A Key Element In SOLAR PANELS - Efficiency

A modern solar cell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While solar energy is most often associated with the production of electricity, heating is also a major platform. While heating isn’t particularly difficult, efficiency in doing so is the key to saving wear and tear on your system.

A Key Element In Solar Panels - Efficiency

The sun produces a ton of energy, but solar panel systems have historically been very inefficient at converting it. With improving technology, efficiency has improved to the point where most panel systems can easily produce enough energy to heat water for the home and pools. There are efficient and inefficient ways to go about this process.

To save wear and tear on your panels, you need to consider a flow control system. Older panel systems tend to take a long time to heat up fluid because water more or less randomly circulates through the system. This is very inefficient because the panels are forced to heat up a much larger pool of water than you actually need. This results in wear and tear, not to mention lengthy waits for hot water.

A control flow system attacks the efficiency problem by reducing the amount of water that must be heated. Most are designed to work on temperature differential strategies. They work by using two sensors. The first is located close the panels being used to heat the water or liquid substitute. The second is located on or close to the liquid return valve into the panel system. Put in practical terms, one sensor measures the temperature of the liquid set to leave the panel while the other measures the temperature of liquid coming into the panel.

Flow systems work by waiting for the liquid to rise to a temperature determined by you. Once the liquid meets the temperature, the system turns on the circulation pump and moves the liquid to the desired location. Once the return valve sensor notes the temperature of the returning water is within a particular range of the liquid in the panel system, the pump is shut off. This process allows for faster heating times, more efficiency and less wasted energy.

Solar solutions are coming to the front of the energy debate for many residential energy needs. Countries like Germany are making huge investments in solar platforms and technologies. Solar can be a cost-effective solution for you as well. Just keep in mind that flow systems are a must if you are pursuing solar water heating.

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• Solar Water Heater
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Commercial Solar Panels Versus DIY SOLAR PANELS

Old article. There may have changed a lot!

DIY Solar Panel System - Photo   by Dave Dugdale 

Solar power is a great way to cut down your electricity bill. You can save anywhere from 20% to 50%. There are also people who live totally off the grid, but that has several disadvantages of its own. The great thing about solar power is that it not only saves you money, you can earn money from it too by selling them and by request IRS tax rebates.

That's one of the main reasons that commercial solar panels are so expensive compared to do-it-yourself panels.

You pay for the materials and for the labour time put into it. The solar panels are often produced perfectly. That is not necessary to get a good voltage. What do you rather have, one panel that produces 400 Watts or 2 panels that produce 150 Watts each for the same price?

If you have enough space, you should go for the 2 separate DIY solar panels. It is really easy as long as you buy the right manual. A good manual shows you the in and the outs of solar power, how to construct the panel and how to wire it.

You can also get to choose in materials. For example, you can choose the batteries. You can choose for the cheaper car batteries or you can choose for the deep cycle batteries. Car batteries can't be drained all the way. If you do that, the lifetime of the batteries will be significantly reduced. If you do mind to make sure that the batteries aren't fully drained, you should buy deep cycle batteries. These are all chooses you can make. Your solar panel can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be.

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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HOME ENERGY Generation Systems

Creating Home Energy Generation Systems

When you are tired of paying for your high home energy bill month after month and would like see some changes and feel some savings, then, there is a right thing to do: invest on one or more home energy generation systems.

The home energy generation system is the solution if you want to cut those bills down and utilize alternative energy around you just waiting to be tapped anytime. The home energy generation system provides you with the best way to get the maximum financial freedom on home energy. Sure, you have to invest first but it is all worth every penny. You can spare yourself from the present cost of home energy and the future increases that may occur. And most of all, investing on the home energy generation system will definitely help the environment for it only uses a harmless and clean source of energy.

Photo by tswind

Among all types of alternative energy that can be used, wind energy and solar energy are the most common.

Wind energy

Wind is very abundant in many parts of the country, thus, many households can capitalize on the use of wind as a source of home energy. It is also said the future’s main source of energy would be the air. As the cost energy production through fuel and oil grows increasingly high for the last years, the clean, safe and free air would be the better choice for the future.

As a main source of power for your home, it provides the financial freedom on the use of energy sourced from the expensive oil. However, wind speed varies on a daily basis. One day, the wind will blow strong. The next day, the wind may not be able to keep your turbine spin. And even on the breeziest places in America, you can never tell when will be the next strong wind blow occurs. This is one disadvantage of using wind power but wind patterns do exist. It is said that summer brings less wind while the winter brings a strong gust of wind.

