Solar How To
July 2nd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
This solar how to article will discuss each part of a solar power system, talk about what it does and how it fits into the system as a whole. You don’t have to include every part in every solar project, but every piece does a particular role. A standard solar power system generates electricity, stores it in batteries to be used later and then converts the Direct Current electricity from the batteries to the same kind of AC electricity that comes from the wall sockets in your house.
Solar Panels
The first part of a solar power system is the solar panels, which produce electricity using energy from the sun. Electrons are knocked loose from a layer of silicon after being hit by photons from sunlight. These electrons become electricity and are directed through wires. Many solar cells, each of which generates about 1/2 volt are put together to make a single solar panel. By putting together the proper number of solar cells, any voltage you need can be generated. Building a solar panel and producing your own free electricity is actually farily cheap and easy. If you’re interested in reading about how to build your own solar panel, see Building a DIY Solar Panel
Charge Controller
This component charges the batteries using the power generated by the solar panels. The electricity going to the batteries is regulated by the charge controller. It also gradually lowers the power sent to the batteries as they get closer to fully charged to make sure the batteries don’t overcharge. After the batteries are fully charged, it will also “top off” the batteries if the batteries fall below full charge to make sure the batteries remain fully charged. If you’re interested in more detailed information about charge controllers, visit Solar Charge Controller
Batteries
The majority of solar power systems use 12 volt batteries like you find in your car. The most common type are sealed lead acid. This type of battery is easy to find, rugged and cheap. Weight is the only potential downside, but since you aren’t going to be moving the batteries around, it isn’t really much of a problem. You often can get batteries from surplus computer UPS systems for cheap or even free.
Power Inverter
The appliances in your house use 120v Alternating Current (AC), but the batteries in a solar power system use 12v Direct Current (Dc). The power inverter will convert the DC electricity from the batteries into the AC power that your appliances require. There are two types of power inverter: Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW). MSW is not as good as TSW because TSW exactly matches the electricity that comes out of the the wall sockets in your house. It is preferable to use TSW over MSW becuase TSW more closely matches the electricy that comes from the grid. A TSW inverter will cost more than an MSW inverter, but it is generally a better choice in the long run.
Complete Solar Power System
Now we will put all the parts together into a complete system. You generally mount the solar panels on the roof. Wires are used to connect the solar panels together and then send the electricity to the charge controller. The batteries are charged by the charge controller with the power coming from the solar panels. The power from the charge controller is stored in the batteries all day while sunlight is hitting the solar panels. When an appliance like a TV, or lights or a computer needs electricity, the power inverter converts the power from the batteries in to standard 120v AC electricity and that power is delivered to the appliance. This type of system can be big enough to power your whole house or small enough to power just a single appliance.
If you are interested in how much it will cost for enough solar panels to power your house, check out this guide to Cost of Home Solar Panels
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Go green and Save Energy
July 1st, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
In my green research, I’ve found some interesting information. Remember though, being green is not just about saving electric energy. It’s also about conserving the resources that we have so that our children’s children can have a bright future for themselves.
Trying not to sound too much like a tree hugger, after all I am in construction. It would seem remiss of me if didn’t acknowledge that I participate and fully advocate growth where it is needed. But, I have often spoken about recycling and remodeling as well.Tearing a house down gives a builder the opportunity to use some of those same materials and to build in that same place. It’s new. It’s fresh. It works.
Not everything needs to be torn down though. If the structure and the foundation are solid, remodeling is the answer. These are things I learned from my father throughout my life and when I followed in his footsteps years ago.
Taking those same principles universally, I learned early that conservation and preservation are important even and especially within the construction industry. What can I say? My father was a forward thinker.
So, my research will begin to depict my learning as far as the construction industry is concerned. But, what can we all do in our own little way? I’m learning a good bit about that as well.
Do you know that switching from a desktop to a laptop computer is a great energy saver? First of all, I didn’t know there was anyone on the planet who still owned a desktop. I was amazed to learn years ago that a laptop had the same capabilities as a desktop, but I could carry it around with me. I write on planes and now I can even surf the internet sitting in a coffee shop. Could you imagine lugging a desktop around with you everywhere you go? And now, there is yet another reason why someone would want to purchase a laptop. It saves energy. You can even use a home made electric generator to save energyon your laptop
Use a slow cooker instead of the stove every time you possibly can. Do you really need to cook rice on the stove? Take a little extra time and put it in the crock-pot. You’ll love the taste and the electric bill might not look so bad either.
One final thing for now is keeping your tires properly inflated. This has several benefits. You’ll save on buying new tires because over-inflated and under-inflated tires wear much sooner than properly inflated tires do. But also, you’ll save on the gas bill. Not having to fuel up as much will put a smile on your face when your car isn’t being so hard on your wallet.
Being green means being concerned with both conservation and preservation. Conservation is managing what you use and preservation is managing what you have. But, you don’t have to live your life in a shell. We can live our lives fully and completely enjoy them while at the same time making sure there is a great life left for our children to enjoy.
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