9
March
2010
March
2010
27
February
2010
February
2010
What to Know Before Purchasing Home Solar Electricity0
25
February
2010
February
2010
Earth4Energy eBook – Learn How to Harvest the Power of the Sun to Run Your Home0
Solar power is one of the cleanest sources of power that is virtually free. No wonder the demand for solar power has gone through the roof in recent years. The energy crisis along with a desire to reduce the carbon footprint has made solar power the number one alternative source of energy amidst homeowners.
The cost associated with a professionally installed solar system can be very high, extending from 10000$ to 50000$. Because of this, many homeowners have turned to DIY solar energy. A DIY, or Do-It-Yourself solar system can be fun to construct and thousands of dollars cheaper than a professionally installed solar system. If you want to proceed the DIY route , the first thing you will need is a high quality guidebook to walk you through the process of equipping your home with solar power.
The Earth4Energy eBook is one of the most popular guidebooks about making your own solar power. Not only does it embrace a hefty, information filled eBook, it furthermore has many video walk throughs that detail every step involved in making your home energy efficient and environment friendly. The reduced upfront cost of $49.97 makes it a very cost effective solution to solving your clean energy needs.
The Earth4Energy eBook consists of several parts that deal with clean energy in general, and solar power in particular. If you have ever been enquiring about how solar energy works, or its advantages, you will find the Earth4Energy eBook to be rather handy. After that, you can dive into the meat of the book - a step-by-step guide to making your own solar panels to use solar energy. While it may sound complicated, homemade solar panels are quite easy to construct , especially with the kind of easy-to-follow steps that Earth4Energy outlines.
Of course, some people may find the written instructions a bit difficult to follow. Hence, Earth4Energy furthermore includes a comprehensive video course that details every step involved in building a solar power system.
As a bonus, the Earth4Energy manual furthermore has several parts devoted to wind power and how you can harvest it for electricity. This bonus, along with the detailed focus on solar power make the Earth4Energy eBook one of the best guides to harvesting the power of the sun in your very backyard.
To read opinion of consumers and review visit Earth4Energy review page.
Vitaly V
21
February
2010
February
2010
Solar Power for Home Owners4
19
February
2010
February
2010
Solar Home - Conserving Pv Power9
Solar homes. Many people talk about them, although few in the U.S. do more than talk. They are said to reduce utility bills. Some say a solar home cuts utility bills drastically. Some are able to sell excess power back to the power grid. Savings are not automatic, however. Steps must be taken to make the solar home efficient; to conserve the electricity that is produced.
Ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home must be found. The home owner must actively seek out ways to make those photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof as efficient as possible. Photovoltaic power is free, but it cannot be generated in unlimited quantities. It is important to take measures to use it to best advantage.
Of all the ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home, the most important is probably replacement of power-gobbling electric appliances. Home lighting can also be changed to conserve solar photovoltaic power (PV power). Finally, power usage can be reduced by making every person in the solar home conscious of conservation methods.
12 Ways to Conserve Solar Photovoltaic Power in the Home
1. Shop for energy-efficient appliances and home electronics for your solar home. Most products in this category carry EnergyGuide labels. These labels give an estimate of the products’ energy consumption or energy efficiency, and show the ratings of similar appliance models. In the U.S., appliances and home electronics that meet strict Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) energy efficiency criteria carry Energy Star labels.
2. Replace an electric water heater in a solar home with an energy-efficient propane or natural gas heater. Connect the new water heater to a solar water heater system. The sun will preheat the water, and the new unit will have less work. Wrap the water heater with thermal wrap to retain heat.
3. Replace the solar home’s electric furnace with an energy-efficient propane or natural gas unit. Install a solar panel air heater to reduce the work load of the new furnace. If you are building a new solar home, consider passive ways to heat the floors and air, further reducing the workload.
