Understanding Solar Energy
Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar technologies are means of using sunlight for useful energy without use of active mechanical systems (as contrasted to active solar). Such technologies convert sunlight into usable heat (water, air, thermal mass), cause air-movement for ventilating, or future use, with little use of other energy sources. Active solar technologies are employed to convert solar energy into usable light, heat, cause air-movement for ventilation or cooling, or store heat for future use. Active solar uses electrical or mechanical equipment, such as pumps and fans, to increase the usable heat in a system. Solar energy collection and utilization systems that do not use external energy, like a solar chimney, are classified as passive solar technologies. Photovoltaics (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of cells containing a photovoltaic material. Due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources, the manufacturing of solar cells and photovoltaic arrays has advanced considerably in recent years. Photovoltaics are best known as a method for generating electric power by using solar cells to convert energy from the sun into electricity. The photovoltaic effect refers to photons of light knocking electrons into a higher state of energy to create electricity. The term photovoltaic denotes the unbiased operating mode of a photodiode in which current through the device is entirely due to the transduced light energy. Virtually all photovoltaic devices are some type of photodiode. Photovoltaic production has been increasing by an average of more than 20 percent each year since 2002, making it the world’s fastest-growing energy technology. Due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources, the manufacture of solar cells and photovoltaic arrays has advanced dramatically in recent years. Photovoltaic power capacity is measured as maximum power output under standardized test conditions (STC) in “Wp” (Watts peak). The actual power output at a particular point in time may be less than or greater than this standardized, or “rated,” value, depending on geographical location, time of day, weather conditions, and other factors. Top 10 Photovoltaic Manufactures Fun Facts about Solar Energy usage: -Solar Energy is measured in kilowatt-hour. 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts. -1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) = the amount of electricity required to burn a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours. -According to the US Department of Energy, an average American household used approximately 866-kilowatt hours per month in 1999 costing them $70.68. – About 30% of our total energy consumption is used to heat water. -A 1-kilowatt home solar system takes about 1-2 days to install and costs around US$10,000, but can vary greatly and does not take into account any incentives offered by the government. -A 1-kilowatt home solar system consists of about 10-12 solar panels and requires about 100 square feet of installation area. -A 1 kilowatt home solar system will generate approximately 1,600 kilowatt hours per year in a sunny climate (receiving 5.5 hours of sunshine per day) and approximately 750 kilowatt hours per year in a cloudy climate (receiving 2.5 hours of sunshine per day). -A 1-kilowatt home solar system will prevent approximately 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, 300 lbs of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere and 105 gallons of water from being consumed each month! -About 40 solar cells are usually combined into a solar panel and around 10-12 panels mounted in an array facing due North to receive maximum sunlight. Is Solar Power Right for You? How much you’re willing to spend upfront? The cost of solar cells for your home can varie wildly on the size of the Solar System, the location of your home, and the amount of electricity you plan on producing. A $25,000 system is a decent figure to work with (or about $40,000, before tax and federal incentives). If you were thinking more along the lines of $10,000 or under, installing a solar hot water system may be more suitable for your price range. This is especially true if your home uses a good amount of hot water, you have an oil or gas fired hot water heater, and/or the location of your home gets sun light 65%+ a year. Solar hot water can provide most of a home’s hot water needs. Residential systems typically cost about $6,000 or $7,000 to install, are highly reliable, and are eligible for the same federal incentives as solar panels, in most cases. Commercial Systems are usually twice that cost. Overall Solar hot water is a great alternative to true Photovoltaic Systems if cost is a determinant. If your finances allow for less than $10,000 but you still