Green Living – Learning about Solar Lighting

Did you know that solar power has two ways to reach the earth? You can use heat and light to have solar power. When it comes to solar cells and other sources, you will find that there is a way for you to collect heat to produce electricity, but most of the time it is overlooked completely. When it comes to the history of America, the sun light was what many would depend on to light their homes and business during the day. Lamp oil and electricity used to be very expensive and possibly unavailable. Today, there is a movement to get back to solar power and to use it to provide light for the indoors, and with the help of new technology, it is becoming possible.

Fiber optics and other lighting sources that use the sun became popular as America became more interested in renewable energy and saving the environment. Today, there are researches and labs that are looking to have a new form of sunlight that is called Hybrid solar lighting or HSL. This technology uses sunlight to light spaces naturally as well as to create electricity for lighting sources. Scientists happen to still be developing the idea of HSL, but it looks as if it can be a very profitable and efficient way of using solar energy collections.

HSL technology works by using a special device to direct sunlight into optical cables. The infrared light, normally wasted in this process, is then collected and turned into electricity. These cables are able to deliver the sunlight to the lighting fixtures that happen to be throughout the building so that they are able to use less electricity. The cables deliver that sunlight to lighting fixtures throughout the building, so they use less electricity. HSL technology may be used in two ways in the future. When it comes to the aforementioned procedure, you will find that lighting in this manner will be used to cut back on the amount of electricity that can be used in a commercial building. Special sensors would adjust the amount of electricity used depending on how much light is gathered from the sun at any given time. Then the second way for HSL technology is the use of power plants.. By collecting sunlight energy on a large scale, power plants can use this form of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. Only after the electricity has been created can it be sent to your home the way that you have electricity now.

When it comes to solar lighting energy, you will find that there is efficient using the HSL technique so that there isn’t any waste in the sun’s power. You will find that the visible light that is directed completely for the use of lighting is infrared light that may end up being wasted, but instead is converted into electricity. There are alternative energies like this that can be renewable and less inexpensive. You will find that the research in fossil fuels will become limited. They are also good for the environment and is natural, so there are no harmful side effects on the environment. The sunlight’s energy is just one of the ways that you can make the future seem brighter and continue towards Green Living.

You Need a PV System to Generate Solar Energy

Solar energy has been around for quite some time. In fact, now is the best time to get it if you want to cut your electric bill and do your share to protect the environment.

For that to happen, you will need to buy a PV system. This is designed to reduce or eliminate the amount of electricity you purchase from the utility especially when there could be a price increase in the next few months.

The best part about the PV system is that it generates clean electricity which is clean, reliable and renewable since it does not emit any harmful gases into the atmosphere.

The PV system must be placed in an area that is free from any obstruction otherwise, it will not be able to capture the suns rays. A lot of experts say that the south facing roof is best while the east and west is sufficient. If the roof is not available, it can be mounted on the ground.

You should know that PV systems come in various sizes so you should get the one that matches our electrical needs. If you consume about 6,500 kilowatts a year, then a PV system within the 3 to 4 kilowatt range is right for your home. You can measure this by reviewing your past electric bills and making some projections.

Naturally, the size of the PV system will determine the amount of space needed. If you do not use that much electricity, 50 square feet may be sufficient. However, a larger system may require a little over 600 square feet. Just remember that a kilowatt of electricity requires an area of 100 square feet.

Solar energy is converted with the help of an inverter since this is what changes direct current to alternating current. You will also need batteries so excess energy may be stored so you can still use solar energy during the evening or during a power outage.

The size of the PV system is also in direct proportion with the cost. Most cost from $9 to $10 per watt and when you include installation, the bill may reach be from $10,000 to $20,000.

The cost of the PV system should not discourage you from investing in solar energy. People who use it are able to get tax rebates and it will also increase the value of your home. With that, the only thing to do now is to call a reputable solar energy provider.

