Solar Panels – Lighting for the Beginner

The use of solar energy need not simply be the preserve of those wishing to spend thousands to reduce their electricity bills and carbon footprint. Often overlooked, is the ability of solar power to provide reliable, cost effective power in situations and locations where mains power is unavailable or impractical.

Potential Uses for Solar Lighting

Solar power can be used to provide reliable power in remote locations throughout the year, even in the UK. There are many situations where a mains free power supply may be required. These range from recreational garden lighting through to essential remote communications and street lighting.

Solar lighting is a relatively new concept to most people and yet has huge potential to bring light to buildings where before electrical power was unavailable for either practical or economic reasons.

Solar lighting systems are ideal for stables, farm buildings, remote dwellings, garden sheds, garages, kennels, summer houses, garden studios and offices, log cabins, greenhouses, beach huts, children’s play houses, garden lighting, street lighting… the list goes on and on!

Solar Lighting Benefits

Solar lighting can be put to good use anywhere that the sun shines. The cost often compares very favourably with a new mains power connection or the installation of a generator, and in addition to this the power produced is totally silent and free.

The other great thing about solar panels is that they have no moving parts and as a result are virtually maintenance free. All they need is a bit of a clean once or twice a year to prevent a build up of dirt reducing their output. They usually have a life expectancy of in excess of 15 years and very often come with a guarantee to this effect. In addition to this they produce no polluting emissions and do not to contribute to climate change.

Solar lighting is simple and safe to use and there are complete kits available that make installation a straightforward and fast DIY job. As they run at 12 volts DC, a qualified electrician is not required and building regulations do not apply. Compared to a generator, a solar lighting kit has the added advantages of being totally silent, having minimal running and maintenance costs and is more secure. Criminals find highly portable generators all to easy to carry away and sell on.

In situations where remote buildings are used to house horses, farm animals or pets, having effective reliable lighting is essential for routine tasks such as feeding, mucking out and most importantly to aid good husbandry and care of the animals. In these situations a solar lighting system makes winter and morning tasks easier and safer to carry out. Solar lighting can also provide light for extended periods of time in the case of an emergency, for insyance if an animal is giving birth, or if an animal needs to be examined by a vet.

How Solar Lighting Works

Solar photovoltaics (Solar PV) is the process of capturing the energy from the sun and converting it into electricity. Solar lighting systems capture energy from the sun with a solar photovoltaic panel and then store it in a battery until it is required to power the lights.

There are three main types of solar panel widely available on the market today : monocrystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous. Most solar lighting systems use polycrystalline panels as these provide the best balance in terms of price and efficiency.

Using a solar lighting system needs a slight change in mindset from our usual gung-ho attitude to using mains power! The power that is taken from the battery, when the lights are switched on, needs to be replenished from the Solar Panel when the sun shines. You may have noticed that the sun doesn’t shine every day(!), so the battery is sized to ensure that there is enough power stored on a sunny day to provide power for a series of overcast days. The size of the solar panel and battery therefore, should be dictated by the estimated typical daily requirement for light and the estimated daily provision of sunshine. In general terms, the lower the requirement for power, the cheaper the system.

Most solar lighting systems use low energy lights and very often run these as at 12V rather than the usual mains 230V as this is the most efficient way to use the stored power. If 230V lighting or power is required this can be achieved with the use of an inverter that can be bought separately and easily added to the system.

Providing lighting for 2-3 hours per day in the winter and in excess of 7 hours per day is very easily achievable at a cost effective level in the UK. Extended requirements for power in the winter months can add significantly to the cost of a system, but this often still compares favourably with the cost of installing a new mains power connection. In situations where winter demand for power is high, it is often cost effective to add a small wind turbine to help with winter battery charging and to keep the cost of the total lighting system down.

The time of year has a major effect on the amount of sunshine we receive, so winter lighting requirement tends to be the starting point for designing a system.

Conclusion

Solar lighting is a practical solution to the lighting requirements of many people who have buildings that cannot be served by mains power or where the provision of mains power is prohibitively expensive. DIY kits are available that are relatively cheap and are simple to install or, for more complex situations, bespoke systems can be designed and installed.