want solar panels, don’t worry. Some states have incentives making panels completely feasible at this price, and in many other states you could simply build your own system using places like SolarCity.com and Fry’s Electronics as your source for solar cells, regulators and converters. San Francisco solar companies offer many solutions and can help any residential project. Find your average electric usage. Take a look at a recent utility bill. How much energy (in kilowatt-hours (kwh)) did you use last month? What about the last 6 months? The last year? The best number to work with is an average. To find your average usage, add up your total usage over a year and divide it by 12. This will give you the average per month. If you’re paying a relatively low amount for your electricity (low= 8 cents per kilowatt hour) it’s likely that a solar photovoltaic system would have an unattractive payback period. Solar panels are a better investment in regions where conventional electricity from the grid is relatively more expensive. This is because electricity generated by solar photovoltaic panels gets credited back on your monthly electric bill. The higher the rate, the more attractive a solar photovoltaic system looks as an investment. So, a solar panel system in California, where residents can pay as high as $0.49/kWh, will have more attraction and a better return on investment than places like South Dakota, where electricity is cheaper than the national average. The more money you pay per month on each kWh of electricity, the better a Solar Photovoltaic System could benefit your home. Review your state’s rebates and incentives before installing solar. After reading through your state’s incentives on the DSIRE database, you should have some idea of the kinds of financial incentives your state provides for solar installations. The most standard incentives are tax credits, sometimes as high as 35 percent of system cost, and rebates. Rebates are usually calculated per watt of system size, and good ones will reimburse you for $1.50-$3.00 per watt you install. (For our average 5-kW system, this equates to $7,500-$15,000 in solar rebates.) Other incentives include electricity buy back or Net Metering, where your local Electric Company will pay you for electricity that your Solar Photovoltaic System puts back into the grid. This usually comes in the form of bill reduction. If you have any questions or want to find out how you can get a PV Solar System on your home. Please fill out the contact form and a representative from your region will contact you.
Making Your Own Solar and Wind Power
Why is wind power important? Wind power makes sense in these times when the demand far exceeds the supply. The convention ways of producing electricity make use of the non-renewable fuels, not only making such resources scarce but also affecting the environment negatively. The power generated by wind proves beneficial in the following ways: ? Free source of energy ? The wind power makes use of wind energy which is absolutely free, thus saving the non-renewable sources of energy for longer. ? No environmental hazards ? The generation of wind power is extremely environment-friendly. It does not emit harmful gases nor does it have any other environment-damaging impact. ? Cost-effective ? Using a free energy makes wind turbines extremely cost-effective. Moreover, there remains no worry of sky-rocketing electricity bills. ? 24/7 uninterrupted supply ? The wind power ensures that you never have power outages in your house and farm. ? Self-dependent source ? Making use of wind power makes you independent. You no longer depend on the government and its agencies for power. How can we make power from the wind? A wind turbine is employed to make use of the abundant wind energy. A wind turbine converts wind energy into mechanical energy for mechanical work. Such a wind turbine is generally referred to as a windmill. A wind generator is a wind turbine that further converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy. A wind turbine typically consists of blades, a tower, a shaft, a base, and a generator. The blades of the wind turbine rotate in the wind to generate mechanical energy. The two pre-requisites for installing a wind turbine are a large area of at least one acre and an average wind speed of 11 miles per hour. What are the uses of wind power? The uses of wind power are many. Let?s look at some of the popular ones: ? Running all possible electrical and electronic appliances ? Pumping out water ? Grinding grains and stones By employing a wind turbine at your home or farm, you definitely make the world a better place. The wind power is a green solution to the power crisis. It does not harm the environment in any way. Moreover, it does not make use of any fuel, thus promising a future of no power-crisis.
