Home Solar Power Kits

John Tahan asked:


For starter, if we look at the cost of keeping a house warm and well light and cozy it is enough to make us flip the other way to the solar power energy system. What about when you run out of electricity, do you enjoy lighting candles well of course we all do sometimes but wouldn’t it be nice if you had a home solar power system in place ready to kick in anytime when you encounter these unpleasant moments. As we all know, the sun does produce and disperses a huge amount of heat on the surface of the earth. A lot of it goes to waste when not used efficiently to our advantage. Solar power can be strong enough to power machinery and it may comes as a surprise to you but the space shuttle uses solar panels faced toward the sun in order to be able to power the shuttle efficiently.
Ok but what about when it snows and rains, when the sky is cloudy and we don’t see a trace of the sun for days. You can safely rest assured that with the amount of knowledge the scientist have about solar energy and all resources made available to them, storing solar energy for rainy days is a walk in the park for them. It is possible to produce enough heat in your solar source to create enough energy to last until the sun shows up again. Solar power is the way to the future, we must educate ourselves, prepare and we need to be ready for it. Right now solar power is primarily used by those who are more aware and worried about our earth’s atmosphere. Global warming is a big issue that we should all be worried about.

Never the less solar power is being used around the globe. It is cost effective to have a home solar power system put in place. You can choose to have a company put everything in place for you while still keeping the old conventional ways to heat your home. You can use solar energy to power your appliances only or heater only. You could also do your own research as far as material needed to implement a solar power system in your home. There are great books, videos, DVD, teaching you how to build your own solar power system.

No matter how you look at it, the advantages of having a home solar power system outweigh the disadvantages, solar power energy is here to stay and will become very popular in household around the world, we are living in desperate times and finding ways to cut expenses to keep a bit of what we earn in our pockets is the way to go. The price it may cost you to have a solar system put in place or to build one yourself will pay for itself in a very short time.

 

Juan Trevino asked:


Two solar power technologies exist, the passive and the active technology. The passive technology are the photocell panels or the photovoltaic film that receives sunlight and generates electricity more apt for a space station or a home. The active technology is a solar thermal that uses a dish to concentrate sunlight that produces steam, which in turn powers a turbine that generates electricity. Another active technology, which is not being promoted, hidden form public view, is using the Stirling Engine to move a power generator.
The passive technology is ready to go, and there are a few homes that have already installed the system. This system is totally clean, backed by the USDOE Solar American Initiative, it requires sufficient space on the roof to position the panels or film, and uses an inverter to turn direct current into alternate current homes can use. The Utility companies have also developed the Net Metering system to buy electricity on their terms, from homes that have generate a surplus of electricity. The new federal tax law “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008″ effective January 2009 provides a 30% tax credit of the cost of a solar system. Some States are also providing large incentives to install solar systems, although with the current economic crisis these paybacks can be curtailed or delayed. The rest of the payback has to come from real savings generated over time by the system from the Utility company. This passive solar system is expensive as of today, and payback is obtained in 8 years of savings. Photovoltaic film or photocell panels are low efficiency and voltage, and compare badly with the option of buying electricity from the utility company. Currently you require from 13 to 15 photocell panels to generate the 2.5 to 3.0 Kilowatt hours generating capacity.

Walmart has established a pilot plan to install photovoltaic panels in several of their stores. If the system produces a return, they will massively implement it in all their stores, since they have sufficient roof space currently not utilized.

The Solar-thermal system is not adequate for homes and mainly will be used for large Utility companies. However, the active system based on a Stirling engine to power a generator which could be applicable for homes, is not available for massive distribution. Although all of its components have been developed, no one has yet integrated the solar power generating kit, or a home appliance. This home system or appliance should be very low cost because it requires: a solar collector or dish which could cost around $200 USD, a stiriling engine with a cost of $350, the 3 KW per hour power generator with a cost of $350, and the battery bank which is the expensive ticket item and could run several thousand dollars, to store electricity if the system is a stand alone not tied to the power grid. If the home is currently supplied by a utility company, then the battery bank is not needed and the Net Metering system with the public utility company can be used. In addition to the sun collector dish the rest of the system can be packaged in two boxes. One which has the stiriling engine and power generator, and the other with the battery if you are a location not tied to the grid. It can also have a gas heater installation as a backup to when there is a lack of sunlight making this a very reliable alternative.

