An Overview on the Interesting Facts about Solar Energy

Posted on December 9, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

There are lots of interesting facts about solar energy. Educating yourself about this will prove to be beneficial in the long run. You can share the information to your loved ones. You can teach them of ways on how they can help to conserve the energy. You can also do your share to help this method to advance if you are a genius in the field. But if you are an ordinary citizen who only wants to enjoy, then feast on. But remember that you also have responsibilities to the environment that you must accomplish in order to do your part in the whole scheme of things.

The Facts that Matter
1. Solar radiation makes it possible for the energy coming from the sun to be used as power source and energy that can in turn be used for many purposes. The technology on this aspect is characterized in two ways. They can either be passive or active. This will depend on the methods that are used to get, convert and allocate sunlight.

What are active solar techniques? These utilize pumps, photovoltaic panels and fans to renovate sunlight into useful resources. These aim to increase the energy supply that is why these can also be referred as supply side technologies. The passive solar techniques, on the other hand, use only selected resources with constructive thermal properties, utilize the kind of spaces that can circulate air naturally and apply the position of buildings and structures towards the sun. These will lessen the need for other sources and can also be referred as the demand side technology.

2. Solar energy has influenced many factors that surround people. This can be referred in planning and designing buildings. This process can be rooted back at the early days of the architectural history. The Greeks and the Chinese first used such factor in building and constructing their architectural pieces and on their planning methods.

3. Solar energy is also being utilized by the agricultural sector because they rely heavily on its benefits in order to gain more harvest. They developed ways in order to plant the kind of crops that will grow according to the amount of sun that they will be getting for the season. This can also be used to dry the crops, pump water, brooding of chicks and to dry animal manures that can later be used as fertilizers.

4. On seasons like the Little Ice Age, fruit walls were used by French and Chinese farmers to be able to collect and store solar energy to help them keep the plants warm and to speedy up the process of ripening of fruits. These walls serve as the thermal masses. The fruit walls that were first developed were perpendicular to the ground and faced the south direction. Over time, innovations were done and slopping walls were used to gain more advantage from the sun.

5. To convert the solar light into heat, people have developed greenhouses. These enable the production and cultivation of specialty crops all year round. Such innovation made it possible for crops to be produced in untimely seasons and in places where you think that those plants won’t grow.

And these are only some of the interesting facts about solar energy. These give you a good peek at how wonderful nature is and how people have developed ways to use it to advance in many aspects of their lives.

Solar Energy is the Future

Posted on November 26, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

We consume fossil fuels at a greater rate than we have ever had over the past 50 years. That demand is fueled by the increase of cars on the street, the number of planes that take to the air and the number of homes that need electricity. Sadly, we will have depleted these resources by the end of this century which is why we have to come up with other ways to get power and solar energy may be the future.

Solar energy is simply extracting the sun’s energy for power. Just to tell you how powerful the sun is, it can burn scrub lands and give you sunburn if you are out in the sun without any protection. In fact, the Greeks and the Chinese used this to set fire until the 1880′s by Charles Fritts made the first solar cell.

Instead of using a heater to warm up the home, sunlight can be used to control the temperature. You will just need large windows and shades to control the amount of sunlight that will go inside and keep the heat absorbed during the day to remain at night.

Solar energy can also provide warm water as it warms up cold water that passes down through the closed flat panels called collectors.

But solar energy does not only give warmth to the home. It can also be used to help power it which reduces our dependence on non-renewable resources like oil or coal.

This occurs when solar cells are installed on the roof so it will be able to capture as much solar rays as possible and then converts this into electricity. You will need 10 or 12 to capture at least a kilowatt of power and more if you are powering more than just your home.

The only limitation which challenges the use of solar energy is that it can only generate power during the day. The answer to this is to put an auxiliary system in place that will store the energy and kick when the sun is not available. This comes in the form of batteries which will provide power in the evening or a brownout.

