Dave Simpson asked:

Are you like me and hide every time the utility bill comes in? The average electricity bill in the US is now almost $3000 a year – that’s a big chunk out of our families income. Add this to the rising price of gas, food and just about everything else, and it’s easy to see why more and more people are starting to turn to alternative power sources such as solar power kits to save money and help make ends meet.

Solar power kits come in many shapes and sizes, and to fit a wide range of budgets, but they all perform the same basic function -to turn the suns energy into electricity. Harnessing the suns energy is not a new idea, but todays technology makes it more cost effective and simpler than ever before.

There are two basic ways to use solar power. First you can simply use solar power kits to generate electricity. This natural power can then be stored and used to heat your home, or power your lights. If you have a surplus, then you may even be able to sell this back to the power company and generate, sorry for the pun, a few extra dollars of extra income for your family. The second, and most efficient, way to use solar power is to use the suns energy to produce hot water. This can be stored simply in a storage tank and used for washing, cooking and even helping to run your central heating systems.

Solar power kits normally contain Photovoltaic cells that are necessary to turn the suns energy into electricity. These panels of Photovoltaic cells can be mounted either on the roof of your home or on poles as a ground mount. These solar cells transform the sunlight into energy which needs to be stored, so most kits should also come with some deep cycle batteries for this purpose. Finally, you will need an inverter to convert the DC energy current into 110 AC in order to be useful as an energy source for your home. Depending on how you set up your solar power kit, your home can be powered entirely by solar energy you could have the option of drawing from the storage of battery banks for use when it is needed in times when the cells aren’t generating sufficient power.

Water 4 Gas

Anna Hart asked:


Portable solar energy power stations may sound, to some, like a dream. They can think of many places where portable solar would be useful, such as the RV they love to take camping, or the boat they use for long fishing trips. They cannot imagine, though, that portable solar energy power stations actually do exist.

Portable solar energy power stations have many practical uses, which we will discuss later, but what is portable solar power?

Description of Portable Solar Power

Portable solar power is energy generated from sunlight, the generator being of a size and form that can be moved readily from place to place.

Most portable solar power units use photovoltaic panels (PV panels) in one way or another. Some are amazingly small, and can be carried in a pocket, while others must be moved on a flat-bed trailer or truck.

Examples of Portable Solar Power

You may already be using portable solar power without realizing it. The following are examples of different sizes and styles of portable solar power.

1. Pocket calculators have been using portable solar power for years. Expose the calculator to sunlight, and it stores solar power for use. You can then carry this solar power into a field or up a mountain track.

2. Garden lights, or lights around a swimming pool now use portable solar power. If you want to rearrange your lights, or you decide to carry one as a flashlight, the portable solar power goes with you.

3. A multipurpose portable solar power unit is the fold-out solar panel that can be carried in a case the size of your day planner. Wherever you take it, you can open the panel to charge your cell phone battery, GPS, or other similar “gadget” you carry.

4. “Powerfilm” products are paper-thin PV panels – further examples of portable solar power. These products can be easily carried to charge almost all Lithium, NiCad or NiMH batteries. You can recharge batteries for boom boxes at the beach or while camping. You can recharge your digital camera or camcorder while on a hike. As long as you have sunlight, you have portable solar power.

5. Flexible PV panels, rugged and durable, give portable solar power for hikers and campers. This portable solar power can be rolled up like a sleeping bag, and then set up anywhere. You can drop it, step on it, dampen it while crossing a stream – and it will still give you power.

6. Larger portable solar energy power stations can consist of one or more photovoltaic panels (PV panels), simple wiring for the input jack, and a battery – sometimes referred to as a power pack. A commercially-produced portable solar power unit like this may also include a small fluorescent light, and a connection to your vehicle’s cigarette lighter plug.

Examples of Innovative Portable Solar Power

Portable solar energy can, as we said, be carried with you. It can provide electrical energy when you travel to a remote third world village on business. It can provide military units with necessary electrical energy while they are on the move. It can power a small heater in a winter camping tent, or provide a reading light for campers. It is valuable and convenient.

As our demand for that value and convenience increases, portable solar power is becoming more innovative. Portable solar power is being added to clothing and backpacks. It is being added to handbags. You need never worry about cell phones, laptops or other electronics going dead again. Portable solar power is yours to use, anywhere, free.

Did you know about these products? Some are experimental, but others area on the market.

1. If you want “lady-like” portable solar power, you might choose the “Power Purse” as a lovely accessory. This purse is more than an accessory, though. It can power up small electronics. Designed by Joe Hynek in a handbag competition, this little black bag is covered with laminated portable solar power panels. It has a short plastic handle, and can easily be carried anywhere. Imagine the possibilities.

