Green Living Utopia - Solar Basics

The Basics of Solar Power for Your Home

You can do the world – and your wallet – a lot of good by using solar power for some, if not all of your energy needs. Here is a quick and easy discussion on how solar works, for anyone who’s considering going solar in the near future.

When sunlight is converted into usable energy, this is solar power at work in its basest form. Gadgets called photovoltaic or PV cells (and larger tiles and platforms) are responsible for collecting the sun’s rays and turning it into energy.

The materials used in making these platforms include several materials, including silicone, that cause a special reaction when hit by the sun’s rays. As the sunlight hits these cells, the energy “slices” off negatively charged ions. This creates a magnetic field, a form of energy. The energy is then captured in small wires, which forms an electric current. The wires would be connected to an inverter that

changes direct current to alternate. And when that does happen, solar can be used to power our everyday home appliances.

Solar power is free of charge, and that is probably the best thing about it. Solar power didn’t use to be affordable – in fact, it was very expensive and messy prior to the past decade. All you need to pay for now is for installing your solar power system and for the items included. They even come in portable versions which are enough to just charge a phone, tablet or laptop. Solar systems do not have any maintenance cost for the most part, and can last up to half a century.

The option to get solar power is more exciting than ever due to some laws passed in certain parts of the United States. There are some states where homeowners can go solar and get a tax rebate for it. The relatively new process of net metering is now legal in more than half of the 50 states.

Net metering is a great way for you to reduce your utility bill and save huge amounts of money. Essentially, you are now allowed to “sell” power back to the utility companies at the same price they charge you. If your home is powered by solar energy, you can let solar do its thing in the daytime while using conventional electricity in the evening. The worst thing that could happen is a huge discount off your electric bill, while the best thing would be avoiding it completely – this, because your meter runs backwards. Just think of all the money you can save per year, or for the next few decades considering the lifespan of a solar power system. It is little surprise why solar power is such an enticing option these days.

You shouldn’t be asking yourself whether you should use solar power or not. You should ask yourself this – why am I not using it yet?

Some Facts about Solar Energy Lots of people are building some kind of international cooperation today that will see that the solar panel becomes a household appliance globally. In simple terms, we cannot afford to continue providing the kind of energy that will kill this earth – combustion, and all the poisonous gasses that are released by it. Something has got to give, and that something is the solar panel.

The fact that solar panels often need a lot of space to work is not one that has not been met with much perplexity. In the same vain, a lot of research has gone into looking for ways to maximize its output while making it still smaller. Perhaps we will get there someday. Until then, we will make do with what we have and continue to work at making improvements on it the entire time.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, you want to have your solar panels facing the true south. If you live in the south, point them north. Anything short of that is not even worth it by a long shot. You will find that you are not able to get as much energy from the sun as you need. It would all have been a waste until you can correct it.

You want to have a solar panel with the highest collector efficiency possible. I don’t suppose a hundred percent is feasible, but you might want to settle something in the regions of 22%.

There are a lot of flat plate alternative solar energy panels with collectors that are used for water and space heating. The prototypes continue to be reviewed and revisited from time to time in attempts to make them better. Needless to say, there is much progress, but it is hardly enough. In the face of a dying world, better results are needed in shorter time.

Some Tips to Build Your Own Solar Panels

There are a few tips before you start to build your own solar panels that will save you a lot of time and money. Having a plan in place and doing the necessary research on both the panels and local building codes will avoid problems in completing your project. There are different codes for construction and, depending on the size of the panels you are going to install, you might need special building permits.

You will also want to enlist the aid of a person who has experience with building solar panels in your area to learn about any issues that may arise that are unique to the place where you live.

Building solar panels that will produce enough energy to run a home efficiently will require specific plans. Finding plans that have detailed instructions and a materials list will be very helpful when you are trying to assemble all of the tools,

equipment and materials that you will need for installation. The plans also need to include alternatives for storing enough energy to run the home on cloudy days.

Some plans include instructions for making the solar cells. If you are considering making the cells yourself, start small. It takes approximately 41,000 square inches of solar cells to efficiently run a home. Most cells are 4″ square or 2″x5″ rectangles with about 180 cells in a solar panel. All together you will need over 250 square feet of solar panel to produce energy effectively for a home. The cells are very delicate and each cell must be tested as it is placed in the panel. This can significantly increase the length of time your project will take to complete.

Knowing how much energy you use in your home will be important when planning your project. Many people decide to use smaller solar units and cut down on their energy usage. However, remember that the solar panels you create will be staying with your home if you sell it.

In order to maintain the value of your home, you will want to get plans that will provide enough energy for the amount of energy that the average person or family will use in your home.