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After the year we’ve had, it’s no surprise that the Top Ten innovations in solar power for homes mostly relates to making more energy for less money. However, amongst this selection, there are also some very funky ideas.

So, as we bring this incredible year to an end, Go Solar Power For Homes Dot Com brings to you our very own 2008 Innovations In Solar Power For Homes Award.

10/ ‘Hairy’ Thin Film Solar Panels From Nanowires

It was impossible for this development not to make it into the top ten, if only because it is so completely leftfield. Researchers at the uber-cool McMaster University have succeeded in actually ‘growing’ light-absorbing nanowires made of high-performance photovoltaic materials on carbon-nanotube fabric.

What that means in English is that we are now seriously looking at hairy solar panels!

In short, if we can make flexible, affordable solar cells that, within five years, could convert 20 percent of light, then we really have something here. Over time, the researchers suggest that they might expect to achieve 40 percent efficiency. We like the sound of that!

Info via: technologyreview.com

9/ Sunrgi - Making Solar Power Truly Competitive

Sunrgi claim that their system will soon be able to “produce electricity at a wholesale cost of 5 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour).”

How? By concentrating the Sun’s light into extremely efficient solar photovoltaic cells. This is very technical. You really do want to visit the treehugger.com page where they explain how Sunrgi’s Extreme Concentrated Photovoltaics work. It’s so great!

Their patent-pending technology involves everything from dual-axis sun tracking to cooling of the solar cells. Meanwhile, further good news is that the whole system is all set and optimized for mass-production. Bring it on!

8/ 25 Percent Cheaper Solar Panels Anyone?

Meanwhile, researchers at Day4 Energy are hard at work innovating their way to the top. They, more than most, are only too aware that performance in the marketplace is essential for business success.

They are not so concerned with beating solar PV efficiency records in the lab. They are looking more exactly at cutting the cost of solar panels by 25 percent.

How do they do that? By making solar cells that are roughly 18 percent more efficient than their competitors.

They have further good news in that they expect these super-efficient solar panels to be on the market within 18 months.

Info via: technologyreview.com

7/ Towards The Fateful $1/Watt

The race is well and truly on! Apparently there are more than 80 companies presently competing to be the first, the most efficient and the best at manufacturing solar panels with an output that costs less than $1 per Watt. This is the figure considered by most to be the price point at which solar panels, and solar power in general, becomes competitive with coal-burning electricity on the grid.

1366 Technologies are busy creating a multi-crystalline silicon solar panel that is 27 percent more efficient than conventional multi-crystalline silicon solar cells. Its total efficiency is running at 19.5 percent – roughly equal to the more expensive single-crystal silicon model solar cells. Though they have their challenges, not least the number of their competitors, but still, I wouldn’t bet against them.

Info via: cnet news

6/ What Solar Panels Can Learn From Moths

The trouble with silicon is that it is reflective. So light that could be turned into electricity is lost because it bounces away. For some time now, a not altogether successful solution was to apply anti-reflective coatings. Then, some researchers looked at the make up of a moth, and everything changed.

Did you know that moths have extremely non-reflective eyes? This was probably a defense mechanism they evolved against nocturnal predators. Whatever … All you need to know is that because a lot of clever people have gone down this road, suddenly we have panels that lose just 2 percent of the light that hits them – a vast improvement over the 35 to 40 percent reflection rate or previous times?

Info via: physorg.com

5/ Solaria: 90 Percent of the Power from Half The Silicon

In these troubled times, you would want to be the manufacturers of a solar cell that produces 90 percent of a conventional solar panel’s power, while using only half the amount of silicon.

Solaria are justifiably happy to bring to the world a solar cell that slices the silicon into thin strips and spaces them apart so the silicon itself only covers half the panel’s area. From there, a clear molded plastic cover collects all the light from the panel and draws it to the strips of silicon. The whole process is complex but makes perfect sense when you read about Solaria’s innovation.