If you are planning to install wind turbines on your home, make sure that the local zoning allows wind turbine. You must also ensure that there is a good source of wind on most days. A wide and open space, at least 1 acre, would be ideal for wind turbines. And, if you are paying more than $150 on the monthly electric bill, then it may be a good option for you.

There are 5 main components of wind power.

The rotor is the set of rotating blades designed to capture air. The rotation brings power to the generator.

The turbine or the generation is the one attached to the rotor. It stores energy that the house will use.

The tail is located opposite of the rotor. It tracks the direction of the wind.

The tower raises the turbine, rotor, and tail up to the air to receive the most amount of wind possible.

The governor is the mechanism that controls the production of energy. This is like the transformer you can see on electric posts.

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Solar power

Houses that are built under the sun will compensate on the free solar energy.

There are 6 main advantages of installing solar panels on your roof.

1. Solar panels are lightweight, safe and most of all, easy to install. These are essential in order to place them above your roof.

2. The roof is also susceptible to UV exposure. The solar panel eliminates this. Your roof will also be protected from the weather.

3. Solar panel contributes to keeping your house well insulated. They provide extra covering and enable you to save as much as 30% on heating expenses.

4. Drilling holes in your roof is very risky. The interlocking solar panels eliminate this risk.

5. Solar panel design is perfect on any roof type and size. In other words, you can get the perfect solar panel no matter what the size and shape of your roof is.

6. Solar panels are installed without requiring you to modify your roof. It will adapt instantly.

Solar power will tremendously help you cut down the cost of your electric bill. If you think you are in for this investment and if you think your location is most suited to have this, then the choice is fully yours.

Everything You wanted To Know About SOLAR PANELS

The history of solar panels can be dated back to 1839 as this was the period when French physicist Antoine-Cesar Becquerel made the astonishing discovery of the photovoltaic effect. This surprising discovery took place during an experiment that involved an electrolytic cell made from two metal electrodes and was placed within an electrolyte solution. Antoine-Cesar Becquerel discovered during the experiment that when the electrolytic cells were exposed to light, it produced a certain amount of electricity. The more the light, the more the production of electricity and that is how solar panels actually came into the picture.

Photovoltaic cells produce electricity directly from sunlight (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Almost 50 years later in 1883, the first solar cell was developed by Charles Fritts and it was formed using selenium coating sheets with a micro-thin layer of gold. Between the period of 1883 and 1941 there were several scientists as well as inventors who with the help of companies started experimenting with solar energy. It was during this period that Clarence Kemp, an inventor from Baltimore patented the first ever commercial water heater that was being powered by solar energy. Apart from this, the great scientist Albert Einstein also published a thesis on photoelectric effect and within a short period of time received the coveted Nobel Prize for his thesis and valuable research.

Around 1941, an American inventor named Russell Ohl who was working for Bell Laboratories patented the first ever silicon solar cell. This new invention was spearheaded by the Bell Laboratories and they went on to produce the first ever crystalline silicon solar panel in the year 1954. This was the most effective solar cells in that era as it achieved a 4 percent return on overall energy conversion. In the next few years several scientists from all over the world continued their research, study and experimentation to improve upon the original solar cells and started producing solar cells that gave 6% efficiency on overall energy conversion.

The first ever large scale deployment and use of solar energy ever recorded was in space satellites. USA was the first country to enable production of solar cells that gave 20% efficiency and this was in the year 1980. By 2000, USA had produced several solar cells that were producing 24% efficiency. Last year, two large companies, Emcore Photovoltaics and Spectrolab rose to dominate the world of solar cell production by producing cells that gave 28% efficiency.

Working of Solar Panels

The solar panel basically consists of pure silicon. Silicon is first stripped of all its impurities and hence provides the most ideal neutral platform for enhancing the transmission of electrons. In its natural state, Silicon can carry at the max four electrons although it has the ability to carry eight. So mathematically speaking it has enough room for 4 more electrons.

When a silicon atom is made to come into contact with a second silicon atom then each of them receive each other's extra four electrons. So the 8 electrons satisfy a single silicon atoms' needs and this results in the creations of a strong bond but the fact is that there are no negative or positive charges. To produce a large piece of pure silicon, the silicon atoms have to go through the process of combination for years. Once the pure silicon is ready, it is applied on to the plates of solar panels. When silicon is combined with other elements then it produces a positive or negative charge.

Solar panels are being looked as the provider of tomorrow as the other forms of creating electricity are getting replenished by the day. There are several online sources and websites who are selling solar panels with a power range that varies from 10WP to 280WP.

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