Chris McGee asked:


There are pros and cons of using the sun to create solar energy. The question is … are the cons really so bad that a person should not consider sun power as an alternative energy source? If you answered yes to that question, you must enjoy paying your electricity bill. As for me, I don’t like spending my money on something I should be able to get for free – and neither should you.

The pros for using solar energy for electricity:

- Use the sun’s energy in turn saving our planet’s natural resources.

- Will lower your electricity bill, possibly even eliminating your bill completely.

- Will increase the value of your home.

- During power outages, you will have electricity.

- Homemade solar panels can be fun and educational projects for all ages.

The cons for using solar energy for electricity:

- The area needs lots of sun.

- Are considered to be a costly investment.

- Technology change frequently.

- Are not as effective during bad weather and cloudy days.

Every single one of us should be concerned about our planet’s future and do our part to conserve fossil fuels. Every single one of us should have the desire to learn how to become more self-sufficient. Every single one of us should be concerned about our finances and try to keep our bills to a minimum to improve our financial futures.

How do you get solar energy?

- Professionally installed solar panels

- Solar power kits

- Homemade solar panels

In order to have a professional installation of a home solar panel system, as you know, is a huge hit for most of our wallets. The average blue collar individual, like me, can not afford this kind of an expense in today’s economy. It’s like a catch 22. The average person has a hard time affording their electric bill and at the same time can’t afford to install alternative energy devices to help relieve the cost of their electricity.

Instead of hiring a professional, there are solar power kits available and much more affordable. A solar power kit will come with everything a person needs to get started at setting up a home solar system.

The thing to keep in mind though, is … prior to hiring a professional solar panel installer or buying a solar power system kit, it is important to learn the details how solar power actually works. The best way to accomplish that is to build a homemade solar power generator, gain the knowledge and begin your road to independence.



Jorge

John Mackinnon asked:


Solar panels that capture the abundance of energy sent to us each and every day can be just the relief we need from the high cost of electricity. It almost seems like a crime to turn our backs on this wonderful gift of more free energy than we can possibly use. This is especially true today because it is possible to build your own solar panel with simple tools for less than $200. These homemade solar generators are capable of reducing household electricity costs by 50% or more.

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Photons, the energetic particles found in sunlight, strike the individual solar cells and bump electrons out of place. The electrons are, in effect, pushed out of the cell and into the wires that connect all the cells together. Ideally each cell will generate about .5 volts of electrical pressure. 80 solar cells wired together in one panel should generate about 100 watts of power.

The Secret Of Making Cheap Solar Panels

The secret to making an inexpensive solar panel is in scrounging low cost or free solar cells. The lower the cost of this project the faster it will pay for itself. Using your own labor to assemble free solar cells into just one panel should pay back the original costs in just a few months. Buying a brand new pre-assembled and installed panel for over a $1000 might take 5 -10 times longer.

The Parts Of The Complete Solar Panel System

Plan A: This is the simplest system. The direct current DC electrical output from the solar panel goes to a bank of deep cycle batteries for storage. The batteries are then connected to an inverter that converts the DC Current to the kind of alternating current that most household appliances require. This is then wired to directly power a specific group of appliances completely separate from the house wiring.

Plan B: Takes the above system a step further by connecting to the electrical wiring in your house at the main fuse box. Legally, this step almost always has do be performed by a certified electrician. Some power companies will actually pay you in the form of energy credits for sending excess energy back out into the grid.

Plan C: This system works completely off the grid for homes that have no electric power coming to their home at all. The key element here is to have back-up sources of power interconnected with the solar panels for supplying power on days that there is no sun. Windmill generators and gas powered generators often serve as additional sources of power.

The Advantages Of Solar Panel Systems

Besides providing almost free electricity, solar panel systems are quiet, non-polluting, low maintenance, safe and if properly weatherproofed could last up to 50 years. They can also be a life saver if you live too far from the electric grid to economically afford to extend the transmission lines to your location.

If you tie into the electric grid, it is even possible to get paid by the power companies for any electricity generated over and above your personal needs.

