solar panels

Most people are familiar with solar panels and have seen them on the roofs of houses or free standing in open spaces.

Solar panels are often thought of as a modern invention, however the idea was developed in the early 1950s when it was discovered at Bell Telephone that silicon creates an electric charge when exposed to sunlight.  This led to it being used in photovoltaic cells that make up solar panels.

Basically the way it works is the sunlight hits the cells the cells absorb the energy and then the energies drained off through metal contacts on the cell.  This conversion of light into electricity is what gives the photovoltaics (photo meaning light and voltaic meaning energy) its name.  These cells are positioned next to each other and combined on a
support system to make the actual solar panel.  Solar panels with more and better quality cells will produce a higher output of energy.

The size of a solar panel isn’t the only factor that determines how much energy it absorbs.  The insolation or amount of solar radiation it receives will also have an effect on how much energy a panel will produce.  A lot of things can affect the solar insolation that your panel receives.  Does it have an unobstructed view of the sun all day?  Is it situated so that the sun shines on it directly?  How cloudy is it in your area?

All these things have a direct effect on how efficient your solar panels will work.  Even your geographical location can have an effect – for example, the southwestern area of the US has a much higher insolation index in the south eastern or central areas.  This means that solar panels located in the SouthWestern US will work a lot more efficiently than those in the South East.

Solar panels work best when they are pointed directly at the sun and have an unobstructed view.  The angle and position of the panels will have a direct effect on the amount of energy they can collect.  You can optimise efficiency by using rotating mounts that allow your panel to follow the path of the sun so that the sunlight is always shining directly on the face of the panel.

If you are considering installing a solar power system, then you need to consider where you are going to position the solar panels.  The most common place is on the roof which is usually very convenient, however if your roof isn’t South facing then this may not be the best place for them.  An alternative idea is to have pole mounted and ground panels.

The key is to make sure that you face the panels for optimum sunlight so that they are working as efficiently as they can be and collecting as much energy as possible.

Renewable energy is becoming more popular today due to the rising cost of fuel bills and the effect that non renewable energy sources such as coal, oil and gas are contributing to climate change as well as depleting the earth’s natural resources.

Many people think you have to be a very clever diy enthusiast to install your own solar power system but with the right information anyone with a few basic diy skills could build their own system using materials bought from a local diy store without spending a fortune..

Solar panels are usually fitted on the roof of a house or sometimes they can be independent of the home and situated in the garden. It all depends on the area that gets the most sun.

Solar panels are made up of solar cells which are connected by copper wire. Solar cells can be bought at a fraction of the cost of new ones by visiting auction sites such as ebay. You could also buy second hand or even broken solar cells. Be careful though as you will need some guidance in this area if you are new to diy. It’s well worth thinking about though once you have created your first solar panels.

If you live in a sunny position and you place the solar panels at the correct angle then you could be making significant savings on your power bill and it’s possible to save up to 80%. You may even be able to sell any excess electricity back to the power company. Just think what you could do with the money you save! You could invest it in your children’s education, take an extra vacation or redecorate your home. The possibilities are endless.

There are books on the market that can help you build your own solar power system by showing you step by step. Read a review of the 3 best information products on the market that can show you how with easy to follow instructions and videos. Find out more on how to build your own solar power system.

Recycle your rubbish instead of letting it all go to landfill. It doesn’t take a few minutes extra to rinse out glass bottles and jars and then if your council provides you with separate bins for glass and plastic as well as paper and cardboard, then use them. Otherwise take them to a recycle centre.

Sign up for paperless billing for your gas, water and electric bills. Many companies allow you to do this now and it’s much more convenient to be able to pay your bills online. It saves on paper and so one tiny little way to help save the rainforest! It may not sound much but over time you will save a lot of paper.

Other simple ways to prevent global warming include buying locally grown produce. Nowadays you can buy any vegetable or fruit at any time of year as they are imported from other countries. Years ago you were limited by the seasons and couldn’t for example buy strawberries in the winter or apples in the summer.

By buying locally grown produce helps to support local farmers and cuts back on transportation from other countries. Locally grown fruits and vegetables often taste better as they picked when ripe.

Be conscious of how much energy you are using in your home. Always turn off the tv and don’t leave it on standby, replace normal bulbs with energy saving ones, they last a lot longer and don’t use as much power. Wait until you have a full load before running your dishwasher or even better wash up by hand.
Turn the heating thermostat down a degree or two and wait until you have a full load before switching on the washing machine.

If you live in a fairly sunny area consider installing solar panels. They don’t have to cost a fortune and will save you money on power bills. You will also be saving energy and doing your bit to help slow down climate change.

These simple ideas can save you money as well as helping to prevent global warming.

