If you want to learn about Solar Power then this article will be right up your alley. In this article, you will learn about how practical is solar power for the home, what are the uses for solar power in my home, and what is needed to generate electricity with solar power?. After this article is finished you should be able to decide if solar power is a good solution to your electricity and heating needs, especially if you want to live where the normal power distribution system is not easily reached..
Is solar power practical? If you are a homeowner looking to lower the energy bills or reduce the carbon footprint of your home, you will discover today's solar power equipment is readily available and practical to use. There are many vendors and solar power companies available to help you plan and install a solar generation system for your home. There are also a large number of books and down loadable digital files on the subject of solar power. And that brings us to what are the uses for solar power in your home?
How is solar power applied to the energy needs of my home? Solar energy usage for the home falls into two broad categories, heating and electricity generation. Solar can be a good solution to your electricity and heating needs with proper planning, especially if you live beyond the reach of the normal power distribution grid. Solar heating of your house is best incorporated during the planning and construction of your home. Solar hot water heating, however is available for retrofitting to almost any existing house. Likewise, solar electricity generation is practical to provide most of the power needs for a home with the necessary components.
What is needed to generate electricity with solar energy? A solar generation system has several parts which all must function as a system to have a useful solar power system for the home. It starts with the solar panels which convert the radiation from the sun into electrical current by the photo voltaic action of the cells. The current flows through a regulator or charge controller into a bank of storage batteries. These batteries store the electricity for later use during nighttime or cloudy days. The voltage from the storage batteries is converted into the proper voltage by an inverter unit. All of these parts plus a backup generator for prolonged cloudy days work together to provide a reliable power generation system.
This brief over view of the possibilities of using solar power in the home should help you determine if solar power is practical, some of the uses for solar power in the home, and what is needed to generate electricity with solar power. Now you should be able to go on and learn more about the different parts of the solar power systems and begin to plan a solar installation of your own.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Solar Energy Facts
Solar energy is the rays of the sun, or solar radiation, that strike the surface of the earth. This radiation can be converted into other forms of energy including heat and electricity. While on an expedition in Africa in the 1830s, the British astronomer John Herschel used a solar thermal collector box, or oven, to absorb sunlight and produce heat. He used this oven to cook food while in the field.
Today, the uses of solar energy are many. We use solar collectors for heating and cooling homes and larger buildings. Swimming pools are heated with solar energy, Solar energy use falls into three broad groups, passive, active, and photo voltaic uses.
Passive solar systems are used to heat homes by allowing the sun's rays to heat a large thermal mass during the day. This heat storage is then radiated back into the home during the night, warming the house and it's occupants. These systems are largely inert and require no other forms energy to accomplish the task. Passive solar heating occurs naturally all the time with a large paved parking lot a good example. The asphalt collects heat all day long and gives it up long into the night warming the immediate air over the blacktop.
Active solar systems make use of collectors to transfer the energy from the sun to another medium and move the heat to a storage area or other use. Solar hot water heaters are a prime example of an active solar system. A system of tubing is arranged in a collector and filled with a liquid that will transfer the collected heat to the water tank. Either a natural siphon system or an electric pump is used to circulate the liquid through the tubing.
The third major group of solar collectors is the photo voltaic or solar panels. These silicon based semiconductors take the sun's radiation and convert it into electricity. This electricity is then stored in a battery bank and converted to a proper voltage and used to power the appliances and gadgets that we use in our homes.
With all these systems, some form of storage for the energy is required since solar power is only available during the daytime when the sun is shining. The output can be stored or in the case of electricity, transmitted over a power grid to other users.
We use solar power to heat our homes, run our gadgets, heat our swimming pools and make living more comfortable far away from the normal sources of energy. We can help reduce our impact on the earth's resources by making better use of the abundant radiation from the sun.
Today, the uses of solar energy are many. We use solar collectors for heating and cooling homes and larger buildings. Swimming pools are heated with solar energy, Solar energy use falls into three broad groups, passive, active, and photo voltaic uses.
Passive solar systems are used to heat homes by allowing the sun's rays to heat a large thermal mass during the day. This heat storage is then radiated back into the home during the night, warming the house and it's occupants. These systems are largely inert and require no other forms energy to accomplish the task. Passive solar heating occurs naturally all the time with a large paved parking lot a good example. The asphalt collects heat all day long and gives it up long into the night warming the immediate air over the blacktop.
Active solar systems make use of collectors to transfer the energy from the sun to another medium and move the heat to a storage area or other use. Solar hot water heaters are a prime example of an active solar system. A system of tubing is arranged in a collector and filled with a liquid that will transfer the collected heat to the water tank. Either a natural siphon system or an electric pump is used to circulate the liquid through the tubing.