The Need For A Good Plan

Despite the simplicity of a building your own solar panels, it is important to have a complete set of plans. Good plans should, at the bare minimum include the following:

1. Ideally these set of plans will originate from authors that have successfully built and used solar panels themselves. 2. The plans should give a brief background of simple electrical terms like watt, volt and amps. 3. A detailed explanation of the different types of solar cells and exactly where to find them. 4. Wiring diagrams for understanding how to wire the individual cells together. 5. How to build a protective case. 6. How to run this power into your house directly to certain appliances or to hook up to the current household wiring.

The simplicity of capturing the sun’s daily gift of free energy to reduce or even eliminate your electric bill is almost unbelievable. Equally amazing is the fact that we live in an age of abundant free and low cost used solar cells. Don’t you think that it is time to solve your own energy crisis instead of waiting for our Government or the Power Companies to fix it? Take the easy first step and grab a set of plans for building your own solar panels.



Carrie

Anna Hart asked:


Solar energy facts for kids in New Zealand are considered unnecessary by some. When winter hovers over New Zealand, it may seem that day after day is cloudy and grey – especially in some parts of New Zealand. On such days, it is difficult to imagine that solar energy could supply enough electricity for a New Zealand home. Most areas of New Zealand, however, have plenty of solar energy that can be harnessed.

Solar energy can be calculated with a map such as the one on the Sun Wize website. This is called a world solar insolation map. “Insolation” means it is exposed to the sun’s rays. The map shows how many hours of each day a country is exposed to the sun’s rays – in the worst month of the year. In other words, the map shows how much solar energy the country gets each day.

When you find New Zealand on a world solar insolation map, you will see that most of the country gets between 3 and 5 hours of solar energy each day. Remember that 3 to 5 hours is the amount of solar energy in the worst month! On average, counting good and bad days, New Zealand gets approximately 2000 hours of bright sunshine each year.

Solar Energy Facts for Kids

Solar energy facts for kids might include many things, depending on the age of the children involved. A small child of 6 years might understand only simple concepts such as the heat generated by solar energy. Older children of 14 to 17 can grasp the technology of solar panels and generators, and how they convert solar energy to electrical power.

We will not attempt to sort the following facts by age or importance, but simply present them as a collection of ideas to be explored.

* In New Zealand, a solar energy water heating system can save as much as 75 per cent of your family’s water heating costs.

* The word “photovoltaic” comes 2 words. “Photo” refers to light and “voltaic” refers to electricity. A photovoltaic array system changes solar energy collected from sunlight into electricity.

* Cover the roofs of every New Zealand home in photovoltaic (PV) panels, and together they would convert enough solar energy into power each year to supply more than 25 per cent of New Zealand’s needed electricity.

* Solar energy can provide the total electricity needed by a normal three bedroom New Zealand home that is energy efficient.

* Solar energy is quiet, easy to install, and needs little upkeep from the New Zealand home owner.

* Any New Zealand child can, with a little help, build a solar energy stove to cook a small banger.

* Solar energy has been used for many years by New Zealand mums to dry clothing outdoors.

* Germany, a country that is much cloudier than New Zealand, converts solar energy into electricity more than any other country does.

* Solar energy is greater than you might think on cloudy days, since the sunlight that gets through reflects off the bottoms of the clouds.

* Solar energy can turn ocean water into healthy drinking water.

* Solar energy can be used on boats and ships around New Zealand.

* Solar energy is absolutely free to New Zealanders. No other country can charge money for it.

Suggestion for New Zealand teachers: Have a contest to see which group of students can discover the most solar energy facts for kids. Younger children will have fun simply listing solar energy facts for kids. Older students might be required to expand each discovery statement.

Disclaimer: The author receives no compensation from any company mentioned in this article. The information is presented solely for educational purposes.



Florence

sidana.abhi asked:


Power energy is in great crisis. The reason can be over-consumption of electricity. So, it is extremely important to decrease consuming non-renewable sources of energy and to turn to renewable ones. Renewable sources can never be exhausted and are harmless to the environment such as solar energy, hydro energy and wind energy.

Solar energy means collecting energy from sunlight and it is known that sun can not be exhausted. It can be used for heating water to vapor. These vapors make turbines to move and produce energy. Solar energy could be very useful in houses for heating, lighting and cooking too. It is said cooking with solar energy is very healthy. This is very popular and effective method. It doesn’t harm our environment and it is almost free. You will only have to pay for the equipment to be installed. As we said solar energy won’t run out.

