Solar And Wind 4 Me

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

Solar panels hold a wealth of benefits, both for individuals and for the world at large. Economically, solar panels promise to lower the cost of electrical power. Environmentally, solar panels can give us cleaner power, sustainable power that will not require further damage to the environment. Solar power can reach remote areas. It can carry education, or urgently needed medical information.

The effects of clouds on a solar panel, though, might diminish those and other promising benefits.

The effects of clouds on a solar panel might make it far less efficient in certain parts of the world and at certain seasons.

For that reason, people who are considering solar panels for their homes are often heard to ask: will clouds affect my solar panels?

Will Clouds Affect My Solar Panels?

Clouds do affect solar panels. The amount of power your solar panels can produce is directly dependent on the level of light they receive.

In full, bright sunlight, solar panels receive maximum levels of light. During those “peak” sunlight hours, your solar panels will produce power at their maximum capacity.

When clouds cover the sun, light levels are reduced. This does not shut down power production, however. If there is enough light to cast a shadow, in spite of the clouds, your solar panels should operate at about half of their full capacity. Thicker cloud cover will reduce operations further. Eventually, with heavy cloud cover, solar panels will produce very little useful power.

The Good News!

The effects of clouds on a solar panel can be surprising good, however. Incredibly, your solar panels will put out their ultimate amount of peak power during cloudy weather!

As the sun moves into a hole between the clouds, your solar panels will see something wonderful. They will see full direct sunlight “plus” reflected light from the clouds! They will drink in more energy than they could on a cloudless day!

The effects of clouds on a solar panel could then produce peaks at or above 50 percent more than its direct-sun output!

Meeting the Challenge

There are ways to meet the cloud challenge.

1. If you often have clouds in the afternoon, but mornings are clear, aim your solar panels slightly toward the east.

2. Be sure you use a large enough battery system to maximize the amount of power stored for use when the clouds arrive.

3. Make sure your controller has plenty of headroom over the rated panel output power so that it can absorb the surges when the sun reflects off the clouds.

Those tricks and more are practiced in cloudy regions of the world where people have sprinted far ahead of the United States in their use of solar panel energy.

Effects of Clouds on a Solar Panel in Germany

Germany is typically a very cloudy country. Read about the climate of Germany, and you will find that it is “temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind” according to Nation Master’s website.

In spite of its cloudy climate, though, Germany is by far the world’s biggest user of solar panels. If you lived in Germany, you could sell back to the main power grid all of the excess electricity produced by your solar panels. Why would I even care in such a cloudy climate? If clouds affect my solar panels too much, I would not worry about selling back to the main grid.

In 2006, Germany opened the largest solar park in the world. Germany also has Europe’s most modern solar housing project - a solar village of 50 solar houses that produce more energy than they use!

Will clouds affect my solar panels? Even if I lived in Germany, the effect would not be enough to forego solar power.

Tip: There are few places that are so consistently cloudy that solar power is out of the question. Improvements are being made constantly, and even solar panels small enough to fold into a briefcase can produce helpful amounts of power.

Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/effects-of-clouds-on-a-solar-panel-136546.html

People have been aware that the sun’s energy can be harnessed to power various devices and machines for years, but it is not until recently that the technology and the motivation has pushed people to seriously consider solar energy as a viable power source.

With the current state of the economy and with the growing move toward a more environmentally responsible lifestyle, many people are considering various forms of renewable energy and “green living” principals. Solar power is usually at the top of the list when it comes to renewable energy sources. Solar power has been used for years by the government and various businesses, but it has only recently come into the mainstream for the everyday average household.

In almost any area of the country it is possible to dramatically cut one’s electric bill by installing and maintaining solar panels. Some people are even able to go entirely off the grid and power their homes completely independently of the traditional local electric company, all by solar power. While going off the grid may be an intimidating prospect for some, there is absolutely no reason why a household cannot install solar panels on the roof and greatly reduce the monthly electric bills.

Until recently, the cost to buy and install residential solar panels has been prohibitively high, and not everyone has the technical know how to do it themselves. However, with the shift toward renewable energy, many companies have seen this as an opportunity in an untapped industry and have started offering solar panels at much more competitive and affordable prices. The installation and upkeep of the solar panels is very easy and affordable. Many households find that they can pay for the solar panels in less than a year through the reduced electric bills they produce.

