Increasing instability in the Middle East, combined with the Obama Administration’s efforts to create incentives for renewable energy development is changing all that. Since President Obama took office in 2008, solar market growth has exploded in the United States. In a record-crushing surge, solar energy usage grew from 160MW in 2006 to more than 360MW in 2011, with a 66 percent growth rate between 2010 and 2011. Rates are on track to exceed even that number in 2012. These numbers make solar energy one of the highest-growth sectors in the U.S. economy.

The U.S. is, geographically, one of the best-suited countries in the world for solar energy collection and distribution. Great tracts of its desert southwest and the sunny regions of California and Florida are ideally suited for gathering sunlight, converting it to power and connecting it to the grid. More and more solar collection “farms” are being built in these regions.

At the same time, homeowners have been given tax incentives for installing rooftop panels and backyard systems that substantially lower the cost of the initial investment. Even in cloud-covered areas of the U.S. northeast, these systems work intermittently to cover electricity needs in everything from hot water heaters to lighting. As a result, the cloudy state of New Jersey has become one of the national leaders in numbers of households using solar energy, second only to California.

California is most certainly the hottest area for solar energy. The cities of San Diego and Los Angeles lead the way, with San Diego reaping 36.7 MW of photovoltaic solar power annually versus Los Angeles’ 36.2.

Each kilowatt-hour saved puts money in a homeowner’s pocket that can be spent on other goods and services, further stimulating the economy. Power that is collected over and above a home’s usage can be sold back to power companies and can reduce the overall cost of electricity to the communities they serve.

Logically, growth in demand has led to expansion of supply. The companies that manufacture photovoltaic tiles and panels are expanding right along with consumption, adding jobs that fuel local economies and increasing the tax bases for public services. As money flows through the industry, more innovations in technology are being invented, and more engineers are hired and rewarded for their work. Like the computer chip, solar energy technology is becoming smaller, more efficient, more powerful and less expensive.

This guest post was written by Frank Warburton. Frank has been part of the domestic solar panels industry for many years and believes in the importance of sustainability. He currently works for Spectrum Energy Systems in the UK.

You may have expected a huge savings in your electricity bill, and yet after your system is in place you find that the numbers are still not low enough. The truth is you have to treat renewable energy as a clean energy investment. The returns will not be seen immediately.

Energy Efficiency

Many people make the error of thinking a clean energy system will give you energy potency straight away. The actuality is that you should be thinking about paths to make your house more energy efficient before you install a clean energy system.

The first thing you have to do is toss out all of your incandescent light bulb. Instead you should be using compact fluorescent lamps. These bulbs reduce energy use and last longer. Start taking a look at other stuff you may need to replace in your house such as home appliances.

Other home gadgets like printers, TVs, cell telephone chargers, and radios can consume energy even if turned off. So long as these appliances are wired into a power source they are leeching electricity and adding to your electricity bill.

To avoid this and make some savings on your electricity bill you should buy power strips to plug your appliances into. Power strips have a switch that you can switch on and off to ensure that your appliances are not using any electricity when not in use.

Older fridges, washing machines, and dryers are less energy efficient. You’ll get more out of your clean energy system when you have appliances that are energy efficient. This is applicable to aircon and heating systems.

Considering The Right Solution

Once you have begun to take these little steps toward energy potency you can then think about what clean energy system is best for you. Solar energy is rising in popularity but it isn’t the most practical answer for everybody. Air turbines are another possible answer for anyone that want to have a clean energy system prepared.

A study of the once a year weather patterns will help you to make a better call as to what clean energy system will work best for you. Consulting with a clean energy expert will also help you to make the best decision for your house.

What you just learned about Earth4Energy Review is just the beginning. To get the full story and all the details, check us out at Solar Power For Homes. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

Originally posted 2009-11-03 21:47:32.

When doing the research for a article on new green products, I was unaware of many of the different ways to convert the energy of the sun into electrical power. I have written about solar cell or photovoltaic cell systems, so let’s look at another type of solar energy system.