4/ Japan Races Towards Solar Power Station in Space by 2030

The new race for space has begun in earnest. Only this time it is not about getting people to the moon or Mars. This is about getting solar panels into space. You see, in space there is no shadow from earth, so there we have solar energy 24:7, and it doesn’t even stop for Christmas!

Many people are asserting that whoever gets up there first will be the inheritors of the earth. Just think of all that clean sustainable energy!  It’s hard to disagree. So the U.S.A. and others may want to take note that the Japanese seem to be currently leading this particular space race.

We are talking about a seriously massive project here though – think solar panels that are a kilometers long, weighing more than 10,000 tones. All that with a laser section that might need to be as much as10 kilometers long, with a receiving unit on Earth up to two kilometers long.

(CUE THE DRUM ROLL …)

AND IN THIRD PLACE

3/ Turning Infrared Light Into Electricity

Imagine being able to not only use the visible spectrum of the sun’s light, but also to be able to gain energy from the infrared spectrum - solar panels making use of the infrared spectrum of light

Here’s how it works …

Scientists are developing a process where, by adding vanadium and titanium into the basic structure of a solar panel, you can get power from infrared as well as visible light from the sun.
Currently solar cells strike out at around 40 percent absorption limit. By making additional energy from infrared, we should be seeing up to 63 percent.


So, the
2008 Innovations In Solar Power For Homes Award Runner-Up Is …

2/Nanosolar: ‘Printing’ Solar Panels For Big Savings

Based in Palo Alto, California, Nanosolar’s creative team has come up with an innovative technique to make solar film. They simply print CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-selenium) onto a thin polymer sheet in a process very similar to an old-school printing press.

The savings on silicon are significant such that a Nanosolar solar cell will cost about one-fifth to one-tenth the cost of a standard silicon solar panel.

With investment from France’s EDF and with further interest from the owners of Google, Nanosolar are all set to go into mass production. If you have a few minutes, you can watch a YouTube video all about them. This is really happening, right here right now!

And so, the Winner of The 2008 Solar Power For Homes Breakthrough Of The Year Award is …

1/ Thin Film Solar Power For Homes

Thin film is all the rage. This technology requires less of our planet’s diminishing supply of silicon. It also adds new levels of flexibility and thinness so designers and architects love it.

However, it is essential that thin film is economical viable. So the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) came up with a breakthrough that ensures that thin film solar panels are on the verge of being truly competitive with more established silicon-based panels.

A thin film solar cell has just been rated at 19.9 percent efficiency, in other words, 19.9 percent the sun’s light is converted to electricity by the panel.

This is a new world record and an important milestone. The goal for thin film technology is to match silicon in performance.

Made from copper indium gallium diselenide or CIGS for short, and it looks like you will be hearing a lot more about thin film solar in the near future.

Now, that is a breakthrough worth sending to the top of the class!

Info via renewableenergyworld.com

So that completes our 2008 Innovations In Solar Power For Homes Award. We hope you enjoyed going through it. Maybe you disagree with some of the choices or have better possible entries? What would you say were your 2008 innovations in solar power for homes? Don’t be shy! We would love to hear from you. The comments area below awaits …

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-

Info/Pic via: Treehugger.com

The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/top-ten-list-the-2008-innovations-in-solar-power-for-homes-award by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

 

 

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Dec
17

Al Gore: 15 Ways To Avert A Climate Crisis

Dec-17-2008 By Sam Deane

As the creator of a blog about solar power for homes, it is incumbent upon me to present the argument for alternative energy. It is not such a big leap from there into the world of politics. As my valued readers, I hope I don’t offend you by taking this blog off in that direction occasionally, as I did yesterday in covering the outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference. Well, I’ve done it again today in focussing on Al Gore. This really is not a left/right, republican/democrat issue. This is something we ALL could get involved in.

For me,  (aside from everyone who ever played for my favourite football team, ;-) ) there are very few genuine heroes in the world. Were he still alive, Mahatma Gandhi would be one. Nelson Mandela would be another. For the stand that he takes and the risks that he faces in taking that stand, in my view, Al Gore is fast becoming another true and genuine hero.

