Largest Missouri Power Utility Going With Solar Energy

Ameren Corporation, the holding company for AmerenEnergy and Ameren UE, announced Monday, Dec. 1, that it plans to install solar energy systems at its headquarters in St. Louis and, eventually, another in Illinois.

Operating as Ameren UE, the company is one of the nation’s largest utilities, with 16,600 megawatts of generation and 2.4 million electric customers in Missouri and Illinois. AmerenEnergy is the risk management and energy marketing arm of the company. As a utility, Ameren also provides gas services, but its generation mix of 84 percent coal – and its status as the 5th largest coal consumer in the United States – creates a very bleak picture for the future of air quality in the region.

The initial solar installations will be either roof- or ground-mounted arrays, the company says, and range between 25 and 550 kilowatts. This is far from a large investment, particularly for a company the size of Ameren, but executives say the arrays will include cutting-edge solar technologies which will be used to evaluate solar’s enrichment value, at least in corporate terms.

Installation is slated for the fall of 2010 – again, nothing to write home about (many projects are up and running within three months of the announcement) – but a company spokesperson did say that, once the systems go online, Ameren will provide a range of information (available via the Internet) about its findings, which should help potential solar energy customers in Ameren’s service territory evaluate next steps.

AmerenUE will also be offering customers a rebate of $2 per watt (up to 25 kilowatts), or a maximum of $50,000 for solar electric systems installed after Jan. 1 of next year.

Ameren’s cautious venture in solar energy is reportedly a response to the state’s renewable energy mandate, Prop C, passed in 2008, which calls for utilities to use renewable energy for at least 15 percent of their generation mix by 2021 (with solar at least 2 percent of that renewable mix).

This will be quite a stretch for the company, which currently has only 2 percent vested in renewables, namely hydro, but the solar energy installation will, according to Ameren President Thomas Voss, help the company learn how to achieve the mandate.

Voss, who thinks that Missouri is not a very good geographic location for either solar or wind, apparently doesn’t realize that the wind-class values found in the northwestern part of the state (Class 3+) are fully as good as anything Minnesota – currently classed the “wind power capital” of the nation – can offer.

Solar insolation values are even higher, ranging up to 4.5 (on a scale of 2.0 to 6.5 in the continental U.S.). This is far greater than New Jersey (3.5), which currently challenges California for the role as the nation’s solar capital, based solely on installed solar power (2009).

Ameren, which was eyeing a new nuclear power plant until state regulators failed to nix a 1976 provision that prevented them from assessing ratepayers for the plant before it started producing energy, is at least exploring its renewable options. But this latest foray into solar energy is so cautious it’s like damning the technology with faint praise.

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Portable solar power solutions

It has become quite common for people to research building their own portable solar power generators rather than purchasing retail. It isn’t that hard to do and the retail price for solar systems are rather high. With a little know how and elbow grease anyone can learn to make their own portable solar power generators.

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

Renewable energy is something that is becoming very popular due to rising electrical costs. By generating power with portable solar power generators, not only does it allow you the freedom to get electricity anywhere, but it helps our environment.

When you build your own portable solar power generators, you have control of exactly how much power you want to generate. You determine how big your panel will be and how you are going to store your power.

Another advantage of learning to build your own solar system is that you can always add to it later if you decide you want more power. Simply build another solar panel and battery then add it to your system.

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

Here’s how portable solar power generators work, basically.

1. You build a solar panel and put it somewhere it can get some nice sunlight.

2. Channel the energy produced by the panel through a charge controller.

3. From the charge controller the energy is stored in a deep cycle battery (eg. marine battery).

4. The energy in the marine battery is put through an inverter to convert it from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC).

5. You plug your coffee maker into the inverter and brew up a nice hot cup of joe.

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Power4Home Review – DIY Homemade Solar Power

No one on the Earth would like to receive electricity bills months by months. They are now incredibly expensive to pay. This situation forces people to seek any possibilities for changes. They, including you, are now thinking about homemade energy and, at the same time, how to benefit the Earth. Power4Home makes a claim that their material will allow you to save tons of cash and improve our environment.

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

With the Power4Home membership, you will be in a position to find out everything from making your own solar cells to installing your homemade solar panels for your houses. You will be offered 6 valuable eBooks and you will know the way to do so step-by-step.

It is very common for everybody to be eager to build and install homemade solar energy system in the correct way. Power4Home believes that they have the best practice for you to save cash from the dear electric bills and it is possible for you to build high-efficiency solar panels for under $200. They say that as you follow their guide exactly, your solar system will produce the ideal energy output.

To help you build your own solar power system for home, Power4Home also provides you a list of videos. The videos will show you exactly the steps to get the job done. Do you remember why you are here reading a review and looking for ways to use solar electricity for your home? Save the Earth and cash. So it is pointless to build a solar system but pay high cost for maintenance every month.