Advances in technology have taken solar energy to the next level. NASA uses it to power satellites in orbit, solar panels installed onboard aircraft allow it to fly across oceans while cars can travel speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It is used to power a lighthouse so seafarers will be able to find their way at sea while aircraft can land in an airport in the middle of the frozen desert.

Solar energy is safe for the environment since it does not emit any harmful gases or chemicals into the air. It is a renewable resource that has not yet been fully tapped by a lot of countries which makes it very viable for the future.

But is it the only answer to reduce our dependence on oil? No because solar energy is just one of the options. We can also harness the power of the wind, the wave in the oceans, geothermal heat, hydroelectricity and a lot more instead of relying on coal or even nuclear energy that may harm the environment.

It is something we have to push for the next generation.

Facts about Solar Energy – Some Things to Ponder and Why

Posted on November 5, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

What are the facts about solar energy that you know? It is given that this comes from the sun. This was developed by people in order to take advantage and benefit from everything that the sun can provide. You can also easily guess the goals of these people why they opt to develop such technology. For one, they want to make lives easier to live. Second, they want to find other resources that people can use in their everyday lives. Maybe they also want to profit from the experience because if this will all be successful, people, businesses and industries will gain a lot from what is being developed.

During the first years of its introduction, people deem that this technological advancement can only be used by wealthy people. It used to cater mostly for the can afford types of individuals. What if it can heat pool and can run spas? Why should an ordinary John Doe care when he couldn’t find time to have a good rest because times are hard?

But the evolution of the solar energy is just starting. Nowadays, the benefits can be felt even by ordinary citizens. Researchers keep thinking of ways to arrive at this state. And this is proving to be good for everybody’s sake.

1. The scientists developed solar panels that can power up homes. They made this available not only for the rich and famous, but they sold the idea to governments. The latter used the innovation to bring electricity to people in their countries who still haven’t experienced to live in the comfort of having this kind of power source. As a result, many people experience how it is like to have lights. They have also resorted to businesses that can be aided by such technology. The maintenance is still on-going while the technology is still being pursued. But the fact remains that this has been made available even for the ordinary John Doe.

2. Aside from electricity, solar energy can be used to heat water and cook food. Life is really becoming easier as people find ways to achieve such state. While the developments are still under way, people are finding ways to make such resource available for everybody. Different organizations and government agencies help in making this product affordable for everyone no matter what your status in life is.

As time passes by, people will be able to develop more and more gadgets and tools to make lives easier. There will come a time when almost everybody can benefit from this. The first notion that the solar energy is only for the wealthy will cease to be remembered.

The responsibility now lies on to people’s hands to take care of nature. They must give back to nature for everything that they have also gotten in the process. Technological advancements can be better achieved if people will consider how these can affect the natural habitat in general. It is okay to get what people want and what people need. But this must always be done with precaution and by thinking of the effects that these will have on everything.

It is fun to learn some facts about solar energy every once in a while. These will excite you about the process. But more so, these must open your eyes to the whole scheme of nature and how important it is to take care of your surroundings to be able to benefit more in the long run.

You Need a PV System to Generate Solar Energy

Posted on October 21, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

Solar energy has been around for quite some time. In fact, now is the best time to get it if you want to cut your electric bill and do your share to protect the environment.

For that to happen, you will need to buy a PV system. This is designed to reduce or eliminate the amount of electricity you purchase from the utility especially when there could be a price increase in the next few months.

The best part about the PV system is that it generates clean electricity which is clean, reliable and renewable since it does not emit any harmful gases into the atmosphere.

The PV system must be placed in an area that is free from any obstruction otherwise, it will not be able to capture the sun’s rays. A lot of experts say that the south facing roof is best while the east and west is sufficient. If the roof is not available, it can be mounted on the ground.

You should know that PV systems come in various sizes so you should get the one that matches our electrical needs. If you consume about 6,500 kilowatts a year, then a PV system within the 3 to 4 kilowatt range is right for your home. You can measure this by reviewing your past electric bills and making some projections.