Some of you may have seen the following video from TED.com before. Nevertheless, while we are on the subject of Al Gore, I thought it a good idea to hark back to the days prior to the release of his award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

Here is a short speech in which, with the same humor and humanity he exuded in An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore spells out 15 ways that you can address climate change immediately. He discusses everything from buying a hybrid to inventing a new, hotter “brand name” for global warming.

Click on the text link to watch the video that outlines the 15 ways to avert a climate crisis according to Al Gore.

… and below are the 15 ways to avert a climate crisis spelled out for you if your technology does not allow you to see the movie, or if you are in some parts of the world like China where such movies may not be able to be seen.

15 ways to avert a climate crisis

1. Reduce emissions from your home energy use (better design insulation, green electricity)

2. Reduce emissions from your home and other transportation (buy a hybrid, use light rail, carpools, biking)

3. Buy the most energy-efficient appliances and other products. Be a green consumer

4. Live a ‘carbon neutral’ life. It’s easier than you think. Reduce then offset the rest

5. To find out how, go to http://www.carboncrisis.net. Use the carbon calculator there.

6. Make your business carbon neutral. (It’s not as hard as you might think.)

7. Whether you work in the design, technology or entertainment industries, integrate climate solutions into all your innovations.

8. Invest sustainably in companies and funds that are part of the solution. (Avoid making sort-term decisions with your money.)

9. Become a catalyst of change in your community. Teach others about the climate crisis.

10. Raise awareness by promoting An Inconvenient Truth in your community

11. Send someone to Nashville who can learn how to give Al Gore’s slide show in your community

12. Become politically active – Speak Up! Contact your elected officials. Make Democracy work!

13. Urge the U.S. to join the rest of the world community in capping and trading carbon emissions.

14. Rebranding global warming, use the term, “Climate Crisis”, though the name could easily be “Planetary Emergency”.

15.  Join together to avert the climate crisis. We are one.

These 15 points are as valid today as they were back in 2006 when the speech was made. What other points would you add to the list now? I encourage you to give us your comment below.

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-

Info via: TED.com Pic via: AP photo

The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/al-gore-15-ways-to-avert-a-climate-crisis by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

 

 

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Well, you might argue that the solar power car doesn’t have anything to do with solar power for homes, but I disagree. You can park your solar power car in the garage, cant you? (Have the garage doors open and shut with solar power for homes!)

Besides, any good development to do with solar power anywhere has a knock on beneficial effect on solar power for homes in my opinion. Everything is connected!

So, how would you like to buy a brand new solar power car for $5,500, leave it outside in the sun for a day and a half and then do a 150km road trip without ever stopping at a gas station? No petrol costs. No environmental  issues. Just the journey and the destination!

Well here is some good news. The Chinese company, Zhejiang 001 Group has just produced China’s first ever completely solar- powered automobile.

The compact efficient solar power car uses solar panels on its roof, turning sunshine into the electrical solar energy that moves the solar power car. They say that the solar panels will absorb 95 percent of the solar energy that lands on them, transforming roughly 15 percent of that into electrical current to activate the solar power car.

The solar power car is a response by the Chinese government to head off an oncoming energy crisis. So far the group has only made a few of these cars. They are set to sell for 38,000 yen, roughly US$5,500.

According to their scientists, if you give the car 30 hours of sunlight to feed off, it will give you back 150km of clean good driving, leveling out at 5km per hour of sunlight.

To have a car that will transport me to and from my work every day, while making no carbon emissions, I think US$5,560 would be very reasonable.

Think about it. Given that you would have no fuel costs, how long would it take for you to get your money back? Well, let’s work it out …

According to the AAA’s media site for retail gas prices, the average cost for a gallon of regular today (11/30/2008) is $1.825 and for a gallon of diesel the price is $2.756. (Believe it or not, in mid July 2007 those figures were $4.114 and $4.845 respectively!)

According to  fueleconomy.gov the most efficient car right now is the Toyota Prius at roughly 45 miles per gallon.

So at the very lowest costs, every 45 miles of driving would cost you $1.83. So, I’m no mathematics genius but correct me if I am wrong. You would need to drive your solar power car for just 3,005 miles to break even. After that, all your ‘fuel costs’ would be free.