Apparently, there are companies in America, New Zealand, India, Sweden, and other countries trying to develop the stiriling engine . A few companies are receiving funding from investment funds to develop the stiriling engine for this home appliance. Infinia Corporation, a US company has a head start, because they are currently producing a big sterling engine to power up 10 homes at a time and installing many of them in a centralized solar farm in California. Other companies should not be discouraged because markets are so huge, there will be enough room for all suppliers. Just in United States alone there is a potential of 124 million homes that could use the solar power appliance, plus commercial and industrial sites.

Having the home powering appliance, can be the initial steps for returning to sustainable systems. Today, the sun is light and warmth, provided to us from God and Nature, free for all of us to use and enjoy. A home solar powered generator would provide clean energy, and allow equal footing to all nations rich and poor, to devote their funding into other worthwhile social services such as health and education. Rich nations which have electrical grids and power generation capacity would suddenly feel there would be no need to continue increasing Power generation capacities and hopefully they would discontinue all those plants that contaminate. Please see Poverty generation:  http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/poverty-and-the-new-world-order-809385.html

Marlon Maynard asked:


Solar power is starting to become very well accepted as time goes on. If the power goes out at home for long periods of time it can seriously disrupt our normal routine and create concern as we watch the freezer slowly start to thaw!

The variety and complexity of solar power for homes is probably the reason that most folks don’t switch to solar or wind power as it can be somewhat confusing.

That being said, where do you start looking at what products are available to employ solar electricity for the home to help you make the changeover to a solar power house? Really you can install home systems that can be small portable set ups to take with you on vacation or perhaps solar power for the shed, or you can go to the full hog and have a solar energy system built into your house as a stand alone system or tied into the grid.

Such flexibility along with the fact that it’s renewable and will save you a ton of cash in the long term is why going solar or wind power is really catching on.

You can start small and install individual solar systems like

* solar hot water.

* solar lights

* solar fans

* garden lighting

* water pumps

* just about any appliance that is outdoors.

These days there are also systems for indoor items as well

* radios

* calculators

* cookers

* purifiers

* battery chargers

and the list is getting longer all the time. It really just depends on where you want to use it as to how much money you can save on your electricity bills. And if you wish to go all out you can power your entire home with solar and wind power and go completely self-reliant!

To make it an even sweeter deal you can build and install your system yourself. Now you may be thinking that its way beyond your capabilities to attempt such an undertaking, but as long as you can use a screwdriver and some basic tools you are good to go.

All you need then is a good clear set of blueprints that are easy to follow and you can be the envy of your neighbors with your own home-built solar power system and start saving power bills right away!

After you discover solar power for homes you will come to see that you can supply almost any appliance or machine using solar by just employing the appropriate system. You will be so happy with the results that solar power will become a natural part of your life.

N Jamal asked:


Have you ever thought about generating affordable solar power? If not, then it’s just about time that you seriously take it into consideration as affordable solar power systems are now within the reach of the masses. Gone are the days when only governments and big companies had the resources to invest in generating solar power. With the advent of technology it’s very much possible and affordable for the common man to generate solar power and save heaps, by slashing down the electric bills up to 80% without reducing the usage.

With dwindling resources such as fossil fuel, which is the primary contributor in production of commercially available energy and increasing supply v/s demand ratio, the energy prices are sky-rocketing and will always continue to rise. Energy prices have shot up sharply and are enough to burn a hole in one’s pocket. The big question is, how much are you prepared to pay?