Obviously, once the panels are installed, the solar power is completely free and produces absolutely no harmful emissions, unlike traditional fossil fuels. As the technology becomes more mainstream, manufacturers and builders are constantly refining their techniques to make the solar panels more efficient, durable and innovative.

Recently, some builders have started to integrate solar power into their overall design by including solar panels as standard features on top of garages and in other unobtrusive places such as the roofs of gazebos, tops of pool houses, and on every available foot of roof space in general. Some pool decks are being built with embedded solar cells. As the renewable energy movement continues, more and more builders will find it necessary to integrate a solar power plan into their overall building plan in order to stay competitive with all the other builders who are doing the same.

Solar power is one of the easiest and best solutions to not only help the environment and climate, but to save significant amounts of money in electric bills as well. With solar power components being more affordable now than ever before, every homeowner should at least consider installing solar panels.

David J Hughes
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/renewable-energy-lesson-2-solar-power-754985.html

To truly understand the benefits of green solar energy, you must first understand how solar energy is harnessed. There are two types of green solar energy-thermal and light. Thermal energy is considered passive solar. This type of green solar energy is harnessed through the design and materials used to construct a building. By integrating south facing windows and materials that retain heat, like brick and stone, you can lower your energy needs and build an energy efficient structure. The thermal energy produced by green solar energy is also used to heat water for solar hot water systems. The rays of the sun also produce light and radiation that can be captured by solar panels to create electricity.

The most popular use of green solar energy is for saving money. Although green solar energy systems can come with a large initial investment, they generally pay for themselves in a few years by providing either supplemental electricity or all of the electricity to your home or business. Building your own solar panels, participating in government refunds and net metering, in which you sell unused electricity back to the power company, can reduce the cost of implementing a green solar energy system. In addition, green solar energy systems require little to no maintenance after installation, as most have no moving parts.

The most important benefit of utilizing green solar energy is completely environmental. With polar ice caps dwindling away and climate changes creating tragic storms world wide, it is increasingly obvious that steps must be taken to decrease global warming and our dependence on fossil fuels. Green solar energy provides a clean energy alternative as it creates little pollution and does not contribute to global warming.

Solar energy panels have become more affordable in recent years making it a viable alternative energy option for savvy home owners looking for savings on their monthly utility bills and the environmentally conscious who also enjoy the financial advantage, but focus more on the benefits solar energy panels have on global warming and independence from fossil fuels.

If you are a beginner to the solar electric world, then you may be wondering what exactly solar energy panels are? It is really simple and yet fascinatingly complicated. Solar energy panels are also known as photovoltaic panels; photovoltaic meaning electricity from the sun. Solar energy panels work by collecting protons from the sun, which displace neutrons, and create a flow of electrons or electricity. An inverter converts the power generated by the solar energy panels from an AC current to a DC current making it usable in homes as a direct electricity supply.

You can use solar energy panels to heat your pool, workshop tools, greenhouse lights and fans or depending on you personal electric usage, your entire home or business. Most solar energy panels are designed to last 30-40 years and require little to no maintenance. Over the life-span of solar energy panels, the energy savings realized by the owner is enough to justify the initial cost of the system and prices are dropping more and more as a larger number of consumers express interest and make the change to solar energy panels or other renewable resources.

Solar energy panels for small applications can be purchased at your local hardware stores. These small versions are ideal for outdoor lighting, small water pumps and other outdoor tools. If you are purchasing a home size or business size system of solar energy panels it would be best to seek out a local retailer of solar energy panels or a green energy retailer in your area. There is also plenty of information available online about different solar energy panel providers.

Corrado Vinci
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/benefits-of-green-solar-energy-679319.html

Two solar power technologies exist, the passive and the active technology. The passive technology are the photocell panels or the photovoltaic film that receives sunlight and generates electricity more apt for a space station or a home. The active technology is a solar thermal that uses a dish to concentrate sunlight that produces steam, which in turn powers a turbine that generates electricity. Another active technology, which is not being promoted, hidden form public view, is using the Stirling Engine to move a power generator.