One other thing you should know about the PV system is that this should also be connected to your grid. For this to work, you have to enter into an interconnection agreement with your utility.

This agreement will address the issue with regards to the terms and conditions under which your system is tied up with them. This also includes what is known as net metering which allows you to bank any surplus electricity that your system generates on the electric grid in the same manner that you will be charged accordingly should you consume more electricity than what you have banked.

You need a PV system to generate solar energy. You just need to know what size of a system you require so this can be installed by your solar provider.

You Can Have a Home Powered By Solar Energy

Do you like to live in a home that is energy efficient? The good news is you can given there are technologies these days that can make that happen and one good example happens to be solar energy.

Solar energy is the process of using the suns radiant rays to power your home. For this to work, you will need to get some solar panels and then have this install by a contractor.

Ideally, you will need a flat area measuring about a hundred square feet. This is good to install between 10 to 12 solar panels that can produce about a kilowatt of power.

If you think 1 kilowatt is small, think again because this is equivalent to 1,600 kilowatts of hours per year. That translates to 5.5 hours of electricity per day if you are using it to the max. Otherwise, excess power will be stored in the battery which will help bring electricity to the house during a blackout or at night.

Aside from the solar panels, you will also need the inverter, battery, charge controller, wires and support structure. Each of these parts are important since the system will not work without the other so whoever you choose as a contractor should have everything ready prior to installation.

Once everything is set up, you can already enjoy your solar powered home. Since it requires minimal maintenance, it can last up to 20 years before you have to replace anything.

If you have a larger area to work with, why not invest in a solar thermal roof? The difference between this and the first one mentioned is that you convert the entire roof into a giant collector. It is quite expensive and takes a couple of days to complete but worth every penny.

The only reason why not that many people invest in such a system is because most roofs are not oriented towards the south with the steep pitch needed to maximize solar energy especially during the winter. You will have to do some major construction work to make this happen.

Solar energy is just one way for you to stop relying on power coming from the grid. When the sun isnt shining, you have to be ready by preparing other ways to generate electricity. One example that can be used at home is wind energy.

Here, you use fans to collect the winds kinetic energy similar to windmills that you see in the farm. The only difference is that the blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity.

You just have to do some research to find out if solar energy is feasible for your home. You should know how much power you consume on a monthly basis and also where exactly is your house located. Should your study show it is possible to live on solar energy, it is best to apply for a home equity loan to pay for the installation costs because you will surely get a return on your investment later on in the form of tax credit and a utility bill that wont exceed $10.

So what are you waiting for? If you dont want to rely on power from the electric company, go ahead and invest in solar energy.

Wind power vs Solar energy, an even match?

Today in center stage is a battle for the ages. On the right corner, packing a hurricane punch yet is known to move softly as a breeze is wind power. On the left corner, with a scorching hot aura, moves in a speed of light, is solar energy. Wind power versus solar energy, which one is going to be declared the champion of the alternative energy movement?! Lets get ready to rumble!

Or something like that. I apologize for that intro but I just cant help. I figured that if I was going to match one alternative energy resource against the other, then Ill make some extravagant introduction. Just imagine the drum rolls.

Actually, there is an existing debate among environmentalists and even scientists on which energy resource should be developed first given their advantages and drawbacks. Staying away from the personal biases, numerous studies have shown that overall, wind power is more cost effective than harnessing the suns energy. Lets see the reasons behind that conclusion.

Harnessing the suns energy can be done by a number of ways. But probably the simplest way which can be applied in a small home is by using photovoltaic cells or PV or solar cells. What happens is that sunlight hit the surface of a photovoltaic (PV) panel which responds by creating free electrons which is channeled to generate an electric current.

Wind power on the other hand utilizes a propeller and a shaft system which has a magnet wrapped by a coil of wire inside. As the wind turns the propeller and the magnet inside, the electrons in the wire are forced to move along the wire producing an electrical current.

