Industrial applications wherever power is necessary at remote locations. These applications mean Solar Power is economical without subsidy. Most systems in individual utilization’s call for a few kilowatts of power. Examples are powering repeater stations for microwave, TV and radio, telemetry and radiophones.
Solar energy is often used with transportation signaling for instance. offshore navigation buoys, lighthouses, aircraft warning lights on pylons or structures, and in road traffic warning signs. Solar is employed to power environmental and situation monitoring equipment and corrosion protection systems (based on impressing a current) for pipelines, well-heads, and bridges or other structures.
The great benefit for Solar here, is that it is extremely reliable and requires little maintenance which makes it ideal in places that are difficult to get to.
Remote buildings such as schools, community halls, and clinics can all benefit from electrification with Solar Energy. This can power television, video recording, telephone and an array of refrigeration equipment, which is available to meet World Health Organization standards for vaccine refrigeration, for instance. Rather than base Solar power generation or individual domiciles, it is also possible to configure central small town power plants that can either power houses via a local wired network, or act as a battery charging station where members of the community can bring batteries to be recharged.
PV systems can be employed to pump water in remote areas e.g. as part of a portable water supplying system. Specialized Solar water pumps are designed for submersible usage (in a borehole) or to float on open water. Usually, the ability to store water in a tank means that battery power storage is unnecessary. Large scale desalination plants can also be PV powered. Large off-grid systems can be constructed to power larger and more sophisticated electrical leads by using an array of PV modules and having more battery storage capacity.
To meet the heaviest power demands in an off-grid location, the PV system is sometimes best configured with a small diesel engine generator. This means that the PV system no longer has to be sized to cope with the worst Sunlight conditions available during the year. The diesel generator can then provide the back-up power, but its use is minimized during the rest of the year by the PV system, so fuel and maintenance costs are kept low.
Solar energy can also power area lighting to enable more outside activities after dark or improve security, and to illuminate signs or advertising boards.
On an office building, atria can be canopied with glass/glass PV modules, which can be translucent to provide shaded light. On a factory, large roof areas have been the best location for Solar modules. If they are flat, then arrays can be mounted using techniques that don't breach the weatherproof roof membrane. Also, skylights can be covered partly with PV.
The vertical walls of office buildings provide various opportunities for PV incorporation. The first is as a “curtain wall system” that comprises the weather barrier of the building. The second as a “rain screen over cladding scheme”, where there's an underlying weather barrier that provides the insulation and cooling of the building. The third option is to create Sunshades or balconies incorporating a PV system. Sunshades may have the PV system mounted externally to the building or have PV cells specially mounted between glass sheets containing the window.

How Does Solar Power Work?

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Solar power works by converting the Sun’s rays into electricity with the use of Solar panels to supply power to appliances used in our homes. The Sun’s rays convert into heat with the use of solar thermal collectors for warming water and into hot air for heating buildings with the use of solar thermal collectors.
For more detailed information on how solar power works visit my main site for how solar energy works!

What are Solar Panels?

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Solar panels are a construct designed for active solar power. Solar panels harvest Sunlight and actively convert it into electricity. Solar panels are the main component in a solar energy system. They are not as complex as you would thing and are made mostly of silicon.

What are Solar Panels Made of?

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Solar panels are manufactured with crystalline silicon which is applied in other industries (such as the microprocessor industry), and the costlier gallium arsenide, which is produced exclusively for use in photovoltaic (solar) cells.
Other, more efficient solar panels are assembled by depositing amorphous silicon alloy in a continuous roll-to-roll process. The solar cells created from this process are called Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells, or A-Si Solar Panels constructed using amorphous silicon technology are more durable, efficient, and thinner than their crystalline counterparts.

How do Solar Panels Work?

