Using Solar Power For Homes

Solar energy was used in ancient times for heating houses. It was after the discovery of the photoelectric effect and the invention of steam engine powered by solar energy that people started thinking about using solar power for running simple domestic machines, besides using it for heating purposes.

The need for using solar power for homes was seriously considered in the 20th century when it was realized that fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil) were not inexhaustible and that electricity will be harder to generate inexpensively in future. Using solar power for homes also offers little serious impact on the environment.

Uses of Solar Power for Homes

Solar energy can be used at homes for serving various purposes. They are primarily used for running small, low-power appliances like radios, lightings, gadgets, small water pumps, and even children’s toys. Solar power can also be stored in batteries and used for lighting the house during an episode of power failure. And of course, solar power is increasingly being used for heating homes during winter.

How Home Solar Power Systems Work?

To use solar power for homes, photovoltaic (PV) panels are attached to the roof of a house such that their expanded surfaces face south for houses located in the northern hemisphere. For those in the southern hemisphere, the panels should face north to gather maximum solar energy.

The average power production of a solar cell is about 11 to 22 watt per square foot. The solar energy, when received by the panels, generates electric current in them. This current is stored in a large battery bank that is connected to the PV array through a charger controller. The DC current stored in the battery is converted to AC current (used in homes) by a DC-AC inverter for running home various appliances.

Odds against Using Solar Power for Homes

The major disadvantage that hampers the use of solar power for homes is their high cost of purchase and installation. Depending on the size of the home and the particular solar power system, it costs an average of $20,000 to $40,000 for installing a solar power system at home.

The high costs of setting up solar panels at home are due to the requirement of using pure silicon in their manufacture. Recently, however, solar-grade silicon has been derived from metallurgical silicon.

This innovation is expected to reduce the costs of installing solar power systems at home to about one-third of the current costs. Besides high costs, solar panels are not very useful in areas of little sunshine and also on cloudy days as well as after sunset.

DIY Solar Energy Kits

Considerations When Finding Best Solar Energy Kits

Solar energy kits are useful for those who are keen to use clean and replaceable solar power at home. A detailed kit will permit you to convert solar energy into serviceable electricity to power your appliances, pumps, heating systems, lighting and all the other electric systems.

It can usually help you build solar energy systems for RVs so you can make solar energy anywhere you would like. It should definitely help you to get the job finished in the shortest time and, most importantly, at the lowest cost.

The solar energy kits you are going to purchase must be easy-to-follow. It should be easy for you to build the solar energy system on your own in only a few days. You may find that there are tons of solar energy programs found online and some of them will obviously steer you through the whole process, from building a solar cell to installing the solar power system.

It is important for you to find solar energy kits that let you further develop the system for future improvement so that your homemade solar system will not be superseded.

Working out How Much Power your home Consumes

You have got to pay much more attention when attempting to find solar energy kits. It is tougher than selecting a beautiful HDTV. You want to punctiliously guesstimate the quantity of power all your electric appliances and devices use. This step is commonly neglected by most people but this will ensure that the solar power kit you are going to pay for will bring you the power you need.

It is very easy to do so so long as you are careful and patient enough. All you have got to do is write down the hours of your daily use of each electric item, like chillers, lighting, computers and radio. Then add all of the hours for each single item. When you got the information, you want to multiply the whole amount of hours by the total power consumption. By doing so, you’ll have a clear picture of the amount of energy for your day to day use.

Some people are proposing that the larger solar energy kits are better. They are saying that you can buy the largest solar power kit that you are able to afford because you can produce more electricity. It not only makes sure that you are going to have acceptable energy, but also helps you earn money. The rationale is that, by law, some states have to buy the additional electricity your solar energy system produces.

It is fairly reasonable and attractive but the most significant factor is that you have to find the solar power kit that works for you. As the real reason for you to look for solar power for homes is that you wish to save money, it is highly recommended that you take a look of some solar energy programs on the internet. Most of them make a claim their guide will help you build the lowest-priced solar energy system. They’re going to tell you the way in which the get every part at the lowest cost or even build the parts by yourself.

Alternative Energy Resources.

Offers An E-book Titled Understanding And Installing Your Own Solar Electric System. Includes Worksheets,& Resources. Alternative Energy Resources.

Solar Energy & Solar Panels Make Breathtaking News Around The World

Solar Energy & Solar Panels Make Breathtaking News Around The World

Yesterday was a wonderful day for solar energy and solar panels as we watched Solar Impulse make the news around the world after a 26 hour pioneering flight entirely powered by solar energy.

