Tag Archives: solar power

What Is Solar Energy

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Solar energy is the energy provided by the sun’s radiation..With the exception of nuclear energy, geothermal energy and tidal energy (from the movement of water created by the tide), it is the source of all energy on Earth.

Through various processes, solar power can be transformed into heat,electricity or biomass energy.Techniques to directly capture a part of this energy are available and are being improved continuously.

One can distinguish three types of Solar Energy

Solar Photovoltaic:

This refers to electricity produced by converting a portion of solar radiation with a photocell (which is an electronic component, exposed to light (photons), which generates a voltage). Several cells are connected in a solar photovoltaic module. And then, more modules are grouped to form a solar panel system for individual use, or a solar photovoltaic power plant, which supplies an electrical distribution network. The term “photovoltaic” refers to the physical phenomenon – the photovoltaic effect – or the related technology.

Solar Thermal

Solar thermal is to use heat from solar radiation. It comes in different forms: thermodynamic solar power, hot water and heating, cooling, solar cookers and dryers. Solar power is a thermodynamic technique that uses solar energy to generate electricity.

Passive Solar Power:

The oldest use of solar energy is the direct input of solar radiation and is called passive solar Power.

For a building that benefits from good sunlight, it must take into account the solar energy in the architectural design: double facades, orientation towards the south and glass surfaces, among others. The thermal insulation plays an important role to optimize the proportion of the available passive solar heating and lighting. A house or a building which has a high passive solar energy content,contributes to a significant reduction in the amount of energy used and therefore a lowering of your power bills.

If you wish to install solar energy yourself and cut your energy bills to size Click Here

Solar Energy= Using The Power Of The Sun

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When asked about alternative or renewable energy, most people would automatically think of solar energy.

Generating electricity from the sun is a renewable technology that the majority of people know well. Whether it is simply your pocket calculator, your home, or in your workshop, regardless of your power needs, solar energy can get the job done.

Solar Energy has several unique advantages over standard grid-based electricity. Solar electric systems can be designed for a variety of applications and are extremely useful in remote areas where grid based electricity does not exist. They could prove to be very beneficial in third world or developing countries, helping to bring electricity and all its associated benefits to the wider population Also photovoltaic panels that generate solar power, have no moving parts, therefore minimal maintenance is required, and the smaller units are totally portable, which is another huge advantage in off-grid locations.

Eco-friendliness is a major selling point for converting to solar energy. Its fuel is a free renewable resource, namely the sun. Solar Energy offers a total pollution free source of energy, unlike fossil fuelled electricity, that emits greenhouse gases. Another attractive factor for many who choose solar electricity over grid based power is simply the feeling of total freedom. Freedom from the power company, freedom from power cuts and blackouts and total freedom from their ever rising prices.

The most difficult part of converting to solar energy is the initial set up cost of the system. Solar Power, is not a cheap quick fix. It should be viewed as a long term investment. A professionally installed retail system for an average dwelling should pay for itself in 5/7 years. Costs can be greatly reduced by either, building your own or purchasing a used solar panel system.

A Do it yourself system is much easier than you think with excellent guides and videos available now, so even a novice Do it yourselfer can install their own Solar Panels. Also increasingly now, Governments are introducing grants for installing solar energy, and it is also possible, that you may be able to sell your unused solar electricity back to the power company. In these cases, payback on your initial investment would be much quicker.

World’s Top Ten Solar Energy Nations

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Solar Energy is becoming of immense importance in current times. With global warming breathing heavily over our shoulders, we just cannot do without wind and solar energy. Countries across the world have geared up to develop alternative energy sources for better living.

India,for example is both densely populated and has high solar insolation, which is an ideal combination for using Solar Energy. However, on the world map, India lags far behind other countries in solar generation, although the country has made significant progress in wind energy generation.

They are making big strides however in trying to catch up.Back in July 2009, India unveiled a $19-billion plan to produce 20 GW of solar power by 2020.To further achieve their aims the Indian government has decreed that all government buildings, hospitals and schools must be totally solar powered.

Let us take a look at the top 10 countries using solar power.

1. Germany
Total use: 10,000 megawatts

Germany is the world leader in solar energy and aims to be totally 100% renewable by 2050

In 2009 alone, Germany installed 3,806 megawatts of solar energy capacity, which is more than Spain’s total capacity and almost eight times more than the US recently installed.

2. Spain
Total use: 3,500 MW

Spain was the world leader in newly installed PV solar energy (2,605 MW) in 2008 but has been overtaken by Germany as its new installed capacity decreased tremendously (to just 69 MW) in 2009.

The reasons for this drop are attributed to the delay and complexity of a new government subsidy programme and a decrease in energy demand due to the economic crisis.

With expectations that both of these will improve, Spain is expected to bump up its solar energy capacity again this year.

3. Japan
Total use: 2,700 MW

Perhaps a surprise entry at No3, Japan has set a high solar energy goal of achieving 28 GW by 2020 and 53 GW by 2030.

$9 billion was invested in their solar energy program in 2009 alone, and the government also announced a plan to install solar power at 32,000 schools.

4. United States
Total use: 1,800 MW

From a relatively low starting point solar energy use is expected to rise rapidly in the US over the next few years,due to the large number of solar projects already in the pipeline.These were aided not only by supportive state level policies but also by the lifting of the Federal solar tax credit cap in 2009.

5. Italy

Total use: 1,300 MW

In 2009, Italy had experienced the second-largest Solar Power growth in the world.

Italians install more solar power ever 2 months than California does in an entire year.