Naturally, the size of the PV system will determine the amount of space needed. If you do not use that much electricity, 50 square feet may be sufficient. However, a larger system may require a little over 600 square feet. Just remember that a kilowatt of electricity requires an area of 100 square feet.

Solar energy is converted with the help of an inverter since this is what changes direct current to alternating current. You will also need batteries so excess energy may be stored so you can still use solar energy during the evening or during a power outage.

The size of the PV system is also in direct proportion with the cost. Most cost from $9 to $10 per watt and when you include installation, the bill may reach be from $10,000 to $20,000.

The cost of the PV system should not discourage you from investing in solar energy. People who use it are able to get tax rebates and it will also increase the value of your home. With that, the only thing to do now is to call a reputable solar energy provider.

One other thing you should know about the PV system is that this should also be connected to your grid. For this to work, you have to enter into an interconnection agreement with your utility.

This agreement will address the issue with regards to the terms and conditions under which your system is tied up with them. This also includes what is known as net metering which allows you to bank any surplus electricity that your system generates on the electric grid in the same manner that you will be charged accordingly should you consume more electricity than what you have banked.

You need a PV system to generate solar energy. You just need to know what size of a system you require so this can be installed by your solar provider.

The Future of Solar Energy – How It Looks and How It Affects Nature

Posted on September 29, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

The future of solar energy lies on the indigenous hands of people who never tire out from thinking of ways in order to make life easier to live. With the advancement in the technology, the boom of the Internet age and a lot of other things, there will come a time when people will turn their backs on whatever is conventional. This can be good and bad in many ways, depending on who is looking at it and from what perspective.

But people’s quest for the advancement and development of everything that surrounds them provides lots of negative effects as well. Here are only some.

1. Sometimes, people neglect the environment and how to properly take care of it for the mere fact that they are greedy to get their ideas done no matter what the consequences to the nature will be. Such advancements create harmful effects in the whole state and balance of nature. How many times have you heard about forest denudation or grave floods that kill people? All these occurrences can also be rooted to the activities of men that suffice for their own good without so much consideration for their natural habitat and the nature.

2. With the continuing advancement of everything that surrounds people, the generational gap becomes wider and wider. Old folks will fight for the benefits of the conventional tools and mediums. The newer generations cannot afford to sit on those old ways to do things. They are a slave to the continuing technological developments.

It is okay to initiate change. It is good to find better ways to do things. But people must be cautious in achieving this. They must think about everything around them before they even start on their venture to newer and better ways to achieve greatness.

The Innovations

As of today, solar energy is one of the best options that people have with regards to alternative power sources. This has already evolved. There was a time when you can only avail such power source when the sun is present and that is during daytime. With the genius of the people behind the development of this resource, they were able to create green gas that can produce electricity. This is done by splitting water properties into hydrogen and oxygen. Both gasses will then be grouped into a cell that will be the electricity source.

The same geniuses estimated that the entire planet can rely to an hour of sunlight for its one year electricity consumption. Solar cells have been developed to produce electricity from the energy coming from the sun. The panels for such technology can also be used to heat water and cook food. There are now the solar heating, solar cookers and solar furnaces as add-ons to this innovative venture.

There are now hydrogen based cars. These are fueled by the split hydrogen in water. The solar cells also power the satellites that orbit through the surface of the Earth. This is the reason why there are advancements that people benefit from such as satellite phones and TV, accurate weather forecasting, even the development of the GPS technology and a lot more.

There are a lot of benefits that people can gain from the future of solar energy. You just have to think that whatever you do or however you use such technology for your own good, you must always think of ways to protect your environment first to be able to get the most out of such improvements.