Solar Power Is The Future

The concept that future travel will one day be powered by the sun is a sound one as we continue to create more advanced solar panels that collect more of the sun’s energy. At the same time we are also learning to use energy more efficiently and it is only a matter of time when virtually all our energy needs will be met by the sun.

Solar Energy & The Home

Recent  research shows the majority of homeowners are in a state of confusion about the use of solar panels in their home to save energy costs. To dispel the myths and set the record straight here are a few facts about solar panels:

A Solar Panel Installation can add as much as 10% to the value of your home;
A Solar Panel Installation can reduce your energy bills by 100%;
You can sell excess energy you create to your Energy Company and they pay you each quarter;
Solar Panels create energy in all weathers and climates.

With energy costs soaring, more and more homeowners are looking to alternatives sources of energy to save money.

Find out If Your Home Is Suitable For A Solar Panel Installation

Organizing a solar survey for your property is the starting point to changing the way you use energy and may well be the smartest investment you are likely to make for some time. Whilst energy costs have been going through the roof in recent years the cost of solar panel production has dropped dramatically. These factors combined with advances in solar technology have now made it the perfect time to get a solar survey for your property.

It may be that your property is entirely unsuitable for a solar installation or that a solar installation would only help with some of your energy needs. It may also be that a solar panel installation will not only meet your energy needs but is also likely to give you come cash each quarter.

The only way you can find out is to book a free solar survey. You should note that most solar companies are able to do an initial solar survey of your property using online resources without the need to disturb you or visit your property.

You can book a solar survey and compare costs for a solar panel installation at Solar Panels Supermarket The UK’s Leading Price Comparison Site for Solar Panels.

Build Your Own Homemade Energy Solutions

Electric bills and fuel bills are rising steadily—but the cost of wind turbine energy is zero, and the cost of installing and hooking up a turbine is steadily coming down as demand rises and more commercial success is realized by various companies producing the turbines and researching technologies to make them ever more efficient.  

The trend toward homes that are powered by alternative energy sources, ranging from wind turbines and solar collection cells to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, is one that needs to continue into the 21st century and beyond. Anyone could be a renewable energy generator following these instruction Plus I like the simplicity of the guide.  

Again, this motivation to get away from the traditional energy sources is the same one that causes people to seek the power of the wind for their energy, giving more business opportunities to profit from wind turbine production and maintenance, which drives their costs down for the consumers.  

In nearly thirty states at the time of this writing, homeowners who remain on the grid but who still choose to use wind energy (or other alternative forms) are eligible for rebates or tax breaks from the state governments that end up paying for as much as 50% of their total “green” energy systems’ costs.  

In addition, there are 35 states at the time of this writing where these homeowners are allowed to sell their excess energy back to the power company under what are called “net metering laws”.  The rates that they are being paid by the local power companies for this energy are standard retail rates—in other words, the homeowners are actually profiting from their own energy production.  

Your Own Solar Power System

Solar energy has been the wave of the future for some time.  Solar power systems that collect the sun’s solar rays require a roof-top solar collector panel or panels. Solar electrical systems have advanced from giant roof panels to thin layers of film that are twice as conductive and work with less sunlight.  

Just one solar panel is enough to save you hundreds of dollars a year, and to build one solar panel costs very little money when you use Home Made Energy to help you find the materials that you need. Building your own solar or wind powered generator means that you will discover how to easily make your own energy.  

Most importantly: It works and it doesn’t matter what your experience level is, if you implement the system you WILL make a great solar panel or windmill and have lots of energy to use while saving money every month.  

Options Review

Home Made Energy is the original number one manual showing you how to build your own Solar and Wind Power Generators for under $200. A complete step-by-step fully illustrated manual, Michael Harvey has also included a instructional video series for those who prefer visual instructions instead of reading from a manual.

The instructions are easy to follow, and the only place where it falls short of it’s rival, Earth4Energy, is that it lacks instructional videos. To start, this complete package comes with step by step videos, a guide for purchasing needed parts, a free gift that discusses biodiesel, the Home made Energy guide, and for making this “green” decision, tax rebate forms used to make a claim on your taxes.  The author and creator of Earth 4 Energy, Michael Harvey, has been involved in green energy for more than 15 years.  

Home Made Energy is a new course that just came out that teaches you (step-by-step) how to reduce pollution and help the environment.

