Residential Solar Power Systems - Evaluating The Cost Of Solar Power Systems
By Adrian Whittle
Despite the perceived unreliability of solar power as an energy resource, it is far more versatile than grid electricity. There are not many places in the world that do not get some form of direct sunlight from time to time. In fact you can use solar power to provide energy for your weekend retreat in the woods or your suburban residential home. The only difference might be the scale and quantity of electricity that is needed. There are four main components to all solar power systems that use the photovoltaic (PV) process to produce electricity.
The photovoltaic cell is the principle technology the conversion of the sun's energy into electricity. Photons are converted to direct current electricity in each particular cell. The cells are arranged in series and an electric current is created. The series of cells are what you see on roofs of houses that used solar power and are commonly referred to as panels. Depending on the amount of electricity you need will determine the size and amount of panels that you need.
In addition to the PV cell panels, a charge regulator is needed. This connects to a battery that stores direct current electricity. When the battery charge is low the charge regulator will direct the converted solar electricity to the battery and thus keep it topped up. The regulator also knows when the battery is fully charged and will stop electricity being directed to it when this is the case.
The third component is the battery pack itself. This can be one or more batteries and again this is dependent on the amount of sunlight and the amount of electricity that will be needed when the sun is not shinning (at night)
The fourth component is the power inverter or converter. This transforms direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). This is needed as most household appliances use AC. If you are joint venturing with a utility company they will require that the current is AC as it is more efficient to transport.
It is often tricky to know how big the solar power system should be. As the systems can be quite expensive to set up it is a good idea to monitor your energy usage so that you know exactly how much power you will need on a regular basis. Another important consideration is to insulate your home to the best possible standard. This will save on heat loss and less electricity will be needed.
All solar panels are rated by watts, similar to the rating of light bulbs. Since they are all 12-volt output, calculating the amperage is a simple formula. Knowing that volts times amps equals watts, and a 12-volt solar panel produces 60 watts, it can be figured out that the panel is capable of just over three amps.
Based on this, it is easy to understand why solar power systems do not work well for units that draw a lot of amps, such as appliances with a heating coil such as electric heaters, furnaces or air conditioners. However, there are 12-volt versions of many of this type of appliance that can be used, provided the solar array is large enough to produce the required amperage.
With most residential solar power systems it is easy to work with a utility company to begin with. They bill you for electricity used minus the amount of solar electricity that you have created. As you become more comfortable with the technology and the amount of power you use, you can move away from the grid and go completely off grid.
Solar power can be applied to many house and garden products. In recent years the cost of these appliances have become very affordable and saved money on energy bills. Learn more about solar powered appliances at http://www.solarpowerappliances.com/ . The site has features on solar powered water fountain pumps, outdoor lighting and solar powered oven.
Adrian Whittle writes about using solar power and appliances that can utilize renewable energy sources.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Whittle
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Consider Solar Power For Your Home
By Adrian Whittle
Solar power for your home is an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional forms of energy, be they grid electricity or burning fossil fuels in the home. There are a number of reasons for this. There are the economic realities of energy production now and in the future. There is the ethical issue of using a non-renewable energy source and a moral issue with regards to the damage that fossil fuels do to the environment. This article will cover some of these issues and cover how solar power for the home addresses some of these issues.
Grid electricity and the use of fossil fuels costs money and this will only go up as the resources that power grid electricity get harder to find. In California, it is estimated that it is cheaper to make solar electricity than it is to use the grid variety. This is hitting people in their collective wallets and purses and causing a search for alternatives. Again in California, there are many incentives to install solar panel into homes. There are even incentives for building companies to pre-install solar panels in homes.
This seems to make a lot of sense. The major benefit of solar power, after initial cost and installation, is that the power that is created is free provided the Sun keeps on shining. The cost to buy and install solar panels is now not so expensive and the incentives and rebates make it more attractive. It also seems that over time the cost of solar power can only go down. The technology will become more efficient and the technology to build solar panels will become cheaper. Contrast this with the cost of finding and extracting fossil fuels. This cost will only go up over time.
Given the finite nature of fossil fuels, solar power and other alternative methods of creating power seem to be far more accepted than the other alternative - nuclear power. The average person in the street is generally uncertain, if not, opposed to nuclear power, given the numerous nuclear accidents that have occurred. Having said this, governments seem to prefer nuclear power because it is more reliable on a large scale than solar power or wind power. However, this is not the case for the individual home. It seems that solar panels on the roofs of suburban homes will soon be a common place site rather than an unusual one.
You can save money with Solar Power Tax Rebates And Residential Solar Power Grants listed at http://www.solarpowerappliances.com There is a wide range of solar products that you can use in your home and garden including solar power air compressors
Adrian Whittle writes about using solar power and appliances that can utilize renewable energy sources.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Whittle
By Adrian Whittle
Solar power for your home is an increasingly attractive alternative to traditional forms of energy, be they grid electricity or burning fossil fuels in the home. There are a number of reasons for this. There are the economic realities of energy production now and in the future. There is the ethical issue of using a non-renewable energy source and a moral issue with regards to the damage that fossil fuels do to the environment. This article will cover some of these issues and cover how solar power for the home addresses some of these issues.
Grid electricity and the use of fossil fuels costs money and this will only go up as the resources that power grid electricity get harder to find. In California, it is estimated that it is cheaper to make solar electricity than it is to use the grid variety. This is hitting people in their collective wallets and purses and causing a search for alternatives. Again in California, there are many incentives to install solar panel into homes. There are even incentives for building companies to pre-install solar panels in homes.
This seems to make a lot of sense. The major benefit of solar power, after initial cost and installation, is that the power that is created is free provided the Sun keeps on shining. The cost to buy and install solar panels is now not so expensive and the incentives and rebates make it more attractive. It also seems that over time the cost of solar power can only go down. The technology will become more efficient and the technology to build solar panels will become cheaper. Contrast this with the cost of finding and extracting fossil fuels. This cost will only go up over time.
Given the finite nature of fossil fuels, solar power and other alternative methods of creating power seem to be far more accepted than the other alternative - nuclear power. The average person in the street is generally uncertain, if not, opposed to nuclear power, given the numerous nuclear accidents that have occurred. Having said this, governments seem to prefer nuclear power because it is more reliable on a large scale than solar power or wind power. However, this is not the case for the individual home. It seems that solar panels on the roofs of suburban homes will soon be a common place site rather than an unusual one.
You can save money with Solar Power Tax Rebates And Residential Solar Power Grants listed at http://www.solarpowerappliances.com There is a wide range of solar products that you can use in your home and garden including solar power air compressors
Adrian Whittle writes about using solar power and appliances that can utilize renewable energy sources.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Whittle
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