Solar And Wind 4 Me

Following are some of the basic technical facts about solar energy.

• A photovoltaic module or solar panel is made up of about 40 photovoltaic cells.
• “Photovoltaic module” and “photovoltaic cell” are the “technical terms” for “solar panel” and “solar cell.”
• When a photovoltaic module is used to charge batteries it is commonly referred to as a “solar battery charger.”
• Several photovoltaic modules or panels arranged alongside each other are referred to as a “photovoltaic array” or a “solar array.” The usual setup for a system in the home consists of an array consisting of ten to twelve panels or photovoltaic modules.
• The color of the panels varies, depending on what material is used to make the cells inside the panel.
• Energy from the sun can be collected by hybrid chargers and used to recharge batteries, or to recharge cell phones and other gadgets directly.

Environmental Facts:

• All life on Earth is dependent upon solar energy. In fact, without it, there would be no life at all. Even the lowest life forms on Earth, such as plankton and microbes, need energy in the form of sunlight in order to survive.
• Solar power is completely environmental friendly, producing absolutely no carbon emissions or other harmful byproducts, whatsoever. It can be used successfully and cost-effectively in just about any location on the planet. You do not need to live in a tropical or desert climate in order to benefit from its use. It has been used successfully in many cold climates, and even in the polar regions.
• Every area of the United States of America receives enough sunlight to benefit from and make use of solar technology.
• Currently, the cheapest and most effective way of using solar power in your home is through the use of solar hot water heating systems. In fact, these systems have been commercially available in the United States for over a 100 years.
• The sun’s energy can be used for heating homes effectively in cold climates, as well as in warm climates. In fact, this form of heating has been in use many cold-climate northern European countries for several decades now.
• Solar energy technology has advanced far enough that it can be a viable and cost-effective replacement for regular grid-electricity. It is rapidly increasing in popularity - so much so that the demand for solar-powered gadgets is currently greater than the supply.

There is no shortage of energy on Earth and no need to use damaging fossil fuels. It is simply a matter of advancing and utilizing alternative energy technologies for a cleaner future.

Anna

I’m wondering if I can connect about 15 or 20 low voltage, 1 inch by 1 inch solar panels directly to a home 120V power circuit without any inverters or extra equipment?

A great new way to harness the energy of the sun is by using roof shingles.  This will generate electricity that will power your home.  Almost everyone lives in a home where the rooftop shingles just sit there.  That was great for the past, but the future is now.  It’s time to make those shingles work generating renewable energy for your home. 

There is a new technology available, where thin photovoltaic cells are being used as roof shingles. This is a new building material that shows a lot of promise.  Solar panels on a rooftop are bulky, and can be damaged in a storm.  With solar roof shingles, you avoid these problems, but still get all the benefits of solar power in your home.

If you didn’t already know, photovoltaics are extremely clean and do not pollute the environment at all.  They don’t require any fuel, and they run quietly.  All you need is sunshine to run these power generators.  As long as you’ve got sunlight, this technology will keep generating renewable energy. 

Believe it or not, solar roof shingles can save you nearly sixty percent on your home energy costs each month.  If you’ve got a small business, this technology can work in this context as well.  It will work wherever you’ve got a roof to install on.

There are a lot of advantages to using solar roof shingles.  Of course, you get the same protection and durability as you would be standard asphalt shingles.  Aside from this, they are aesthetically appealing.  You can design your product to go with your roof and the rest of your house. 

It’s possible to completely replace the old roofing material on your home, and install photovoltaic cells that will start generating natural energy from solar power.  If you are hesitant to consider doing this, don’t worry.  The costs to install such a system are surprisingly low, and the material is lightweight so there’s no possibility of damage to your roof or the rest of your home.

If you have a roof that receives a large amount of sunlight each day, your property is ideal for solar roof shingles.  Best of all, there are a bunch of options for financing such a project.  The Department of Energy is willing to participate in offsetting the costs of solar power for homes in America.

There may be various incentives available to you if you decide to install solar shingles.  Do more research online for further information or visit our website at Metal Roofing to learn more.

Chris Smitts
http://www.articlesbase.com/remodeling-articles/save-money-try-solar-roof-shingles-777957.html

Imagine if your house could get all of its energy for heating, cooling, and cooking from batteries that never require changing. Imagine, then that these batteries were cheap and as reliable as the sun. Well, thanks to advances in technology, and the use of photovoltaic solar panels, its not a dream - it really can be done. It is possible to build a system that not only utilised the suns energy but can even work when there is no sun. By converting some of the suns energy to hydrogen, the element that makes up 75 % of the sun’s composition, its possible to then store this hydrogen for use in cloudy weather.

Photovoltaic solar panels and a stored hydrogen system can easily be retrofitted to an existing home, and many people believe that this will become a model for most modern homes in the near future. The system requires solar panels, storage batteries, hydrogen electrolyzer, generator, and tanks. Now this all sounds expensive and complex but it’s not, and it’s worth remembering that the end product is free electricity .. for life!

The system basically works like this. The photovoltaic solar panels absorb sunlight, converting its energy into electricity. During the sunny months, this electricity heats, cools, powers appliances, fills the hot water tank, and provides energy to cook. At the same time, though, 60 % of the electricity is diverted to an electrolyzer that pulls hydrogen from water. This hydrogen is stored in tanks, and when energy from the stored hydrogen is needed, the hydrogen flows to a fuel cell where it is converted back into electricity. Clean, simple, and very efficient.