This system is not new; it was originally conceived in 1816 as an industrial rival to the steam engine. It has been largely underutilized for the past century. With the need for renewable energy sources caused by the overuse of the fossil fuels interest has resurged in solar designs, and it is now being designed into many new solar collector systems.

The Stirling engine is a heat engine that is vastly different from the internal combustion engine. It is highly efficient, operates quietly and is great at converting otherwise wasted heat into kinetic energy. Its only drawback is loss of power from internal fraction. The gasses (most often air) used inside the engine remain inside and are never expelled. With no exhaust valves like a gasoline or diesel engine and with no explosions from combustion, the engines run very quietly.

The heat source needed to start and maintain the Stirling cycle depends on the temperature difference between the hot and cold chambers. The greater the differential between chambers, the faster the engine will operate. In some cases the difference that occurs when the cold chamber is cooled by wetting it is enough differential to start the engine.

The basic operation of this thermal engine is really quite simple. The engine has two chambers, one hot and one cold. When an external heat source is applied the hot air expands moving a piston and flows to the cold chamber. A flywheel is attached to maintain movement.

The Stirling engine is ideal for use in a solar power generating system. With one of the hottest heat sources available (sunlight), the hot chamber will continue to operate without external fuels as long as there is daylight. This makes it ideal for use as a peaker type power plant when the demands for electricity are at there highest.

With the space age list of available materials, the pistons in the hot chamber are much better designed to handle the high temperatures that would have fried previous generations. The new systems with the right mirror design and decent tracking systems are averaging up to 25 kilowatts of electricity

I will compare the different solar technologies in a later article. For now, I need to lay a foundational understanding of each of the green products used to produce power so a comparison can be made.

Michael

Originally posted 2009-07-02 01:43:47.

We live in a time when alternative is going mainstream. Solar power has many applications and is widely considered as an important source of alternative energy, along with other such variants as wind power and hydel power. Wind power, a popular alternative energy, dates back to the time of the early settlers who used crude windmills for crushing grains that measured up to 20 feet. However, it was not until 1979 when Danish engineers developed petite electricity generators fitted with light PVC blades capable of producing electricity that wind power became practically feasible. Those were the very first “Wind Turbines”. It marked a significant step in the evolution of alternative energy and paved the way for the world to have its first device for generating electricity by harnessing the power of the wind.

Other nations were quick to follow in the footsteps of the Danish engineers, and soon after their first appearance, wind turbines came up in great numbers all across the US and the UK. Alternative energy such as wind power and solar power made it easy to save on electricity bills and also lessen the dependence on the local utility company or on the grid. However, wind energy also has its fair share of disadvantages. The most critical drawback was due to the unpredictable nature of the wind itself. Inclement weather and low wind speeds often result in severe disruption of power generation by the turbines. The turbines, themselves, contributed to noise pollution in and around the area where they were located and were often dubbed as ‘roaring monsters’. However, use of better bearings and redesigning of the inner mechanism has reduced the noise to a great extent although some ‘wheezing’ still accompanies the turbines spinning at high speed. This is one of the reasons why wind turbines are rarely seen in residential areas.

While wind power was slowly getting accepted across a growing number of regions across the world, a new form of alternative energy surfaced to take the world by surprise. Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories accidentally discovered the mother of modern solar cell in the form of silicon semiconductors while researching on the behavioral pattern of non-metals. The solar cell was soon developed and everybody was amazed to discover how effective they were, when clustered together in the form of a solar panel, to generate electricity that could easily light up a small home. Solar power caught the people’s imagination and very soon companies and manufacturers everywhere started making and installing solar panels. The US government also expressed its endorsement of this new technology by staring to offer incentives, grants and rebates for every installation undertaken within the country. The users saw the benefits in the form of slashed electricity bills and hassle-free supply of current that needed no raw material or maintenance. The only drawback that solar power suffered from was its inability to perform after dark.

The answer to the problem, however, is simple. To ensure uninterrupted power supply for 24 hours, as also to drastically reduce electricity consumption costs (red electricity bills) one might go for the following setup.

Installing both solar panels and wind turbines for the home offers a foolproof plan to keep you covered for 24 hours. While the solar system generates power during the day, the wind turbines ensure seamless power generation at night.

