Archive for the ‘Saving Energy Tips’ Category
Solar Energy at Scale
(November 18, 2009) John Benner, Manager of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Electronic Materials and Devices research group, discusses the factors and bottlenecks involved in scaling various photovoltaic technologies to national and international production scales. Stanford University www.stanford.edu National Renewable Energy Laboratory http Stanford Energy Seminar energyseminar.stanford.edu Stanford University Channel on YouTube http
You can buy and build your own solar panels, as well as kits to put together a system to operate your whole house. You can save a lot of money on your electricity bill by using solar energy, and in most cases, eliminate you reliance on utility companies altogether. Energy from the sun has already been used for decades in a wide variety of residential and commercial applications. There are even experimental vehicles that use tiny photovoltaic cells as their power supply. While not yet in practical use for powering cars and trucks, they are used in vehicles for powering cooling systems when you are parked on a hot summer day.
There are many different kinds of solar panels available today. There are small portable panels that can be used on the go, to charge batteries in cars and recreational vehicles. Many modern motor homes are equipped with some kind of solar power to keep their deep cycle batteries constantly charged. You can use smaller portable panels to run your laptop computers, radios, and other devices to cut down on battery usage.
Not only can you use solar panels for providing electricity, but they can also be used to provide heated water. If you are using an inline water heater, one without a tank, using solar energy can raise the ambient water temperature, cutting down on the energy needed to make the water hot. Using a set of water panels can even bring down you water heating bill, sometimes up to 60%. Using a combination of tankless water heaters, solar heating, and water flow restriction devices can significantly bring down your bills.
While you can find an abundance of DIY kits on the internet, not all of them are the same. You skill level can play an important factor when buying a kit for residential power. There are some kits available that have all the solar panels, inverters, batteries, and instructions, and all you have to do is connect the system together and install it in your home. There are also real DIY kits, for higher skill levels. These kits include step-by-step instruction, with plans and videos. If you decide to buy one of these kits, here are few things that they should include.
They should have complete diagrams for putting together the solar panels. This means the panels themselves, the photovoltaic cells, and how to tie all the cells together as one unit. These plans should also include a complete materials list, with everything you need to build the panels, the inverters, battery backup, and even how to set them up in the best location. It must also include a list of suppliers for all the necessary supplies, including contact information, as well as prices. While not as important, a list of alternative suppliers should also be on hand. Any package should lastly include a list of tools needed to complete the job, and an estimated time line.
While this may sound complicated, it really isn’t. You can make solar panels from materials found at many hardware stores in your neighborhood. It just takes time and patience, but considering the money you will be saving in the long run it will be well worth the effort.
There are many different kinds of solar panels available today. There are small portable panels that can be used on the go, to charge batteries in cars and recreational vehicles. Many modern motor homes are equipped with some kind of solar power to keep their deep cycle batteries constantly charged. You can use smaller portable panels to run your laptop computers, radios, and other devices to cut down on battery usage.
Not only can you use solar panels for providing electricity, but they can also be used to provide heated water. If you are using an inline water heater, one without a tank, using solar energy can raise the ambient water temperature, cutting down on the energy needed to make the water hot. Using a set of water panels can even bring down you water heating bill, sometimes up to 60%. Using a combination of tankless water heaters, solar heating, and water flow restriction devices can significantly bring down your bills.
While you can find an abundance of DIY kits on the internet, not all of them are the same. You skill level can play an important factor when buying a kit for residential power. There are some kits available that have all the solar panels, inverters, batteries, and instructions, and all you have to do is connect the system together and install it in your home. There are also real DIY kits, for higher skill levels. These kits include step-by-step instruction, with plans and videos. If you decide to buy one of these kits, here are few things that they should include.
They should have complete diagrams for putting together the solar panels. This means the panels themselves, the photovoltaic cells, and how to tie all the cells together as one unit. These plans should also include a complete materials list, with everything you need to build the panels, the inverters, battery backup, and even how to set them up in the best location. It must also include a list of suppliers for all the necessary supplies, including contact information, as well as prices. While not as important, a list of alternative suppliers should also be on hand. Any package should lastly include a list of tools needed to complete the job, and an estimated time line.
While this may sound complicated, it really isn’t. You can make solar panels from materials found at many hardware stores in your neighborhood. It just takes time and patience, but considering the money you will be saving in the long run it will be well worth the effort.
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