Posts Tagged ‘solar’

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Spend Less On Electricity By Making Your Own Solar Panels

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

If you want to save on your electricity cost as well as help in protecting the environment, you can do so by learning to build your own solar panels. You can find a lot of internet sites offering instructions on how to build a solar panel or how to make a solar panel. Actually, the steps are simple and easy to follow. This article will show you some easy and basic steps that you need to follow when you want to have your solar panel at home.

 Collect the items needed for building your solar panel. These materials may include some plywood, silicone sealant, solar cells, plastic sheet such as plexiglass and lumber. Needless to say, you should also prepare your carpentry tools to build your own solar panels. These tools are wood screws, drill, saw, tape measure, paint and paint brush.

 Taking the measurement of the area where you plan on installing your panels is the first step on how to build your solar panel. Cut the plywood based on the measurement you took. Also you should saw 4 pieces of lumber that has exactly the same measurement as the plywood.The next step to make a solar panel is to paint both the plywood and lumber and let it dry. Place both of them on the sawhorses. Then, fix the solar cells on to the plywood.

Install the wiring by using the manual as a guide. A manual comes with the solar cells upon purchase. Then, screw the sides of lumber to the plywood to make the frame.Put the pieces of plexiglass on your frame and fasten them with a screw.Finally, apply a silicone sealant to seal the plexiglass to the frame. The sealant should be placed on the area where you attached the screws.

When you build your own solar panels, always make sure that there aren’t any gaps to prevent moisture from coming in. The sealant can be used to seal any gaps or holes. Another thing that you have to keep in mind is the handling of solar cells. As you know, the cells are fragile so it can easily be broken. Now that you’ve got an idea on building your own panels, you may enjoy the advantages of having to spend less for your energy consumption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Solar Panels For Generating Cheap Electricity

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Are you interested in having home solar panels? Do you know you can actually generate electricity and heat water while saving money? Solar power is friendly to the environment as it does not release pollutants and by-products. For $1500 to $2000, you can generate 1 kW for your house! This is far cheaper than purchasing solar panels pre-made or hiring a solar energy construction company.

Why spend $20,000 for assembly and installation, when you can build a home solar panel by yourself? Don’t worry if you are a novice in electrical engineering, because there are many affordable books and guides for DIY solar panels. Just check if the providers of the guides are reliable and licensed. Amazingly, the materials and tools are not expensive, and you can buy them from your favorite hardware shop.

The most important consideration, perhaps, is the energy requirement of your house. Download a chart or use free online calculators to find out your energy requirement. This depends on the types and number of home appliances. The number of required panels depends on the result of these calculators.

You don’t have to remove your previous wirings from the grid electricity. Your solar panels and grid line can be connected to a switchboard or console. This component will manage the flow of electricity to power your house. If you build a DIY solar panel, you will not utilize grid power. If you generate surplus electricity, your grid provider will even pay you.

Do you wish to save more money? You can build a home solar panel or collector for water heating. The “batch collector” is the easiest type to prepare. Generally, it is an insulated box that contains the metal water tank. All sides of the box must be light proof and insulated except for one. This exposed side is also called the glass side. You can make a glass side by using double or triple glazed glass. Glazing will improve heat absorption and retention. As for the light proof sides, you can use multiple layers or combinations of wood, Styrofoam and plastic. You can also use concrete.

If you plan to build a DIY solar panel either for powering or heating, positioning is very important. Observe which part of your house receives the longest hours of sunlight. Take into account the shadows cast at different times of the day. As for the batch collector for water heating, elevation is also essential. This will make it a passive pump that does not need extra motors for water pressure.

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Benefits Of Portable Solar Panels

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

Solar energy is one of the greatest alternative energy sources around. Using solar panels to harness this energy and use the same for various domestic purposes has been proven to be very efficient in cutting down power bills. However, solar panels are generally heavy, and the regular ones will not serve your purpose when you have to travel. It is in such scenarios that a portable solar panel comes in handy. You can easily carry them along while hiking or traveling, or when you have to stay away from electrical energy sources for a few days.