Add a battery bank to the system as a stand-by unit. Batteries can easily store some amount of the generated power that can be used during times when both the systems are unavailable.

Get the system connected to the grid so that all surplus power can be sent back to the grid, helping you make a neat little profit from selling power to the utility.

It doesn’t take much to make money from the system. With both units running simultaneously, the consumer will not only need any current from the grid but will also flood it with his or her own generated current.

With every passing day, more and more people everywhere are enthusiastically adopting alternative power. The demand for solar and wind power for residential use has already picked up considerably, and will continue to climb up the popularity curve in the following years. Even though there are still a few technical glitches, they are not of a very serious nature and will be resolved in the near future through continuing research and development.

So would you like to set up such a system? Take help from a manual that will help you install it step by step by showing you where to set it up, how to do it, how to wire the system, where to get the parts and the batteries from and will inform you about the safety instructions too. People across the world now know the advantages of installing a solar or a wind power system at home. By doing this you are now only contributing to clean up the environment, but the benefits are financial as well as you can reduce your power bills.

Originally posted 2009-07-02 04:56:14.

An average solar panel system can generate 2448 kW per year, and provides a safe, clean alternative to fossil fuels. With the solar power industry expected to achieve a value of $3 billion by 2014, and government feed in tariffs subsidizing investment and resale of power, using panels to run white goods has become an increasingly practical option.

When working out how to use this energy, it is necessary to follow some basic steps:

1 – Having the Right Panels

Photovoltaic devices consist of an array of solar cells installed onto a roof. While each individual cell will not generate much power, by joining them together into a module or an array, it is possible to generate between 10 to 300 kW. The amount of energy produced is relative to the amount of sunlight that the cells receive. Once received, this energy can be stored and used during down periods.

2 – Mounting System

You will need a mounting system to convert solar energy into electricity for white goods. The best way of transferring energy is to convert it into a direct current voltage, which can be connected up to white goods. Certain amounts of energy can be stored and transferred for use within systems using grid and solar power. The resulting system, or ‘load,’ enables some flexibility over usage.

3 – Contributing Power

A solar system cannot support constant running of white goods like fridges, washing machines and ovens at present. The exceptions are experimental fridges and freezers, which are designed to conserve energy. The best solution at the moment for general use involves combining grid and photovoltaic energy into a grid tiered system. Energy generated by solar power can be stored and used to reduce a dependence on the grid. At the same time, any excess energy can be sold back at a profit.

The ultimate result is that you can reduce a dependence on electricity bills, with white goods typically accounting for about 18% of annual home costs. The amount by which solar power can be used with white goods will depend on items’ wattage, and their energy efficiency.

4 – Other Features

If using photovoltaic energy on a regular basis, you will need to invest in an inverter to convert direct current into alternating current for different uses within the home. Also recommended are breaker panels, and an electric meter to monitor different levels of electricity.

5 – Safety

While solar power is safe and clean, you will need to ensure that a mounting system for converting energy into usable electricity is equipped with devices like a charge controller, a disconnect and a battery bank. These devices can help prevent overloading a system, as well as making sure that energy isn’t lost.

This guest post was written by Amy Finton.

Also known as microgeneration, renewable sources of energy include such things as solar panels, heat pumps, biomass boilers and wind turbines. In general terms, each of these and the other renewable options will allow the homeowner to generate some of their own energy and even sell the remainder back to the grid. As a potential buyer – what is not to like?

Heat pumps

There are two types of heat pump available for the domestic home. The ground source heat pump which gathers heat from a series of tubes buried in the garden and the air source heat pump which sucks in air from outside and extracts heat from it before sending it indoors. Both of these can be a great addition to most homes.

If your home has a gas boiler, a heat pump is unlikely to add much value (gas is still a cheaper way to heat your home), but for those people who heat their home using electricity or oil, a heat pump is going to help you save significant amounts. For any potential buyer this is going to be a plus and would save them having to install the system themselves.