Don’t know about you, but my car is already at 75,000miles, so I’m thinking that this might be a winner. (Maybe pimping up the look a bit might help though!)

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-
Info via:  yellowsandblues.com
The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/chinese-go-solar-power-for-homes-with-solar-power-car by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

 

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Nov
26

Plug N Play Solar Power For Homes

Nov-26-2008 By Sam Deane

 

 

Have you ever dreamt of an easy to install, plug n play solar power for homes system?  A solar power for homes system that gives you all the benefits that come with being connected to the grid via your solar system, but without any complicated installation process?

Well, we have located a solar power for homes system that may well be of great interest to you. GoGreenSolar.com’s Plug N Play starter kit system gives you all the benefits of a solar power for homes system that is connected up to the grid, but without any difficult installation processes. You just plug it into any AC outlet, just like any regular appliance. Then, stand back and feel that warm glow in your heart as you watch your meter spinning backwards!

This diy solar power for homes system is perfect for those just starting out. It allows you to capture 250 watts of solar power and thereby massively reducing your electricity bill. This solar power for homes system does all this together with the potential of full expandability.

The 250 watt grid-tie Plug N Play Solar Power Kit is designed as a starter kit for easy installation. How easy? Well, it’s so easy that the inverter can plug straight into your AC electric wall plug! The kit consists of two high quality 130w solar panels and a SWEA Plug N Play inverter. Going forward, the Plug N Play starter system can be combined to form a larger solar power for homes systems according to your requirements.

GoGreenSolar.com’s Plug N Play starter system can reduce your bill and in some cases it might even eliminate higher cost electricity in places that have progressively increasing rates.

One 250 watt solar power kit in average conditions will produce 1 kWh (kilowatt hour) of electricity per day.

Plug N Play Kit Advantages:

•    Easy Install: Just plug it into an AC Outlet
•    Reduce your electric bill
•    A fully expandable system.
•    Grid-Tie without the difficult installation
•    Great kit to “get started with solar power”

To make this offer, we at Go Solar Power For Homes have partnered up with GoGreenSolar.com because they are the #1 consumer focused renewable energy website. They have been established since 2006, and have helped thousands of people just like you to become energy independent.

They have the experience to help and support you as you protect the environment and save money.

Other hot selling products from GoGreenSolar.com include:

•    Solar Panels
•    Complete Solar Energy Systems
•    Complete Wind Power Systems
•    Inverters / Chargers
•    Wind Turbines

To be sure you are clear exactly what an amazing we are offering you, let’s go over the deal once again. The GoGreenSolar.com 250 watt grid-tie Plug N Play Solar Power Kit is designed for easy installation. It’s so easy, the inverter can be plugged right into your AC outlet! The kit consists of two high quality 130w solar panels and a SWEA Plug N Play inverter. The Plug N Play starter system can be combined to form larger solar power for homes systems to meet your requirements, in the future.

Simply click on the following text link to purcahse the Plug N Play 250w Grid-Tied Solar Power Kit.

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-
The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/plug-n-play-solar-power-for-homes by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

 

 

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Talk about making diy solar power for homes? Here is an amazing YouTube video which shows you how you can make yourself a solar shingle roof that is as cheap and easy as anything. In fact, making and fitting a solar shingle roof is so inexpensive it would cost more to have a normal traditional tile roof installed!

So watch this video as our solar shingle roof guy shows you how very quickly and easily you can make your own solar shingle roof and have it give you free energy, meanwhile solving the problem of cladding your roof. This really is a genuine way for you to make diy solar power for homes.

The guy shows you how to build the solar shingle roof from basic materials. This solar shingle roof is built in front of your very eyes so there is no mistaking how you too can create diy solar power for homes for yourself and your family.

In order to build the solar shingle roof he starts with a mock up for the roof. Starting with plywood covered with Polystick TU Plus, you can watch as your diy solar power for homes takes shape!