Cheapest option Well, Home Made Energy is only about $2 cheaper than its rivals, but with the economy currently in crisis, every dollar helps.  Perhaps you could argue that it is to the point, however, when compared to Earth4Energy, we would rather spend that extra $2 to get that additional info.  

My Number One Recommendation, Home Made Energy can help you save money by reducing your power bills by 80% or even eliminating it completely. A complete step-by-step fully illustrated manual, Michael Harvey has also included a instructional video series for those who prefer visual instructions instead of reading from a manual.

Electricity Solar Panels-Learn How to Build Electricity Solar Panels

The best thing about solar power is that it has an unlimited potential. Learn how to build electricity solar panels, 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 panels for electricity.

If you want to learn how to build electricity solar panels, 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 or office 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 build electricity solar panels 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 building 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 build electricity solar panels and STOP paying for electricity…FOREVER!

DIY Solar and Wind Power System

The year is 2009 and our world is disintegrating faster than ever. The automakers are made to convert to replenish-able energies if they want to survive and the power of severe hurricanes is more phenomenal than ever seen. On top of all that, the icecaps are softening and we are even cutting down our own rain forests.

The proof is obvious to most of us, but luckily we have got the power to stop it. An ongoing trend is green energy and people are catching on. There are energy-efficient light bulbs, air conditioners, appliances, and lots more and plenty more.

First of all, you save money, and tons of it. If you are in an area that gets plenty of sun year-round or masses of wind year-round then you are actually missing out. The other reason is to save our dear environment for our kids, grandchildren, and plenty more of our generations to come. The very first thing people turn toward when on the lookout for solar and wind power for their home is a professionally built and installed system. However, these systems literally cost thousands upon thousands of bucks. The typical green energy go-getter ( or family for that matter ) cannot afford such a system. Not only are they dear, but the services are hard to come by in some areas.

Small to my knowledge, there are several available for buying online and I should share that info with you at once. First, i’d like to discuss these guides a bit.

DIY solar electricity & wind power guides show you how to build solar panels and wind turbines from materials the majority can find at their local hardware stores. Some people even get into the pastime of building these for fun or for neighbors. Although a DIY project still costs cash, it’s far cheaper than a professional job, and they simply pay for themselves over a period. If you are a craftsman, your work can be as professional as a bought solar panel system. It all actually depends on where you reside, but one wind turbine can generate a major quantity of electricity if you live round the plains. Solar energy panels on the other hand, you might need a few rigged together to get some decent wattage out of them. A DIY Solar and Wind Power System can be a very big money saver.

Some of the authors will claim you can sell any extra power that you generate back to your power company. Considering you don’t have a surplus of money sitting in the bank for a professional solar energy panel system, but you have an interest in the continued effort to convert to green energy, economize in the future, and increase the value of your place, give a DIY Solar power project a try, or at leasty a look, before pouring thousands into a professional system.

Is It Worth Making Solar Panels Yourself? And Is It Difficult?

If you look at the cost of readymade solar panels you are likely to get a strong dose of sticker shock, so is it possible to make solar panel systems at home?    The clear answer is an unqualified YES.  You will find a huge amount of advice online to show you how to make a solar panel.  The main problem is trying to sort out the expert advice from the dangerous stuff.  

We have searched through all this information using our own expertise in solar panel construction, to give you all the basic advice and guidance needed. 

The first thing is that you will not need any particular skills or technical knowledge, which is really good news.  You can get all the necessary materials quite easily, or perhaps even find them from scrap.  It is quite possible to make your own solar panel for under 200 dollars and in a weekend.

And more good news – making solar panels is a simple and straightforward process.  Here are the basic steps.

As always, it pays to plan things properly before starting to make anything.  These are the main things to consider:

Location:  Solar panels are dependent on sunlight so should be sited to get as much sun as possible.  Avoid costly mobile units that constantly face the sun as it moves across the sky.  It is better and cheaper to build several fixed solar panels even if it is slightly less efficient.  Ensure that your solar panels will not be shaded by trees or tall buildings at any time of the day.  

Fitting:  You can mount your solar panels on your roof, on the ground, on a wall, on a garden shed – anywhere convenient and suitable.  Since they are a little delicate, it might be a good idea to keep any solar panel out of reach of children and animals!

Tools and Materials:  There are no special tools needed, simply some hand tools like screwdrivers, a drill, a saw and a soldering iron.  Powered tools would make things a little easier and speedier, and a workbench would be helpful too.  Materials are limited to plywood, plexiglass, solder and flux, caulking and copper wire.  You don’t make the solar cells – just get them very cheaply online.