The solar energy used does not contribute to climate change, produces no pollution, and is completely silent. Solar panels have no moving parts, so they are reliable and virtually maintenance free. And to top it all, there are no running costs, so once installed the electricity doesn’t cost you a penny.

Did You Know That DIY Solar Power Systems Are Cheaper Than Installing Commercial Solar Panels?

Using solar energy and converting it to an electrical power that we can use is an idea that appeals to many. The sun, being an alternative source of energy, is never depleted unlike the fossil fuels that power the world today. Converting solar energy into electricity does not produce carbon emissions, making it an environmentally friendly endeavor. And once the solar system is installed, operational and maintenance cost is very minimal. Thus, we can conclude that solar power is the next best thing to having free and green electricity.

But we all know that to be able to rid our homes of the monthly electric bills and completely live off the grid, we must spend a hefty amount to install commercial solar panels atop our roofs, which can supply 100% of our regular electricity consumption. And a lot of people who are dreaming of free electricity are taken aback by high upfront installation cost.

So does the dream of solar powered-homes remain true only for those who can afford it? It seems not.

A growing community of hobbyists, particularly those concerned with finding green, safe and renewable energy sources, is one in saying that DIY solar power system is possible and it doesn’t have to cost that much. This is done by using small, inexpensive but highly efficient solar panels, batteries, an inverter, a few wires, cables and other electrical components. And what made it cheaper is the fact that you’re doing all the work.

But of course, this doesn’t mean that you can start unplugging your house from the energy companies and go solar all the way once the project is completed. Most of these DIY solar system kits are small-scale and can store and generate only enough power to light a bulb for a few days, run a laptop computer for 2 days or a 20-inch TV for a day.

But the real advantage here is the long-term benefit. Solar panels, even those that are DIY, can last up to 20 to 25 years, with only a slight reduction in efficiency. What this means is you can enjoy 20 to 25 years of free electricity at a fraction of the cost of commercial installations. And these DIY solar power kits are usually upgradeable. You can buy more components later and integrate them with the existing system to be able to harness more solar energy and deliver more electricity.

Solar Power for House-Learn How to Generate Solar Power for House

The best thing about solar power is that it has an unlimited potential. Learn how to generate solar power for house, easily and save $1000’s on utility bills forever. You just need to know how to make your own renewable energy source and today I am going to tell you exactly how to build your own solar panel for electricity

If you want to learn how to generate solar power for house, you’ll need to learn some basics on how exactly do solar panels work. This way, the entire procedure will be much easier to handle.

The process starts with solar modules. They are the main components exposed directly to sunlight. Their main function is to convert the sun’s energy into usable electrical power for your home appliances. To get them correctly installed, solar modules are to be mounted on a steel frame and positioned on your roof top.
Power produced by the solar modules is converted from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) through a inverter. Usually, Alternating Current (AC) is the usable electrical power that we need to power the home appliances.

Next, the electrical power transfers from the inverter to the electrical service panel. The electrical service panel is used for distributing the electrical power to different parts of your house for use.

The unused electrical power produced by the solar panels will then be brought into the grid all the way through the utility electric meter. As a result, the meter will be made to spin backwards and this establishes a credit with the utility company in offsetting future usage. This method is known as Net Metering and is completely approved by State Level Electricity Policy.

Learning how to generate solar power for house isn’t really a difficult task. You don’t require many skills beyond being able to handle wiring & basic tools with care and safety measures.

The components needed for constructing solar panels include:-

1.    Solar Cells
2.    Sheet Plywood
3.    Copper Wire
4.    General Tools (Drills, screwdrivers, woodwork glue etc)
5.    Clear PVC Sheeting

All these components can be easily picked up by you from the local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell is the only component that you might have to search online and it can be found easily on eBay.

Quality directions that are easy to follow are vital to find when trying to build your own solar panels. This will make the building process less stressful and make you happier that you made the choice to do it yourself. Online is just one of the places you are able to find some of these manuals. We have reviewed the best guides available to help you to learn how to build your own solar panel system for electricity. Go ahead and check them out NOW……learn how to generate solar power for house and STOP paying for electricity…FOREVER!