2. But a purse is not always appropriate. If you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, in a field, you might be happy to have the “Juice Bag” backpack on your shoulders. A Juice Bag is a worldwide patented portable solar power backpack. Flexible ballistic nylon solar panels make it lighter than solar bags with stiff glass solar panels. Take off your Juice Bag when you need to recharge items such as cameras, cell phones, or GPS units. It generates electricity in both direct and indirect sunlight.

3. Portable solar power is also available in a cozy jacket with multiple pockets. Hikers, military personnel, and travelers can fill the pockets with cell phone, GPS, laptop, camera, and other electronic devices. Then slip the 3 ounce portable solar power panel into a special holder on the back of the jacket, and you can generate energy for your electronics.

Portable solar energy power stations make use of these ideas and more. They may be large enough to generate sufficient electrical power for a small village, or small enough to be carried by a child. Whichever it is, portable solar power is definitely “on the go” in many places and in many ways.

Water Fuel Video Channel

Drew Hartanov asked:


WOW! We are almost all in agreement about at least one form of renewable energy; ninety per cent of Americans think that builders should be offering the option of solar power in new homes.

For those unsure of the term: solar power is the term used to describe the resulting energy from the conversion of sunlight into electricity. In order to do this, the sunlight must first be ‘captured’.

Because there is always (so far!) sunlight, this is called a renewable source of energy. This means once we have perfected the technique to turn the sunshine into electric power, we can always use that technique as there is always sunlight and it is always free.

Solar energy in a primitive form has been used for centuries by various civilizations. Nowadays with technology at such a sophisticated level, solar power can be used to provide heating, lighting and electricity.

Water heating is easy to install in new homes as the panels for it are usually placed right in the roof. Believe it or not, America first had solar water heaters as early as 1890! In many climates the sun can provide up to 75% of domestic water usage, so it makes sense to build these units into new homes.

The more people that request the option of solar power in their homes, the more mainstream it will become. A builder can often just install the pre-wire kit during construction, so that it is easy for the owner to add on the panels later, if desired.

Solar power also saves the home owner from paying large electricity bills, as the domestic electric power will only kick in when the solar power has been used up. Increasing energy costs make solar power look attractive – apart from the fact that it contributes to a healthier planet.

Due to the steadily gaining popularity of solar power, the price of panels is predicted to be halving within the next five years. Many states offer generous subsidies and rebates to assist the American home owner in making the right choices about energy and there are also federal incentives to look into.

Designs are becoming more and more attractive as the market expands. Whereas once solar power gave a home the look of having something stuck on your roof, nowadays designs can actually enhance the look of a home.

Israel leads the world for total percentage of domestic use, with 90% of its homes using solar power. China, with its large population deploys 80 % of the market share of solar hot water systems. In USA solar power is most popularly used for heating swimming pools.

Internationally, the use of solar power in swimming pools and low temperature applications such as domestic hot water and space heaters, is the most common usage, this is because the power is most naturally converted into heating.

In fact, solar power has been used to power a car that ran for over 3,000 kilometers (in Australia) and a boat that crossed the Atlantic (in UK). Solar energy has also been used to cool houses and to cook with. However, by far the most acceptable method of using it at the moment is solar water heating.

There are many American companies listed on the Internet if you wish to find out how your home would convert to solar power.

Electric Cars Video Channel

Farooq Raza Qadri asked:


“SOLAR ENERGY”
 
Today in Pakistan we are facing shortage of almost every basic need of life like water, gas, and especially electricity. It is the worst conditions we are facing now a days. The reason for that is…well we all know “THE REASONS” don’t we!!! Few days back I was reading an article in a local newspaper which was about getting electricity like many European countries which is from “Wind Turbines”. It’s a very good idea and we must have to think other ways of energy to meet our needs. Another idea which I’m going to discuss here is “SOLAR ENERGY”.  As we all know that summer season is longer than winter in Pakistan. So it means we can get more and more sunlight. In my view Solar Energy Systems will be more successful in Pakistan than any European country because thankfully we can have more sunlight than Europe.

Many scientists and engineers from all over the world are working in this field. Some say that it’ll be very costly, YES it’ll be but only in start as like everything when it’s new its price is high but when the competition arises then prices goes down its simple economics. We’ve used the Sun for drying clothes and food for thousands of years, but only recently have we been able to use it for generating power. The Sun is 150 million Kilometers away, and amazingly powerful. Just the tiny fraction of the Sun’s energy that hits the Earth (around a hundredth of a millionth of a percent) is enough to meet all our power needs many times over. In fact, every minute, enough energy arrives at the Earth to meet our demands for a whole year – if only we could harness it properly and preserve it.

Here are some techniques that are being used in many parts of the world to get energy from the sun light.