Arguments against solar energy

Posted on September 12, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

Between you and me, we know that solar energy is a good renewable energy resource and that we should start to utilize it more especially when the Earth’s fossil fuel reserves are slowly dwindling and will run out in 30 to 50 years. We better look at the various alternative energies and begin a fast tracking of development to hasten our independence on non-renewable fossil fuels. And solar energy is as good as any other alternative energy resource out there. However, several arguments against solar energy have been raised through the years. But probably the most convincing argument is the high costs of solar energy utilization.

The problem with solar energy is that you can only harness it during the daytime. And even when the sun is up, the sunlight will be interrupted by occasional cloud covers, rains, fog, and even smog. So in order to harness the sun’s energy we need equipment that can get as much solar power as possible at a given time and we need some way of storing that energy so we can use them without ay interruptions.

We do have the technology to harness the sun’s energy, convert it into usable electricity, and store them for future use. And that technology itself is the primary reason why solar power has not caught on even today. The process of making solar panels as well as the technology for storing that harnessed power remains to be quite expensive.

The good thing about this fact today is that due to the recent increase in the costs of fuel and gas, solar power is no longer a far fetched alternative. The gap between the costs has gone down considerably and hopefully in the near future, the costs of solar energy production will be quite competitive.

Furthermore, the costs of photovoltaic cells are indeed quite expensive that contemporary oil and gas equipment. But one of the flaws of the argument of costs is that people tend to limit their perspective of solar energy as to only referring to photovoltaic cells. There are other means of harnessing solar energy and not all of them are as expensive as PV cell manufacturing.

One way of getting the sun’s energy and converting it into usable electricity is the concept of solar thermal plants. In solar thermal technology, various solar collectors are utilized to generate heat which can be applied from the simplest heating and ventilation of houses to the production of massive amounts of electricity. The use of mirrors or lenses to reflect sunlight to towers equipped with liquids that heat up and produce steam. The steam then turns turbines which in turn generates the electricity needed.

The process adds another step compared to photovoltaics which converts solar energy directly into electricity. Nevertheless, solar thermal systems of power production is cheaper that the production of PV cells. For a larger consumer market, it seems that solar thermal energy is the way to go.

Regardless, the point here really is to emphasize that solar energy has more to offer. The cost of production is a valid argument against solar energy but still there are ways around it. Costs can be minimized by using other techniques of harnessing solar energy or future developments in the field of science and technology will produce products that are more cost efficient that what are available today.

Things You Should Know Before Investing in Solar Energy

Posted on August 29, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

There is no doubt that there are a lot of benefits in using solar energy. Aside from protecting the environment, you get to save a great deal of money. But before you switch to solar energy, here are a few things you should consider.

First, is your roof right for solar power? Most solar power systems can be installed as long as the roof is flat and made of material such as bitumen, composite shingle, cement tile, metal or tar and gravel. If this is how your roof is positioned, then there shouldn’t be any problems.

The solar panels will be installed parallel to the roof surface. If you are concerned that the weight could be too heavy for your roof, don’t be since this is very light and quite rare that you have to do some structural work before installing the system.

When you are looking for a contractor, find out how much it will cost to install the system. You should compare these first before you decide in picking the best one. But you should know right now that installing solar powered cells are a bit expensive. There are also no financing programs you can avail of. Your best bet if you don’t have enough money is to apply for a home equity loan.

If you are planning to install this in a commercial establishment, the various loans you can avail of include the capital equipment loan, equipment secured loan, property secured loan or the SAFE-BIDCO energy efficiency loan.

Non-profit organizations may also avail of special loans for solar energy and the best one is through third party financing. In this case, the non-profit organization and the contractor will purchase the system and make use of the tax credits. The third party will then pass on the charges for the produced power to the non-profit and after the system has depreciated, this is sold to the non-profit at a discount.

The end result is that you pay for less than what you are currently paying for because it is maintenance free.

In fact, people are encouraged to borrow money to pay for solar energy. This is because you borrow money at a fixed rate and in return recouped your investment of about 7-11% annually as the utility rates increase so you pay less for it every month. This makes investing in solar energy very similar to other investments such as bonds, property and stock.