“residential Solar Power Installation” System © – Yes You Can!

It is any household’s dream! – “Residential Solar Power Installation” System enables us to produce by ourselves, unlimited-free power-supply with almost no dependence on the power-company. The first impression may not reveal that, but this technique can be implemented quite easily by any novice user. This quick report enables you to find out more and understand how it can help you.

Getting some basics

Buying such ready-made “Residential Solar Power Installation” System can be quite expensive, fortunately it is now possible to assemble Solar-Panels on your own by following one of these ‘secret’ guides. Some guides can be really useful while others miss their target; make sure it uses simple english without being too much ‘techi’, also, does it offer video tutorials, illustrations, and tech support? This way or another, here are just a few advantage & advices to help you better understand this topic.

Quick benefits and advantages

This solution undoubtedly provides several key-benefits:

* Enables us to make a 220V-240V elec. sys.
* Uses Wind-Power as a backup when having long periods of cloudy days.
* Can work for anyone, no matter where he/she lives on the globe.
* Should you create more energy than needed; the power-company will actually pay you!
* Cuts down on the usage of non-renewable enr. resources.

Tip to go

Make sure that there aren’t any unnecessary objects/obstacles that may be blocking sunlight to your unit; otherwise it may lose its efficiency.

Summarizing this article

The reason that turned it extremely effective is the fact that “Residential Solar Power Installation” System enables any household to successfully ‘cut’ on their elect. expenses by 80%, at minimal costs, and with excellent results. We could probably indicate many other pluses provided by this unique idea, simply because we no longer need to rely on others to supply these needs. The best advice would be to try it in order for you to enjoy the benefits that it offers.

Solar Light Save Community $75,000

Turtle Rock, a small sub-community in the larger development known as Palmer Ranch, may be the first community in the United States to adopt solar technology for its street lights.

Solar street lighting has recently turned up in some far-flung and unlikely places, most notably Tanzania, Dubai, Afghanistan and Nigeria, but Turtle Rock is, as far as we know, the first place in Florida (and the first place in the U.S.) to use it extensively.

Palmer Ranch, Sarasota’s largest master-planned community, covers 10,000 acres and consists of eight communities, of which Turtle Rock is one. The actual number of street lights in Turtle Rock is 175.

This year, the community of retirees and young families was facing a $75,000 bill for its natural-gas street lighting. A switch of some kind was inevitable. Solar street lighting may have come as something of a surprise to a few residents, but once the solar investment tax credit ($60,000) was applied, costs came down significantly and opposition faded.

Bob Knickerbocker, who sits on Turtle Rock’s homeowner’s association board, calls it a “green” first that is saving residents a lot of money, which makes everybody happy in these lean times.

More important, solar street lighting is relatively maintenance free. A pole supports a photovoltaic (PV) panel, and above that is a battery. At the end of the day, energy stored in the battery from the PV panel lights an LED (light-emitting diode) bulb. The ones in Turtle Rock are rated at 7 watts, but LED lighting is more direct, so the actual illumination is about twice what the gaslights were producing. Most important, LED bulbs last about 25,000 hours, as compared to 1,200 for a standard 100-watt incandescent bulb. At 10 hours per night, this is 7 years between bulb changes.

The final cost? About $120,000, but the new lights also give off zero carbon emissions, which means Turtle Rock is reducing its emissions footprint by about 420 tons. This is equivalent to taking about 70 cars off the road.

The system was installed by solar industry pioneer Tom Harriman, who got his solar license in 1982. Harriman, past president of the Florida Solar Energy Industry Association and an innovator in alternative energy training, has been recognized by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) as a solar industry leader. EDF is a U.S.-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group.

Over his lifetime working as a solar installer, Harriman says, he has personally reduced CO2 emissions by almost 2 million tons.

DIY Solar Panels – The Pros and Cons of Building Your Own Solar Panels

Believe it or not, you really can build your own solar panel system for your home. DIY solar panels are a good option for those who enjoy building things with their hands, and would rather put in some work on their own time instead of outsourcing a professional company to build and install their solar panels for them.