Solar Panels

There has been some concern recently that homes with solar panels may be harder to sell, especially if they are tied into a contract with an energy supplier. While this may put off some buyers, the actual savings they could make should outweigh any concerns they may have.

Solar panels which have been paid for and installed by the owner entitle the new owner to a feed-in-tariff which could be as much as 43p/KwH. For those who have a free system, the tariff is taken by the installer, but the savings on electricity are for the home owner. This can be hundreds of pounds a year at no additional cost.

Wind Turbines

These sources of energy are more unusual than other renewables, but they can be an attractive proposition for buyers. When carefully positioned they can be unobtrusive and they are also very quiet.

Getting planning permission for wind turbines can be tricky (especially in urban areas) so if you already have one of these installed, your buyer knows that they will not have to do the leg-work with the council to get the permission.

Finally the savings and the feed-in-tariff associated with a wind turbine are bound to improve the saleability of your home and may add a few thousand to the asking price.

The Green Deal

It is true that installing some renewable energy sources isn’t cheap, but it is worth weighing up the viability of installing before you put your home up for sale. The government is introducing the Green Deal towards the end of this year which will allow homeowners to borrow the money needed to install this type of technology. This loan will pass from the current owner to the new owner if a house is sold.

It is unlikely that this will put off buyers, because the government has said that the savings made will outweigh the costs of the loan. So your new buyer will have cheaper bills and an energy efficient home.

So, even if you don’t think you can afford to make these types of improvements to your home, there really is no reason not to look into the possibilities. Not only will you set your home apart and add value, you will also be improving the environment.

About the author:

Justin Elliot is the CEO of Find Energy Savings, a company dedicated to help find you the best deals on eco-friendly energy resources.

The sun is free for everybody to use. Irrespective of religion and nationality, the sun shines upon all of us in all its glory. Since the very dawn of history, the sun has been showering its light and warmth upon us. Thanks to modern science and technology, man now has the knowledge and know-how of harnessing a part of the tremendous energy contained in the sun and pitting it to various uses.

The most common way of using the energy of the sun is with the help of photovoltaic cells. Even though the initial set up costs can be a little high by most standards, the long -term financial benefits of using solar power are truly unparalleled.

The sun provides us with a unique advantage of generating enough power for ourselves and sell off any surplus to the local utility company or the grid at a profit through what is known as the “Net-metering Scheme”. It requires no raw materials and has no running cost. All one needs to do is connect the system to the local power grid and send back the excess power generated by him to the local company. An example will make things clearer. Say, your monthly electricity consumption is X number of units or A amount of dollars. Now, if you install a solar panel at your home that can produce 6X number of units per month that is equivalent to $5A and you draw 2X number of units from the utility for night time consumption, you are still left with 6X minus 3X or 3X number of units equivalent to $5A minus $A or $4A in your hand. Selling off surplus power seems like the only sensible and smart choice because you cannot store this power for use on rainy days. If left unused, it will go to waste. So why let that happen? The best move is to sell it back and make a neat little profit from it.

One of the most important considerations when you are thinking of setting up your very own solar power system is the return on investment. Be warned that the initial investment can be fairly high by most standards, even though most states will extend financial assistance to you for the cause. This is because solar energy is eco-friendly and a clean renewable form of energy does not pollute the environment. However, you can always find out the break-even point by subtracting the value of the annual sale of electricity from the initial investment made by you. Take a look below for a typical example.

Initial investment $30,000 Annual sale value of solar electricity $ 5,000 Time to reach break-even point 6years From the 7th year onward Zero cost!

The ecological benefits of using solar energy are too strong to deny. In fact, one of the biggest advantages of using solar energy comes from its clean, renewable, non-fossil fuel oriented and sustainable nature. Solar energy production does not cause air pollution because, unlike other conventional modes of energy production, there is no discharge of sulfur dioxide (SO), carbon dioxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO) or mercury. And for the same reason, solar energy does not contribute to the contemporary problem of global warming or greenhouse effect. What’s more, with solar energy you never need to worry about smog or acid rain in the area where it is utilized. What could be ‘greener’ than this?

Another big advantage of using solar energy comes from the fact that it is virtually free and requires very little maintenance.