Hydro energy is produced from the running water. Rivers, waterfalls and dams can be used to generate hydro power. Many different electrical devices could use this type of energy. Hydro energy is renewable like solar energy is, it doesn’t make any waste or gas emissions and it is more reliable than solar energy – water can be stored in dams. That is why hydro electrical stations are built near running water. But using water energy can harm fish and other living organisms in the rivers.

Wind energy is used through ages. People made windmills long time ago, used wind to sail their boats. And this kind of energy is very convenient for generating electricity because it is a renewable resource, completely harmless to environment.

If we wish to keep our environment safe, healthy and pollution free for the coming generations we must face toward inexhaustible sources of energy



Kelly

Jonathan Gal asked:


We are all well-aware of the staggering effects that our use of fossil fuels has had, and will continue to have, on the environment. Global warming, acid rain and a host of devastating results will continue to threaten the majority of species currently inhabiting the planet for many ages to come. Luckily there are also millions of people currently working hard to reduce and limit these problems, and their efforts tend to be focused on several key “green” initiatives.

These initiatives encompass a wide range of efforts and plans, but the bulk of them tend to be centered on alternative energy production. Rather than relying upon coal, oil and gas for energy production, these groups work to create reliable and affordable methods for creating energy from solar rays, wind, water and even steam.

What is the future of green initiatives? That question involves multiple answers. For instance, there is a huge trend for consumers and businesses to purchase things called “carbon offsets”. These are tax deductible contributions to groups working to create alternative energy sources or who are currently at work in reforestation projects, among other programs. The majority of them offer a consumer tools that will help them determine their carbon usage during a standard year and then allow them to purchase “offsets” against their consumption. This tends to “balance the scales” which is something that has not been happening over the past few centuries.

Of course a majority of people look to solar technologies as the simplest and most well-developed of the green initiatives. Solar energy has been studied for more than a century, but only since the 1950s has its real potential been recognized and implemented. Today, there are active solar energy power plants and many home and business owners have taken strong measures to implement as many solar energy options as possible in their homes and offices. Using outdoor LED lights is one such strategy. 

There are also some great answers in the power of the wind, but this is a bit more restrictive in implementation because a measurable and steady supply of wind must always be present in order for the system to work. Currently there are hundreds of “wind farms” working to supply communities or homes with their energy needs.

Though there are many problems facing the planet, there are also millions who want to work to solve them. This is the basis for all of the green movements and green initiatives at work in the modern world. The technologies that will lead to their success have been improving and becoming more and more accessible every year, and will continue to do so for decades to come.



Anita

R Hancock asked:


We are now living in an age where the preservation of the environment is of utmost importance, due to the threat posed by global pollution. More and more countries around the world have begun to shift their reliance to renewable energy sources, as such sources  of energy are nonhazardous to the environment, therefore, helps to slowdown the effects of pollution. 

With the increased awareness of the need for environmental preservation, the sales of solar power for residential homes have seen an increase, as people worldwide are beginning to embrace the idea of going green. However, though there is growing demand for solar power generators, many environmentally conscious individuals have been unable to afford their own solar power systems, due to the exorbitant cost.

Such persons may need to consider the low cost alternative of building and generating their own solar power for residential homes. This can be made possible with the help of a DIY renewable energy guide that can be purchased and downloaded off the internet for a reasonable price. These DIY renewable energy guides are in great demand, due to the fact that building a homemade solar system is the most cost effective way of going green, through the use of renewable energy.

There is no need to even worry about the hectic challenges that are involved with building and generating solar power for residential homes, as the very reason these DIY guides have become so popular is because of how easy they are to follow. Virtually anyone at any level can build a solar generator by following the step-by-step instructions that are outlined in the DIY renewable guides.

Therefore, if you are concerned about the deterioration of the environment and desire to make a difference by switching to solar power for residential homes — the most affordable way of going green is by building and installing your own solar generator. As mentioned before, this can be made possible by following the instruction of a DIY renewable energy guide which can be purchased online.

 

Using the free power of the Sun to provide energy to your home makes perfect sense. Find out how quickly and easily you can begin saving money on your energy costs with a simple solar project. DIY-Energy has resources which will show you how to Create Your Own Solar Power for a lot less than you might think. Start today and save hundreds, or thousands off your energy bill each year.



Eric