Solar Cells (really called “photovoltaic” or “photoelectric” cells) that convert light directly into electricity. In a sunny climate, you can get enough power to run a 100W light bulb from just one square metre of solar panel. This was originally developed in order to provide electricity for satellites, but these days many of us own calculators powered by solar cells. Solar cells provide the energy to run satellites that oribt the Earth. These give us satellite TV, telephones, navigation, weather forecasting, the internet and all manner of other facilities

Solar water heating, where heat from the Sun is used to heat water in glass panels on your roof. This means you don’t need to use so much gas or electricity to heat your water at home. Water is pumped through pipes in the panel. The pipes are painted black, so they get hot when the Sun shines on them. This helps out your central heating system, and cuts your fuel bills. However, in very cold places especially in winter season you must remember to drain the water out to stop the panels freezing. Solar heating is worthwhile in places like California, Australia, South East Asia (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh) where you get lots of sunshine as I mentioned it earlier.

Solar Towers One idea that is being considered is to build Solar Towers. The idea is very simple – you build a big greenhouse, which is warmed by the Sun. In the middle of the greenhouse you put a very tall tower. The hot air from the greenhouse will rise up this tower, fast – and can drive turbines along the way. This could generate significant amounts of power, especially in countries where there is a lot of sunshine and a lot of room, such as Australia.

 
Advantages

Solar energy is free – it needs no fuel and produces no waste or pollution.

In sunny countries, solar power can be used where there is no easy way to get electricity to a remote place.

Handy for low-power uses such as solar powered garden lights and battery chargers

Disadvantages

Doesn’t work at night. (Positively thinking it’ll cut our huge fuel and energy bills into half if we even have the solar energy system in day time. So that’s make it a negligible disadvantage.)

Very expensive to build solar power stations.Solar cells cost a great deal compared to the amount of electricity they’ll produce in their lifetime.

Can be unreliable unless you’re in a very sunny climate. In the United Kingdom, solar power isn’t much use except for low-power applications, as you need a very large area of solar panels to get a decent amount of power. However, for these applications it’s definitely worthwhile.

Is it renewable?

Solar Power is renewable. The Sun will keep on shining anyway, so it makes sense to use it.
            Why “THE PROFESSIONALS” from Europe and America etc. I’ll suggest that to lower the cost we should use our own manpower which is cheaper and hardworking. By the Grace of ALLAH we are Blessed with everything in our country like skilled manpower, raw material and especially more and more SUN LIGHT!!! As I mentioned earlier Europe like UK and many other countries are facing problem with less sun light but By the Grace of ALLAH we don’t have to face it. We just need good management of these things and work with diligence. INSHALLAH we’ll be successful. Pakistan will be successful. LONG LIVE PAKISTAN!

Alternative Energy Video Channel

Madison Greene asked:


If you have been paying attention to any current events lately you will have noticed the importance of alternative energy solutions such as solar power. Solar power, like many of the alternate energy sources has its advantages and disadvantages.

For one, solar panels can be costly and tricky to install, but with DIY solar power you can install them yourself at a fraction of the cost. Just make sure that you live in an area that gets adequate sunlight, or you may be living in the dark.

This is not complicated as long as you are technologically proficient. If you are, you can easily install the solar cells and other equipment yourself. There are many companies who sell DIY solar energy kits.

They cost around seven hundred dollars or less and they are the perfect way to get you set up with solar power so that you never have to pay the electricity company again. Just keep in mind that solar power is only cost effective as a long-term plan. Paying to have it set up or setting it up yourself with solar energy is very costly if you move out of the house six months later.

Finding A Supplier of DIY Solar Energy

Finding a solar energy company who has all the equipment you need shouldn’t be too difficult. There are many available. Simply look in your local yellow pages or do an internet search.

Even if you have to have the items shipped, it’s worth it if you can save a little bit of money. The instructions for how to set up the DIY solar energy equipment will be included and many of them have money back guarantees.

Think of it. All you have to do is pay your fee once for all the DIY solar power equipment and then you’ll have free, unending energy that comes directly from the sun. You’ll end up saving loads of money in the long run.

Before you decide on a company for all your solar energy equipment, make sure they have a provision where you can order replacement parts in case any of your solar cells or converters becomes damaged. The parts that come with a DIY solar power kit are intended to last a long time, but as in anything else, life can come at you fast. So make sure there is some kind of warranty or system available that will enable you to use your solar equipment for as long as you own your home.

If you need help installing your DIY solar power equipment and don’t want to pay any labor costs, search the internet for how-to articles on how to install it yourself. Then, you can finally say goodbye to the energy company once and for all.

Converting to alternate energy sources, such as solar power is a way to do your part to help reduce our need for electricity. Not only is it good for the environment, but switching to solar power will also save you money in the long run.

If you are going to live in your house for longer than the next eight months you can get the full benefits of going DIY solar. Just don’t install DIY solar power where the sun doesn’t shine.

Hydrogen Fuel Video Channel