Posts Tagged ‘Solar Power’

How does solar power work and how can it save money plus why is everyone using solar.

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Once a distant technology that just sat on roofs that a few green minded people used, solar power has become a trendy tool we can hold in our hands. Sunlight – solar energy – can be used to generate electricity, provide hot water, and to heat, cool, and light buildings.

A typical solar system will reduce the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. Often the plumbing from a solar heater connects to a houses existing water heater, which stays inactive as long as the water coming in is hot or hotter than the temperature setting on the indoor water heater. When it falls below this temperature, the homes water heater can kick in to make up the difference. Incorporating passive solar designs can reduce heating bills by as much as 50 percent. High-temperature solar water heaters can provide energy-efficient hot water and hot water heat for large commercial and industrial facilities.

Many large commercial buildings can use solar collectors to provide more than just hot water. Solar process heating systems can be used to heat these buildings. A solar ventilation system can be used in cold climates to preheat air as it enters a building. And the heat from a solar collector can even be used to provide energy for cooling a building. The Co-operative Insurance Building in Manchester has the largest commercial solar system in the UK. I think it looks very futuristic and cool!

You can generate electricity for a single building like the co-op but there is the potential in the future to generate enough power for a power plant. The author of a recent Christian Aid report, John McGhie, said that for $50bn (26bn) the whole of sub-Saharan Africa could be turned into a solar-generated economy. And $50bn is exactly the same amount as the continent would have to pay on extra fuel bills from oil,” he said.

Electrical retailer Currys is about to add a new item to its usual array of washing machines and other white goods – solar panels. Currys is taking a risk as the solar panels will cost far more than anything else the store sells. They say it will cost the average three bedroom household about 9,000 to buy and install solar panels – compared to 16,000 in specialist stores. There are also grants available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

What other solar gadgets can you buy?

Well, Sharp, the world’s number one solar cell producer, has just turned its hand to glass studded with LED lights and cells. Instead of generating enough electricity to run a home, it creates a psychedelic light show at night, powered entirely by the day’s sun.

You can also buy solar chargers for iPods and phones. Other recent outlandish additions include a solar-powered tent, scooter and LED house numbers, while mundane ones like bike lights, torches and radios have been around for years.

People can also use captured passive solar heat to cook food. A basic cooker consists of an insulated box with a glass top. Heat from concentrated sunlight gets trapped in the box and can be used to heat food enclosed in the box. These have not been very popular to date.

By Mark Marris Published: 10/27/2006

Technorati Tags: heating bills, hot water heat, passive solar designs, solar collectors, solar heater, Solar Power, solar water heaters, water heating

Renewable energy including wind turbines and solar power are becoming more popular as oil runs out and gas and electricity prices increase

Powering everything with solar energy isn’t possible just yet, since the UK doesn’t produce enough sunlight to do this.

Hi-tech ways to capture enough sunlight per day every day to power everything in a home or business hasn’t been discovered yet. The current cost of solar panels can run into thousands of pounds, which would require the panels to produce electricity for years without maintenance in order to see a return on investment. What is needed is more grants available to people to enable them to afford renewable energy in the homes. Otherwise only the relatively well off will be able to afford paying over 2000 for solar panels and then saving money over the next 10-20 years. B & Q and other retailers in the UK have now started to advertise solar and wind turbines on TV, they must becoming more mainstream for them to do this.

Currently, many people use solar panels, which can be placed on a side of a roof to attract sunlight during the day to heat a small number of rooms and water. Solar panels can be purchased at a number of locations throughout the UK, as well as online. To view UK companies involved in renewable sources of energy see the green directory. Panels do a great job of helping families and businesses to conserve energy. Hopefully, solar panels will become a part of daily life, in order to prevent the disappearance of natural resources and to maintain energy conservation. In August 2006 high street chain Currys have said that they will start to sell off the shelf solar panels at a substantial discount to existing suppliers. Also, houses that are being built locally now have wind turbines attached to create energy! At last progress from the house builders are making an effort – they can be the real drivers behind this change.

In the recent 2006 Budget announcement by Gorden Brown, millions of pounds have been allocated to helping homes and businesses take advantage of renewable energy and the benefits that it brings. This is a welcoming strategy by the government. More and more homes are also attaching mini-wind turbines to their homes to boost the electricity generated by solar panels, British Gas (Centrica) have recently been looking for volunteers to pilot this with.

Developing countries with sunny climates such as Africa are the perfect place to take advantage of this renewable energy especially in rural areas that are not connected to the national grid for electricity. There needs to be a commitment from the G8 and other government around the world in providing funds to achieve this.

I have just read about the founding of google and the founders are keep to develop solar power and have invested in a number of companies that have solar panels attached to like a mat that you can roll out and stick onto a building instead of the current large, expensive panels that are available at the moment!

By Mark Marris Published: 10/23/2006

Technorati Tags: renewable energy, Solar Power, wind turbines

Installing a home solar power or wind power alternate energy solution saves money and saves our environment. This article summarizes the typical solar power components.

As we all know, the world is currently facing a significant energy crisis. As such, it only makes sense to make the slight up-front investment in an alternate power solution at home. Not only does it help the local energy crisis struggle, but also helps save power for the entire world. Installing a home solar power or wind power alternate energy solution saves money as well saves our environment.

Among the alternate power solutions, the home solar power system and the wind power system are the most popular and are becoming more cost-effective and far less cumbersome than in the past. Wind power is one great solution, just not all of us can deploy it at our homes because of minor requirements. To implement a wind power system, we need a fairly large area and have an average wind speed of the area at least 11 miles per hour. Although these requirements are very easy to meet for most, in comparison, the solar power system is typically easier to implement. The only requirement is an abundance of sunlight.

A complete solar power system can have many different elements. Typically, people implement a few or all of these components, as needed. A few of the most common components are as follows :

Solar Cooker: A solar cooker is one of the most popular solar energy system that is typically used in homes. It has several advantages :

No use of fuel : solar cookers do not use any fuel other than sunlight, which keeps you saving power and decreasing those electric bills.

No polluted emissions : solar cookers do not emit any gases to the atmosphere nor does it produce residue. It makes for the most eco-friendly cooking system.

Variety of cooking : You can roast, boil, and bake, etc!

Healthy cooking : The food prepared by means of a solar cooker is very healthy. You can typically prepare meals for family of about 5 in a small cooking box all at the same time.

Solar thermal system : Installing a solar heating system or solar thermal in your home can provide your home’s temperature requirements. It allows you to maintain a steady temperature in your home without the worry of electric bills. Due to its increasing popularity, heating systems have become not only cost-effective but also aesthetically pleasing.

Solar generator : A solar generator is simply a device that can run all your electrical appliances and more utilizing our earth’s free solar energy. This device can convert solar energy into electrical energy by means of solar cells called photovoltaic cells, storing energy in these cells for later usage. A solar generator is sometimes also referred to as the solar lighting system. Simply put, installing a home solar generator is such a wonderful power-saving and cost-effective idea. Just think of getting all that free electricity!

See his full story at Solar Power System to discover his exact steps you too can easily follow.

Technorati Tags: solar, solar cooker, solar generator, Solar Power, solar thermal