Solar Panels Resource

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The standard solar power system used to provide electricity today consists chiefly of two components: PV (photovoltaic) panels and a storage system. The PV (photovoltaic) panels generate the electricity. A solar storage system stores any excess for later use when there isn’t enough sunlight to power all your needs.

Batteries

That storage system is usually in the form of a large array of batteries stored in a vented, safe location such as a basement or specially constructed room. Though batteries are optional, in order to be completely ‘off grid’ some kind of storage system is needed and batteries are almost universally used.

There are two basic kinds of batteries used in most systems: lead acid and nickel cadmium.

Lead acid batteries are by far the most common because of their much lower cost. They’re very similar to lead acid car batteries with some interesting differences discussed below. They have positive and negative terminals (to which leads are attached) and contain metal plates that connect to the terminals. The plates sit in a chemical solution, typically sulfuric acid.

Electricity is made available by a chemical reaction between the lead plates inside the housing and the sulphuric acid mix. When they chemically combine, they generate free electrons that flow through the terminals and down the attached leads to your home outlets. PV (photovoltaic) solar panel-generated electricity drives the chemical reaction backwards, (re)charging the batteries.

The same principles apply in the case of nickel cadmium batteries, though there are some interesting practical differences. NiCad batteries are much more expensive. But they earn that higher price by delivering more value. They last much longer and they can discharge more current before they need to be recharged.

Both types are what are known as deep-cycle batteries. Car batteries supply a lot of current for a short period of time, enough and long enough to start your car. Then the motor takes over to power the electrical devices. They are shallow cycle batteries.

But solar power system batteries have to deliver a smaller current over a much longer period of time, hence they are designed differently. During the night when the PV (photovoltaic) panels are not delivering electricity to run the home or charge the batteries, these deep cycle devices do their job.

Charge Controllers

Draining a battery completely (or overcharging it repeatedly), though, would shorten its lifetime drastically.

So, there’s a device that’s part of the system that keeps that from happening. They’re called charge controllers.

When the battery reaches a certain level, the controller cuts of any drain to prevent the stored charge going below a designed-in level. It also cuts off once the battery reaches a pre-set level of charge stored. Most are designed to allow lead acid batteries to discharge to no more than 50% of capacity. That ensures a long life.

PV (photovoltaic) panels will last 20 years, but even good batteries may last no more than 10 years, often less. Replacing them increases the cost of the system, so extending their lifetime is key to keeping the overall investment as low as possible.

The idea of heating your home with the sun is hardly new. Since the dawn of humankind the sun has been used to provide needed warmth. But modern technology has completely transformed the way that can be done, even from the methods used a few generations ago.

In the 1920s some municipalities supplied hot water to homes by large storage tanks that were heated by the sun. As the unit cost of electricity and gas decreased, such applications became relatively too expensive to compete. But old ideas often become new again, with a twist. Modern hot water heating systems using solar power have now been in use for more than 30 years.

But what’s even newer are ways of heating the home using solar energy that go well beyond simple windows. It’s certainly possible to just allow sunlight to stream into a window. But that often leads to areas of the home that are too bright. It generates areas that are too warm, while others receive too little heat.

Modern solar heating systems can redirect solar energy to provide an even, comfortable temperature throughout the house.

Some such systems use water or a salt water mixture. The tubes and channels that contain the liquid sometimes lie in small parabolic mirror-type troughs that concentrate the sun’s rays to raise the water temperature. That’s how many solar water heating systems work (minus the salt, of course). But that same technology can be adapted to supply home heat.

Most water systems are designed to keep the heat from escaping. That way, the water doesn’t have to be continually reheated and hot water is available on demand. But home heating systems reverse that idea and allow some of that heat to escape.

In one application, a series of tubes runs under wooden, clay or other materials used for flooring. By design, the heat gradually flows through the flooring and rises up into the air to provide a comfortable interior environment.

Clever designers have taken the idea one step further. They know that water isn’t the only common fluid in our environment. Air is also a fluid. Not a liquid, but a fluid as scientists define it. That gives it some of the properties of a liquid in that it flows easily.

Filling the tubes with air or other gas makes it possible to still absorb and deposit heat where it’s wanted. At the same time, because the gas is not a liquid, if a leak occurs there’s no major damage to the home.