The most common myth that is prevalent in society and the primary reason why people shy away from generating solar power is due to a misconception that is, solar power is expensive to generate. Well, sure it is, if you decide to buy a readymade solar power kit from market it would leave you poorer by anything within $1000-$10000. However what you don’t know is that an affordable solar power kit can be made by you using raw materials which are easily available at the local hardware store for less than….drumroll please…… $200! And also if you choose to make one for yourself, it would only take half a weekend to setup and have a solar power system up and running.

Now taking into consideration that you can build your own affordable solar power system for less then $200 and the fact that solar power systems are maintenance free and have an average life span of 30-35 years, for such a small investment you will be saving thousands of dollars in the long run. Detailed procedure for setting these affordable solar power systems can be found in several DIY guides that show the minutest details ranging from what all raw material you require to make an affordable solar power kit to setting them up. Try to go for a DIY guide that has videos included and if they have an online forum where you can chat with other DIY enthusiasts, it would be a great added bonus.

Anna asked:


You may be wondering how solar-powered lights work. Solar lights are used after the sun has gone down. So how can they operate?

First of all, understand that lighting devices which relies on solar power generally use a backup battery to operate. Solar cells are used to charge the battery during the day, and the battery powers the light during the night. The solar cells might be attached to the device itself, or might be located nearby.

This type of lighting is often used in remote locations, where conventional power sources are unavailable, and lights can not be connected to the power grid. They are also used for outdoor lighting, or as landscape lights around the home or garden.

Components of Solar Powered Lights

There are four basic components of a solar powered light. Many solar lighting systems are sold with these components already integrated, but it is good to know what they are:

The solar cells The lamp A charge controller The batteries

When purchasing solar lights, the majority of the cost involved will be for the solar cells. These are the most expensive parts of the device or system. Be sure your system is installed within some type of weatherproof housing, so that the solar cells and electrical connections will withstand the elements. Ensure that the electrical parts are protected from moisture at all times.

The charge controller is like the ?brain? of a solar-powered light. It protects the batteries from overcharging, and maximizes the electrical output of your solar cell array. It also controls the duration that the light can operate. Without a charge controller, your setup will not function properly.

Uses of Solar Lights

Most solar powered lights are used to illuminate outdoor gardens and walkways. The lights are generally cordless, and you can move them around easily without the need to dig ditches and run the wires underground.

One disadvantage solar lighting has, in comparison to conventional lighting, is that its stored solar power diminishes over time. That means the light may be strong during the first few hours of operation, but will then gradually grow dim as the night goes on. This might not be seen as a disadvantage by some, because most outdoor activities occur during the early evening hours. Different solar lighting systems also have different capacities, and some last longer than others.

Keep in mind that solar-powered lights depend on sunshine to operate, and their performance can thus be influenced by weather conditions. If the weather is cloudy or rainy, then there will be less battery power than there would be on a sunny day. There are also different levels of quality, where solar lights are concerned ? the cheaper ones tend to be less efficient and do not last as long.

Hopefully in the near future, improvements in solar technology can make solar lighting less expensive, and more efficient, even during bad weather.

Daniel Stouffer asked:


ticle that follows, we will explain in how a residential solar (PV) cell converts photons of sunlight into household electrical currents. This process is called the photoelectric effect. We will also explain the physical characteristics of how silicon moves electrons through various states to produce household solar electric power.

Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the photoelectric effect, not for his work on relativity. Little did one know that the same people who helped us calculate everything under the sun is also the same person helping to bring renewable solar energy to the masses.

Solar Electricity and the Photoelectric Effect

The photoelectric effect is a key concept, since it is the way sunlight is converted into free electrons as light interacts with the solar cell. Without the creative work of Albert Einstein, the physical characteristics of sunlight might not be known. Never mind the impact and Earth-altering opportunities to power your home using solar generated electricity that his ideas inspired all these years later.

