HOME SOLAR POWER

Henry Dover answers:

Solar heating may be an excellent option for him. Rather than converting the sun’s energy to electricity at about 20% efficiency, you could convert it directly to heat at about 85% efficiency. You can use solar water heating to heat your water instead of a traditional power consuming water heater, and solar air heaters to heat the air in the house, supplementing your existing heater.

The Canadian government has some grants available to help pay for it from their Grants under their ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. Http://oee.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/residential/personal/retrofit-homes/questions-answers.cfm?attr=0#intro1

You can also look into a grid tied solar electric system that has solar panels and an inverter, but no batteries. You just generate some of your power during the day, and buy the rest from the electric company. That is much more affordable and less complicated than a battery based system.

You can read about a lot of the options at the AltE Store at http://www.altestore.com/store/.

Henry Dover answers:

We now have tax incentives in british columbia

Henry Dover answers:

Solar power is on its way to being in everyhome and business soon.

The stats on this is wonderful. Where I work sell a product called DuCool www.ducool.com and it reduces energy costs too. Its not Green Power but is is better than whats being used as of today.

Hopefully with Green minded folks our childrens children with still have an earth to play on.

Henry Dover answers:

You are an attentive student. Very good As, all of them!

Henry Dover answers:

1.) What is the importance of solar cells?
Solar cells convert solar energy into electricity.

2.) What is one of the most important uses of solar cells?
Powering space vehicles

3.) How is solar energy collected on earth satellites?
Solar cells convert solar energy into electricity to charge batteries.

4.) What do you think might be some of the most important problems that could be encountered when using solar cells in outer space?
There is not enough concentrated sunlight in outer space to power the cells.

5.) Why would there be few solar heated homes in Canada, but many in Florida?
In winter Canada has very long nights and the sun is not out.

6.) How do solar flares and sunspots affect the earth?
Both 1 and 2

7.) Why do sunspots appear as darker spots on the surface of the sun?
They are cooler than the surrounding areas.

8.) Explain the existence of the magnetosphere.
Charged particles form a belt of radiation.

9.) Which of the following accurately describes sunspots?
They are storms of swirling electrically charged gases on the surface of the sun.

10.) Which of the following statements correctly describes sunspots and solar flares?
All of the above

Sam Deane answers:

Go up to the attic and see if there are wires or pipes coming from the panels. Could be you have a solar water heater. They are more common. Your hot water system will have a circulating pump controlled by a thermostat.

Electric solar panels will generate DC which will not be usable in a standard house unless it is converted. Solars usually are used in conjunction with batteries.

Sam Deane answers:

This may help. I dont want to tell you where to go so I have provided you with enough info to make the decision on your own.
Types of technologies
Many technologies have been developed to make use of solar radiation. Some of these technologies make direct use of the solar energy (e.g. To provide light, heat, etc.), while others produce electricity.

Solar design in architecture
Main article: Passive solar building design
Solar design in architecture involves the use of appropriate solar technologies to maintain a building’s environment at a comfortable temperature through the sun’s daily and annual cycles. It may do this by storing solar energy as heat in the walls of a building, which then acts to heat the building at night. Another approach is to keep the interior cool during a hot day by designing in natural convection through the building’s interior.

Solar heating systems
Main articles: Solar hot water and Solar combisystem
Solar hot water systems use sunlight to heat water. They may be used to heat domestic hot water, for space heating or to heat swimming pools. These systems are composed of solar thermal collectors, a storage tank and a circulation loop.[8] The three basic classifications of solar water heaters are:

Batch systems which consist of a tank that is directly heated by sunlight. These are the oldest and simplest solar water heater designs, however; the exposed tank can be vulnerable to cooldown.[9]
Active systems which use pumps to circulate water or a heat transfer fluid.
Passive systems which circulate water or a heat transfer fluid by natural circulation. These are also called thermosiphon systems.

