Solar Power Inverters: What You Must Know About Solar Power Inverters

July 31, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

Solar power inverters play a critical role in your home solar installation.

Solar panels for home use typically include a number of photovoltaic modules (PVs).  One module by itself is not enough to produce the power you are likely to need, so a number of cells are they grouped together in what is called an array.

A solar PV array generates a direct current (DC) of electricity.  However, in North America at least, the electrical supply used is an alternating current (AC).  Our appliances and other electrical gadgets are set up to accept AC power. Therefore, your DIY solar panels require a solar power inverter to convert the current from DC to AC.

How the Conversion Works

The electricity that arrives at our homes is typically an AC current of 50/60Hz. (Some variations may occur among locations).  Electricity is usually delivered over long distances as AC rather than DC because this method is the most efficient way to curtail losses.

When we turn on an electrical device, the appliance may utilize the AC energy directly, but most use a small transformer to convert it back into DC.

If you wanted to use your home solar power directly without converting it into AC, you could do so, but you would have to rewire each electrical device that you use.  Some people experiment by building a little solar array that they use to operate only a few appliances, perhaps one or two lamps that they have rewired.

Cleaning Your Home Solar Electricity

Converting your home solar electricity from DC to AC is not the only function of your solar inverter.  It must also clean your electricity.

Since your home solar installation receives fluctuating quantities of the sun’s rays, it will generate differing amounts of power.

Consequently, your solar power inverter cleans this shifting amount of electricity into a more cohesive signal. At this point, the electricity you have generated for home use is very much like the power you purchase from the grid.

If your solar generator does not perform this cleaning, your current is ineffectual – even if you are using only DC wired appliances.  There are other approaches to cleaning your power signal, but the inverter is usually the preferred method.

Two Types of Solar Power Inverters

If you could see the AC current that we receive in our homes, it would appear to be an “up and down” sine wave. This is called sinusoidal.

There are two different kinds of inverters.

The first kind, called a “true sine wave” is both more costly and more dependable.

The second kind, called a “modified sine wave” or sometimes a “quasi-sine wave” comes with a lower price tag, but has a down side that you might want to avoid.

Some DIYers have found that the quasi sine wave inverters have occasionally delivered an overload with corresponding harm to certain electrical devices.  This happens because this type of inverter conveys current in the form of a simulated sine wave instead of a genuine sine wave.

It is unwise to skimp on the solar power inverter that you use in your installation.  These inverters are available with different specifications, including various ranges of input voltages and power outlets. The most costly inverters come with enhanced features including protection from overload, protection from shorts and a heftier design.

DIY guides are available to walk you through the steps of deciding the best inverter choices for our home solar power installation needs.

For additional information, please refer to Understanding Home Solar Panels

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Solar Powered Panels: How Do I Use And Store Solar Panel Electricity?

July 31, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

Solar powered panels! How Can I Use and store solar panel electricity? If you are also from those who are asking this question again and again, just read this article and find an easy solution.

Solar Panel Electricity: How To Store?

Here you have 2 options to choose from:

— Buying special batteries for solar power selling on the market.

— Building your own green energy system.

The first option is applied by many people today. But it does not mean that this is the best way to go for. Not at all! Many people prefer this solution just because they think building homemade solar powered panels can be a very complicated process and they should be tech savvy for this. 

But the truth is that even if you are a typical man with minimum basic information about green energy, you can build your own solar cell within a few days with minimum one-time investment thanks to step-by-step DIY guide.

If you still hesitate about homemade solar powered panels read below the following top advantages of homemade alternative energy systems:

— First of all, it will cost very cheaply. And you can benefit of it for a longer time, sometimes even forever. So the only thing you will need is to invest a little amount on installation process.

— Homemade green energy systems are easy to set up and use. No hassles and complications at all! Even if you are not tech savvy, you still can easily build your first DIY solar panel with the necessary guide.

— Once after you set up everything, your home made solar power system will function even more efficiently than those selling on the market at an expensive price.

Conclusion:

Build your own solar powered panels to save a lot of money just today!

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Colorado Solar Panels Guide

July 31, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

Solar panels are a great way to reduce fuel and electricity costs. Energy produced with the help of solar panels is one of the best sources of renewable, eco-friendly energy. Besides that it is much easier and more affordable than most people think. If you are one of those who is serious about helping the environment – and reducing your fuel costs, solar panel installation could be just right for you.

If you live in Colorado and are planning to buy Solar Panels, the first thing to do is to check out what’s available in the market. Colorado has many outfits and companies dealing in solar panels. You can also check them out online by typing Colorado Solar Panels the net. 

