Solar Panels for Homes – What is PV Solar Power

July 30, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Green Gadgets

What’s PV solar power? You have heard the term, but you are doubtful as to its meaning. You are a tiny aware that solar energy has something to do with making power from sunlight. But what’s PV solar power? Is it different from other sorts of solar power? PV solar electricity isn’t the same as other types. Of the two main classes of solar energy, active and passive, PV solar power is active.

Let’s take a look at it. Solar energy panel Active solar electricity relies on solar cells. You will picture them as flat, oblong boxes on rooftops. There are two major types of solar power panel.

From a distance, both look like oblong boxes. Both convert sunlight into energy, but in 2 other ways. The terms for the two solar energy panel types are solar thermal collector and photovoltaic module.

One. Solar thermal collector: This solar electricity panel takes in solar energy from the sun and uses it to heat air or water.

Two. Photovoltaic module: This second sort of solar cell collects solar electricity and converts it to serviceable electricity. Meet the PV to respond to the query, what’s PV solar electricity, we must know what the PV is. The quick answer is that PV alludes to a photovoltaic module. ‘P’ is for photograph and ‘V’ for voltaic. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary outlines “photovoltaic’ in this way. PV panels convert daylight into electrical energy. Sunlight flows into the solar cell. Electric energy flows out of the solar cell. A PV solar electricity panel is created of many photovoltaic {(light to volts) cells}.

These cells are electrically connected, and then covered with glass. The glass provides electric insulation. It’s also good protection from weather and other damaging forces. When minimal energy is necessary, e.g. That crucial to power a small appliance, a single PV solar electricity panel is acceptable. When more power is needed, an ‘array’ of solar power panels is created by connecting panels to each other. If the power may not be supplied to the power grid, the solar cell ( s ) is hitched up to a charge controller, and battery. What’s PV Solar Power? PV solar electricity is solar electricity in the form of sunlight which has been picked up by a photovoltaic module, and converted into serviceable electricity. Standard silicon solar energy panels convert about 14 to 17 p.c. of daylight into serviceable electricity. That isn’t much. Late in 2006 a new solar cell was introduced.

Solar energy panels that implement the new cell can convert into electricity 22% of the light they collect.

In concept, the maximum that the cells of a solar power panel can convert is made claims to be around 26 to twenty-seven percent of incoming sunlight. The cells take in that part of the light’s energy. The electrons begin to flow, and this creates an electric current. Metal contacts built into the top and bottom of the PV cells draw off that current and it is sent to the grid or battery. It is now serviceable electricity. The power grid sends it on its way, if you have used an on-grid connection. If you are employing a battery, it is stored in the battery awaiting your need. PV solar energy is being used increasingly with major success, and even though it’s right that cloud cover can affect it, the cloudy country of Germany leads the world in successful use of solar cells.

If you’ve enjoyed all the exciting information you read here about install solar panels, you’ll love everything else you find at homemade solar panels.

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What Are The Best Green Power Options?

July 15, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Green energy

Everybody wants green energy. What is the best way to achieve being able to get the power we need without damaging the environment, which is our obvious goal? Should we be opting for wind farms, hydroelectricity, or solar energy as alternative power? This guide to green living will help us decide

Resources that are regenerative, meaning they cannot be depleted are considered renewable energy. These resources are safe for our environment and produce energy without the harmful pollutants and emissions associated with fossil-fuels.

Wind farms often receive a bad press, especially when they’re situated near homes or in popular hiking areas. Because they have to be placed in skylines for maximum efficiency and they make a lot of noise and often spoil views. Offshore wind farms are less problematic in this way and can take advantage of fierce sea winds, increasing their output, but they rely on a nation having a lot of suitable coastline.

While the Netherlands does very well with its wind farms, the US is, considering the comparative size of its population, at a distinct disadvantage. For the home-owner, small wind-powered generators are available, but they’re not very efficient and often result in complaints from neighbors.

A much more effective way of generating power is using hydroelectricity that uses tidal forces and the natural energy of rivers. However, there are a limited number of suitable locations for hydroelectric generators, and often these are in areas which already provide fertile farmland, so a lot of people have to be displaced and lose their land in order for them to be built. The impact on local wildlife can also be damaging.

The test is being easy to access, non-polluting and practical and solar power is the only alternative that truly passes that test. Solar panels of today will still work effectively even in areas that are always cloudy. They require very little maintenance and once installed do not get in any ones way. Harnessing the power of the sun is the greenest way to generate the power we need for these reasons.

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What to know about a Residential Wind Turbine

July 4, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Green Gadgets

Residential Wind Turbine – Important Facts

The performance of a residential wind turbine system is greatly affected by the unit’s power curve.  The power produced by the wind generator is determined by the power curve of the unit and is measured in watts or kilowatts.  It is important to determine how much wind velocity your site location is capable of producing. Once you have determined the wind range, you should install a wind turbine system that has a power curve that matches this velocity.

How to Select a Residential Wind Turbine

If you are in the market to purchase a small wind turbine, the diameter of the rotor of the turbine or the swept area is a major factor when making your purchasing decision. Keep in mind that most small wind turbines work at about 10 to 20 miles per hour.

Residential Wind Turbine – The System

The advantage of living on a large tract of land, i.e. one acre or more, affords you the opportunity to capture the wind and turn it into your own renewable power source. If you have a good wind resource, a small residential wind turbine can cut your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent.        
The workhorse of the system is the wind turbine, which also costs the most. The blade diameter or rotor of the turbine produces the power by sweeping the wind. The generator or alternator converts the sweeping rotation into electricity. The turbine is kept pointed into the wind by the body or tail. Finally, the tower lifts the system allowing the benefit of being in the higher air to gain maximum efficiency for the system.

How Do I Find and Measure the Wind

You can start by visiting the world-wide-web and going to the United States Department of Energy’s website under the heading Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy which provides wind power classification maps of the United States.  These maps provide estimates of the wind resource as expressed in wind power classes.  Each class represents a variety of mean wind power density or equivalent mean speed at specified heights above the ground. The maps are based on average wind speed.  You’ll want a location that gives you consistent wind speeds.
Next, to calculate local wind conditions, visit a science or weather equipment store to find your wind speed equipment. The data collected should be sufficient to help determine the size of your residential wind turbine needed.

I hope you have found this article informative.  If you wish to find out more please visit www.sold-on-green.com!

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