How portable solar panels work?

Solar panels are made using photovoltaic cells, which are arranged in a specific pattern. These cells have materials which can convert solar energy into electrical energy. In portable panels, the same method is applied. In addition, these solar panels are made portable using thin substrate, which you can even fold or bent. Naturally, you can carry them anywhere you go and use the energy produced by these devices for a number of things.

Uses of a portable solar panel

There are several uses of a portable solar panel. As it is very easy to carry, one can take it for any journey, especially when going for hiking, camping, or exploring. Portable solar panels work well in remote areas. You can easily charge your laptop or your mobile phone and keep them operational. Heating water or even keeping the tent warm can also be done by using these.

Things to remember

There are some important points that you should keep in mind while buying a portable solar panel. Keep in mind that the area where you will be using the device should receive enough sunlight to produce the required amount of photovoltaic energy through the panel. When you are using solar hot water panels, keep in mind that they will continue to heat as long as you are using the device. That is why monitoring the water for required temperature is necessary.

Solar energy is a clean source of free energy. Unlike traditional energy sources that produce a lot of pollutants and allergens, solar energy is pollution-free and helps you do your bit to protect the environment. You can even reduce you power bills by using these cells.

These cells can come in handy when there are instances of electricity failures or if you need to use your electrical devices when you are on the move. Whether it is charging your phone or using your audio recorder during your camping trips, getting access to a portable solar panel can help.

Find out more about how to build a solar panel and the various benefits of a home solar panel.

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Home Solar Power Systems For Creating Free Electricity

Friday, March 25th, 2011

At present, fossil fuels are starting to run out and people are starting to become more aware of the damage that this is causing to our planet. It is, therefore, becoming increasingly essential for all of us to look for alternative energy sources. One of these would be to install home solar power systems by using solar energy to generate electricity for our properties.

You will be able to benefit from several things if you did choose to go through with this. The first benefit you will encounter will be the impact that this would have upon our environment. This is truly something that we should all be looking forward to achieve.

Looking in another aspect of this, many homeowners are searching to save money and one great way of doing this would be to save money on your power bills. By installing a home solar panel, you will find that you make significant savings on your power bills through the creation of renewable energy.

You can also benefit from tax benefits and subsidies as well. In fact, you may even encounter an opportunity to make money through this process. Depending upon the amount of energy that you can generate with your solar panels, you could set back to the power company if you create an excess.

The value of your house is likely to increase at the same time. These days people are becoming more aware of the importance of renewable energy sources and therefore any property that already has this built-in is likely to appreciate in value.

There are, therefore, all sorts of various reasons why you may want to install solar panels onto your property. The value of your home will go up, the size of your bills will go down, and you will be helping to save the environment.

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Reducing Your Power Bills With A Solar Panel

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Reducing your power bills may be as simple as installing home solar panels on your roof. If you feel like your bills are cutting into your earnings far too much, you might want to consider changing the way that you supply your home with electricity. Many people are now finding that reducing their power bills by installing solar panels is a great way to reduce their monthly costs and protect the environment at the same time.

By using this type of energy, you can greatly decrease your dependence upon the company that you use for your energy requirements. In some cases, people have been able to create all of the energy that they need in order to power up their homes, meaning that they no longer need anyone else to provide them with energy.

It is also possible to make money by adding such a system to your home. If you produce more energy than you need, you can sell the excess to the city or to an energy supplier. This is a great way to earn a little money while you can save money on your bills.

In order to ensure that you are adding the right system to your home, you should contact a professional about your needs. A professional company can help you choose the right solar panel system and help you figure out the best location for installing the system, so you can get the most bang for your buck.

You may feel that the installation costs are too high. However, some countries and cities provide tax breaks and subsidies to people who install alternative energy sources in their homes. You might even make your money back over time, since you will be spending less on power.

Home solar panel, however, are not for everyone. They are mostly suitable for homeowners who live in sunny areas where there are not too much cloud coverage and where the winters are not long or harsh. Get the right solar panel kits for household needs.

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