Dave Simpson

How much do solar panels for homes cost? How many would you need to power the average two-story house?

Solar Panels cost between $9-11 on Average per watt. The Average home uses 930 Watts per hour.

Most homes aren’t fully solar power, the ones that are run in economy mode - no AC or other hi-power electronics.

Your other costs are installation to the power grid, batteries, inverters.

Approximately $20k and will pay itself off in 8 years and last 20-25 years.

Once you start house hunting there is no doubt one of your first stops will be at a new homes website or community to see what they have to offer in the area you would like to live in. In fact, new homes have stepped up to win the hearts and minds of homebuyers for the better part of the past decade where we’ve seen an unprecedented explosion in new home construction and buying. What was once considered a luxury reserved for the rich and famous, new construction has opened the door to all price ranges and styles including luxury high-rise condominiums, townhouses, active adult communities and single-family homes.

There are a tremendous number of benefits to owning a new home including the ability to customize the home to your liking, meeting all the new neighbors as they move in and substantial savings in utility costs with new homes now being built to a higher, more energy efficient and green standard.

It’s your house. No, REALLY your house. - When you buy a resale home you are purchasing a home that someone else crafted to suit his or her lifestyle. Sometimes it’s just perfect and exactly what you are looking for but more often than not there are a few “Why did they do that?” issues with a home that you will have to renovate or remove when you move in to fit your lifestyle. When you build a new home you will be able to choose exactly what you want and where you want it so you can move in and not have to touch a thing.

Everyone else is new too! - Resale communities are great because you can see the neighborhood, how people care for their homes and everything is already established but those same benefits can prove to be cons when you are the only new neighbor on the block. Moving into a new home grants you the privilege of meeting the neighbors when they are also looking to meet new people and settle into the community. There won’t be any pre-established social circles to work your way into and you will be discovering new things about your neighborhood at the same time everyone else does.

Newer homes are more attractive when you resell. - Life happens. You might have to relocate or you make a lifestyle change a couple short years after you move in. The good news is that newer homes are more attractive to prospective homebuyers because it’s their opportunity to buy a newer home without the price premium associated with new construction. Better yet, you’ve already purchased all the appliances and upgrades for the home and many parts of the home are still under warranty making the home a great inclusive value. This will compare favorably to older resale homes that may require renovation or updating to make it livable for the modern homebuyer.

Location, Location, Location! YOU choose! - When you shop for resale homes the homes you find are obviously fixed to their current location. How many times have you seen a great resale that would be absolutely perfect if it were a little closer to the community clubhouse or offered a larger back yard for the kids to play? New homebuilders typically offer a range of model homes to choose from and you can usually place that model on a lot of your choice. Now you can have the home of your dreams in the cul-de-sac you’ve always dreamed of!

In the current market new homes may be a better deal than resale homes. - That’s right, the market shift has turned the tables. Now buyers have the market in the palm of their hands and can get some really outstanding deals on homes but you have to know where to look. Resale home owners may be willing to deal but in the past thirty days I have been able to successfully negotiate $69,117 off the asking price of a new home for a client and then shortly after located a home for another client and negotiated $91,000 off the asking price and we are still in negotiations to get even more from the builder. By the way, these home prices included upgrades! I have never met homeowners who were willing to accept a substantial reduction on the price of their home to the tune of more than $60,000. As a matter of fact, many homeowners have overpriced their homes on the market because they owe more than the home is worth and they cannot afford to go lower in price.

Buying Tip: To score a new home deal you can’t walk in and offer builders $400,000 under what they are asking for the home. Fantastic deals can be found however if you find the right buyer’s agent who specializes in new homes because their experience, relationships with builders and negotiating ability will help you save thousands of dollars.

That brown carpet and tiny kitchen? Soooooo 1970s! - Kitchen big enough for one? Small closets, shower only bathrooms and carpet everywhere? Not for today’s homebuyer! The modern lifestyle is drastically different from what it was even ten years ago and resale homes often lack the oomph and space to satisfy. Today’s homebuyer wants a bright, open kitchen with breakfast bar and high-end appliances. We now do most of our living in the kitchen! Soaking tubs in the master suite and walk-in closets are now considered standard staples of the modern home. New homes often feature these amenities as a part of their standard offering and are even starting to prepare homes for the future including the addition of whole house networking and walk-out basements that can be finished as future living space.

New homes save money with efficiency and green building techniques. - Many new homes are taking advantage of the Energy Star standard which sets forth a number of requirements that products like windows and doors must adhere to in order to achieve an Energy Star rating. In addition to Energy Star many builders are now offering green building and living options like the installation of solar panels on the roof of a home to harness the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity. If you install enough solar panels you may just have the electric company paying you for the electricity you are producing! These features are often very costly to retrofit a resale home with if it wasn’t initially built to these standards.

The next time you start searching for homes be sure to consider all of your options including new construction. When buying new construction you should take into account the fact that most new homes take approximately four to six months to build. You will also devote more of your personal time to building the home as you will need to choose home upgrades and work with your agent through the inspection and financing processes.

Happy hunting!

Joshua Ferris
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/seven-advantages-of-new-homes-over-resale-homes-686507.html