Posts Tagged ‘Electricity’

Can You Go Green With Your Energy

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

People are searching for ways to save the planet. Not everyone is putting the same effort into it. The sun is one of the most valuable resources we can use. They are going about adding the solar panels to power their home in many ways including building a solar panel for those who are handy enough to do it on their own. Anyone who wants to add some solar power to their home can choose many different things to do.
There are many systems to choose that are passive in nature. There are a lot of options to choose from to accomplish this. It is basically using direct sunlight to reduce the amount of electricity or fuel you need to use to heat or cool your home. During the winter, the sun streaming in your windows will help warm the house and lower your heating bills. During the summer, your carefully designed roof overhangs and other features will help reject the sun and reduce your A/C bills.
There are some issues to consider to help create the passive solar environment and a search of the internet with the keyword greendiyenergy can provide a person with a wonderful resource as they stat their path to less energy dependence. A home that has more windows facing the south than other parts is much better at conserving the amount of energy that they require. You want lots of thermal mass, block, brick, and tile, on the south side of the house so it can be struck directly by the sun in the wintertime. By absorbing the heat of the sun a house will be able to retain more of its warmth when the sun is no longer up and the temperature drops. Some of the variables in this are the size of the home and the average temperature in the area. A person can follow a formula that says they need about 6 times as much area to absorb the sun as they have windows. The problem is that the needs of the summer and winter in terms of sunlight are the opposite of each other. The best way for a person to deal with this is to find out what is the correct overhang that is required for their roof. The key during the hotter times is that the sun is much higher in the sky and it can be effectively blocked by leaves from plants and also from mechanical tools in the windows to limit the amount of light a home receives.
Good windows are an important part of your solar-energy strategy. In today’s world a person has the option to make choices that will help maintain a proper temperature in their home and not waste any energy. The quality of the products vary widely and it is vital for a person to carefully check them out before buying them. Don’t trust products that say they can simply make existing window better.
As important as windows our, the covering is just as important. there are many products that are very energy efficient. Go for light colors so you still get plenty of daylight with the shades down. Good daylight helps reduce electricity costs for lamps and other lights. It is important to remember to raise your binds when it is chilly outside to let the sun pour into your home. The use of curtains during the hot months allows a person to maintain a cooler temperature in their home without using as much artificial cooling.
There is no one perfect way to keep your home cool in the summer and hot in the winter. It is about doing some things over others to get the most out of your home. For more information person must do their research to decide what is right for them by turning to things such as greendiyenergy review to find out what others have done to lower their dependence on the utility companies and do their best to help the environment.

How To Install Residential Solar Power

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

There is a lot of buzz around the idea of using solar power. There has been much talk of creating green collar jobs in the renewable energy sector. The need for professionals to put the systems into people homes is growing rapidly. But the good news is, you might not need them because of the simplicity of the technology involved, it is relatively easy to install solar power yourself and places on the Internet that tell you everything you need to know about greendiyenergy and give you the ability to do the project without the help of a professional.
What are the benefits of installing solar power? Generating your own electricity protects a homeowner from blackouts and outrageous utility bills. Depending on the rules where you live, instead of paying the electric company, they might have to start sending you a check for the electricity that you do not use. Green energy is better for the planet. You do not create a smog problem. It is good for national security. When the country uses fewer fossil fuels to produce electricity, they do not have to look for sources that are very unstable and treacherous.
What you will need to install solar power varies from individual to individual but the bare minimum that you will need in order to install solar power in your home is some oregon solar panels, a rechargeable 12 volt deep cycle battery, a DC meter and a DC input and if you want to run AC appliances, you will also need an inverter. Exactly how much equipment is needed for your house is a combination of your power needs along with the amount of room you have available for the equipment. Another factor is if you want to supply all of your needs or just some of them.
Installing a solar power generator requires a few steps. A person should determine how big an array they require. Next a person should decide the place that they can be mounted to make them the most efficient. Another consideration is the hardware that needs to be used to put the array on your home or in your yard and make sure that it is safe. This is very important as you don’t want to have them blow off in a storm. This means your investment will be wasted. To learn more about what other people have done check out some greendiyenergy review and read about what has worked for other people and what has not worked before you commit to your plan to add solar power to your home.
The next step once you have put the panels into position is to tie them together to work as one unit. The array that is formed will be able to generate the power for your home. Once the equipment is put together and connected to your home, you are ready to create you ownelectricity. By connecting the array to your home using an inverter, the electricity that you are creating can be used to run all of the things in your house. If you are able to accomplish this, you will have a renewable source of energy for your home.
You do not have to have special training to generate your own power for your home. Anybody who does this project should know what they can do and what they can not do. Fooling with the electric systems can hurt people. There are a lot of reputable companies available to turn your home into a green home. It is better to pay someone to do the work right and know that you will recoup your investment because of the lower electric bills. The biggest cost is the installation, it does not cost much to maintain. If you do not install the equipment properly, you are putting more than your investment at risk.