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Power4Home believes that their 3 straightforward techniques will help you lower the maintenance cost. They are going to provide you valuable advice on how to protect your system from deadly weather. Renewable energy is a fantastic thing taking the economy by force. It is kind of new to us but many people have started to discover how it works and how it will benefit us. Apart from solar systems for homes, Power4Home will also tell you ways to totally get away of the use of natural gas.

All of the instructions will be shown on step-by-step and detailed videos in order to help you build your own solar system in the correct way. You will not feel overwhelmed and you may notice that it is really a very simple job. You just have to spend some days watching the videos and follow the instructions. And you may start saving money from the electrical bills.

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Save Money on Electric Bills by Making Your Own Solar Power for the Home

In this age of rising electric bills everyone is feeling the pinch. Unfortunately, too many people think that rising utility cost is just a fact of life that can not be changed. Yet, you can save money on electric bills by making your own solar power for the home. Solar power used to be an expensive option, but not anymore. More and more people are installing their own solar power and saving money on their electric bills or cutting out the bill entirely.

The central component of making solar power for the home is the solar panels themselves. You can make the solar panels with a few simple components or purchase a kit, either option will save you hundreds over the cost of pre-made panels. The basic materials used in a solar panel are plywood, glass, copper wire, silicone, UV protectors, and of course, the solar cells.

Solar cells are what turn light into electricity, thus saving you money from not using the grid power. This is why the cells are the most important part of creating solar power for the home. While solar panels are available for purchase, they are often pricey and the upfront costs alone may negate any potential energy savings for years to come. By making your own panels in order to provide solar power for the home, you can reduce the upfront costs and begin recouping the cost of your panels much sooner.

Making your own panels in order to provide solar power for the home is not complicated and only requires modest skills that most people can learn quite easily or already possess. While electric rates continue to rise every year, a solar panel made today will continue to produce electricity for at least thirty years, all for the cost of the initial investment. Solar power for the home is inflation proof and will leave more money in your pocket over the long run.

With a small investment, a single solar panel can be built in order to supplement utility company electricity. While you will still be drawing energy from the grid, you will not be using as much. This alone can save hundreds of dollars over the cost of electricity every year. When building your own system in order to create solar power for the home, you have the additional benefit of adding to it and enlarging it as time and finances allow, instead of purchasing a large and expensive ready made system out right. You have a lot more freedom to grow your system as your needs and situation allow.

If you are building a home in a rural area that is not currently already hooked to the grid, you will pay thousands of dollars up front just to have the electric lines laid to your home. In this case, it is always less expensive to make and install solar power for the home. A solar panel kit you build yourself is much less expensive than bringing electricity in from the power company and will continue to save you money every year there after. Solar power for the home is the best option in rural areas that would otherwise be prohibitive in cost to run power to.

Solar power for the home is also a sound environmental option. Many states and the federal government offer programs to reimburse some of the initial costs of installing solar power. This can offset the initial investment of switching to full solar power dramatically, thus making your energy savings more evident in a shorter time period. All in all, solar power for the home will save you money on rising electricity costs in very little time and with very little effort.

Make Your Own Solar Power-Electric Power Generation

Most power in this country is produced by electric generating turbines. In 1831 Michael Faraday discovered that if an an electric conductor, like a copper wire, is moved through a magnetic field, electric current will flow through the conductor. The modern power plant generators are based on this very principal, although on a much larger scale. To turn these massive machines, the most often used method is to turn water into steam, pressurise the steam, and run it over the blades of a turbine causing it to spin. The current figures for electric power sources as of Aug. 2009 (from d.o.e. website) is as follows:

Coal-fired plants 45.4% Nuclear plants 21.0% Natural gas-fired plants 20.7% Hydroelectric power 7.5% Alternative sources (geothermal, solar, and wind) 4.2% Other fossil fuels 1.2%

 

Coal-fired plants: The water for the turbines is heated by burning coal, and it is a particularly dirty source of energy. This method releases around 40% of the total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, about 50% of total particle pollution, and large amounts of other pollutants. When the Clean Air Act of the 1970s was passed, Congress “grandfathered” in older power plants making them exempt from modern regulations. As a result, today most existing power plants use coal, and are between 30-50 years old and are up to 10 times dirtier than new power plants.These plants have been around a long time and will continue to be around a long time. With the growing threat of global warming people are just starting to realize the hidden cost of coal fired electricity.

Natural gas-fired plants: Cleaner than coal fired plants releasing about half the amount of carbon dioxide. Natural gas fired plants may replace a lot of the coal fired plants when they finally get too old. Better than coal, yet still a big polluter.

Nuclear plants: Nuclear power has major drawbacks like nuclear waste, and the ability to release lethal radiation into the atmosphere. Nuclear reactors have been around for 60 years and these potentially lethal drawbacks have yet to be solved. Does not seem to be the answer to our energy problems at this time.