The passive technology is ready to go, and there are a few homes that have already installed the system. This system is totally clean, backed by the USDOE Solar American Initiative, it requires sufficient space on the roof to position the panels or film, and uses an inverter to turn direct current into alternate current homes can use. The Utility companies have also developed the Net Metering system to buy electricity on their terms, from homes that have generate a surplus of electricity. The new federal tax law “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008″ effective January 2009 provides a 30% tax credit of the cost of a solar system. Some States are also providing large incentives to install solar systems, although with the current economic crisis these paybacks can be curtailed or delayed. The rest of the payback has to come from real savings generated over time by the system from the Utility company. This passive solar system is expensive as of today, and payback is obtained in 8 years of savings. Photovoltaic film or photocell panels are low efficiency and voltage, and compare badly with the option of buying electricity from the utility company. Currently you require from 13 to 15 photocell panels to generate the 2.5 to 3.0 Kilowatt hours generating capacity.

Walmart has established a pilot plan to install photovoltaic panels in several of their stores. If the system produces a return, they will massively implement it in all their stores, since they have sufficient roof space currently not utilized.

The Solar-thermal system is not adequate for homes and mainly will be used for large Utility companies. However, the active system based on a Stirling engine to power a generator which could be applicable for homes, is not available for massive distribution. Although all of its components have been developed, no one has yet integrated the solar power generating kit, or a home appliance. This home system or appliance should be very low cost because it requires: a solar collector or dish which could cost around $200 USD, a stiriling engine with a cost of $350, the 3 KW per hour power generator with a cost of $350, and the battery bank which is the expensive ticket item and could run several thousand dollars, to store electricity if the system is a stand alone not tied to the power grid. If the home is currently supplied by a utility company, then the battery bank is not needed and the Net Metering system with the public utility company can be used. In addition to the sun collector dish the rest of the system can be packaged in two boxes. One which has the stiriling engine and power generator, and the other with the battery if you are a location not tied to the grid. It can also have a gas heater installation as a backup to when there is a lack of sunlight making this a very reliable alternative.

Apparently, there are companies in America, New Zealand, India, Sweden, and other countries trying to develop the stiriling engine . A few companies are receiving funding from investment funds to develop the stiriling engine for this home appliance. Infinia Corporation, a US company has a head start, because they are currently producing a big sterling engine to power up 10 homes at a time and installing many of them in a centralized solar farm in California. Other companies should not be discouraged because markets are so huge, there will be enough room for all suppliers. Just in United States alone there is a potential of 124 million homes that could use the solar power appliance, plus commercial and industrial sites.

Having the home powering appliance, can be the initial steps for returning to sustainable systems. Today, the sun is light and warmth, provided to us from God and Nature, free for all of us to use and enjoy. A home solar powered generator would provide clean energy, and allow equal footing to all nations rich and poor, to devote their funding into other worthwhile social services such as health and education. Rich nations which have electrical grids and power generation capacity would suddenly feel there would be no need to continue increasing Power generation capacities and hopefully they would discontinue all those plants that contaminate. Please see Poverty generation:  http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/poverty-and-the-new-world-order-809385.html

Juan Trevino
http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/solar-power-technologies-on-hold-673269.html

A lot of people think of these large panels on the roof of homes, when they think of solar energy and solar power.  Let’s talk about some other solar energy facts.  Although it came to light, so to speak, in the 1960s, solar energy has advanced and can be used for everything from warming our households to fueling our cars.  Solar energy is free.  Our electrical energy bills get higher each and every year.  We can take this solar power using Earth4Energys kit for a fraction of what it cost us for electricity.  We hear that the environment is having troubles with global warming, green house gases, but solar power if we decide to use and invest in it, is positive for the environment.

A long time ago, we believed people who used solar energy to heat their homes pretty much as fruitcakes.  But today, they have the last laugh.  Each day we watch the price of oil grow and fall.  Never knowing where it is going to be tomorrow.  Then there is the trouble with global warming stairing us in the face.  People who practice the alternative energy source like solar and wind energy are the people who are saving and not to worring about the rise and fall of oil for heating and cooling or running their homes. 

A lot of new constructions are being developed with some consideration to solar energy as the energy crisis as well as the concerns about the environment are forefront in the minds of many individuals.  There are many uses for solar energy, other than heating.  There are other things that solar can be used for other than heating our households. We can use it to run our appliance’s in our homes and also run some electronic gizmo’s.   We are all familiar with solar powered calculators.  In most cases there is some type of rechargable storage device, but in some cases there is not even a battery needed.  So let’s use this to power other things.