Think of sunlight not as a wave but as a beam of photon particles for the purposes of explain the technical details of how home solar energy systems work. These bundles of energy penetrate the silicon lattice structure inside the solar cells making up a home solar panel and transfer their energy to an electron in the outer layer of the silicon atom.

When a single electron gains enough energy from the penetrating photons, it breaks free and floats around the lattice structure, no longer bonded. An electron has a negative charge when it is knocked free during the photoelectric effect. The silicon atom that loses the electron, which had a neutral charge with the electron, now has a positive charge without it. Remember back to high school chemistry. Suddenly, these classes seem relevant when learning about solar generated electricity. Who would have known?

When an electron is removed from this lattice structure or matrix in this fashion, it creates a hole in the outer layer of the lattice where the electron was. A nearby electron with a negative charge soon fills the hole. The electron that moves in has a positive charge. It can be described like the balancing of an equation; i.e. when one silicon electron consisting of a negative charge is transferred in…another particle, in this case an electron with a positive charge, is bumped out and moves out.

As photons of sunlight penetrate the silicon and knock electrons loose they transfer their energy. Negative electrons are forced to move into nearby holes and positive holes appear where electrons once were. This photoelectric effect works because of the one-directional flow of positive and negative electrons. This flow of electrons produces the electrical current used in everyday use. The one way or single direction that the silicon electrons is produced when the sunlight, which is really photons of energy, repeatedly hit the silicon solar cells inside the PV panels making up the home solar power unit.

Incredibly enough, this process is the secret sauce that allows electricity to be produced from ordinary sunlight. It is Albert Einstein’s discovery, called the photoelectric effect, that makes solar electric energy possible. The average homeowner can now buy or rental home solar energy systems and generate useful electricity for their house.

Y.T. Lee asked:


There are some people who care for the environment and also care for their money. These people are those who opt in for the home solar power system. Most people do not bother about the environment or care for the escalating power bills. Some of them cut down on their power usage in the hope that their bills will go down, but they are amazed when, after a few months, they see inflated power bills again. If you have not been following the news lately, you will not know that utility companies are increasing power charges on a frequent basis. They are helpless, since they too have to pay extra money to purchase fuel that drives their power producing generators.

The over effect cascades from top to bottom. The fuel supplying countries hike fuel costs and this leads to increased generation costs and you end up paying a higher amount per unit of electricity consumed. Cutting down on the amount of appliances you use daily might help temporarily, but in the long run, they shall not be helpful. Have you ever though of the future. Do you know that the natural fuel reserves of our planet are limited and by rough estimates shall not last for more than a few decades? This is a great threat for the future generation and cannot be avoided totally, but you can prevent the same from striking in the near future by preserving the resources available today.

Check out any new building and you will observe that the occupants of the same are making extensive usage of solar energy to satisfy their power needs. These solar panels are not costly and provide sufficient power to help you run most of your appliances. Most lights and fans of your building can easily run off the power supplied by these photovoltaic cells, thereby helping you to cut down on your utility bills and also preserving the fuel wasted on them. If you require less power, the company that supplies you with power will generate less power, thus consuming less fuel. Before you go in for a solar cell array kit, check out the power requirements of your residence.

Leave out the heavy power guzzlers like air-conditioners since the standard solar cells will not be able to generate sufficient power to drive them. However, if you want to run heavy-duty power appliances, you can opt in for bigger photovoltaic arrays. Once you have ascertained the amount of power you require from the solar cells, spend some time on the net searching for organizations that market solar energy kits. These kits do not cost the earth and pay off for themselves within a few months. The solar cell kits that will comprise your home solar power system is easy to assemble. The kit contains sufficient illustrated documentation. If you can distinguish a red wire from a black wire and know the basics of soldering, you can set up the kit and have it running in a few days.

Glen Stevens asked:


Home solar power secrets can be discovered quite easily. It doesn’t matter if you are building a new home or remodeling, you can turn it into a residential solar power home by making a few simple changes to your plan, such as using solar power panels. If electric and gas become hard to manage you may want to think about heating your home with the sun.