Creating Energy With 12-Volt Portable Solar Panels Is Easy

Monday, August 30th, 2010

A very popular type of portable solar panel is the 12 volt (12v) format.

But just how much energy does 12v give you? Not enough to warm up your house, but enough to run some of your portable devices, or recharge their rechargeable batteries.

These portable panels run like big solar panels, but return less electricity due to their smaller size. This type of solar panel works best under full sunlight. They still work on cloudy and even rainy days, however, they will take a much longer time to generate the electricity to power your device. This type of panel does not work with indoor light, but newer advances in cell technology are making indoor light a possibility to charge a small panel. They’re projected to reach the consumer market in another 4 or 5 years.

Effective portable panel systems have built-in regulators, meaning they’ll mechanically set the quantity of energy they produce to the amount that the device requires. So be sure that the portable panels you buy have this feature, otherwise there’s a danger of overcharging (or “frying”) the contraption that you’re trying to recharge.

You still need to be careful when handling portable solar panels , it’s not like you can go swimming with them. If you fold or crease the solar cell itself, you’ll likely break or disable it. So don’t fold the cell, or put the portable panels in the washing machine, or prod them with sharp objects. Your weight belt will survive that kind of treatment, but your portable solar panel won’t.

One more word of caution: the portable solar panel can’t reload regular batteries. It can only charge rechargeable batteries. This may be obvious to you, but you’d be surprised how many people try to recharge ordinary batteries.

You will need additional connector equipment in order to use the portable panels, so plan for the additional expense. You’ll need connectors that fit with the recharging plugs on your portable devices. And if you plan to use your portable solar panels to trickle charge your car, boat or snowmobile battery, you might need a set of battery clips.

“Trickle charging” can keep your vehicle’s battery completely charged. Here’s how it works: place the portable solar panel on a surface where it receives the most sun; then plug it into the cigarette lighter socket, or attach the clips to the vehicle’s battery. This can be a great help in really cold climates where temperatures drop below freezing, and you have to keep your car parked outside all day.

Portable solar panels are still relatively expensive compared to using grid electricity at home or in the office. But they make sense if you spend a lot of time camping, hiking or working from your car. And they’re great backup systems for times when the power goes out.

Use 12-Volt Portable Solar Panels To Create Usable Energy

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

One of the most popular types of portable solar panel systems is the 12 volt (12v) system.

But just how much energy does 12v give you? Not enough to warm up your house, but enough to run some of your portable devices, or recharge their rechargeable batteries.

These portable panels operate like large solar panels, but generate less electricity due to their smaller size. Like their larger cousins, they function best under direct full sun conditions. They still work on cloudy and even rainy days, however, they will take a much longer time to generate the electricity to power your device. Most will not operate with indoor lighting, but there are solar panels being developed that will be able to use indoor light. Some have already reached the consumer market.

Most portable solar panels fold into sizes small enough to fit into a large pocket or purse. However, you can not fold the actual cells. A weight belt is a great example. Compared to a barbel it is foldable and flexible. Remember, it folds because smaller weighs are sown into the fabric of the belt not because the weights are actually foldable. It’s the same with the foldable solar panels: they fold because the solar cells are small enough to be mounted on foldable fabric.