He incorporates metal shingle which is easy to find at most hardware stores. He then puts Unisolar solar film on it to make this type of roof a solar shingle roof that will produce electricity for your house in a ‘diy solar power for homes’ type of way!

By using dummy shingles with exactly the same looking frontage, making a solar shingle roof in this way means you don’t have the problem of two colors to your roof. This way the whole roof looks the same color as the whole roof is either solar shingle roof panels or dummy solar shingle roof panels.

At the top of the solar shingle roof panels run the electrical wires that are easily connected together as you fix the solar shingle roof panels to the plywood.

To make the diy solar power for homes installation even easier, the solar shingle roof panels come with a little slot that allows each of the the solar shingle roof panels to slip into the next easily. In this way, everything is made watertight.

Safe underneath a raised gable trim at the end of the solar shingle roof, the main cable takes the electric power away and feeds it into your home. Fitting a complete solar shingle roof can be done for less than the cost of a traditional tile roof.

As the man says, “If you’ve got to put a roof on your house anyway, why not make it pay your electric bill?”

Good work, solar shingle roof guy!

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-
Info via: YouTube.com
The Trackback, http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com/solar-power-for-homes/do-it-yourself-solar-power-for-homes-here%E2%80%99s-how by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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It’s a popular misconception these days that the price is too high to install solar power for homes. Many people think that unless you have a huge amount of roof space and live in a very sunny area, there is no point in having a solar power for homes system installed in their house. However, this is simply not true as you can build your own safe, reliable, cost-effective and efficient solar power for homes system by using the “Earth4Energy” system. Rather than spending thousands, you can actually install your very own solar power for homes system for as little as $250.

Once you have installed solar power in your home using the “Earth4Energy” system you will immediately enjoy a large decrease in your electricity bill. If you are dedicated and cut down on unnecessary power wastage by doing basic things like turning lights and the air con off when you’re not using them, you could even get rid of your electricity bill altogether!

Another great thing about using solar power for homes is the fact that you might be able to sell any excess energy that the solar power for homes system produces back to your utility company. You won’t be sending them checks. Instead, they’ll be sending you money!

The other great thing about using solar power for homes with the “Earth4Energy” system is the fact that you will be helping the environment. Even if you don’t believe in global climate change, you cannot deny that using renewable resources such as the energy from the sun is a very good thing. It cuts down on pollution, thereby reducing health risks and saving public health money. With Earth4Energy and solar power for homes, you will actively be creating a healthier, more pleasant environment for yourself, your family, and generations to come.

More and more people are buying the simple the “Earth4Energy” guide to create their own solar power for homes. Isn’t it time that you joined in? With solar power for homes, you too can save money on your utility bill and help the environment?

Click here to learn more about the “Earth4Energy” system, including how much power and money you will save every month, how much it will cost to install, and whether it is as safe, reliable and easy to use as professionally installed systems.

Learn more about solar power for homes when you buy the “Earth4Energy” system today!

————
Jeff Palmer is an economist, but has also worked in the alternative energy industry since its early days, installing and helping to develop mainly solar and wind power generation systems.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_A._Palmer

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If you have not already installed solar power for homes, are you worrying about the price of your gas and electricity? It would be no surprise if you are.

After all, not everyone has solar power for homes fitted yet and traditional fossil fuel based energy prices are sure to be going up and up as we move into a more and more uncertain future. Now, more than ever, it’s time to install solar power for homes.

With or without solar power for homes, right now you may still be struggling financially and ‘feeling the pinch’. However, a different kind of ‘pinch’ lies ahead.

Scientists predict we will run out of oil in about 50 years. This fact is looming over us and its shadow makes our future appear bleaker and bleaker. As the oil runs out, so the prices will rise. The case for solar power for homes will improve with each passing day.

Sadly, the price of oil does not only affect car drivers. It has a direct effect on many things, not least the price of food. As the price of transportation soars, so will the price of the products being transported.

No doubt your home is already run on a strict budget. Imagine how it would be if, suddenly, everything doubled in price? Introducing a range of sensible measures, including installing solar power for homes, would seriously reduce the impact of this price hike, maybe even eliminate it from your household completely.

