Solar

Solar energy projects can save you money

Solar energy projects can save you money on home water heating and other energy needs or you can start a solar energy project that is fun as a science project. In fact, solar energy is used in many objects in your life today. Have you every looked at that small cordless calculator you use and noticed five or six little cells on the front? These are collectors for solar or light energy. The same concepts that operate your calculator are used in larger projects from residential to commercial to small science projects for students.

Your swimming pool and even all your home hot water needs can be supplied by solar energy projects if you install solar collector panels of your roof directed at the sun‘s light and a hot water storage system into your home to hold the heated water for use on demand. You can maintain capability to generate hot water through traditional means if you want a backup to your solar energy project, but many people use only solar hot water, provided they install a sufficiently large system in their homes.

Solar energy projects can also generate electric power for residential homes. These systems store the energy generated in battery-like storage cells until the power is call for. Excess power can be sold to the traditional power companies, in fact, lowering dependence on utility power companies even more.

A simple project you and your child can do to see how solar power projects work is to create a hot dog cooker from a cardboard box, aluminum foil and some poster board. For this project, select a long, narrow cardboard box to make the project most effective. Design a parabolic curve with a focal point five to ten inches down from the top of the box. Measure and cut a piece of poster board that will create this curve and fit flush inside the box. The piece of poster board will be longer than the box so that it will curve downward for this solar power project. Cover the curve with glue and apply aluminum foil with the shiny side facing outward. Be sure the foil is as smooth as possible. Attach to one end of the cardboard box with tape curve down and tape the other end in place. A spot of sunshine should focus on the bottom of the curve. Remove the paint from a coat hanger and place the hot dog on the coat hanger. Install the coat hanger over the bright spot of sun and cook away.

Solar power projects, both large and small, can be much less complicated than you probably thought. By understanding how this power form can help save traditional fuels, we can make a difference in our lives and our planet.
About the Author: Anita van Wyk strives to make make more people aware of the benefits of using solar energy through her website http://facts-about-solar-energy.com/

Make The Right Choice With Solar Energy Technologies

Make The Right Choice With Solar Energy Technologies
by Burtonimus

There are many different solar energy technologies available on the market today. It is a good idea to learn about what is out there, whether you choose to use a contractor for installation or not. In addition, you can save some money if you already have an idea of what you want. Contractors can concentrate on installation and you will not have to pay them to spend time determining what to install.

The first thing you will need to do is decide if you want to go all the way solar or not. There are systems available to convert your entire house to solar energy. There are also different technologies that you can use to convert only certain things. Either way you choose, you will still be able to save money and the environment at the same time.

Solar Panels

Traditional solar panels are mounted on small stands and then placed either on your roof or in your yard. There are other necessary components that depend on what type of system you choose.

Solar Powered Shingles and Tiles

Solar powered shingles and tiles are an aesthetically pleasing alternative to regular, bulky solar panels. Instead of having multiple solar panels attached to your roof, you just re-roof your house. These shingles have a photovoltaic substance spread on top of them that allows for the collection of solar energy. Added benefits of using solar shingles are that they blend in very well and will not reduce the value of your house.

Solar Powered Batteries

Solar powered batteries are a wonderful invention. It is inevitable that your solar electric system will generate more power than you need. When solar powered batteries are included in your setup, you can store the excess power to be used later. You will be thankful for that on rainy days when your system is not generating power.

Solar Heater

You can use a solar space heating system to heat the air in your home. It can be implemented in one of two ways. A passive heating system uses features such as south-facing windows and heat-absorbing floor and wall material to collect heat during the day and release it at night. An active heating system uses solar collectors, fans or pumps to distribute the heat. In addition, a storage system is needed to hold heat for cloudy or rainy days.

Solar Water Heater

Installing a solar water heater is a good option for those who don’t want to go completely solar, or who just can’t afford to do so. There are only two parts to this: a solar collector and a storage tank. The solar collector uses sunlight to heat the water, which is then held in a storage tank.

Solar Pool Heating

You can also use the power of solar energy to heat your swimming pool or hot tub. The basic principle is similar to that of the solar water heater. Your pool filtration system will pump the pool water through a solar collector. The heated water is then pumped right back into the pool. The one drawback to this type of heating system is that the solar collector is usually quite large. It needs to be 50 to 100% of the pool surface area.

Solar Lighting

Depending upon where you live, you have probably seen stores such as Wal-Mart using solar lighting systems. The system used for a single home is not as large, although the basic principle is the same. Most solar lighting systems are actually hybrids. Hybrid solar lighting systems combine solar energy with regular electricity, all funneled into hybrid light fixtures. The amount of regular electricity used is dependent upon available sunlight.

Trombe Wall

A trombe wall is glazed on the outside with a heat conducting substance. These walls transfer heat into your house to warm it up and out of your house to cool it down.

Solar Sunroom

The solar sunroom will always be positioned on the south-facing side of your home. The walls are made of extremely large glass panes that collect solar energy. The energy collected can either be funneled into the house or stored for later use.

About the Author

Video instructions for your next solar project. Solar How To. information is free and available to you.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

When asked about alternative energy or renewable energy, most people think of solar electricity. Generating electricity from the sun is a technology that everyone knows well. Whether it is your pocket calculator, home, or workshop, regardless of your power needs, solar electricity can get the job done.

Solar electricity has a number of unique advantages over conventional or grid-based electricity. Solar electric systems can be designed for a variety of applications and are extremely beneficial in remote areas where other electric opportunities do not exist. In addition, photovoltaic systems that generate solar electricity have no moving parts therefore requiring minimal maintenance, are easily expandable, and with many smaller units, transportable.

Environmental compatibility is a huge selling point for converting to solar electricity. The fuel for generating solar electricity is a free renewable resource, the sun. Solar electricity offers no noise pollution and actually almost no pollution from their operation. Another appealing factor for many who choose solar electricity over conventional electricity is simply the independence. It is an attractive offer to many rural dwellers to know that when the lights go out due to storms or blackouts, theirs are still working. No longer a slave to waiting on hold to report an outage to find it will be 10 hours before their service will be restored.Click Here!

The hardest part of converting to solar electricity is the cost of the system. Investing in a solar energy system can be a substantial upfront cost. The value of solar electricity is realized over several years. A professionally installed solar array for an average dwelling (avg. $100/month in electric bills) could pay for itself in 5 years. You could reduce that number by building your own solar panel system or by purchasing a used system. With many solar energy systems in less rural areas and only in some states, you can sell your unused solar electricity back to the electric company. In these situations the return on your investment is realized much more quickly.

Using the power of sun with solar electricity is a benefit to the environment and to your home. Solar electricity is already being used to supplement power for a number of large cities in North America. Take time to learn more about solar electricity and how you can have trade in your electric bill for a carefree life with solar electricity.