Disadvantages of Wind Power Revised
The main and most crucial disadvantages of wind power: what they are and how they can be overcomed. Following in the tradition of Don Quixote, the immortal creation of Cervantes, we are finding quite a few causes to complain about windmills and wind power systems. Now that the novelty of the system has worn out a little and the initial enthusiasm surrounding wind power systems has also diminished somewhat, we have started to take a closer look at wind power systems and have unearthed a few disadvantages of the system. Let’s take a closer look. Wind power, above everything else, continues to remain one of the best alternative measures of generating power and electricity. The clean, green and non-polluting nature of the energy that it produces has made wind power immensely popular with those among us who care about the environment and wish to leave behind a better world for their children. Some even claimed wind power to be better than solar power as the former continued working even after sunset. The energy produced was also virtually free and some wind power systems worked so well that they completely replaced the need for having any other source of power. However, there are two disadvantages. First, the high cost of the wind turbines and secondly, the need to find the right location in order to make such a system work properly. While turbines, battery banks and electronic controllers are quite expensive by most standards, to make matters worse, setting up a wind power is quite a daunting task by itself. Moreover, there are maintenance hassles to take care of on a regular basis. The main disadvantage, however, is perhaps due to the highly unpredictable nature of wind itself. While it may be blowing fair and strong one moment, the very next could see a sudden drop in its power. And as everybody knows, wind power systems need fairly strong winds blowing consistently to produce any appreciable amount of energy. However, even though such disadvantages exist, the fact remains that wind power still packs quite a punch as far as its popularity is concerned. In fact, wind power has so many things going in its favor that its advantages far outweigh the handful of disadvantages that it might have. It has to be mentioned in this context that most of the so called disadvantages are actually technical challenges – this is natural considering the fact that wind power as a technology is still evolving. With continuing research and given some more time, the technology will surely improve and eventually, make these disadvantages disappear. The eco-friendly and economical nature of wind power still makes it the top bet in alternative power sources. Just by switching over to wind power, you will be surprised at how much savings you can actually make on your monthly energy consumption bills! And above all, you can also keep the environment clean and green. No wonder these are still the best reasons why millions around the world are turning to wind power every year. Continuing research in the field of alternative energy production, especially solar and wind power systems is making these systems more powerful, more dependable and increasingly affordable. It will not be long before all the current disadvantages of using wind power will be gone for good and it will find even wider acceptance around the globe. By embracing wind and solar power, mankind can stop the reckless exploitation of fossil fuels for energy production, curb environmental pollution and halt global warming by eliminating harmful emissions, and thus pave the way for a greener tomorrow for our children. We have to rely on clean energy sources more and more because the reserve of fossil fuel that we have is getting diminished day by day. The best time to end the depletion is now. Mankind should start looking into alternatives such as solar power and wind power now. Thanks to all the technological advancements made in recent years in the field of wind energy systems, you can install a wind power system in your home quite easily nowadays. In fact, a completely functional wind power system can be set up all by oneself. However, consulting a good step-by-step guide is strongly recommended to ensure a trouble-free and successful installation. Just ensure that you have the knowledge to help you select the right location, buy the right equipment at the right prices, wire the system correctly, and of course, take all the necessary safety precautions. Jim Martin is a researcher, inventor, home energy consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Earth 4 Electricity- Renewable Energy Made Easy”. To Learn More about Jim Martin
Disadvantages of Wind Power Revised
The main and most crucial disadvantages of wind power: what they are and how they can be overcomed. Following in the tradition of Don Quixote, the immortal creation of Cervantes, we are finding quite a few causes to complain about windmills and wind power systems. Now that the novelty of the system has worn out a little and the initial enthusiasm surrounding wind power systems has also diminished somewhat, we have started to take a closer look at wind power systems and have unearthed a few disadvantages of the system. Let’s take a closer look. Wind power, above everything else, continues to remain one of the best alternative measures of generating power and electricity. The clean, green and non-polluting nature of the energy that it produces has made wind power immensely popular with those among us who care about the environment and wish to leave behind a better world for their children. Some even claimed wind power to be better than solar power as the former continued working even after sunset. The energy produced was also virtually free and some wind power systems worked so well that they completely replaced the need for having any other source of power. However, there are two disadvantages. First, the high cost of the wind turbines and secondly, the need to find the right location in order to make such a system work properly. While turbines, battery banks and electronic controllers are quite expensive by most standards, to make matters worse, setting up a wind power is quite a daunting task by itself. Moreover, there are maintenance hassles to take care of on a regular basis. The main disadvantage, however, is perhaps due to the highly unpredictable nature of wind itself. While it may be blowing fair and strong one moment, the very next could see a sudden drop in its power. And as everybody knows, wind power systems need fairly strong winds blowing