Directions:  To build your own solar panel, you will need good quality step-by-step directions or instructions.  You will get advice on how to estimate the size and quantity of the panels, how to select and site the inverter, how to mount the panels and how to join the system to your domestic electric circuit.  

None of this is complicated, but investing in a good step-by-step assembly manual is, we believe, vital to ensure a safe and professional result.

We have reviewed several popular online manuals and have a favorite that will show you how to make a solar panel from scratch, with lots of diagrams, photos and even some very helpful videos.  It has full details about electrical wiring techniques and regulations, as well as how to feed any surplus electricity into your local utility company grid.

The final piece of good news is that it is possible to make a small solar panel, with a power output of about 100 watts, for under 200 dolars, including the cost of a good instruction manual and plans.  Building up several such panels to provide a very useful 1000 watts should cost less than 800 dollars.  Compare that with a readymade system, which will set you back several thousand dollars.

Makes sense to do it yourself, doesn’t it?

Solar Panel Roof

Cutting down on energy expenditure is a great way of saving money. A high % of the populace rely heavily on non-sustainable energy resources, which are beginning to run out. We are also reliant on other countries for these fuels. To become self-sufficient in energy production inside this country we need to look at other ways of manufacturing energy.

A good example of a self-sustainable energy is solar electricity. It can be produced cheaply, and with the latest advances in the field – like improved photovoltaic technology, it is more and more reasonable to install in to our houses. Solar electricity is also clean and efficient, so it ticks all of the right boxes on the green front, as well as saving users a great deal of money. Solar panels that are placed on the roof are the most well liked, and perhaps the most economical. The energy can then be used to power, heat and cool your house, or stored in batteries for use in the future.
Solar panels roof are made from sturdy, durable materials which have been designed to last for years in intense weather conditions. Solar energy panels roof are also becoming more and more reasonable, but can still be dear to purchase. A great way to hugely scale back the cost is to make solar cells roof yourself. You should examine your roof and see if it is acceptable by checking how much weight it can resist – solar cells roof can be heavy items. You need to also look at how much sun the panels will catch. If they are in the shade much they may not prove a financially reasonable purchase.
Find the energy system which is best suited to your house. Look at your requirements and your budget, and decide if DIY solar cells roof are the correct choice for you. If you make a decision to go for it you will be saving money and doing your bit for the environment.

solar cell are also a great and simple way to gather solar electricity. Look at this link for more on Solar Panels

Do It Yourself Solar Panel – Generate Home Solar Electricity

There has long been a raging debate about whether DIY solar panel plans really do work as environmentalists claim they do. Some people do not believe that such plans really can help you save significant amounts of money on your electricity bills.

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

If such plans were truly ineffective, however, then how could the developers of such plans afford to give customers a money-back guarantee? A customer really has nothing to lose by purchasing such a plan, as they can simply return them for a full refund if they find the plans do not work as advertised.

The fact remains that building and installing homemade solar panels is really the best way to save money on electricity costs and help to conserve the environment. Skeptics may not believe it, but building your own solar power system really is so simple anyone can do it. All you need to do is follow the instructions laid out in the DIY solar panel plans, and carry them out one step at a time. As for the necessary materials, you can find most or all of them at any general hardware store in your area, and the rest can be easily obtained online.

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

So, what should DIY solar panel plans include?

Any good set of DIY solar panel plans should include the following details:

1.  Detailed instructions presented in clear and simple steps

2.  Carefully-drawn diagrams and illustrations

3.  Video tutorials – the perfect aid for absolute beginners

4.  List of necessary materials and where to obtain them at affordable prices

5.  Contact details of someone to contact should you require technical assistance

If you appreciate having DIY projects to do at home, then DIY solar panel plans will give you the perfect opportunity to do some work with your hands and provide your home with free solar power at the same time.

The best thing is that you can accomplish all of this with an initial outlay of a mere $500. If you have a nose for sniffing out the best deals on materials, you can even finish the whole project for less than $200! Considering the fact that having solar panels installed in your home by a professional would cost you several thousand dollars, homemade solar panels are truly great value for your money!

If you want to start saving hundreds of dollars on your electricity bills EVERY month without having to spend extravagant amounts on professional solar panels, then DIY solar panel plans provide the perfect solution to help you obtain free solar power while keeping your initial investment costs to a minimum!

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

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