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1. Rays of Sunlight hit the solar panel (also known as photovoltaic PV) and are absorbed by semi-conducting material such as silicon.
2. Electrons are knocked free from their atoms, which allow them to flow through the material to produce electrical energy. This process where light (photo) is converted into electricity (voltage) is called the photovoltaic (PV) effect.
3. An array of solar panels converts solar energy into DC (direct current) electricity.
4. The DC electricity then enters an inverter.
5. The inverter turns DC electricity into 120-volt AC (alternating current) electricity needed by home appliances.
6. The AC power enters the utility panel in the house.
7. The electricity (load) is then distributed to appliances or lights in the house.
8. Unused energy can be stored in a battery as DC electricity. The battery will supply your home with electricity in the event of a power blackout or at nighttime.
9. When the battery is full, the excess electricity can be exported back into the utility grid, if your system is connected to it.
10. The flow of electricity in and out of the utility grid is measured by a utility meter, which spins backwards (when you are producing more energy that you need) and forward (when you require additional electricity from the utility company). The two are offset ensuring that you only pay for the additional energy you use from the utility company. Any surplus energy is sold back to the utility company.

As always if you need more detailed information about how solar energy works please visit solar power information.

Solar Power costs

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Many people are demoralized by the expenses when looking into home solar power. But these prices should not be so discouraging. After the initial fees, a large amount of power can be saved in the long run. You will free yourself from utility companies and the instability of global energy marketplaces. As your own energy supplier, you are able to lock in power at a fraction of the cost you would be paying a power company. As utility rates increase in the future, this difference will increase, leading to even more savings over the life of a solar power system. Also keep in mind the rapid decrease in solar power cost that is constantly ongoing.
Many States have funded solar rebate programs or tax credits. Also, whenever more electricity is produced than necessary, it can often be sold back to the public utility company. This means it's actually possible to make money by setting up a home solar power system. States not only have particular incentives, there are also Federal options to help finance a residential solar system. Financial incentives include such things as tax credits, deductions, and exemptions. They also include loans, bonds, grants, and of course, rebates. These are also benefits which individual utility companies may offer. So when searching for useful home solar power deals, double check that anything which catches your interest is available for residential properties specifically.
Most States offer some sort of financial simulations for the use of renewable energy technology. For this reason, it is very worthwhile to research State incentives before installing a new system. It is also wise to look into these matters even when only considering a home solar power system. Many people mistakenly assume that solar power is too expensive without looking into it.

Solar Energy Advantages

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Saves You Money:
After the initial investment, the energy from the Sun is completely free.
The payback period can be very short, depending how much electrical energy your family uses.
Financial incentives are available from the government that will reduce your costs.
If your system produces more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a credit on your account. This is called “net metering”.
It will save you money on your electric bill, if you have one at all.
Solar energy does not require any fuel.
The use of solar energy indirectly reduces health costs.

Environmentally Friendly:
Solar energy is clean, renewable, (unlike gas, oil and coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment.
It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere like many traditional forms of electrical generation does.
It does not contribute to global warming, acid rain or smog.
It contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions.
It is generated where it is needed.
By not using any fuel, solar energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of radioactive waste.

Independent/semi-independent:
Solar energy supports local job and wealth creation fueling local economies.
The use of solar energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or international events.
A solar energy system can operate entirely independently, not requiring a connection to a power or gas grid at all. This will allow systems to be installed in remote locations making it more practical and cost effective then the supply of utility electricity to a new site.
Solar energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied energy consumption. It does not only reduce your electric bill, it will also continue to supply your home (or business) with electricity in the event of a power outage.

Maintenance Free:
Solar Energy Systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.
They operate silently, they have no moving parts, they do not release offensive smells and you are not required to add any fuel.
Once installed, there are no recurring costs.
More solar panels can easily be added in the future when needed.

Solar Energy Disadvantages

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The initial cost of installing a solar energy system is the main disadvantage, mostly because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials.
The cost of solar energy is high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. Solar energy is becoming more price-competitive as energy shortages are becoming more common.
Solar panels require a large area for installation in order to achieve a good level of efficiency.
The efficiency of the system relies on the location of the Sun, but with certain components installed, this problem can be solved.
No solar energy will be produced during nighttime, but a battery backup system and/or net metering will solve this problem.
The slower speed of solar powered cars might not appeal to everyone caught up in today’s fast pace.
Many Solar Energy Pros and Cons can be found in any product or system, but it is important to know that they can be managed.