Such applications aren’t as efficient at storing heat as liquid systems because they’re not as dense. But neither would you have to endure the cost of major repairs in case something goes wrong. If the system springs a leak, it’s only necessary to patch it or replace a small section, an inexpensive operation especially compared to the cost of replacing flooring or walls after a water leak.

Such problems are not as rare as they may seem. In climates where the weather becomes quite cold in the winter, water inside pipes does sometimes freeze and break the pipe. Yet, at the same time, there are many such cold days that still supply plenty of sunshine that could be used in a solar heating system.

Investigate the possible applications for your home and you’ll discover a wide array of options.

Here are 10 easy steps that you can take right now to save money on your energy bills each month:

1. Move furniture away from heating vents and hot and cold air returns. This ends up blocking the return and causes the room to stay cool or hot.  You furniture should be kept away from these returns to get the most use of the energy and save on  energy costs.
2. Change your furnace filter.  When was the last time you did this?  If you change it every month, you will have a more efficient furnace that not only acts as a heater but also generates the air through the ducts for the air conditioner as well.
3. Switch to energy saving light bulbs.  As each bulb runs out, change it with an energy saver.  You will soon find you are saving energy and buying less light bulbs.
4. Fix leaky faucets.  They waste gallons of water.  Remove the handle, tighten it with a wrench and chances are you will have fixed the faucet.  If not, you can easily install a new faucet which costs under $30 at most home  improvement stores.
5. Install a hand held shower head.  This will make taking a shower a breeze and cleaning the shower even easier.
6. Fix all windows with cracks. If you have storms with cracks, have them replaced.  They are energy wasters.  Do  this before the cold air sets in and you will save money on your heating bill.  Storm windows are easy to replace and can be taken to a glass shop and re-glazed.
7. Install weather stripping on doors and windows.  If you are ready to winterize your house for the cold weather, or even if you just want to save on the air conditioning costs as your cool air is escaping all of the time, then use weather stripping, which is easy to get at a home improvement store, to better insulate your windows and doors.
8. Clean the lint trap in your dryer every day.  Each time you use the dryer, clean the lint trap.  This will not only make the clothes dryer run more efficiently and save you money on energy costs, but will eliminate a potential fire hazard.  The dryer has a vent that goes outside as well that should be vacuumed out periodically
9. Never run your dishwasher or clothes washer half full.  It costs just as much to run a full washer as it does one that is partially loaded.  And while you are at it, rinse those dishes before putting them in he dishwasher as it will make them cleaner and save on your energy costs.
10. Partially cook your foods in the microwave and use it for defrosting foods before adding them to the oven or stove.  The microwave not only works quicker, but will end up using less energy.  You can save energy when cooking by defrosting your foods that can be defrosted before cooking by using the microwave.

I just heard about Roof Ray – wow! What A cool idea – make it simple for consumers to evaluate the solar potential of their house by using Google Maps. I have included Roof Ray’s widget below so you can play around with it – I love the idea of simplifying the process of getting solar installed for your home.

As reported by BBC in the recent article, “Solar plane makes record flight”, by Jonathan Amos – the Zephyr-6 as it has been called stayed up in the air a record three days. The plane is powered by solar energy and lithium-sulphur batteries, recharging the batteries during the day.

Solar energy driven plane sets flight record. Courtesy of BBC News

Quick Facts about the solar energy powered plane:

Lightweight plane (30-34kg/70lb) is launched by hand
Coms or surveillance payload of about 2kg (4.5lb)
Flies autonomously and can climb to more than 18km (60,000ft)
By day, Zephyr flies on solar power and recharges its batteries
Advanced amorphous silicon solar arrays supplied by Unisolar
Rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries supplied by Sion Corp

USA Today reports that Pacific Gas’ plans to buy a huge amount of solar generated energy.

Paul Davidson of USA Today wrote, “Pacific Gas and Electric (PCG) in California announced last week it will buy 800 megawatts of solar-generated electricity from two companies, enough to light 239,000 homes. Within three years, PG&E will buy its solar energy from OptiSolar and SunPower, which plan to build the world’s two largest solar farms in California as part of the deal.”

Read The Full Article Here

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