Will installing a solar system have any effect on your property? The answer is yes. In fact, it will increase the resale value of your property without having to pay much more in terms of property taxes. If you have a lot of space to spare, you may even be able to zero out your electric bill as long as the sun comes out so you can convert sunlight into electricity.

Aside from increasing the properly value, you will also be able to avail of tax credits from the government.

Solar energy can power your home in the same way you get electricity from the grid. You won’t be able to use it when there is a power outage or when the sun is shining but fortunately, this doesn’t happen daily so it is still an alternative form of energy worth considering.

What is Solar Energy

Posted on August 19, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

Solar energy is a form of renewable energy as it utilizes the radiant energy coming from the sun. This is done by converting sunlight into electricity using solar cells.

Solar cells or photovoltaics were invented in the 1880′s by Charles Fritts. Although it did not convert a lot of sunlight into electricity at the time, this started a revolution that continued on to the 20th century. The greatest example is perhaps the Vanguard 1 which was a satellite fitted with solar cells that enabled it to transmit back to earth after its chemical battery was exhausted.

It success prompted NASA and its Russian counterpart to the same with other satellites including Telstar which continues to serve as the backbone of the telecommunications structure today.

The most significant event that stimulated the demand for solar energy was the 1973 oil crisis. Early on, power companies would charge the consumer a hundred dollars per watt. In the 1980′s, it became only $7 per watt. Unfortunately, the lack of government funding did not sustain its growth so the growth of solar energy was only 15% annually from 1984 to 1996.

There have been a decline in the demand for solar energy in the US but this increased in Japan and Germany. From 31.2 megawatts of power in 1994, this increased to 318 megawatts in 1999 and world wide production growth increased by 30% towards the end of the 20th century.

Next to these two countries, Spain is the third largest user of solar energy followed by France, Italy and South Korea.

There are three basic approaches to get the most out of solar energy. It is namely passive, active and solar photovoltaic systems.

1. In passive, it has to do a lot with the building design. This will enable the building to avoid heat loss so people inside will feel a great degree of comfort with the help of controlled ventilation and day lighting. Homes that apply this will greatly reduce their heating requirements by as much as 80% with minimal cost.

2. Active solar heating is used to convert sunlight into heat which provides space or water heating. Used extensively in Europe, getting the right size will cover 50% to 60% of your hot water heating requirements.

3. Lastly is photovoltaic which converts solar radiation into electricity. This is done by installing solar cells in the ground and the greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity. These are available in different sizes and some are installed in consumer devices like calculators and watches.

Some vehicles are now powered using solar energy. Cars although not yet produced commercially compete in the World Solar Challenge which invites competitors from around the world to compete in this annual event in Australia. There are also unmanned aerial vehicles and balloons. To date, solar energy has only been successful in passenger boats.

Many of us take the sun for granted and if we are really serious about preserving the environment and reducing our demand for oil, solar energy is just one of the options we have on the table. We have to lobby and convince our government leaders to do more because it is the cheapest means of providing our home with electricity compared to rechargeable batteries, kerosene or candles.

The downsides of solar energy

Posted on August 4, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

Not that I’m against using solar energy or anything but there are some downsides of using solar energy. My intention is to illustrate these disadvantages so that people can realize the other side of the coin to prepare them and not so much as to dissuade them from using solar energy. I am for everything that can save the planet. View this article as an introduction where we can still improve the current technologies involving solar energy.

One of the first and major drawbacks of using solar power is the costs. The expense is considerably higher than the conventional electric installation. From the purchase to the initial installations of the solar panel unit, the cost is a significant factor to consider. The high costs of solar power panels lie on the expensive semi-conductor materials that convert sunlight into electricity.

However, as technology progresses and as the need slowly increases, the costs of solar panels are expected to go down, something on the level of being competitive with other energy resources.

