Posts Tagged ‘Solar Cell’

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.

How To Choose Solar Panels For Homes

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Our sun is a source of renewable energy called solar energy. To convert solar energy right into electricity, a solar cell is employed. Solar cell is also known as photovoltaic cell or PV for short. Only a small amount of elecrticity is generated by a signle solar cell, so solar cells are organized and packaged into panels. Nowadays one can purchase both solar panels for commercial purposes and solar panels for homes.

As a rule, solar cells are made of crystalline silicon. When open to sun, wafer-based crystalline silicon cells make electricity. An average of 13% of solar power is converted to electrical power. Presently, 18% is achieved, but 30% is a targeted figure by researchers.

If you are thinking to install a solar system for your home, solar panels for homes are the primary equipment you should buy. In general, manufacturing methods and materials used differ for each kind of panels available in the market, so you should know the parameters of your application to be able to pick the appropriate home solar panel.

One thing to consider is whether your system will be stand-alone or connected to the grid. Keep in mind also your geographical area and pick the correct solar panel for your area. If you reside in a place where much sunlight is available, get the concentrating solar collectors. These kinds of panels are angled to absorb direct sunlight. Otherwise, make a choice of the non-concentrating solar collectors, because they are able to absorb reflected sunlight as well.
Solar panels that can be installed on your house are available in various power output ratings, in the range of 60 to 190 watts. If you need greater output than 190 watts, you need to buy more panels and set them up in an array.

Depending on the brand, one solar panel costs around $1,000. Mitsubishi, Sharp, Evergreen, Kyocera, Sanyo and Uni-Solar are popular brands. These products carry a 20-year warranty. In you can, find brands that have low manufacturing impact on nature.

You have to keep in mind the efficiency of different brands as panels with higher efficiency will pay for themselves in less period of time. Efficiency of 16 to 18% is already good, and expect around 10-year payback period. This will be reduced to 4 years when panels with 25% efficiency would be available in the future.

With new panels priced at about $1,000 a piece, the entire system for your home can cost you $20,000, if a contractor does the installation for you. If you can do it yourself, the cost will be reduced to less than 50%. You can save more if you buy broken panels and repair them yourself.

The market trend for solar panels slants towards more affordable panels. Besides, the federal and state governments offer incentives that help reduce the total cost of a solar energy system. With these factors in mind, many homeowners are considering installing home solar energy systems.

$20,000 for the cost of a system that could power a medium-size house is still ouside of the price range for the majority of people. The way out of this then is to get a solar energy system that only partially covers the energy requirements. Solar panels for homes could be installed for $5,000 and are enough to take 30% of the energy requirements. The number of residences powered by solar panels for homes is expected to grow in the future, thus contributing to a greener planet.

How To Pick Solar Panels For Homes

Monday, August 16th, 2010

The sun is a source of renewable energy called solar energy. To turn solar energy right into electricity, a solar cell is employed. Solar cell is also known as photovoltaic cell or PV for short. A single solar cell generates only small amount of electricity, so solar cells are interconnected and packaged into panels. Solar panels for business purposes and solar panels for homes are available.

Crystalline silicon is commonly the material used for solar cells. When open to sun, wafer-based crystalline silicon cells produce electricity. An average of 13% of solar power is converted to electrical energy. Currently, 18% is achieved, but 30% is a targeted figure by researchers.

If you are planning to install a solar energy system for your home, solar panels for homes are the main equipment you should buy. Basically, manufacturing methods and materials used differ for each brand of panels available in the market, so you ought to understand the requirements of your system to be able to pick the appropriate solar panel for your home.

One thing to keep in mind is whether your system will be stand-alone or tied to the grid. On top of that consider your geographical area and identify the correct solar panel for your area. If you reside in a place where much sunlight is available, choose the concentrating solar collectors. These types of panels are angled to collect direct sunlight. Otherwise, select the non-concentrating solar collectors, because they can absorb reflected sunlight as well.
Solar panels that can be used in your residence are available in different power output ratings, in the range of 60 to 190 watts. If you need greater output than 190 watts, you need to get more panels and set them up in an array.

Depending on the brand name, a solar panel costs about $1,000. Popular brands are Sharp, Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Kyocera, Evergreen adn Uni-Solar. These products carry 20 years of warranty. Preferably, pick brands that have low manufacturing impact on nature.

You need to consider the efficiency of specific brands because panels with higher efficiency will pay for themselves in less time. Efficiency of between 16 and 18% is already good, and expect around 10-year payback period. This will be cut to four years when panels with 25% efficiency become available in the future.

With new panels costing around $1,000 each, a system for your home can cost you up to $20,000, provided that a contractor installs it for you. If you are able to do it yourself, the cost would be cut to less than half. You will save more if you purchase broken panels and fix them yourself.

The market trend for solar panels slants towards more affordable panels. On top of that, the federal and state governments offer incentives that help reduce the total cost of a solar energy system. Keeping these factors in mind, many households are contemplating installing solar energy system for their homes.

$20,000 for a system that could power a standard-size home is still beyond affordability for the majority of homeowners. The way out of this then is to get a system that only partially covers the energy requirements. Solar panels for homes could be installed for $5,000 and are enough to take 1/3 of the energy requirements. The number of residences powered by solar panels for homes is expected to grow in the future, thus contributing to a greener planet.

See How to Fabricate DIY Solar Panels for a House

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

A solar cell is a product that converts daylight in to electric power. These are also known through a technological name ‘Photovoltaic’ and include a block of photovoltaic cells. A lot of cells are dispersed spanning a good sized vicinity and they function together to make electricity.

DIY solar panels are becoming common for the purpose of non commercial utilization. The shared training and readily available items have put this electrical power making device in the hands of property owners globally. It is actually both low-priced and does not call for a substantial amount of skill to build.

Small upkeep as well as minimal deterioration really are big benefits when compared with other sorts of electrical power sources. Nonetheless, solar power contains the disadvantage that as the distance from the sun increases, how much electrical power created through the cell diminishes rather quickly.

It is a particularly fascinating phenomenon to be aware of the way solar power panels change the sun into a source of electricity. Solar cells are attached to a circuit by means of wire connections. Every cell consists of semiconductor components such as Silicon. Just as natural light hits the semiconductor, it gets altered straight to electrical power.

The resulting electricity now goes through the circuit along the affiliated wire connections. The electrical power will be manufactured as long as sun light can be acquired. When the sun ceases, the electricity manufactured by a solar cell decreases drastically. A solar cell stops producing electric power the instant the sun goes down and it does not draws any natural light.

The process of creating DIY solar panels is simple and easy. Pv instruments are made utilizing Gallium Arsenide. These are subsequently sent in to a cylinder that is consequently sliced into cells. The solar cells are in time connected to the remaining portion of the electrical power network. Solar Concentrators are now placed across the cells to focus the sunlight. They absolutely are an integral aspect and they employ lenses which seize sun light as well as directs it to a specific point.

The aforementioned Concentrators have the functionality to refract the sun’s rays while keeping the rays on a specific point. The solar cells may then be placed at a distance as light can still be focused on each and every cell. Therefore less cells are required by each panel and therefore drives down the cost.

Solar power panels now have quite a few applications. They’re ordinarily be placed as road signs, contact boxes along with just about all light applications. They’re gaining immense worldwide recognition as they give you a pollution free, natural and organic method of manufacturing sustainable energy. Solar power panels are undoubtedly an effective of saving electrical power as well as assisting to help save the planet from global warming.