DIY solar panels definitely have their pros and cons. I’ll list out some of them for you to consider.

Pros of Building Your Own Solar Panels:

1. Saves You Money!

The most obvious advantage of using DIY solar electricity by building your own solar panel system is that it is going to save you a great deal of money off of your monthly energy bill. Exactly how much you cut from your utility bill is hard to say, because it depends on the size of your home, the size of your solar panels, and their efficiency. Most people cut at least 10% off of their bill with a small kit, and can end up eliminating their electricity bill by expanding their DIY solar panel system.

The really cool thing about a large solar panel system is that you may end up actually using less energy than you produce, and the electric company would end up having to pay you for putting extra electricity back into the grid. How awesome is that!?

2. Be Kind to the Earth!

Solar energy is one of the few energy sources on our planet that is 100% clean and limitless. Most electricity today is created by burning coal and other fossil fuels, which put harmful pollutants back into their atmosphere. Solar energy will never end, and will never harm the Earth.

Cons of Building Your Own Solar Panels:

1. It Can Be Difficult

If you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be really hard to find all the necessary parts, assemble them correctly, and then wire everything correctly so that you’re actually able to use the electricity that is produced.

2. You Have to Start Small

Unless you are extremely ambitious, you should probably start by building a small DIY solar panel system, which isn’t going to create a great deal of electricity. Although, you can always add on to it in the future.

Approximate cost of a DIY solar panel system: $200 or below. You can build a solar electricity system for under $200, easily.

Where to find the necessary parts and instructions: I suggest going with a good DIY solar panel guide. There are a lot to choose from, and most can be purchased online for about $50. I would recommend going with Green DIY Energy or Earth 4 Energy. Those are the two best DIY solar panel guides today. They have everything you need to get the job done right. I personally purchased and used Green DIY Energy; it worked well for me.

Today’s Plans and Building Guides

Green, solar and energy efficient home plans, projects and building guidebooks Today’s Plans and Building Guides

Solar Power Lighting System-Cheapest Solar Power Lighting System

Solar power is the energy of the future. Learn how to get the cheapest solar power lighting system. A few of the numerous advantages of solar energy are first and foremost its free, easy to exploit and is capable to provide more energy than what is needed by most homes and businesses.

You may be aware that a commercially sold solar lighting system will have its worth in thousands of dollars. But, did you know you can go solar for a fraction of that cost?

Why Go Solar?

Solar panels are made up of small PV cells, also known as photovoltaic cells. The PV cells capture sun light and store it in a battery. The energy stored in the battery is then converted into usable electricity using an inverter. Solar power is a renewable resource of energy and free to harness once you have installed solar panels.

Installing ready made solar panels can be pretty expensive and can cost you anywhere from $10,000 – $18,000 to solar power you entire home. You can solar power your whole house for a fraction of this amount if you learn how to build solar power lighting system. Building such system from scratch is cheap and easy; all the necessary raw materials can be easily bought from the local electrical or hardware store. This also cuts down on any further impact on the environment as the solar panels do not go through any manufacturing processes.

Going Solar Is Easy!

Various kits are available to download from different vendors that will teach you to build a solar power lighting system. The downloaded kits include steps for calculating the actual electricity that you need from solar panels based upon your electricity bills. Once you have that information you can start building your own solar panels, typically you can easily build a 100 watt solar panel in a day very easily.

Now, that’s not something very substantial, but when you can easily redo the whole process over and over again, you can completely go off-grid with a few days of work and perhaps sell back the extra power back to the utility company. Now, how is that for a change? You’ll get a check from the utility provider!

Save Heaps!

Once you install a solar power lighting system, it will pay for itself many times over the course of its life. Generally, solar panels have an average lifetime for 25-30 years requiring no to little maintenance. So, you do the math here and calculate how much you are set to save!

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Solar Power – Revealed

With a new emphasis on alternative energy, it is no wonder people all over are starting to use the benefits of solar power. It is certainly an everlasting energy source, as long as there is the sun, there will be available solar power.

