Showing posts with label alternative sources of energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative sources of energy. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Photovoltaic Solar Systems: Advantages And Disadvantages

By Christopher Gilman


Today's high energy prices are ridiculous, and everyone should be looking at different ways to reduce energy costs. One good way to reduce energy costs is by using solar energy. Continue reading to find out some great advice about the advantages of using solar energy.

You need to read about and research where to place the panels. This can help you get a better idea as to where to place the panels on your own home after you've figured out how many you need. It's important to have a good idea as to where you want to put them, and of course you can ask professional installers any questions you may have as well.

Find out about grants and incentives that you may be eligible for. Both the federal government and individual states are now offering incentives to people who want to get solar panels and introduce solar energy. Therefore, it is smart to make sure you investigate as much as you can and apply for all the help you can get. While everyone agrees that it is very expensive to buy the large panels, it will be cheaper in the long run. Therefore, it is worth your time and effort to make every effort you can to put up the panels as soon as possible.

Sunlight costs nothing. On a good day, you have hours upon hours of free fuel pouring down onto your PV system at 186,000 miles per second. For most would-be consumers of solar energy, this is the most enticing benefit. Once your system is up and going, your source of power is free.

You won't have to own a huge home, but a sufficient solar system isn't going to fit on the roof of a small row house. If so, the government would have already installed them on their publicly funded projects, and they'd decree that the HOA must. The fact of the matter is that you need sufficient roof space to install a system that is quite large.

However, a single solar cell can barely power a flashlight, much less you home. That is why many of these small solar cells are wired together into solar panels, and these panels all work together to create the solar array that powers your home. The reason why you can even have a small solar installation in your home is because of this expandable property of solar energy. If you could only use a single cell to power a device, you would have to have a huge solar cell for each device in your home, which would simply be too cumbersome.

One way that you can harness the power of the sun without having to put thousands of dollars toward solar panels is by purchasing small outdoor lamps that utilize solar power. While this may seem minuscule, it is a cost effective way to light the outside of your home during night and it is a way that you can begin to be more conscious of the environment.

Remember these tips and do more research about solar power. Stay up to date with innovations in this field; new products should appear on the market and make solar power more affordable in the next few years.




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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Do We Need To Find Alternative Sources of Energy?

Is there really a need to find alternative sources of energy? I believe there is. The problem we face is figuring out how to tap into the renewable, natural resources we have. The pollution from using fossil fuels and from nuclear waste is going to have consequences to us and to our environment. Just what alternative energy sources are available?


Solar Energy

Solar energy is just energy from the sun that is converted into electricity using a process called photo-voltaics. Solar power has been used for quite some time and can give us electricity for homes and buildings. It can also be used as fuel for vehicles, for solar cookers, in metal smelting, and to make industrial chemicals.


Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the most commonly used source of alternative energy. This type of power is made by utilizing the gravitational force of water falling from a high place. Here's the good news; hydroelectric plants do not create toxic by-products and don't emit many greenhouse gases. Dams can be expensive to build and maintain, but the benefits of a hydro-electric plant outweigh the cost in the long run.

Wind Energy

Energy that comes from the wind is renewed each time you use it and won't cost you much at all . Wind power can be used in agriculture to pump water or grind grain. We can harness the power of the wind to run our homes and the various 'gadgets' we seem to have so many of.


Geothermal power

Heat from below the earth's surface produces geothermal power. From an economic standpoint, this form of energy is more feasible than using fossil fuels that have rising costs. One large geothermal plant could power a whole community. Geothermal plants run a lot cleaner and don't release a lot of poisonous gases into our air.

These are the more common and environmentally friendly alternative energy sources. I think we need to explore these options and implement them as much as we can.