I hope you are beginning to see why it is essential that you start to consider installing solar power for homes. Start to plan, and start today. We need to take action to protect ourselves, to insulate our families from the impact of this future turmoil. Consider the possibility of installing solar power for homes soon.

We need to be a great deal more efficient in the way we consume and use our energy supplies. If we don’t, we can be sure that the traditional fossil fuel suppliers will continue to punish us with their massive price hikes.

We just saw the gas companies in the UK put their bills up by 30%. When wholesale prices dropped, did we see any significant drop in our gas bills? I rest my case!

With solar power for homes, you need not be tied to the grid any longer. Any surplus energy could be sold back to the grid, providing solar power for homes elsewhere.

Aside from installing solar power for homes, as individuals we can take steps to improve our energy efficiency. For starters, we need to go solar power for homes as soon as possible. For another, we need to look in all directions for alternative energy saving ideas.

The good news is that this is nowhere near as complicated or restricting as you might think. As you take action, so others will follow. As others follow, so we begin to make an impact. Right now, as you sit there reading this, you want to know that it is up to YOU.

“Be the change you want to see in the world,” said Gandhi. Spread the word about solar power for homes. Have your family talk to all their friends about solar power for homes. The more we talk about solar power for homes, the more rapid will be its introduction.

As more and more people take on solar power for homes and other energy savings, so the demand for traditional energy supplies will fall. As demand declines, so the prices will come back down. This is basic economic common sense based on the age old rules of supply and demand

So it is time to incorporate solar power for homes into our plans for living more efficiently. With good planning now, your lifestyle won’t have to be impacted hardly at all.

There are many ways to start this process. Why not begin by taking an overview of all your electrical appliances all around your home? Are they all working efficiently? Do you really need all of them? Can you replace old style bulbs with energy efficient ones? Do they have to be switched on as often as they are?

Be sure that everything that is not needed is properly switched off. Never leave anything on ’standby’. Enroll the whole family in this new game, the game of saving some money while saving the planet!

We are unlikely to get much support from the major energy companies. Their interest is in having you consume and continue to consume. You must take a stand against their frivolous ways. Did I mention installing solar power for homes? ;-)

Turn off your computer monitor, even if it is only for a few minutes. It’s a myth that it’s more expensive to switch an appliance off and on rather than have it switched off for a period of time. Rubbish! Switch it off, and the same goes for light switches … and especially for air conditioning, one of the largest energy consumers of all.

The combination of installing solar power for homes and using all appliances more efficiently will save you lots of money. You could cut your energy bill by as much as 33% or more.

I’ve just touched the surface in this short article. There are so many other ways that you could reduce your electricity bills, not least of course would be to install solar power for homes.

You can find out if solar power for homes is suitable for you while discovering lots more practical money saving tips by clicking this solar power for homes link.

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-
Photo: istockphoto.com
The Trackback, /solar-power-for-homes/how-to-save-33-off-all-future-energy-bills-with-solar-power-for-homes by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

 

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Dec
18

Solar Power For Homes With Attitude!

Dec-18-2008 By Sam Deane

A young couple has taken an alternative approach to setting up a small yet robust solar power for homes system for under $2200. Here, they detail how they set up their very own solar power for homes system pretty much from scratch. They did all this with very little outside help and even less of the basic equipment that traditionally goes into setting up a solar power for homes system.

We left the unsustainable and hectic life of the Florida Palm Beaches with 26 years of the Three P’s (planning, preparation, and practice) under our belts, and headed for the Appalachian foothills of Alabama to homestead 21 acres of wooded countryside.

Our first challenge on the electrical energy front was supplying our needs for lighting, weather alert radio, and fans. (You would have to live here in the humid southern summer to appreciate this).

The three reasonable alternatives would be grid hook-up, fossil fuel generator, or solar power for homes. Our creeks not being of sufficient flow and hundred-foot plus high forest made both hydroelectric and wind power impractical.