consistently to produce any appreciable amount of energy. However, even though such disadvantages exist, the fact remains that wind power still packs quite a punch as far as its popularity is concerned. In fact, wind power has so many things going in its favor that its advantages far outweigh the handful of disadvantages that it might have. It has to be mentioned in this context that most of the so called disadvantages are actually technical challenges – this is natural considering the fact that wind power as a technology is still evolving. With continuing research and given some more time, the technology will surely improve and eventually, make these disadvantages disappear. The eco-friendly and economical nature of wind power still makes it the top bet in alternative power sources. Just by switching over to wind power, you will be surprised at how much savings you can actually make on your monthly energy consumption bills! And above all, you can also keep the environment clean and green. No wonder these are still the best reasons why millions around the world are turning to wind power every year. Continuing research in the field of alternative energy production, especially solar and wind power systems is making these systems more powerful, more dependable and increasingly affordable. It will not be long before all the current disadvantages of using wind power will be gone for good and it will find even wider acceptance around the globe. By embracing wind and solar power, mankind can stop the reckless exploitation of fossil fuels for energy production, curb environmental pollution and halt global warming by eliminating harmful emissions, and thus pave the way for a greener tomorrow for our children. We have to rely on clean energy sources more and more because the reserve of fossil fuel that we have is getting diminished day by day. The best time to end the depletion is now. Mankind should start looking into alternatives such as solar power and wind power now. Thanks to all the technological advancements made in recent years in the field of wind energy systems, you can install a wind power system in your home quite easily nowadays. In fact, a completely functional wind power system can be set up all by oneself. However, consulting a good step-by-step guide is strongly recommended to ensure a trouble-free and successful installation. Just ensure that you have the knowledge to help you select the right location, buy the right equipment at the right prices, wire the system correctly, and of course, take all the necessary safety precautions. Jim Martin is a researcher, inventor, home energy consultant and author of the #1 best-selling e-book, “Earth 4 Electricity- Renewable Energy Made Easy”. To Learn More about Jim Martin
Home Wind Power Generator – wind energy – wind power
Home wind power generator Is about generating wind power electricity for the home and work sheds or out buildings for dam pumps and security lights using the free energy that is available most of the year. Renewable diy enthusiast are trying to disconnect from commercial utility power grids find an alternative power source by building and erecting home wind turbines generators outside their homes to save money and mainly reduce their electricity use. In some cases the home owner can produce excess wind electricity and sell the excess power back to the commercial utility power company. Installing a home wind power generator for the home can be an easy task. Purchase a wind power package from the internet and follow the step by step guides. Residential – Domestic home wind power generator In case when the wind has stopped the home owner needs to have a battery bank then converts this battery power into house electricity 120 volts A.C. Wind flow may be higher than the house and a wind generator Towner may be erected to put the wind generator up into the wind flow or the Towner could be positioned away from the house and take advantage of a slight hill. The tower is just a technical name for the pole that the home wind turbine generator or other type of generator mounted on, and in some cases will need steel guy ropes for strength in high winds. Another issue with home wind turbine generators is when strong winds are present the wind generator needs to have a electrical brake system installed because it would be not be practical to lower the Towner every time there are strong winds. There are many wind generator installation services. Some things to look for when installing a home wind power generator on the property. 1 Safety Issues/Laws 2 Municipal Regulations 3 City Regulations 4 State Regulation concerning the home wind generator system There are safety issues that can be overcome with common sense. Example. The Towner would not be position or mount to low to cause harm. Regulation is relative to where you live. The extremes in regulation go from no regulation at all, to extremely prohibitive. A good site to check out is the EERA website and do a Google search for wind power in America. Both websites will give the home owner all the relative information regarding state regulations, detailed information about tax credits and rebates for wind power listed under each state. Home wind power is becoming so popular that a lot of local authorities are either ignoring the usage of wind energy by saying nothing or they simply are not caught up with the times. The general way that home wind power system works is: Wind Turbines or wind generators will take advantage of wind [spin the Blades] that will agitate magnets in the motor [permanent magnets] to generate friction [Magnetic flux] and produce electrical power [current – AMPS] for home electricity. The potential growth is strong for the wind turbine generators to power home throughout the states. Wind power for the home is a great alternative to traditional grid power, it is simple to put in place and can help off-set or eliminate power bills and save the money each month. $$$$ Contributed by Bret Parker CHECK out Bret’s home wind generator Bret Parker comprehensive manuals and Videos on how to make a solar panel.com and home made wind power generator construction. How to make solar panels, home made diy wind power generator and information you’ll need to build a complete diy home solar power system and how to use solar electricity. Complete Home wind Power System
Home Wind Power Is Defiantly An Investment
Home wind power is regarded to be amongst the most inexpensive, gainful, and dependable alternative energy resolutions. Home Wind Power is efficient, clean and affordable.