One advantage of this alternative power is that it is a very available energy source for electricity. However, there are also some disadvantages to solar energy that you should be aware of.

It’s best to research all of the advantages and disadvantages of solar power before you actually have a system installed on your home. If the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, then you’ll know that setting up your home for solar enerfgy is the right decision for you.

The Short-term Cost of Solar Energy: A Disadvantage

The sun’s rays are free, they beat down naturally on earth, however, it costs a lot of money to actually set up solar cells and other solar equipment on your home. Just the equipment to power a pool can cost thousands of dollars. It is very important that you diligently research all costs associated with powering any part of your home before you do it.

Ask questions about warrantee’s, how much repairs cost if necessary etc. One great long-term cost advantage to going solar is that you will never have to pay another bill from your power company.

Talk To Neighbors Who Use Solar Power

The best way to learn firsthand the advantages and disadvantages of alternative power is to talk to people who actually have solar cells set up on their homes. These people have nothing to gain by lying so you should get a very honest account of what it means to live off of solar power.

If you live in the suburbs you should easily be able to find someone in your neighborhood that already has solar power. Another great way to learn more about this enrgy source is to go to a store that sells the solar equipment and ask them if they have any testimonials or a customer list. Get a hold of these poeple and ask questions about solar energy.

Make sure that you contact more than one person. That will not only help you understand the advantages and disadvantages to solar power, but it will also give you a chance to get feedback on that store’s level of service.

You may hear responses like, “It’s very expensive to set it up initially but otherwise it’s great,” or, “I’ve saved so much money from going solar over the years it’s not even funny.” However, you may also hear things like, “If there’s no sun, you don’t get that much power. The reserves do not last that long and I’m sick and tired of all this solar nonsense.”

If you get mixed reviews from several people, make two columns and add the two up. Then, you should get a good idea how people feel about their alternative power.

Read Solar Power Forums

Forums are another great tool to hear, or read, firsthand how people feel about their solar setups. When people post things on a forum, they know it’s anonymous so you should also get a very honest representation of the advantages and disadvantages of solar power. Compare the list you get from the forums with the list you got from talking to people and then make your decision.

As you can see the most important aspect to buying solar power for your home is talking to other people, doing your own cost research, and then determining if it is right for you. Correctly weighing the advantages and disadvantages will help you make the choice that is right for you.

If you plan to live in your home only for another year or so, it may not be worth the cost, but on the other hand you could end up saving yourself a lot of money in the long run by going solar if you stick around for five years or more.

2 Quick Buying Tips for Cheaper Home Solar Panels and a Cheaper Home Wind Turbine

It’s important to understand the role that technological change plays in the pricing of your home solar panels and home wind turbines. This is the third most important ingredient in budgeting for your homemade electricity solutio. Understanding your homemade electricity needs and how efficent both home solar panels and home wind turbines can be in your living environment are the other two key factors.

The Technolgy Pricing Curve

The technology price curve, when shown on a chart, looks a litle like a ski slope. On this chart the vertical axis represents price, the horizontal units sold. When the technolgy is first released it ver expensive and not many buy. However overtime more buy and as they do the price plummets until you have very large numbers being sold at a low price. This is how the technolgy pricing curve generally works.

Calculating your best time to buy.

In short the best time to buy the components to make your home solar panel and home wind turbine solution is when a component has just become yesterdays news. Many people buy the latest thing they can and this is great, but not financially efficent. Buying whatever is the standard, middle of the road component can be a good idea, however the products to watch are those that used to be the standard but have just become “old” in the last few weeks. These components should see a rapid price fall that eventually stabalizes. If you buy as soon as the price stabalises you will get the best value for money in terms of technology for your home solar panel and home wind turbine solution.

Conclusion

Buying just behind the technology curve is not for everyone. Some people want to show others that they have made a serious investment in becoming energy independant and cheaper older technolgy doesn’t fulfill this goal. If on the otherhand your goal is to build from costs effective and well tested components this brief guide will ensure you dlollar goes further.

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