6. Czech Republic
Total use: 600 MW

Again,perhaps a surprising entry into the list.The Solar energy market in this country has boomed,due to a generous Feed in Tariff and a general slashing of administrative red tape.There are some concerns though that the boom is unsustainable and the solar energy bubble will probably burst in the coming years.

7. Belgium

Total use: 450 MW

Belgium is a bit of a 2011 solar energy surprise.

Belgium’s success was from ‘a well-designed Green Certificates scheme (which actually works as a Feed-in Tariff), combined with additional tax rebates and electricity self-consumption.’

8. China
Total use: 400 MW

China is a major solar panel manufacturer but has installed very little of it itself. But that is about to change dramatically.

The Chinese government has recently announced projects totally12 Gigawatts of solar energy and when these projects are implemented China will undoubtedly rise to the top of the list.

According to China’s national energy plan, Solar energy production is expected to reach a total of 20 GW by 2020.

9. France
Total use: 350 MW

France has a well-designed Feed in Tariff system which has encouraged solar uptake.One concern however,appears to be the amount of production that is not connected to the Grid.In 2009, 285 MW of capacity was installed but only 185 MW was connected to the grid.This is an issue which clearly will have to be addressed.

10. India

Total use: 200 MW

India is developing quickly and has ever increasing electricity demands. Its climate makes it ideal for Solar production and the Indian government has also been moving forward strongly on clean energy.

The country has a goal to reach 20 GW by 2020 as well.Many experts expect India to rise steadily on the listing over the coming years.

The above listing is of course based on large scale commercial projects.If you want to read more on how you can individually benefit from Solar or Wind Energy click here now.

Must You Place The Solar Panels?

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The usage of solar panels to bring electricity to residences has grown during the last few years. Due to the rise in the efficiency and value of solar panels, more people are finding it beneficial to set up a few of these in their homes. The possibility that many people can now find a way to walk into retailers and obtain solar panels without any kind of a hassle has additionally resulted in many people are going to put them to use on their own. However, for a variety of motives, it is always best if you allow an experienced builder set up the solar panels. One of the major reasons for this is that they are best suited to site the solar panels.

While you are fitting solar panels, one thing you can’t afford to get wrong is the place where to place all of them. Like the name recommends, solar panels use natural sun rays and occasionally heat from the sun to produce electrical power. It means that they must be open to solar emission whenever possible. There are lots of issues that can affect the exposure of the solar panels to such power source, and by making sure that these are put in by a competent expert there is no doubt that all those matters are going to be tackled.

For example, when you are placing solar panels, you have to guarantee that the whole day, they are exposed to as much of the sun’s emission as is possible. To do so, you might want to look into the path in which the sun changes throughout the sky through the day. This is meant so whenever you happen to be fitting the solar panels on a slice of land next to your house as opposed to in your roofing. In these cases, you would need to arrange the solar panels in a way that they will continually be facing the way of the sunshine.

It’s also possible to have to consider the issue of road blocks when you are putting in the solar panels. To illustrate, if you want to set them up on top of the home, you would have to do away with any low tree branches. These could cast a shadow for the solar panels, consequently they’d be performing sub optimally. If you don’t want to remove these branches, you could possibly put up the solar panels on yet another section of the roof, or have them installed on lifted platforms on the surface.

At the end of the day, those are simply several of the stuff you would need to look into when putting in solar panels. If you are not familiar with this type of technology, you’d inevitably be making a number of faults in regards to the situating of the solar panels. Needless to say, it’s possible to get manuals concerning the best way to have them installed from various sources. Nevertheless, it is far better to merely get a expert to position them, since they will often have all the requisite knowledge to be sure that the task is done well. Like this, it is possible to dig up the most of your solar panels.

Why You Ought To Definitely Have Professional Guidance While Installing Solar Panels For Your Residence

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There are many cases where you can consider fitting solar panels in their residences. This can be a really handy way of producing power while not damaging the environment and without getting too expensive over time. Most of the time, many people make an effort to lower the value of setting up the solar panels through a selection of way. One of these will be ordering the solar panels and building them by themselves. Although this may help you get rid of any kind of service charges, it might not be an excellent scheme to approach this path should you be endeavoring to minimize the price of the setup.

There are a few solar panels you could mount yourself, which usually are available as basic products. For instance, should you have a tiny cabin and want a solar lighting for it, you will find that there are many different styles of solar panels that you can use for this type of application. In the case of these beginner kits, it does appear sensible to put in them on your own, since they typically have very easy to stick to directions. In some cases, however, you should secure the services of a marvelous builder to put in the solar panels for you.

It is specifically so whenever you’re fitting pretty complex solar power systems. For instance, if you are getting the solar panels to power a sizable home, you would need to first off find a good builder to do the review of your property to determine exactly how much power you’ll need. They would take into account things such as, the number of devices you can use in the solar panels, plus how much time you will need to use them on a daily basis. On top of that, the licensed contractor would likewise be able to evaluate how much sun light your location receives every day.

After this, they will then propose the number of solar panels you must get according to your power requirements. In this way, you’ll be able to obtain solar panels that will meet your needs exactly. Though choosing a licensed contractor to assist you in getting solar panels may seem expensive, it simply ensures that you get the top deal. In addition, most of the installers who deal with solar panels are sometimes good value when you consider just how much work they can do for your needs. All you need to do is be a little bit thorough while you’re trying to find one. When you can compare them prior to selecting the best, you’d discover that many of them impose lower rates than the others, which makes them ideal.

In short, putting in solar panels for your residence would be best done with assistance from an expert when you want to do it properly. This manner, you wouldn’t ought to experience some of the concerns that other people have when they put in solar panels by themselves. This saves you a lot of stress afterwards!