Those wanting to buy Colorado Solar Panels or the ones who have already bought them before know that the main concern is the cost and placement of these panels. To begin with you should decide on a budget for installing panels before you buy them. You should also look at where and how you are going to attach the panels to your home/office/boat etc.

If your budget is too small or the area you want to install them is too little- then the ideal thing will be to look at alternatives cheaper natural energy system, such as a wind turbine for home instead of Colorado solar panels. It will serve the same purpose and could potentially cost less.

The next thing to keep in mind is to decide the amount of solar electricity you need to generate to meet your energy requirements, which greatly depends on the size of your household.  You should also keep in mind the kind of equipment you use. If you go online you will find that there are many resources available which will help you decide the capacity of electricity you will need to generate and therefore the amount of the panels you will need to buy.

Once you know about your energy requirements and output capacity, it’s time now to start thinking about the type of solar panels that you will be buying. These could be electricity panels or hot water panels. While finalizing Colorado solar panel you have to make sure that pricing is not your only consideration while ordering one. The cheaper panels may not last you long enough and may also create problems while working.

It is therefore crucial that if you wish your panels to last, let quality and technology be your main consideration. When you buy cheaper Colorado solar panels, you will realize that they will end up giving a much lower output, and a lower efficiency, as compared to high quality, powerful panels.

An important thing to remember is that when it is time to install Colorado solar panel, hire professionals to do the job. Don’t make the mistake of taking a risk with electric shock. It has cost many lives. Buying Colorado solar panel could prove to be one of the best moves you make. Especially, when you spend money on appliances to make your home cheaper to live in.

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Employ Diy Solar Power To Obtain Electricity For Your Household

July 31, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

Making plans for crafting your own personal home solar panel systems to help you make electrical energy for the home? DIY solar power has been available for some time, nevertheless only a short time ago have people taken matters in their very own hands and looked seriously at how to make their personal solar energy installation.

 

Precisely why would any one desire to create his very own solar panel setup? Besides, can’t they be purchased via vendors? Although this is correct, the actual pitfall is that photo voltaic energy designs procured by professional companies happen to be incredibly overpriced. You are able to actually save big bucks by generating their own. They are also much easier to generatte than what you may think.

 

House owners might spend as much as $20,000 or over on professional solar power packages. This is certainly clearly lots of money and quite a few people would be challenged to make a case for this type of significant expense. The good news is that homeowners need not invest this amount of hard earned cash in order to get access to a solar panel for his or her household.

 

Producing DIY solar power power plants is easy to accomplish and it is possible to save a great deal of money performing it your self. An individual photovoltaic solar panel can be engineered for about $100 which will make it possible for you to get started on creating electric power without delay. Everything that is needed is a photovoltaic solar panel, a battery including a direct current meter.

 

All these standard parts can be obtained at any local home improvement center. You will discover no requirement to special order them. Once you have the photovoltaic panel, you’ll need a battery pack. They are going to be used in order to store power created by your trusty solar panel. I would endorse a twelve volt battery for folks who are just getting started.

 

A direct current meter is also required to transform the power created through your trusty photovoltaic solar panel into alternating current power which just about all home electronics use. Once you have these parts you are essentially done producing DIY solar power.

 

What comes next will be to join the Power meter to your power supply making use of protected wiring. When you’ve carried out this you are prepared to commence making your own source of electricity. Solar panels perform best through direct sun rays so you are going to have to look for a area around your domicile that features accessibility to the maximum amount of sunshine as you can.

 

How long does it take to power the 12 volt battery? You need at the very least eight hours in order to completely charge your battery. You are at this instant ready to begin using the power and saving money on your electricity costs through DIY solar power.

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10 Benefits of Solar Energy

July 28, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

Benefits of Solar Energy:

1. Solar energy is renewable. We never have to worry about running out of sunlight or using it all up. The sun is a consistent power source meaning it’s always going to be there every day.

2. Solar energy is environmentally friendly. Compared to fossil fuels which release greenhouses gases, carcinogens and carbon dioxide, solar cells don’t release anything into the air.

3. Solar panels are extremely reliable. There are no moving parts so you don’t have to worry about replacing anything. In fact, most people generate electricity for 1000s of hours with little or no maintenance.

4. Solar cells make no noise while collecting energy. There are no other renewable energy sources that are completely silent.

5. In the long run, solar electricity is cheaper than buying it from the power company. There is a start up cost, but then it starts paying for itself. Once you break even, everything after that is profit. Compare this to paying a monthly bill and getting no return on investment.

6. There is a huge variety of solar panel systems available. Some can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and some cost just a couple hundred. This means anyone can get into solar, there’s an entry point for just about everybody.

7. You’re not required to connect to the power grid. You can be completely self-sufficient and live off-the-grid. Imagine never paying another monthly bill or hook-up charge.