Another to consider is space. We’re talking about installing a solar panel which is not small. It requires a significant amount of space which also helps maximize the amount of sunlight it can collect and convert into electricity. Some households will have the panels installed on their roof others will designate a place for it on the year or on top of a pole. The same space problems will need to be readdressed once you decide to add panels when your current setup is no longer enough for your family’s needs.

Positioning is also vital. The solar panels will need to be facing a direction where it will receive the most amount of sunlight in a day. However, there is always a solution. If space does not permit such installations, there are some add-ons that can help maximize sun exposure.

Aside from the location and positioning of the panels relative to the sun, another aspect that you might want to consider is the amount of pollution in your areas. The degree of air pollution in the area might also be a factor in producing electricity. The smog as well as the clouds in the area can affect the amount of sunlight that reaches the panels. One way around this predicament is to purchase more panels so can gather more than enough sunlight to power your home.

At night, you might encounter a problem with relying solely on solar power. Although the solution here is to purchase batteries which you can charge during he day and use at night. You will need a couple of batteries though to be able to sustain your electricity needs through cloudy, stormy or smoggy or foggy times during the day.

As far as solar powered transportation services go, there are still some quirks that need to be fixed before mass production of such vehicles is rolled out. The most noticeable difference is the speed. Solar powered cars are far slower that their counterparts. But again, due to the fast development of the solar car and the technologies that go with it, this drawback will soon disappear.

When you look at the things that I mentioned about the disadvantages of solar energy, you will see that most of them have solutions while others you just need to compromise a bit. I still think that harnessing the power of the sun is the way to go, so these downsides of solar energy are just a small obstacle that we need to overcome.

Net Metering and Solar Energy

Posted on July 24, 2011 by sciaq | Leave a comment | Uncategorized

You can’t help but get into net metering when you decide to invest in solar energy because you sometimes consume more or less than what you actually generate. When you consume less energy, your electric meter spins backward, if you use more then it goes forward.

Net metering is simply a special metering and billing agreement between you and the electric service provider. You are eligible for this if you reside in a residential area and generate some form of energy using solar, wind energy or a combination of both. It also has to be located on your premises and connected to the grid.

For this to work, you need to have a meter capable of moving in both directions. Most meters these days can do that but if your provider wants to use two meters, they will have to pay for it. However, if you enter into a time of use billing agreement, you will have to be one to buy the unit.

The net metering agreement works by letting you use the electricity you generate first before you use what you normally get from your electric service provider. Your meter should show the net which is measured as the difference between the electricity you purchased and what you actually purchased.

The benefit of the net metering system is that it allows you to store electricity when you are not there and then use it the moment you get home. Since there is a law that expands net metering, you can take advantage of it by generating electricity during peak hours and then using it during off peak periods.

Another benefit is the fact that you only pay the net electricity that you use. If you consume below the baseline, you pay less and more if you go over it. If what you use offsets what you normally get from a provider, then you will most likely pay a lower rate.

Since you entered into an agreement with your provider, you will still be billed monthly. This will state the amount of power you generated and the amount you actually consumed. On the anniversary of your agreement, you will be billed for the previous 12 months but you can also request for this on a monthly basis. Keep in mind that you will not be paid for the excess generation of electricity in a given year although some do.

If you want to use solar energy, you have to contact your electric service provider and ask if they offer net metering. When the papers are drawn up, remember that they cannot require you to pay for any meters beyond the bi-directional meter. They cannot conduct any tests or impose any requirements if it meets existing national standards for grid-interconnected systems. Lastly, you don’t have to buy additional insurance or buy power from any of their affiliates.

Net metering is a policy and also an incentive when you decide to use solar energy. This is because you reduce the number of kilowatts used by your electric service provider which in turn decreases the emissions of carbon dioxide into the air.

If you happen to live in either New Jersey or Colorado, consider yourself lucky since they have the best net metering policies in the US. In fact not all states have such a policy in place for people who decide to use solar energy.