There are many sources of CO2 including emissions from factories and cars, the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, and even just breathing emits carbon dioxide or CO2. We can’t stop breathing, but we can cut back on some areas and reduce our carbon footprints individually.

CO2 gasses are harmful as they get trapped in the earth’s atmosphere forming a blanket. This keeps the heat in just like a blanket on your bed. As a result we are beginning to experience the effects of global warming. More severe winter storms, hotter summers in Northern Europe including Southern England and more rainfall.

There are many factors in determining our individual carbon footprint, including where we live, the size of our home, how old our appliances are, the type of car we drive and the amount of air travel we do.

Large homes need more heating and lighting, and bigger cars burn more petrol (gas). Driving with your foot on the accelerator at high speeds also burns more fuel. You will save money and reduce your own carbon footprint by just lowering your speed.

There are carbon calculators that can be found online (www.carboncounter.org) They are simple to use and will quickly show you how big your carbon footprint is.

Just making a few small changes to your lifestyle won’t be to hard and you may be saving yourself money as well as helping to save the planet. Consider walking to the local shop instead of taking the car, if you live in a city get yourself a bicycle. You may find that you can actually get to your destination quicker than if you were sitting in a car or on the bus. Here in the UK many large towns and cities have bike lanes.

Even changing your light bulbs to energy saving bulbs can make a difference. They last much longer than normal bulbs although they can take a few minutes to reach full brightness.

There are organisations that endeavour to help tackle the problem of CO2 emissions, including wind power, reforestation projects, and solar power projects. Visit nature.org and carboncounter.org as well as conservation international.

Working together to individually reduce our personal carbon footprint can only be good for our planet, our future and the future of generations to come

Simple things like replacing light bulbs with low energy ones is a good example of a green energy solution. They will last you several years and require less power to run them.

Recycling household waste is another good green energy solution. In lots of areas now the council provide you with different containers to sort your household waste. Green bins for garden waste and black bins for paper and cardboard, plus glass jars and bottles are one example. By sorting out your waste as you go along it’s possible to greatly reduce the amount that goes into landfill each week.

One of the easiest ways to go green is to buy cloth shopping bags. These can be bought very cheaply from most supermarkets and cut down on the amount of plastic bags used each day. You must remember though to take them out of your car when you go into the store. I always keep several in the boot of my car ready for the next shopping trip.

Try walking or using a bike whenever you can. It’s healthier and environmentally friendly, plus it can save you on fuel bills.If you live in a city use public transport whenever you can. Taking the bus or train instead of the car is a good green energy solution helping to cut down on CO2 emissions.

When you do your laundry make sure that the washing machine has a full load. Half loads or just a few items use unecessary energy. The same goes for dishwashers. Make sure you have a full load before switching it on. Showers use less water than taking a bath and if you have a water meter installed it will save you money.

One very simple green energy solution is not to leave your tv or computer on standby. Not only will this help save energy but also save you dollars.

Installing solar panels or wind turbines is a great way to generate your own power and save $1000s. Solar panels have become more affordable and many people build their own solar panels and wind turbines.

There are so many ways that you can save energy and money and hopefully the ones mentioned here have given you some inspiration.

There is continual research into creating energy that use natural resources which have little or no effect on the atmosphere, are less expensive and are renewable.

There has been much research into the use of the sun’s energy and converting it into solar power. This is great for sunny areas, but other forms of energy such as wind power are ideal for cooler and windy regions.

More wind farms are being built and some of these are situated offshore. Plans are being drawn up for the largest wind farm in the world to be constructed off Southend in the UK. It will involve the construction of 341 wind turbines and is hoped to be completed before the 2012 Olympic games.

It is estimated that this giant wind farm will be able to power around 750,000 households in the Greater London area.

Using geothermal heat from inside the earth is another great idea and this could be a good way of heating the home and even running air con units. Using the power of the tides as a source of energy is yet another great innovative idea and scientists are continually stretching their imaginations to develop energy from sources never thought of before.

For example scientists are studying the possibility of generating power from methane given off by rotting marine algae. This could then be used to power industries with energy.

It’s now possible to run a car using ethanol although you can’t just fuel any car with it, you have to find cars that are built to run on alternative fuels. ethanol has a much lower carbon dioxide emission which helps to cut down on green house gasses.

More electric cars are being designed and the old image of a slow ugly looking vehicle are fading as more sporty looking designs are produced. It’s still early stages and most people at this time run cars on petrol or diesel.

A new British built sports car design called the Tesla Roadster can reach a top speed of 125mph. It has just gone on sale and will never need filling up! The downside though is the price, as at £92,000 it’s not cheap to buy. Also it’s completely silent and you won’t get that throaty roar you would expect a high priced sports car to make!