4. If the solar home is in a hot, dry climate, use an evaporative cooling unit in place of an electric air conditioner.
5. Check weather stripping around all windows and doors. Seal cracks and openings. Stopping air leakage in and out can improve indoor climate control in every season.
6. Insulate the solar home well. Insulation will keep heat or cool air from escaping. It will also keep outdoor cold or heat from entering readily.
7. Use heavy, insulted drapes and window shades/blinds in the solar home to keep out hot or cold air, making cooling and heating units work more efficiently.
8. A serious solar home owner can save even further by using a solar oven for cooking whenever possible. Especially good in hot climates or summer months, a solar oven will cook food with solar energy, and avoid heating the home. Money is thus saved in two ways.
9. Control of computer usage is another of the many ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home. Monitors should be turned off whenever the computer will not be in use for 20 minutes or more. The CPU and monitor both should be turned off when the unit will not be used for 2 hours or more. Power down or sleep modes should be set.
10. Replace light bulbs with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs. If every U.S. home replaced just one light bulb with one of these bulbs, we would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs. To the solar home owner, such savings are vital.
11. Maximize your use of daylight, turning on lights only when necessary. Use windows to advantage, and install skylights where possible.
12. Landscape your property to block the heat of summer sunlight, permit winter sunlight. Deciduous trees near the solar home will shade windows in the summer, and let warming sunlight through in winter months.
Ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home are not limited to these twelve, but if these alone are used, the increase in efficiency will be tremendous.
Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/solar-home-conserving-pv-power-172506.html
17
February
2010
February
2010
Solar Home - Conserving Pv Power10
Solar homes. Many people talk about them, although few in the U.S. do more than talk. They are said to reduce utility bills. Some say a solar home cuts utility bills drastically. Some are able to sell excess power back to the power grid. Savings are not automatic, however. Steps must be taken to make the solar home efficient; to conserve the electricity that is produced.
Ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home must be found. The home owner must actively seek out ways to make those photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof as efficient as possible. Photovoltaic power is free, but it cannot be generated in unlimited quantities. It is important to take measures to use it to best advantage.
Of all the ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home, the most important is probably replacement of power-gobbling electric appliances. Home lighting can also be changed to conserve solar photovoltaic power (PV power). Finally, power usage can be reduced by making every person in the solar home conscious of conservation methods.
12 Ways to Conserve Solar Photovoltaic Power in the Home
1. Shop for energy-efficient appliances and home electronics for your solar home. Most products in this category carry EnergyGuide labels. These labels give an estimate of the products’ energy consumption or energy efficiency, and show the ratings of similar appliance models. In the U.S., appliances and home electronics that meet strict Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) energy efficiency criteria carry Energy Star labels.
2. Replace an electric water heater in a solar home with an energy-efficient propane or natural gas heater. Connect the new water heater to a solar water heater system. The sun will preheat the water, and the new unit will have less work. Wrap the water heater with thermal wrap to retain heat.
3. Replace the solar home’s electric furnace with an energy-efficient propane or natural gas unit. Install a solar panel air heater to reduce the work load of the new furnace. If you are building a new solar home, consider passive ways to heat the floors and air, further reducing the workload.
4. If the solar home is in a hot, dry climate, use an evaporative cooling unit in place of an electric air conditioner.
5. Check weather stripping around all windows and doors. Seal cracks and openings. Stopping air leakage in and out can improve indoor climate control in every season.
6. Insulate the solar home well. Insulation will keep heat or cool air from escaping. It will also keep outdoor cold or heat from entering readily.
7. Use heavy, insulted drapes and window shades/blinds in the solar home to keep out hot or cold air, making cooling and heating units work more efficiently.
8. A serious solar home owner can save even further by using a solar oven for cooking whenever possible. Especially good in hot climates or summer months, a solar oven will cook food with solar energy, and avoid heating the home. Money is thus saved in two ways.
9. Control of computer usage is another of the many ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home. Monitors should be turned off whenever the computer will not be in use for 20 minutes or more. The CPU and monitor both should be turned off when the unit will not be used for 2 hours or more. Power down or sleep modes should be set.