Wind Power Manufacturers of the World
Since a long time ago, ancient people had known the benefit of wind to help their life easier. In Babylonia and China, for instance, nearly 4000 years ago the inhabitants of two regions used the power of the wind to pump water for their crops. While in Europe in middle ages, people used wind power to grind grain for their food. In modern living, wind power is used for greater benefit. In certain region of the world which receives lots of wind, German for instance, uses the wind power to generate electricity. As time goes by, when people start to realize how useful it is to ?farm? wind and apply its energy for supporting modern life, companies called wind power manufacturers begin to establish their businesses. Wind power in short term is a way of how we use the wind energy converted into other form of useful energy, such as electricity. The conversion process done by machines called Wind Generators (25km/h). They consist of blades or turbines or propellers which turn the generator to load the energy storage. Then the Wind power manufacturers place the machines in areas which receive great wind-the coast, top hills or plain areas-to maximize wind farming. The process itself is similar to battery charging. The wind power contributes about 1.5% of electricity usage in the year 2008. Some countries have shared penetration of their wind power use in high levels. Denmark, for example, reached 19% of its stationary electricity production from wind power. Spain and Portugal has 11% of it, while German and Ireland got 7%. At the beginning of 2009, eight more countries (some of them are China, Canada, India, and Mexico) use the power of wind for their commercial sectors. In USA, Texas is counted as the best region in installing wind power over 1,000 Megawatts. It stands right in the second place after California in wind farming. List of The Wind Power ManufacturersFarming the wind seemed to be a promising business. From time to time the rise of the companies which dedicated to manufacture wind power is doubled in numbers. Here are the three of the well-known wind power manufacturers:1.Vestas (Denmark) Vestas (Vestas Wind System) is one of the biggest wind power manufacturers in the world. It provides full range of products in turbines systems. Vestas has plants in Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Britain, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Australia, China, Windsor and Colorado. 2.GE Energy (United States) GE is also one of the leading wind turbine suppliers in the world. It has more than 8,000 wind turbine installation in worldwide which manufacturing in Germany, Spain, China, Canada, and the United States. 3.Gamesa (Spain) Gamesa Corporaci
Build Residential Home Wind Power Generator
By building a Residential Home wind generator you could be saving thousands of dollars on your utility bills. A Residential Home wind power generator converts the wind into a home electricity source. You need to be living in an area that has winds averaging over eight miles an hour most of the year, Wind power is a free energy source that is easily generated through a wind power generator, wind turbine, windmill and then connected to your home by the way of electrical connections. Building a Residential Home wind power generator for home use is quickly becoming an attractive option for many environmentally conscious home owners to use as an alternative energy source helping to reduce both environmental damage and fossil fuel use Using wind power, you can reduce your electricity bills each month.
Shcri.com: Research Report of Chinese Wind Power Industry, 2009
The wind energy is the kinetic energy producing by the flows of mass air in the surface of the earth. Due to the different temperature changes of the earth after the solar irradiation and the different steam contents in the air, the air pressure is different in various regions. In the horizontal direction, the high pressure air flows to the low air pressure areas and then forms the wind.