Both ways are quite simple but the complexities now lies on the costs of producing the necessary equipment especially the mechanisms that will maximize the power output. When costs of production of photovoltaic cells and wind turbine are compared, the latter is much cheaper to produce. Although, manufacturers of photovoltaic cells stress that as the demand on PV cells increase, the costs of production decreases. So its just a matter of time before PV cells become price competitive.

Other problems include the logistics of placing the equipment. A solar panel requires quite a large space plus, your location on the globe will affect the amount of sunlight you receive and consequently the amount of power you produce. The further away from the equator you are, the less amount of sunlight you can harness. Also, on the average, the PV cells have a 15-20% efficiency rate.

The problem with wind power on the other hand is that not all areas will have winds favorable for a turbine. And if you do locate a place where winds are strong and the turbine can be maximized, youll find that the area (more often than not) is inhabited by various species of birds. You dont want to kill birds with your turbine, do you?

Now going back to our wind power vs. solar energy match-up, indeed we do have to agree that wind power is more cost efficient. However, both alternative energy resource will play a big role in our future.

It is, therefore, in my humble opinion that we both develop the two technologies simultaneously for each one has their advantages and disadvantages and each one can be properly utilized for specific areas.

What is Solar Energy

Solar energy is a form of renewable energy as it utilizes the radiant energy coming from the sun. This is done by converting sunlight into electricity using solar cells.

Solar cells or photovoltaics were invented in the 1880s by Charles Fritts. Although it did not convert a lot of sunlight into electricity at the time, this started a revolution that continued on to the 20th century. The greatest example is perhaps the Vanguard 1 which was a satellite fitted with solar cells that enabled it to transmit back to earth after its chemical battery was exhausted.

It success prompted NASA and its Russian counterpart to the same with other satellites including Telstar which continues to serve as the backbone of the telecommunications structure today.

The most significant event that stimulated the demand for solar energy was the 1973 oil crisis. Early on, power companies would charge the consumer a hundred dollars per watt. In the 1980s, it became only $7 per watt. Unfortunately, the lack of government funding did not sustain its growth so the growth of solar energy was only 15% annually from 1984 to 1996.

There have been a decline in the demand for solar energy in the US but this increased in Japan and Germany. From 31.2 megawatts of power in 1994, this increased to 318 megawatts in 1999 and world wide production growth increased by 30% towards the end of the 20th century.

Next to these two countries, Spain is the third largest user of solar energy followed by France, Italy and South Korea.

There are three basic approaches to get the most out of solar energy. It is namely passive, active and solar photovoltaic systems.

1. In passive, it has to do a lot with the building design. This will enable the building to avoid heat loss so people inside will feel a great degree of comfort with the help of controlled ventilation and day lighting. Homes that apply this will greatly reduce their heating requirements by as much as 80% with minimal cost.

2. Active solar heating is used to convert sunlight into heat which provides space or water heating. Used extensively in Europe, getting the right size will cover 50% to 60% of your hot water heating requirements.

3. Lastly is photovoltaic which converts solar radiation into electricity. This is done by installing solar cells in the ground and the greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity. These are available in different sizes and some are installed in consumer devices like calculators and watches.

Some vehicles are now powered using solar energy. Cars although not yet produced commercially compete in the World Solar Challenge which invites competitors from around the world to compete in this annual event in Australia. There are also unmanned aerial vehicles and balloons. To date, solar energy has only been successful in passenger boats.

Many of us take the sun for granted and if we are really serious about preserving the environment and reducing our demand for oil, solar energy is just one of the options we have on the table. We have to lobby and convince our government leaders to do more because it is the cheapest means of providing our home with electricity compared to rechargeable batteries, kerosene or candles.

Using solar energy goes way back

Recollecting the history of solar energy brings us back to the 1970s energy crisis and oil embargo which caused long lines in gasoline stations, high gasoline prices, and even caused panic among consumers and investors alike in the United States. Knowledge about oil being a non-renewable resource has been around since the 1800s. But it was only during and after the 70s energy crisis that people really began to realize the consequences of depending too much on an already depleting energy resource.