10. Replace light bulbs with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs. If every U.S. home replaced just one light bulb with one of these bulbs, we would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs. To the solar home owner, such savings are vital.
11. Maximize your use of daylight, turning on lights only when necessary. Use windows to advantage, and install skylights where possible.
12. Landscape your property to block the heat of summer sunlight, permit winter sunlight. Deciduous trees near the solar home will shade windows in the summer, and let warming sunlight through in winter months.
Ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home are not limited to these twelve, but if these alone are used, the increase in efficiency will be tremendous.
Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/solar-home-conserving-pv-power-172506.html
17
January
2010
January
2010
How does a solar powered home stay powered when its raining?5
i know its a stupid question, but explain please
Because the solar power charges up a battery that can last for a very long period of time, so at night time, when its raining or during solar eclipses you still have power
10
January
2010
January
2010
whats the pros and cons for a family of 5 making the new home solar power?6
we are looking at solar power for our new land, are you a family of 5? have you done this before, thanks.
Hey Hotmumma, I applaud you for looking into solar power. In my experience, when you look into solar power, the one thing there is an abundance of is misinformation.
We live in a home that has been powered by the wind and sun for 10 years now. Our solar array fits quite nicely on the space provided by our one car carport, it generates 1.4 kilowatts during peak sun, and does not need thousands of square feet of space. Our entire system, including the wind turbine, battery bank and other electronics costs less than $15,000 USD. After state incentives, tax deductions and the small amount we receive selling carbon credits to industry, our cost is just under $10,000. We do have a small, efficient home, just under 1,200 square feet, but the point is clear, you don’t need to mortgage your sisters second home to pay for it. We still have the utility company here, but our monthly bills average about $6. I would estimate our payback at 10 to 12 years, but that is not the main reason we did all of this.
Last year, there were two power failures in our county, each lasting about half a day. In both cases, we were not aware of them. It’s difficult to put a price tag on something like that. There is also the fact that when we do a load of laundry, or run the TV, we are not adding CO2 to the air and mercury to the water because our power is not sourced from a coal power plant. In a few years,we plan on replacing one of our cars with a plug in hybrid, which will charge from our solar array once we add a few more panels to it, at a cost of about $1,000. This will allow us to have transportation in town with virtually no environmental footprint, or any need to buy gasoline.
Beyond our own personal benefits, having a solar powered home has made us the defacto expert on the field in our town. To that end, we started running solar power seminars at our local school several years ago. We spend an hour or so with the 5th graders in school, hooking up a panel, battery, and some small loads so they can learn how it works. Then they run a field trip out to our place to see a working solar powered home first hand. Our hope is that in several more years, they will grow up to persue the same thing you are today.
Powering your home from solar power requires more than mere technology however, it requires some lifestyle changes. People who grow their own tomatoes know a great deal about soil, watering, bugs and sunlight because they have to. Even though it might be cheaper to buy them at the store, they go to the trouble to maintain a garden. People who grow their own electrons instead of buying them at the power company have a similar curse. They have to know where each one goes in their home. When you power your home from renewable sources, there is no such thing as an, "Average House," or "Standard Size Panel." Every situation is different. No matter how well you plan your system, or how many contingencies you allow for, there will always be a day where you have a shortage of power. Most solar homeowners I know have a generator for just such a shortage, but they work hard to run it as little as possible. Like I said, it’s a lifestyle, and only you can decide if it’s right for you. What I would suggest is you do some more research, beyond asking people who have never tried it for advice over the internet. First get a subscription to Home Power Magazine, the only periodical devoted to these things. Then check out some of the non profit groups I have listed below. Learn what you can, try to make it to one of the renewable energy fairs in your area. In the end you might decide not to get involved at all, and that’s fine. At least you will be well informed. Good luck, and take care, Rudydoo