A Trombe wall is a passive solar heating and ventilation system consisting of an air channel sandwiched between a window and a sun-facing wall. Sunlight heats the air space during the day causing natural circulation through vents at the top and bottom of the wall and storing heat in the thermal mass. During the evening the Trombe wall radiates stored heat.[10]

A transpired collector is an active solar heating and ventilation system consisting of a perforated sun-facing wall which acts as a solar thermal collector. The collector pre-heats air as it is drawn into the building’s ventilation system through the perforations. These systems are inexpensive and commercial models have achieved efficiencies above 70%. Most systems pay for themselves within 4-8 years.[11]

Solar lighting
Main articles: Daylighting and Light tube
Solar lighting or daylighting is the use of natural light to provide illumination. Daylighting directly offsets energy use in electric lighting systems and indirectly offsets energy use through a reduction in cooling load.[14] Although difficult to quantify, the use of natural light also offers physiological and psychological benefits.

Daylighting features include building orientation, window orientation, exterior shading, sawtooth roofs, clerestory windows, light shelves, skylights and light tubes.[15] These features may be incorporated in existing structures but are most effective when integrated in a solar design package which accounts for factors such as glare, heat gain, heat loss and time-of-use. Architectural trends increasingly recognize daylighting as a cornerstone of sustainable design.

Daylight saving time (DST) can be seen as a method of utilising solar energy by matching available sunlight to the hours of the day in which it is most useful. DST energy savings have been estimated to reduce total electricity use in California by 0.5% (3400 MWh) and peak electricity use by 3% (1000 MW).[16] However, there is some question whether these estimates are valid. In 2000 when parts of Australia began DST in late winter, overall electricity consumption did not decrease, but the peak load increased.[17]

Solar pond
A solar pond is simply a pool of water which collects and stores solar energy. It contains layers of salt solutions with increasing concentration (and therefore density) to a certain depth, below which the solution has a uniform high salt concentration. It is a relatively low-tech, low-cost approach to harvesting solar energy. The principle is to fill a pond with 3 layers of water:

A top layer with a low salt content.
An intermediate insulating layer with a salt gradient, which sets up a density gradient that prevents heat exchange by natural convection in the water.
A bottom layer with a high salt content which reaches a temperature approaching 90 degrees Celsius.
The layers have different densities due to their different salt content, and this prevents the development of convection currents which would otherwise transfer the heat to the surface and then to the air above. The heat trapped in the salty bottom layer can be used for heating of buildings, industrial processes, generating electricity or other purposes. One such system is in use at Bhuj, Gujarat, India[26] and another at the University of Texas El Paso.[27]

Solar chemical
Solar chemical is any process that harnesses solar energy by absorbing sunlight in a chemical reaction in a way similar to photosynthesis in plants but without using living organisms. No large-scale systems have as yet been constructed.

Another chemical (but not photochemical) approach has been to use conventional solar thermal collectors to drive chemical dissociation reactions. Ammonia can be separated into nitrogen and hydrogen at high temperature and with the aid of a catalyst, stored indefinitely, then recombined later to release the heat stored. A prototype system was constructed at the Australian National University[28].

A promising approach is to use focused sunlight to provide the energy needed to split water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of a metallic catalyst such as zinc.[29]

While metals, such as zinc, have been shown to drive photoelectrolysis of water, more research has focused on semiconductors. Further research has examined transition metal compounds, in particular titanium, niobium and tantalum oxides.[30]

Unfortunately, these materials exhibit very low efficiencies, because they require ultraviolet light to drive the photoelectrolysis of water. Current materials also require an electrical voltage bias for the hydrogen and oxygen gas to evolve from the surface, another disadvantage. Current research is focusing on the development of materials capable of the same water splitting reaction using lower energy visible light.

It is also possible to use solar energy to drive industrial chemical processes without a requirement for fossil fuel.