However, utilizing the suns energy is not really a recent development. It has been used by ancient civilizations for warmth, for food and crop preparations and various agricultural purposes. Whats new are the technologies involved in harnessing this energy and utilizing it for mans daily use.

The technology began in the 1830s when Edmund Becquerel made public his studies on how solar light can be harnessed into usable energy. However, nobody followed up on this idea nor explore any practical use. The next breakthrough on solar power came after thirty years Becquerel published his works.

In 1860s, the French Monarch commissioned Augusted Mouchout to find other sources of energy. And Mouchout looked up in the sky for inspiration. His series of solar powered contractions were quite impressive back then. His inventions included a motor that run on solar energy, a steam engine that uses the suns light, and an ice maker that fully rely on solar power.

After Mouchout, there were several other notable achievements in the line of solar power. Among these is the works of William Adams in the 1870s which utilized mirrors to channel the power of the sun to make a steam engine run. Adams power tower design concept is still in use today. Another notable work is by Charles Fritz in the early 1880s. His studies were attuned on turning sunlight into electricity, which he later accomplished.

But one of the most significant development in modern solar energy occurred in the 1950s. Early in the decade, R.S. Ohl discovered that sunlight produces large numbers of free electrons when it strikes silicon. Then in the mid-1950s Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and Daryl Chaplin was able to capture those free electrons and convert them in electricity. Today, silicon cells are used to make solar cells and solar panels for harnessing the suns energy.

Immediately these solar cells were made into good use and the first among to use them was the field of space aeronautics. These silicon based solar cells were used to power satellites that orbit the earth. The satellite Vanguard I was the first one launched out to space which rely on solar cells for power. More satellites followed.

Nowadays, more and more research and studies are being conducted on how best to utilize the suns energy. Especially today where it is said that about 30-50 years from the now, the world oil reserves will be totally depleted. Thus, the search for alternative sources of energy continuous. The sun is expected to die out in a couple of thousand of years, its to long to worry about and man can have all the suns energy until that day.

The challenge today is creating solar energy power in more efficient and cost effective e way. Admittedly, the costs of those photo cells are not that cheap to be accessible by most of the ordinary consumers. The movement today in the science and technology committee is to be able to provide cheap alternative source of energy.

Things You Should Know Before Investing in Solar Energy

There is no doubt that there are a lot of benefits in using solar energy. Aside from protecting the environment, you get to save a great deal of money. But before you switch to solar energy, here are a few things you should consider.

First, is your roof right for solar power? Most solar power systems can be installed as long as the roof is flat and made of material such as bitumen, composite shingle, cement tile, metal or tar and gravel. If this is how your roof is positioned, then there shouldnt be any problems.

The solar panels will be installed parallel to the roof surface. If you are concerned that the weight could be too heavy for your roof, dont be since this is very light and quite rare that you have to do some structural work before installing the system.

When you are looking for a contractor, find out how much it will cost to install the system. You should compare these first before you decide in picking the best one. But you should know right now that installing solar powered cells are a bit expensive. There are also no financing programs you can avail of. Your best bet if you dont have enough money is to apply for a home equity loan.

If you are planning to install this in a commercial establishment, the various loans you can avail of include the capital equipment loan, equipment secured loan, property secured loan or the SAFE-BIDCO energy efficiency loan.

Non-profit organizations may also avail of special loans for solar energy and the best one is through third party financing. In this case, the non-profit organization and the contractor will purchase the system and make use of the tax credits. The third party will then pass on the charges for the produced power to the non-profit and after the system has depreciated, this is sold to the non-profit at a discount.

The end result is that you pay for less than what you are currently paying for because it is maintenance free.

