Showing posts with label how does solar energy work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how does solar energy work. 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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Saturday, November 22, 2008

How Does Solar Energy Work

By Marty Johnson

With energy prices rising higher and higher with no end in sight, these days, the question of how does solar power work is firing up the curiosity of many money-conscious families and individuals. A major concern for people considering going solar is the cost of equipment and installation, but federal and state grants to help defer these costs are becoming increasingly available. Notwithstanding what may seem like a high installation cost, using solar power in the home is a great option for the long term and the ongoing savings will soon off-set the initial outlay.


In both residential and commercial applications the basic concept of how does solar power work is exactly the same with the only difference being the scale of the installation requirements. A factory or warehouse is obviously going to require a larger amount of energy hence a more complex and more expensive installation would need to be in place.

In its most basic application, solar panels are a set of solar cells with a semiconductor that produces electricity when sunlight hits it. There are also solar panels that are made to heat the air and water in the building. When the solar panels produce electricity, it is transferred to the system's controller-regulator to adjust the voltage/amperage to what your system uses, then transfers for current electricity needs or to the batteries to be stored for future use.

There are three major components to a solar power system. The first is the photovoltaic panels, also known as solar panels or PV panels. The second is the current regulator or controller, which controls the voltage/amperage of the electricity that the solar panels generate. The third component is the storage system. This is typically an array of batteries used to store any energy that is created by the system and not need during the day.


Solar panels can vary greatly in cost depending on the type of installation you are aiming for. If your building is in a more remote area and is industrial you can use the typical boxy style roof mounted panels. In a business or industrial application solar panels can be installed not only on the much larger roof space offered by an industrial structure but additional panel arrays can also be installed on the ground offering additional power generation.


Solar panels are commonly mounted on rooftops with ground or pole mounts. The mounts provide added flexibility if your structure is accustomed to shade. To maximize the power generated, mechanisms can be attached to panels. This allows maximum sun exposure. One of the biggest downsides to solar installation is sunset. This is easily fixed by installing a battery array, a storage system, or simply using supplemental power from the utility power grid.


If you want a more discrete, dual purpose installation you can even have your structure constructed with solar cells built right into the roofing, awning and window materials. In a residential application using roofing materials with the solar cells built in will give you the same level of protection as an asphalt shingle while functioning as a solar panel, giving you more flexibility in design and reducing the chances your home will look like a space station.

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