Sam Deane answers:

1. Solar panels are extremely inefficient, on the order of only 1-2% efficient.

2. The cost is so high, it is not worth it. The panels cost far more than any “free” electricity.

3. The cable from space would be too heavy, and air resistance would bring the solar panels down.

Instead, use mirrors to concentrate the sunlight, and use it to drive a steam turbine. The efficiency can easily be over 90% if done properly, yielding about 1,000 watts per square meter at high noon at the equator. A mere 20 square kilometers would provide about 360 megawatts. And 2/3 of the energy can be stored for evenings and cloudy days.

Sam Deane answers:

You are wasteful in your power usage. To use 980 kWh per month in such a small home is just unbelivable. Chage your lights to CFL (a 28 watt cfl is = to a 100 watt bulb) and use space heating and window A/C units. Unplug that tv set when not in use and same for other items. I found that our tv set alone uses amost 12 watts when turned off. You may say that is not much.. Well add in 4 tv sets and a couple of stereos and other items and do it for a years time. Lots of waste. Our home is twice the size of yours and we only use on a heavy month about 500 kWh. With 1860 watts in solar power my last months electric bill was 19 dollars and most of that was meter fees.

18K is really about right and not bad. You will get back 2000 dollars if installed before the end of 2008 but it looks like we may be Bushed and they may not extend the tax credits.
Just have to wait for John McCain to get in office and hope he will do something about it. But McCain is running for a 3rd bush term. Hillary is not going to make it in to office an every time Obama gets under pressure he gets so scared he starts stuttering. So he will just get walked on by big oil and big money. So better do it now while you can get something back.

Just to clear something up about the cost.. If you rent power you have nothing in 30 years but if you buy a system you have a system in 30 years.

As far as new lower priced solar modules.. BS!!! Big time
BS!!!

If they can make a 3000 watt solar module for 1 cent they can sell it for the current market price. So it would take a FOOL to drop the prices. So don’t waste your time setting on your thumb waiting for this great lower price.

Ask Evergreen Solar if they lowered prices when the used OUR TAX DOLLARS to find a new way to make their panels. Well they found a cheaper way and did it and charge the same as anyone else. But that don’t stop them from braging. If they can get your money and don’t take it they woudl be fools.. Would you drop your price if people would pay the higher price? Plus someone would by them out and bring the prices back up anyway..

Sam Deane answers:

Solar panel is made up of a collection of special cells known as photovoltaic cells. These cells are joined together with copper wire and each of them can to generate 5 volts of electricity. You can install as many cells as per your requirement. These solar panel generate AC power which is converted in DC by using an inverter.

Normal installation cost of a solar panel at home is around $5000 but it is true that if you have zeal to learn you can build a solar panel of your own within $200. Making a solar panel is not much difficult but you need to follow a good DIY guide to do that.

For more information visit: http://www.howtobuildasolarpanel.info

Sam Deane answers:

Solar panels absorb energy from the sun and then converts it to energy that you can use. Its obviously a renewable source, so its very good for the enviorment! Unfortunately theyre expensive and there arent many of them.

Sam Deane answers:

This would be called a low end, non-skilled job. People who do this work for solar panel dealers, and are typically trained on the job. It’s not much above minimum wage, and the only decent career path is in someday owning your own business.

For that, a business degree would suit you better than any tech degree.

An AS in electronics would prepare you for the job you described.

Did I mention that it’s a low end, low paid job, with not much future?

Sam Deane answers:

You need to talk with people who are already knowledgable in the field, and in the business of designing systems for a specific set of location, conditions, applications, and goals. Government incentives make a big difference in evaluating choices. Those vary widely by country and even state within country.

Sam Deane answers:

I really disagree with the above poster. It’s always productive to search and try new methods to solving our problems. It’s how science works. We may invest a great deal of time and effort into a single promising approach only to have it fail in the end. But then we’d know more and can better prepare a new one.