The third major group of solar collectors is the photo voltaic or solar panels. These silicon based semiconductors take the sun's radiation and convert it into electricity. This electricity is then stored in a battery bank and converted to a proper voltage and used to power the appliances and gadgets that we use in our homes.
With all these systems, some form of storage for the energy is required since solar power is only available during the daytime when the sun is shining. The output can be stored or in the case of electricity, transmitted over a power grid to other users.
We use solar power to heat our homes, run our gadgets, heat our swimming pools and make living more comfortable far away from the normal sources of energy. We can help reduce our impact on the earth's resources by making better use of the abundant radiation from the sun.
Solar Energy For The Home
Solar collectors, or to use the more common term, solar panels are employed to gather and then convert the sun's energy into electricity that can be utilized to power our lives. Solar panels are often referred to as photo voltaic or PV cells. In this article, we will discover why solar panels serve so well in meeting some of our energy requirements
Solar
The use of solar panels to create electricity out of the sun's energy has been common for many years. To be the most efficient, solar panels need to be constructed out of cells made with silicon that has certain impurities. One very useful application of solar energy is in outer space, powering our many satellites year after year very reliably. Solar powered homes have been built with lighting, heating, cooking and other daily energy requirements all met with the light from the sun.
Energy
When the light from the sun strikes the cells of a solar panel, electricity begins to flow. This energy, in the form of electricity is created by semiconductors that transport energy. Although pure and impure silicon on solar panels work in a lot of the same ways, the cells made from the silicon with the impurities will create more energy from the same amount of sunlight than the cells made with the pure silicon. In other words, the solar panels made from the cells with impure silicon are more efficient at producing the energy we need.
Power
Powering dwellings with solar energy has been a major application of the solar power industry. The last twenty years have seen an increase in solar powered homes and more environmentally conscious people try to reduce their impact on our planet and it's resources. Power companies have had to buy the extra electricity that is produced by these mini power generating systems and in some cases have lowered their rates due to the increased competition from these home based units. Solar energy systems are one of the best choices for people who wish to live comfortably beyond the reach of the power distribution grid.
Cells
Photo voltaic devices, otherwise called solar cells are generators that use sunlight instead of fossil fuel to create energy. Typically, a solar panel consists of 36 cells wired together and sealed to form a module. This module is mounted in an aluminum framework and covered with a low iron tempered glass. The cells are mounted in ethylene vinyl acetate with a tedlar back cover and connections on both the top and bottom. A blocking diode is included in the circuit to block the reverse flow of current at night.
Even with the drop in the price of solar panels in recent years, a solar installation is still a major expenditure. While in the planning stage of a solar system, you should also carefully evaluate your electrical needs and uses. Solar panels are increasingly becoming an important part of the battle against green house gases and global warming. Solar energy systems are a very good way to cut your monthly energy bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and become much more self sufficient.
Solar
The use of solar panels to create electricity out of the sun's energy has been common for many years. To be the most efficient, solar panels need to be constructed out of cells made with silicon that has certain impurities. One very useful application of solar energy is in outer space, powering our many satellites year after year very reliably. Solar powered homes have been built with lighting, heating, cooking and other daily energy requirements all met with the light from the sun.
Energy
When the light from the sun strikes the cells of a solar panel, electricity begins to flow. This energy, in the form of electricity is created by semiconductors that transport energy. Although pure and impure silicon on solar panels work in a lot of the same ways, the cells made from the silicon with the impurities will create more energy from the same amount of sunlight than the cells made with the pure silicon. In other words, the solar panels made from the cells with impure silicon are more efficient at producing the energy we need.
Power
Powering dwellings with solar energy has been a major application of the solar power industry. The last twenty years have seen an increase in solar powered homes and more environmentally conscious people try to reduce their impact on our planet and it's resources. Power companies have had to buy the extra electricity that is produced by these mini power generating systems and in some cases have lowered their rates due to the increased competition from these home based units. Solar energy systems are one of the best choices for people who wish to live comfortably beyond the reach of the power distribution grid.
Cells
Photo voltaic devices, otherwise called solar cells are generators that use sunlight instead of fossil fuel to create energy. Typically, a solar panel consists of 36 cells wired together and sealed to form a module. This module is mounted in an aluminum framework and covered with a low iron tempered glass. The cells are mounted in ethylene vinyl acetate with a tedlar back cover and connections on both the top and bottom. A blocking diode is included in the circuit to block the reverse flow of current at night.
Even with the drop in the price of solar panels in recent years, a solar installation is still a major expenditure. While in the planning stage of a solar system, you should also carefully evaluate your electrical needs and uses. Solar panels are increasingly becoming an important part of the battle against green house gases and global warming. Solar energy systems are a very good way to cut your monthly energy bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and become much more self sufficient.
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