In fact, people are encouraged to borrow money to pay for solar energy. This is because you borrow money at a fixed rate and in return recouped your investment of about 7-11% annually as the utility rates increase so you pay less for it every month. This makes investing in solar energy very similar to other investments such as bonds, property and stock.

Will installing a solar system have any effect on your property? The answer is yes. In fact, it will increase the resale value of your property without having to pay much more in terms of property taxes. If you have a lot of space to spare, you may even be able to zero out your electric bill as long as the sun comes out so you can convert sunlight into electricity.

Aside from increasing the properly value, you will also be able to avail of tax credits from the government.

Solar energy can power your home in the same way you get electricity from the grid. You wont be able to use it when there is a power outage or when the sun is shining but fortunately, this doesnt happen daily so it is still an alternative form of energy worth considering.

The Pros and Cons of Solar Energy

Solar energy is one of the best forms of renewable energy. But why dont we rely on it so much compared to other countries? The answer is simply that there are pros and cons with using this form of alternative energy.

The pros of using solar energy is that the system is easy to install, there are no energy costs once it is set up, there are no emissions like air pollutants or greenhouse gas and the sun is widely available.

A solar energy system is composed of the solar panels, the inverter, battery, charge controller, wires and support structure. For you to produce a kilowatt of power, you will need 10 to 12 solar panels that will occupy an area of 100 square feet. If you are worried that this will cause damage to your roof, dont because it is made of light weight materials.

When you call a contractor, it will usually take a day or two to install and cost around $10,000. Not that many people will have cash on hand to pay for it so they can avail of a home equity loan to pay for it.

If you use a kilowatt of solar energy, you can save 170 lbs. of coal from being burned, about 300lbs of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere or 105 gallons of water that most homeowners use up every month.

The cons are solar cells are expensive, the rays can only be collected during the day time, the weather and where you are located will play a factor in how much sunlight you can get and you will need a big area to collect the power.

But some experts believe that price of these cells and its ability to collect power will improve in the future.

Right now, a kilowatt of solar energy can only produce 1,600 kilowatts of hours per year in sunny climate. That means you will receive 5.5 hours of electricity per day. If you produce about 750 kilowatts of power, you will only get 2.5 hours of power per day.

Solar panels come in various colors and usually have a 5 year warranty. Since manufacturers are aware that solar energy can only work when the sun is out, they have installed batteries so you get more than 5 hours of power even during cloudy days and nights. This is because the batteries are designed to absorb, insulate, transmit and reflect rays coming from the sun.

But solar energy can be applied to other things and not just powering our homes. It can be used to power small devices like calculators to bigger things like planes, satellites and cars. Since these are easy to maintain, you dont have to worry about anything.

Now that you know the pros and cons of solar energy, the question remains, should people get into it or not? If you look at it, the answer is definitely yes because is a renewable source of energy that does not cause any harm to the environment. It will also greatly reduce our need for oil which has become a very hot issue especially when the price per barrel went out to more than a hundred dollars early on this year.

People should take this seriously especially when this is not a renewable source of energy.

The History of Solar Energy

Solar energy is for everyone simply because the sun shines in every corner of the planet. In fact, the history of solar energy can be traced back to the Greeks that were then passed on to the Romans which marked the first people to ever use the passive solar design.

Passive solar design is a way to warm the home based on the dwellings design. They may not have had glass windows back then but their architecture made it possible for the people to use the suns rays to light and heat indoor spaces. As a result, there was no need to burn food that often which was in short supply.

In 1861, Auguste Mouchout invented the first active solar motor. Unfortunately, its expensive price made it impossible to produce commercially. Less than 20 years later, Charles Fritts invented solar cells which will later on be used to power homes, heaters, satellites and other devices today.

Since what he invented was very primitive, other people experimented on solar energy. One such person was Albert Einstein who won the Nobel Prize for physics in his research on the photoelectric effect which is a phenomenon associated with the generation of electricity through solar cells.