8. Sell excess electricity. If you build a large enough solar panel system, you can make your electric meter spin backwards! Most power companies will gladly buy or credit you for this excess electricity. Contact your local power companies for more details.

9. Government tax credits. Most governments will provide some kind of tax credit or incentive for people purchasing solar energy systems. On average, rebates usually cover 20-30% of the system cost. Contact your local representatives for more details.

10. Solar technology is constantly improving. Solar installations are increasing by an incredible 50% every year, most of which are small homemade systems. Learn how to make your own solar panels and use the benefits of solar energy to your advantage.

Go to http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome to see my reviews of solar power guides. See which are the best value and which ones are a waste of money.


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Solar Water Heaters – The Benefits Of Building A Solar Water Heater

July 28, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

The popularity of solar water heaters is increasing daily due to the many benefits that come with having one in your home.

A few years ago not many people had heard of them and less were even bothered with building a homemade solar water heater.

So What are the Benefits of Solar Water Heaters?

These days however, home owners have realized the many benefits that a solar powered water heater can provide not only in terms of reducing their carbon footprint but also in significant cash savings to their monthly electric bill.

Other benefits you will enjoy by building & fitting a solar water heater are as follows;

Inexpensive & easy to build

You can realize a saving of more than a third of your electric bill as your geyser, in terms of electricity consumption, is the most expensive unit in the house

You will reduce your dependence on the national grid

You won’t be affected by power outages

You could qualify for a rebate from the national power supplier.

You won’t be badly affected by electricity increases

So based on the above anyone would be crazy not to install a solar water heater in their home.

If you are reasonably handy and you are comfortable using a saw, hammer & tape measure you should have no problem with building & installing your own solar powered water heating system.

All you will need is more specific instructions on How to Build Your Own Solar Water Heater & Save Energy which you read here (free)

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Solar Power System For Home-Cheapest Solar Power System For Home

July 28, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

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

You may be aware that a commercially sold solar panel has its worth in thousands of dollars. But, did you know you can go solar for a fraction of that cost. To be specific, you can go solar for as little as $200!

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 transformed 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 a solar power system for home. Such systems can be made pretty easily. The required 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 system for home. 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 system for home, the system 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!

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The Newest and Best Diy Energy Guide Yet! 75% Commission!

July 27, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

This is the newest and best Diy Energy Guide yet, DIY-Green-Energy.com! The best guide because it includes the best diagrams and great sales page. With 75% commission, you will be making a ton of money in this very hot niche. The Newest and Best Diy Energy Guide Yet! 75% Commission!

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Largest Missouri Power Utility Going With Solar Energy

July 27, 2010 by  
Filed under General, 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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Home Made Solar Collector Panels – DIY Solar Panels

July 27, 2010 by  
Filed under General, Solar Energy

If you are looking for a way to build your own homemade solar panel so you can create your own electricity and lower your electric bills, then I have a solution for you. As the cost of living is gradually rising as well as climate change , it is better for you to quit burning your money on excessive energy sources and begin to save your money through the creation of your own electricity like solar collector.

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

If you wish to reduce your electric bill to half or fully eradicate them, and in turn build your own DIY solar collector what you need is Earth 4 Energy. There is no need to pay a large sum of money amounting to thousands of dollars to get an already made solar collector when there is a way for you to build a homemade solar system which usually costs below $200. This is the fact and we have various guides which will reveal to you all the things you need to know concerning the way to generate your own electricity with the help of solar collector. Earth 4 Energy will provide you with the full step by step installation guide using colorful illustrations and easy to apply video instructions which you will be able to use to build your own DIY solar panels.

If you chose to get a homemade solar system from the market, its price usually ranges from $3,000 to $15,000, but if you use the techniques of Earth 4 Energy to build yours, you will be provided with the guides which you need to get the same solution using a small amount of money, usually less than $250.

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

When you might have learned and you are now set to build and fix your preferred power source, you will be able to save up to hundred of dollars on the amount of money you pay monthly for your power bill. You can be able to use modernized technology found in Earth 4 Energy kit through the instructions they provide to build a more efficient type of solar collector.

Earth 4 energy kit is one of the best systems for individuals or companies searching for a way to save on their home energy bill and wish to male an energy creator right there at home. It is hard to find kits which are similar to what is offered by Earth 4 Energy that will explain everything to you in an understandable manner using manuals together with videos to build your DIY solar collector. You can get the Earth 4 energy kit on the internet. Inside the kit you will be shown the places where you can get free batteries needed for this homemade system of yours. The battery will be responsible for storing your energy making it a portable energy source. This can easily be moved to places of your choice.

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

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