What makes solar power so convenient to use is the fact they are completely self-sustained and are an independent means of energy production. This distinctiveness of operation helps installation of units anywhere under the sun, irrespective of whether other facilities are available or not. Nowadays, owing to the latest developments, it doesn’t take much to set up a fully functional solar power unit near your own house and start generating your own electricity. It is a great feeling to have your very own power plant in the backyard, supplying power to your entire household. Moreover, when it comes to portability, few things come as close as solar power. Powerful Solar energy units mounted on trailers, complete with control panel, converters, battery banks and switches are now in use in such remote areas like the South African Game Reserves where scientists are busy checking the genes of large animals like the rhinoceros or the giraffe. Independent solar energy operated units help light up their camp sites while powering their laptops for research work and other equipment and tools.

Last but definitely not the least, it has already reduced the dependence on Middle Eastern countries whose oil supplies had so far been responsible for fossil fuel generated electric power. In fact, considering the pace at which mankind is adopting solar power in homes and workplaces, the day is not too far away when diesel powered generators would be a matter of the past.

And now, let’s look at the other side of using solar energy. A disturbing factor is the present high cost of installation of a solar panel. Though efforts are underway to improve their affordability (there are many government schemes that extend financial help to those willing to install a solar power unit), the picture is still far from encouraging. We can only hope that these issues will be resolved quickly.

You must be all set to switch to solar power by now. But don’t get started all alone. What you need is a training guide – a manual, that will let you learn how to install a system. You will also need to know a few other things such as what is the best place to set up the system, where to buy the parts, how to get free batteries, safety precautions and also wiring the system. Get informed and you are ready to install solar system in your home. This the best way to ensure a quick, successful installation.

Originally posted 2009-07-02 05:19:37.

However, according to The Nikkei newspaper, it will be years before the vehicle hits the market. At the moment Toyota is developing an electric car that gets only some of its power from solar panels attached to the vehicle, and can also be recharged at home. Later they plan to release a model operating solely on car solar power.

The car solar power model is part of Toyota’s efforts to expand during a global economic crisis. It appears their first semi-solar powered car idea was spurred on by Greg Johanson, owner of Solar Electric Vehicles, who added a solar roof to his hybrid Toyota Prius just over a year ago.

Here is a video on the solar powered Prius:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJX-sGn5RDo

This December Toyota shocked Japan after announcing its first operating loss in seven decades. This was caused by the global slump, especially in the American market, and the strengthening Yen.

Despite this, with Toyota being one of the leaders in green technology, its executives stressed that they have no intention on cutting back on environmental research and development.

The leading Japanese automaker has already started powering some of its Tsutsumi plant in central Japan on solar electricity. The roof solar panels add up in size to about 3 football fields and generate enough energy to power 500 households, according to Toyota. This reduces their carbon footprint by 740 tons per year, which is equivalent to burning 1,500 barrels of crude oil.

With its partner in developing and producing hybrid batteries, Panasonic, taking over Japanese rival Sanyo – a leader in solar energy – early next year, Toyota is bound to gain expertise in solar energy.  This will speed up development on its car solar power project, and who knows – perhaps we may see the first commercial solar powered car sooner than expected.

Originally posted 2009-01-07 13:49:15.

How solar power LED lights came about:

Ever since solar power became portable, people have thought of as many solar power uses as possible. What made solar power so attractive for outdoor lighting was its portability – replacing the need for long, unsightly extension leads in the garden. Initially individuals tried using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, but the small solar panels could not produce enough wattage for the lights to burn bright enough.

As a result the solar light market was limited to places near the equator with large amounts of sunlight. And even then the solar panels and batteries had to be large enough to cater for the period of longest nights, shortest days and cloudiest conditions.

Then as LED lights started hitting the market, manufacturers realized they would be ideal for solar lighting since they burned brightly, but used minimal power. And thanks to technological improvements in home solar power LED lights, the solar lighting market is no longer confined to equatorial areas with the most amount of direct sunlight and highest temperatures.

So what were the technological improvements, and how did they benefit the solar market?