In 1953, Bell Laboratories which we know today as AT&T labs developed the first silicon solar cell capable of generating a measurable electric current. Three years later, solar cells ran $300 per watt. With the Cold War and the Space Race on, this was used to power satellites and crafts.

But the biggest event in the development of sola energy occurred during the oil crisis of 1973. This prompted the US government to invest heavily in the solar electric cell that was developed by Bell Laboratories 20 years ago.

By the 1990s, research towards solar energy came to a standstill as the price of oil dropped in the world market. Funds were diverted elsewhere and the United States which was probably the leader in this form of alternative energy was soon surpassed by other nations mainly Germany and Japan.

In 2002 for example, Japan had installed 25,000 solar panels on rooftops. Because of that, the price of solar panels went down as the demand for it was on the rise. To date, solar energy is growing at a modest 30% per year.

Although there have been improvements in solar energy, its fundamentals are still the same. The suns rays are collected and then converted into electricity. Aside from powering homes or office buildings, the technology has been used to power aircraft, cars and boats.

Unfortunately, none of these have been made available yet for public use. We still rely heavily on oil for electricity, gasoline for our cars, fuel for planes and ships.

In fact, the US is one of the biggest oil users in the world. To prove a point, the department of Defense consumes 395,000 barrels per day because of the wars being fought right now in Afghanistan and Iraq which is almost the fuel consumption of an entire country like Greece.

This has to change because our oil reserves are almost depleted and many experts believe that global supply for these non-renewable resources will be gone before the end of the century. We have to do our share to push for renewable energy and one of them happens to be solar energy.

The Benefits of Solar Energy

Solar energy will benefit a lot of people and not only the rich. This is why some governments have increased funding for this type of technology because they are aware of its many benefits.

For one, solar energy is very cheap compared to other technologies. It is also renewable unlike coal or the rest which are non-renewable and hard to maintain.

It also improves the health of people since it does not produce any carbon dioxide emissions unlike kerosene lamps that give out fumes which are just as deadly as smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day. It also reduces the incidents of fire that are often associated with the use of kerosene, candles, diesel fuel and gasoline for generators.

Solar energy is almost maintenance free because the solar cells used will last for 20 years or more before it has to be replaced. You just have to keep the panels clean so it is able to absorb sunlight and convert that into electricity.

These are also very useful in remote locations where power lines are not yet available. Some examples of these include fish houses, highway signs, marine applications, remote lighting and telecommunication.

If countries focus on solar energy and other renewable techniques, they will be able to conserve their foreign exchange because they no longer have to use it to pay for foreign oil. This money can then be used for other things such as health care, infrastructure projects and education.

Solar energy will also reduce your electricity bills because you are no longer dependent on electricity coming from the power company. The only downside to solar energy is the initial cost in setting it up.

Yes you will have to buy a lot of solar panels which are quite expensive but in the long run, you will be able to save more because you dont have to pay for anything else to keep them running. Should the cost of solar cells be beyond your budget, you can probably invest in used systems first then try to acquire the brand new ones later on.

Another benefit of using solar energy is that you get to conserve fossil fuels and other natural resources that are quickly diminishing as a direct result of an increase in the worlds population which could compromise the needs of the future generations.

So should people get into solar energy? The answer is yes because it is safe, cheap and good for the environment. You only have to worry when the sun isnt shining because when this happens, rays from the sun wont be able to produce electricity so you have to rely on other means to get power. The same also goes when there is a blackout or brownout because you will soon lose power from your solar system.

The demand for solar energy is increasing and you should join in. Aside from reducing your electric bill, homeowners who use solar energy may claim up to $2,000 in federal investment tax credit in the first year while businesses may claim a 30% federal investment tax credit.

Believe it or not, solar energy has one other benefit and that it increases the value of your home. According to home appraisers, a dollar decrease in your energy bill results in a $20 increase in its property value so do the math and you can easily figure out how much your home will be worth after you decide to invest in solar energy.

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