Raye and I took into account the environmental and financial cost of clearing the power company’s required 60 foot right of way through our woods, or the more aesthetically pleasing buried cable. We used that figure as the target expense to beat if we were seriously going to install a solar power for homes system in our new home. Sadly, none of this is really cheap upfront. Perhaps that is what sets many a homesteader apart. It’s not the short-sighted worldview, but the long term.

In setting up our solar power for homes system, for photovoltaic panels we chose the SP75 that at the time were made by Siemens. These robust mono-crystalline cells have been around since the invention of solar cells and they have proven themselves tough, long-lived, and efficient. Shop around. Look for a bargain - and be patient!

We were able to purchase four panels for under $300 each - a great price seven years ago. These were mounted to a homemade tower made from scrapped components: 16 feet of four-inch galvanized schedule 120 pipe; bearing and frame from an old tossed satellite dish, a commercial heavy-duty linear actuator, recycled square aluminum tubing, and an inexpensive tracking circuit built by Duane Johnson of Red Roc.

For storage, we kept the costs way down by using five pairs of six-volt golf cart batteries ($46 apiece as opposed to $130). Some argue that these are “beginner batteries.” Well, over six years later and these little guys are still kicking electrochemical butt - their expectancy is well within the upper lifespan of the lower capacity expensive ones.

At first we used a charge controller with all the bells and whistles. Because our initial cottage was placed under the nearly total shade of old-growth forest, the tracking tower and panels were located some 300 feet out into an acre clearing used for gardens, chickens, orchard/vineyard. Even with very large gauge wiring from panels to batteries some power loss was expected, but this was the trade-off to placing the cottage out in the baking sun.

We eventually found that the solar power for homes system worked much more efficiently without the controller and (as pointed out by the folks at HomePower.com) we just let the batteries bubble more often. Obviously, for us at least, this did not cause our batteries to be damaged. The small inconvenience of adding distilled water on a month to month basis depending upon the season was a small amount to pay for the simplicity of the system.

So what can you push with this simple little solar power for homes system?

Well, we run two cottages and a 40-chicken chicken house. In the cottages there are

•    several lights (one 8W, two 22W, two 32W 12VDC fluorescents, and four incandescent lights);
•    two 108ft sup 3 displacement fans for the shower and the composting toilet respectively;
•    two computers running on 12VDC;
•    auto CD/stereo;
•    DVD playe
•    weather alert radio
•    nickel metal hydride battery charger for camera
•    walkie-talkies
•    flashlights
•    portable players
•    and everything else.

For those appliances using 120VAC we have two modified-sine inverters. A400W for Raye’s sewing machines and just about any other small appliance. There is also a 750W inverter for small tools, a grain mill, and the 52-inch Hunter ceiling fan.

Our chicken coop is illuminated with a twin 15W tube fluorescent ceiling light for keeping enough light hours during winter in order to keep the hens producing eggs. There is also another of the 108ft sup 3 fans in the coop that keeps the odor out and the cool air in.

Our solar power for homes system, including all the wiring, components, etc. had to come in under the $4,000 cost of getting the power company grid set up out in our place. That proved to be a target we met at nearly half cost. Part of the savings was the result of doing all the work ourselves, part looking for bargains and salvageable components.

The panels for our solar power for homes system are guaranteed for 25 years, and with a similar insignificant decline in output over that time to no less than around 80% quoted output. Think about this: after 25 years even at 80% there will be quite sufficient power to run all our stuff. The components were already paid for at purchase, and they paid for themselves several years back, too!

Our primary future costs to maintain this solar power for homes system will be the battery replacement, which amortized over five to seven years comes out to only $5.50 to $7.70 per month.

Like much of what we have been doing out here, the solar power for homes system for the cottages has been just another laboratory for our semi-underground home which is now nearing completion. We modeled the house system from that of the cottages, and have purchased 10 SP75 panels and a 2000W inverter for it. The cottages will continue to be powered by the smaller system when we are in the house. Guests in the first cottage, and renter(s) in the second, will continue to reap the environmental, financial, and reliable benefits of going solar.