Solar energy is known as the heat that comes from the sun down to the earth. When sun’s energy reaches the earth it spreads evenly but you may need it to go to a certain area like your home. Exactly how do you get that much sunlight to heat a home, it’s really easy to do and takes a few extra steps to help get it started.

For example, if you are building your home you have multiple choices to choose from regarding your solar power systems. If you choose to heat from the sun you will need to construct your home facing in the direction that the sun comes up. This allows your home to get the most sunlight during the heat of the day.

Buying solar powered glass windows allow the sunlight to come through and stay in the home without escaping back out. After the sun goes down, your home is kept warm by the sunlight that came into the home during the day,however you need to keep the door shut in order to keep the heat in and you also need to use insulated curtains on the windows at night so that the heat will not escape at night while you sleep.

Make sure you don’t let too many windows on the side of the house that faces the afternoon sun as it may cause the home to cool down quickly. Remodeling your home to use the sun’s energy as a natural heating source is fairly easy to do and is one of the advantages of solar power.

Although you can’t change the direction that your house is built in to face the early morning sun you can still trap the sunlight that shines through and reduce the amount of time that you use another source of heat.

You may want to consider constructing a sun room onto the side of your house that catches the morning sun allowing it to heat up naturally and then install ceiling fans that will circulate the air into the parts of the house.

During the day this may provide enough heat to maintain the warmth in your home but when remodeling your home, it will help to install solar power windows that are epecially designed to attract the sunlight and allow it to come into the house but not let it escape. This is a great and totally natural way to heat your home.

Using natural sunlight to heat your home is an excellent way to save money on your heating bill and also to improve the environment. You can install a backup

heating source just in case the sunlight does not heat your home efficiently during the day because of too many clouds.

Your back up system can be used to assist the solar energy which will also cut down on the use of electric or gas which is simply a smart move.

John Tahan asked:


 This type of system heats oil that is flowing through the pipe. The oil is hot and that is why it is used to boil water to power a steam generator which in turns powers electricity.

The reason that this system works so well is because the U-shaped mirrors attracts and collects the suns heat which is then transferred onto the receiver. The receiver absorbs the heat and transfers into fluid which helps to power the engine. The heat causes the fluid to swell up against the piston and that produces mechanical power. This type of power can be used to run things like generators or even an alternator that will produce electricity. This system works great when because it uses molten salt that flows through the receiver. When the salt heats up it can generate electricity through the steam generator. The salt holds in the heat for several days before it has to be converted into electricity. Because this system uses so many panels it is mainly used for industrial solar power where acres of land can be donated to the Parabolic Trough. There can be enough power in the network that can create energy for several days or more. Because this system is so large that it allows the heat that it saves to be transferred days later.

Through this project and other solar power projects we can understand fully how solar power works. When we see how much solar power is conserved using these U shaped mirrors we can also understand how much energy is lost. Using concentrating solar power systems are beneficial to the businesses that use them because they won’t have so much time down when the power fails. Machinery is their only major concern and as long as their machines are taken care of there should be no problems. Industrial type of solar power can attract and trap a lot of heat from the sun during the day, especially using mirrors that will reflect the sunlight. It also helps to have this type of solar power out in an open field free of trees and vegetation that may grow around and at some point crowd the solar light out.

Scientist are continuously studying this theory as businesses use it to power their machinery. Steam power was what was used from the beginning with solar power and is still what most systems depend on to service their production needs. In the future, fields may eventually be full of mirrors that somewhat point up to the sky in hopes of generating enough sunlight to heat the world. Until then we will use the traditional methods of heating water, heating our homes and powering our electricity.

I have come across a great site that has the #1 home solar power energy system It is a complete step-by-step fully illustrated manual + easy to follow videos that will have you generating your own electricity for less than $200! Guaranteed.

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