Hydroelectric power: A popular method to produce electricity. A dam is built, water and gravity do the rest. This is a great method with no pollution, and is a good source of energy. There will not be many more dams built however, you can only build so many. Great power source without the ability to grow.

Alternative sources: Free power and nonpolluting. Geothermal is not practical for most people. Wind power is being used by many people who have the room and live in the right location. Solar power can be used almost anywhere and is very useful for powering individual households. So why is its use growing so slowly? There is a very large group of people who want to eliminate their power bill and help the environment, but until recently the prohibitive start up costs have not made this possible.

Today more and more people are discovering that they can build their own solar panels. Using readily available materials and a easy to understand guide they are being built for a fraction of the old cost. If this sounds interesting to you check out the complete guide to get more information.

Do It Yourself Solar Power And How To Construct It the Accurate Way

A natural source of energy that can surprisingly supply all of our modern day electrical demands is solar power energy. Several solar functions that can improve your way of living are solar cooling, solar heating, solar light, solar electricity, and solar cooking.

You can install a DIY solar power generator, which is made of solar panels that contain solar cells to take advantage of the energy from the sun. The solar cells create electrons to move in the silicon crystal which then converts the power from sunlight into usable electricity. You will also need a battery to store electricity from the solar energy. There are simple guidelines that you should follow as listed below.

1. Get a small solar panel, such as a 25W or 40W.

2. Get a battery box and a deep-cycle 12-volt sealed gel-battery. Make sure that is it rechargeable.

3. Get a DC meter at 12-volts. You will also need a DC input to power appliances that need direct current.

Most appliances, however, run off of AC or alternating current so you will need an inverter.

4. Using insulated wires, plug in your DC meter to the wing nut terminals on the rechargeable battery. Attach the

negative (-) pole before attaching the positive (+) pole. Only handle one wire at a time and never let the

positive and negative wires touch!

5. Using the same method, connect the DC input and the solar panel to the battery.

6. Place the solar panel in direct sunlight. Once the battery is fully charged, your solar power system will be

able to provide electricity to many of your household appliances.

You can install your do-it-yourself solar power generator almost effortlessly if you put your mind to it. It can also be a fun bonding experience that you and your family can enjoy as well. If you are still hesitant about making one, you can find numerous online forums that provide help from others who have built a system themselves.

Another pro about solar power generators is that they are very durable and easy to maintain. All they need is a regular dusting to keep them running efficiently. This one time investment will be so rewarding to you and your family.

A solar power generator is also very useful for unexpected power outages. If you live outside the power grid, you can also take full advantage of this system. It\’s a great companion in traveling and can be used in cabins, tents or even boats.

There are more advantages to using a solar power generator than I can list right now. You can really not go wrong with solar panels. Not only are you saving a ton of money on your electric bill but you are saving the environment as well.

Build Your Own Solar Panels and Start to Make Free Energy

With ever decreasing energy resources such as oil, natural gas and coal, changing climates and global warming, more and more people are looking for alternative fuels and renewable forms of energy to help them save money and reduce their personal carbon footprint. When you build your own solar panels to provide power for your home you not only help the environment but you also make free energy which can save you a fortune on utility bills.

Solar power for homes used to be very expensive, and getting a professional installation could still cost you thousands of dollars and take years to see a return on your investment. However it is now possible to build your own solar panels and provide homemade solar power for far less than it would have previously cost you in the past. This is thanks to solar panel kits and the detailed instruction guides that are now widely available.

Homemade solar power used to consist of small panels that did not produce the wattage necessary to power more than a few lights or some of the smaller appliances around the home. These days with the improvements in the whole solar power systems the most effective way to provide solar power for homes (if you can’t afford a professional installation) is to build your own solar panels with the aid of a solar panel kit. These homemade solar power kits come with everything you need to successfully build your own solar panels so that you can make free energy for your home.

These solar panel kits are easy to find thanks to the internet, companies like GE are producing these kits and the build your own solar panels sets are very affordable and will help you to see a quicker return on your initial outlay, as well as allowing you to make free energy for your home in a very short time. With just a few minutes surfing of the internet you will be able to find dozens of kits available at differing prices.

You can also find detailed guides and instruction manuals on the internet that allow you to build your own solar panels from start to finish. With these guides to follow you can produce solar power for homes by making your own personalized solar power system with parts that you can buy at local hardware stores.

This way may take you a little longer as you have to buy all the parts you will need but it can work out even cheaper than the kits, and as they are very easy to follow anyone can put their own system together quickly and easily. Plus at the finish you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have produced your very own homemade solar power.

So if you want to make free energy for your home as well as doing your bit for the environment by reducing your personal carbon footprint you should build your own solar panels. By producing your own homemade solar power you will soon be saving a fortune as well.

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