My only complaint is that Obama seems determined for our renewable energy sources to be developed here. There are actually two very promising energy plans being done in the UK and Canada atm. One involves tides and the other man made tornadoes. It made not be made in America but good ideas are good ideas regardless of where they come from.

Fuels for cars do need to be reliable and rather set as they require massive amounts of infrastructure. But what the above poster fails at realizing is that what is needed is a better way to produce electricity. If we can do that in a cleaner fashion it’s much easier to make use of cars that can use existing and proven technology.

Sam Deane answers:

Normally it is not connected directly because the voltage and current output from the panel is fluctuating as it is entirely dependent on the sun’s rays.
So the solar panel is therefore connected via a “Charge Controller” to a 12V lead acid battery to charge it.
The battery is then connected to the inverter.

Sam Deane answers:

My dad made a solar heater the following way, maybe you can modify it for your needs?

You will need foam insulation, 2 junk glass patio doors, about three cases worth of empty soda cans, black spraypaint, epoxy, caulk, dryer hose, plywood the size of the patio doors, and a thermostat-controlled fan.

Cut a hole in the plywood the same diameter as the dryer hose. Spray one side of the plywood black. Cut tops off soda cans, epoxy to plywood. The cans should touch at the sides and completely cover the wood. Spray all cans black. Cut insulation to make “sides” of a box, a little taller than the soda cans on all four sides of the plywood. Seal patio doors to the insulation “sides” after installing thermostat on the patio doors. Run dryer hose inside.

Make sure you put this in direct sunlight. The way it works is that the sunlight heats up the sprayed metal through the glass. As soon as it gets as hot as you’ve set the thermostat, the fan kicks on and blows hot air into the house until it cools off again. I know it sounds sort of MacGuyver crazy, but it kept my basement bedroom warm when I was a teenager. Good luck!

Sam Deane answers:

Despite what many people say, you don’t need batteries for a solar system if you are going to also be connected to the electric company (grid). You just need the panels and an inverter (and mounting hardware and safety equipment like breakers and fuses).

Most people don’t generate all of the electricity they use. They offset some of their use with solar and buy the rest from the grid. You can get a very small grid-tied solar system for as little as $3000. However, it won’t generate much electricity at all. I’d say an average size system is around $10k – $20k. Here are some packages that show all of the components needed. Http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-and-Package-Deals/Grid-Tied-Systems/Alt-E-Designed-Grid-Tie-Packages/c1087/

If you want to see how much you need, look at your electric bill and see how many kwh you buy each month. Put that number into a calculator like this one, and see how big of a system you need. Http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/on_grid_calculator/. Installed cost is about $8 per watt of solar panel.

Sam Deane answers:

It is not that simple. You need panels, batteries to store the energy, an inverter. Your usage can be figured out by a professional who will ask you questions about your lifestyle to figure out your average usage, determining your panel/battery needs. You cannot run any high usage items such as electric dryers or electric stoves, or electric furnace (depending on where you live). There are a lot of variables. You will be looking at around $20-30000 per average 4 person household.

Sam Deane answers:

If you want to make solar panels and get an energy rebate, this link will show you how.

Http://solarpanels.infoworldhelp.com

good luck.

Chris Cordoba

Sam Deane answers:

They don’t really produce enough electricity to sell to the National grid. I assume you’re in the UK. A better bet is panels that heat water using the heat of the sun. In winter the water coming off the mains is close to freezing, warm it up before it goes in to your hot water tank and that will save energy and much cheaper than solar panels that produce electricity. I assume you are turning your computer off when not needed. Turning your TV off instead of leaving it on standby. Using low energy light bulbs. Wearing warm clothing in winter and turning the heating down a little. Driving only when you have to? Saving energy is usually better than producing it. I’m quite interested in these new “bright” LEDs – they are really efficient at producing light. I find “low energy” light bulbs are useless for many applications. Like I can’t see to read! Leds may replace them soon. I had LEDs for my Christmas lights and they were efficient and controllable.