When our good neighbors lose power because of downed trees during storms, etc., we usually do not even know until a day or two later. Not only have we been without power interruption for nearly seven years. We still have hundreds of mature hardwood trees that would otherwise have been cleared.

We hope that our learning experience with an alternative energy system will encourage others to consider jumping off the grid if their situation is similar. We would also like to hear from others working towards a sustainable lifestyle and living off the land.

Our solar power for homes system costs

•    SP75 Mono Crystalline Photovoltaic panels (4): $300 each.
•    Stowaway 220Ahr 6 volt battery (newer ones rated 200Ahr: $46 each.
•    Cobra model P12000 2000W (4000W surge) mod-sine inverter: $185.
•    Vector model VECC043 750W (1500W surge) mod-sine inverter: $75.
•    Vector model VEC031POB 400W (800W surge) mod-sine inverter: $35.
•    LED based tracking circuit (Redroc.com): $35
•    Scrounged components, wiring, miscellaneous components: $200

Total:                                                                                              $2190

So you can see that where there is a will there is a way. Consider setting up your own solar power for homes system. These guys did it themselves. You don’t have to do it this way. This example is cited for you to see that it can be done, even under extreme circumstances. So get your solar power for homes system underway today!

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-

Info via: Pic via:

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Dec
17

Raise a smile during the 12 days of Christmas!

Dec-17-2008 By Sam Deane

 

 

Just in case my last two or three articles were a bit fearful or depressing for you, I thought I’d quickly post a more light-hearted look at global warming from those crazy folks at Minnesotans for Global Warming if only to remind myself and others to cool off with being so serious and significant.

Don’t get me wrong, the situation is grave, but we can still laugh at ourselvs while we’re working on it, can’t we?

From Sam Deane,
your solar power for homes guide,
at www dot go solar power for homes dot com.

-

Info via: YouTube

The Trackback, by Sam Deane, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

 

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Why can solar power be not used everywhere? Is it very expensive to tap it?

Solar power is (or was) very expensive, yes. That is changing. Current costs versus long term power production are falling, however. At present, the cost is borderline. However, solar power alone is not a complete answer.

First of all, for the production of electricity, it has some problems. The main one, of course, is that it doesn’t work at night. You either need a storage system (batteries) or an alternative source when it’s dark or cloudy.

There are alternatives which, combined with solar energy, can replace coal. Wind, existing hydroelectric systems, nuclear energy, and tidal power are some of them. My point is, don’t fall into the trap of fixating on a single all-encompassing cure-all technology. We need a mix of technologies.

That’s true today. We use coal, oil, nuclear, hydroelectric, and other sources - a mix of technologies to provide our energy needs. We need to change the mix - eliminating fossil fuels and incorporating new technologies to replace those fossil fuels. There is no simple solution.

Oil is used primarily for transportation. In some ways it is ideal: it’s easy to store and the fuel stores the energy, which is released when it’s burned. There are alternatives.

The one I think the most practical is to use electric cars. Current technology makes electric cars with performance and adequate range possible at prices comparable to gas-powered cars (once they are produced in large numbers as gas-powered cars are). That’s actually a solved problem.

What we do not have at present is a way of producing the electricity to power all those cars without burning oil or coal, which defeats the purpose. For that–go back to the first part of this post.

We also do not have a practical infrastructure to deliver that electricity to a fleet of 150 million cars (in the US). That is not a trivial problem.

Think of what it takes to deliver a gallon of gas from an oil well to your car. Here’s the sequence. Oil well to pipeline (hundreds of miles) to refinery to another pipeline to a tanker truck to an gas storage tank under a gas station and then a pump to take the gas out of the tank and deliver it to your car. And remember, you need that infrastructure so comprehensive that it blankets an entire CONTINENT.

You will need the same for electric cars (or any other alternative). I don’t mean to discourage you–this is do-able. We DID do just that in the early 20th century to make our current system of gas-driven cars possible, but that took decades and a hellava lot of engineering and research.

As to your question, we will get solar power on a large scale in the foreseeable future, but we will need a lot more. It’s a complex problem and a big one.

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