So even though portable solar panels are advertised to be durable and waterproof, you still need to be careful when handling them. If you fold or crease the solar cell itself, you’ll likely fracture or disable it. So don’t fold the cell, or put the portable panels in the washing machine, or prod them with knifelike objects. A weight belt can survive a fair amount of abuse, but your portable solar panel will be out of luck.

One more word of caution: the portable solar panel can’t reload normal batteries. It can only charge rechargeable batteries. This may be obvious to you, but you’d be surprised how many individuals try to reload normal batteries.

You will need extra connector equipment in order to use the portable panels, so plan for the additional expense. You’ll need connectors that fit with the recharging plugs on your portable devices. And if you plan to use your portable solar panels to trickle charge your car, boat or snowmobile battery, you might need a set of battery clips.

“Trickle charging” can maintain your vehicle’s battery completely charged. Here’s how it works: place the portable solar panel on a surface where it receives the most sun; then plug it into the cigarette lighter socket, or attach the clips to the vehicle’s battery. This can be a great help in really cold climates where temperatures drop below freezing, and you have to keep your car parked outside all day.

Portable solar panels are still relatively expensive compared to using grid electricity at home or in the office. But they make sense if you spend a lot of time camping, hiking or working from your car. And they’re great backup systems for times when the power goes out.

Things You Need To Know To Generate Your Own Power

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

What does a person have to spend to use the sun to produce hot water? Do you want to use green technology to provide you with hot water, but don’t want to blow the budget? Want to use solar energy for electricity but not sure how to do it? What follows below might take some of the mystery out of undertaking this project on your own without the help of a professional.

The use of solar panels is one of the best ways to supply all of your hot water needs.

Your consumption of fossil fuel will be greatly diminished by using solar energy for electricity as well, and may even disappear altogether and keep in mind that many energy providers and government agencies have rebate plans for people who install solar power as well so oregon solar panels have the potential to decrease your electric bill.

Putting in the solar panels can be done following some simple things. For every individual in your home you need to have about thirty pounds of hot water available daily.

A greendiyenergy expert suggests that to figure out how much thermal panel you will need for the roof or where you are putting the system that you will need approximately 20 square feet for two residents and for more people add around 8 square feet each, although you may want to make it up to 14 feet if you live in a particularly cold region.

Investigate what spots on your home get the needed amount of sunlight to power your system. On your roof is usually the best place as you can secure mountings to the rafters and may be convenient to run pipe to your hot water heater. Measure out where the mountings will be. Install the mounting brackets to the roof and seal any holes that were created. Install the thermal panel on rails insuring they are secure enough to withstand rain or poor weather. Don’t try to rig your equipment to make it work, but rather have the proper hardware on hand to install the pipes that are attached to the panels. Use flashing, and caulk if needed, to make the boot’s connection to the hole surrounding it watertight. Connect the piping on the roof to the supply that you have inside the house with copper pipes. Check to make sure that your joints are watertight. Refill heater with water and flip the gas back on.
Those are the basic steps although, for most people this might be more of a job for a professional to undertake, it can be done by the homeowner who does his homework and checks out other people’s greendiyenergy review to find out what pitfalls and mistakes should be avoided.

Photovoltaic panels are important if you want to save on electricity. There is even more money to be saved if you complete the project for yourself. It is not something that requires a person to go out and pay for a professional to install. Do not undertake this project without doing your homework first. There are a few things that a person should be aware of. Don’t try and mix and match parts when you are putting everything together. Use a stud finder to find the rafters and align mounts. Use the proper equipment to ensure that all of the panels are straight and aligned. Once everything is on the roof, tie all of them together to form a single unit. Once the array is complete, join the array to the power source in your home.

These type of systems do not require a lot of maintenance to keep them running. Once they are installed, it is just a matter of seeing your monthly bills fall. A homeowner will get a sense of relief knowing they control their electric usage and how much they pay.