They were:

1. Optimized system efficiency
LED lights are now capable of optimizing current flows, where no power is wasted, so the overall system efficiency is almost 100 percent.

2. LED’s can be fine tuned
Since solar LED lights can be programmed, users are now able to select not only where the light is delivered but also how brightly and when it is delivered. This has led to a reduction in solar panel and battery size by as much as 50 percent of the original outdoor lighting system.

3. Effective illumination
LED lights are able to provide directional beams of light, where about 90 percent can be used for ambient lighting and a further 70 percent for task lighting.  Furthermore, a 45 lumen LED light can create the same amount of light as a 75 lumen CFL bulb, resulting in lower electricity usage and costs for running a home power solar lighting system.

4. Improved performance, efficiency and lifespan in cold temperatures
Most outdoor lamps tend to lose performance and lifetime in colder temperatures – where they seem rather dim or burn out very quickly in sub-zero climates. But LED’s are different – they don’t produce light from a filament, but rather a micro-chip. And since micro-chips run better at lower temperatures, solar LED lights can last 5 to 10 times longer than CFL bulbs.

With all these technological breakthroughs anyone is now able to enjoy home power solar LED lighting at home, no matter where they live. And if you know how to make your own solar panel system, all you have to do is add some inexpensive LED lights to enjoy free outdoor lighting. It couldn’t be simpler!

Originally posted 2008-12-20 11:42:14.

For someone with experience in DIY, building your own solar panels is an easy task. All you need are the materials and the resources from a kit as well as a few simple tools and basic components, and you’ll be putting together your own solar panels in no time.

Solar panel kits are easy to find. They are commonly available at hardware stores and like shops where you live. Your basic yet will come equipped with solar plates, a battery, converter, photovoltaic cells, semi-conductor block, and conductor wires. But if the kit is not for you, you can also purchase the components separately.

When you open your kit, inside you will find the solar panels. They are wafer-like disks which have been polished with care to a glossy finish, and then meticulously cut and coated with a semiconductor for the purpose of altering electrical charges. If you decide to purchase a kit, you will save yourself the trouble of treating the panels yourself. With the kit, you just have to put things together following the instructions.

How Do You Do the Job? In order to build and install your homemade solar panels, you will need to understand photovoltaics, as well as develop skills with cable wires and soldering. If you’re unsure or don’t feel comfortable with this, you can always find someone who has installed their own homemade solar panels to help you. Either finding someone to help you or doing it yourself is significantly cheaper than hiring a professional. If you are going to pay, materials and installation can cost you $20,000. You could, of course, get a rebate to help offset some of your expenses, but those deductions won’t come until tax day.

Doing the Job: Building and installing homemade solar panels require an understanding of photovoltaics, skill with cable wires and soldering. If you are unsure of the task, you can always get someone who has installed homemade solar panels to help you. Doing the job yourself or getting someone to help you is way cheaper than hiring a professional. Installation plus materials can cost you $20,000. You might get a rebate on your expense but the deductions are not outright but on installment every tax time.

The job is an easy for experienced DIYs. To assemble, you have to combine the components ” solar panels, the photovoltaic cells, and the semi-conductor block. The solar plate must be angled to receive most of the suns rays. The panels must be placed above the photovoltaic cells and wires are soldered on the receiving ends of the solar panels and the photovoltaic cells.

One area which calls for special care is putting up the semiconductor, as this is the point of sunlight conversion and essential step for the generation of electricity. The semiconductor is placed below the solar panel and photovoltaic cells and then connected to both by conductor wires. You want to take extra care that the wires are connected properly and securely.

After assembling the components, you have to connect the converter. Once that’s done you’re ready for the last step: setting up the battery or batteries. Be careful here. In fact you might even want to find a certified electrician to help out. Your goal is to achieve the maximum solar storage in order to allow you to have the greatest amount of solar power for your home.

Since most components are easy to find, all you have to do is inspect these and then calculate the cost and you’ll be able to outfit your entire home with homemade solar panels in no time. Soon you will have the solar power you need to power your home. Do it from scratch or use a kit, the choice is yours.

Originally posted 2009-05-12 04:15:22.