Don’t forget there is the wind that can be controlled also to make energy. With that and solar, you can really have an impact on your energy cost and start to save in a big way.  Purposes for solar energy range from warming a house and running a car to actually cleaning H2O in third world nations that can end up saving lives.  As you can see there are numerous purposes for solar and wind energy.

To keep solar and wind energy active and going forward, thought has to be given to the price of producing this power. We also have to remember to consider the eco system as well.  There are two types of people, the one’s who wish to save money using solar power.  Then there are the one’s concerned about the environment.  But both types of people are in agreement that solar and wind energy can be an solution to both of their concerns.

Learn more about solar energy facts">solar energy facts.  It is easy to have solar energy for homes, a simple DIY kit, fully illistrated will have you saving money by the weekend. Click solar energy for homes">solar energy for homes for more information.

Steve A Madigan

Knowing in what way solar energy operates to heat not only your pool but also your house is an interesting fact. When you are outside in the sun you can feel the heat. Of course the sun can feel hotter or colder considering what time of the year or day it is or the amount of clouding. Are you curious about the fact that solar energy works on cold days to heat your house or water? Discovering the facts about the workings of solar energy as it pertains to solar heating is quite simple. It is rapidly becoming the chosen option for the people looking to convert their home’s energy source.

For this process to operate solar heating has to first capture the sun’s energy and convert it to a usable form. How the solar energy does this is interesting. It takes the rays of the sun and turns that into what is called thermal energy, which is used in your various heaters to heat your water, pool or home. Putting to use a solar heating system has various benefits including: a large reduction in energy cost because solar power is a lot less expensive to use, also the effect is much less on the environment with one thing being less pollution. On top of being friendly to the environment it is also a renewable source of energy so no fear of a shortage.

How does the solar energy create the thermal energy? For this to operate the solar heater and all the heaters for that fact will have to have solar collectors added to them. The solar collectors capture and hold the solar power. After this happens the power heats up air or sometimes fluid. Once this is done the heated fluid/air is passed on to the appropriate item. Then the collector has to do the routine over again and because the heat can be stored in the collectors you have power night and day.

How the solar energy operates to keep this quality of protection going is impressive. Usually this kind of system also has the ability to control the amount of heat that is turned out and also how the energy is allotted for various uses. But for this type of system you have to get a top quality one for it to function properly.

To make sure you are getting your money’s worth you have to have full knowledge of the way solar energy works in the system before you buy it and have the system installed.

Jeff Grundy

“Best Solar Panels For Homes” System is probably any household’s dream - saying goodbye to these irritating and expensive electric-bills. Surprisingly (or not), this technique requires no more than a weekend to get it done. Read the following article to know more about how it works.

Quick overview

What is this “Best Solar Panels For Homes” System all about? Well, it is about reading one of these easy-to-use guides that walks you through the steps of assembling Solar-Cells which are the most essential component. Some guides can be really useful while others miss their target; check what others say about it, does it provide clear information, videos, illustrations etc.? Anyway, here are just a few advantage & advices that can help you out.

What is in it for us?

This solution provides various benefits; here are just a few of them:

* Saves hundreds month-after-month.
* Helps our nation on becoming less dependent on external oil suppliers.
* Requires no more than a weekend to be installed.
* Using as much power as needed without worrying about the elec. Meter.
* Enables us to get an extra income by quickly providing such sys. for others.

Quick tip

Make sure that there aren’t any unnecessary objects/obstacles that may be blocking sunlight to your unit; otherwise it may lose its efficiency.

Summarizing this article

Using such powerful “Best Solar Panels For Homes” System opens up an outstanding opportunity for any of us to ‘cut’ our elec. expenses once and for all. We could probably come across other benefits provided by this remarkable idea, simply because more people are becoming aware of the opportunities that it provides. Now that we understand how it works the best tip would be to simply get it as this is the most recommended way that truly enables you to explore the advantages mentioned in this article.

Jason Gilford
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/quotbest-solar-panels-for-homesquot-system–go-for-it-today-696684.html