Solar Power

Archive for February, 2010

Solar Hot Water is the H2O heated using energy from sun that is Solar Energy. As you may have noticed that the shallow water of a lake is warmer than the deep water because the sunlight directly heats the lake bottom in the shallow areas. In the same way, sun can also be used to heat water in buildings and swimming pools. The solar heating systems is generally used to heat water for home, business and industrial usage. Hot water heated using sun’s energy helps in generating electricity and can be used for sanitary purposes such as showering and washing.

Solar hot water systems are storage systems that can provide up to 90% of your hot water for free. In smaller households or in cooler parts of the country solar systems may be less appropriate depending upon climatic conditions. Solar heating systems is composed of solar thermal collectors and a fluid system to move the heat from the collector. The system have tank for heat storage. Solar hot water systems use flat-plate solar collectors that are typically installed facing in south direction on a rooftop. The collectors are made up of simple glass topped insulated box containing a flat sheet metal solar absorber attached to copper pipes and painted black. To heat water using sun’s energy, a collector is secured on wall facing the sun. The most common solar water heating systems are active systems. Active systems contain pumps to move the liquid between the collector and storage tank whereas, passive systems rely on gravity.

Rheem is one of the leading US manufacturer of solar storage tanks. It is basically used in residential solar water heating applications. Solahart is also a Rheem company since 2002, manufacturing solar water heating systems and collectors for over 50 years and most trusted in United States. If you are planning to save your electricity and money then call us TODAY for water heater.

Andrew Smith

We all know how effective Solar Power is in this age of awareness, where we all want energy sources heavily and at the same time easy and cheap at cost. We are quite well versed with solar power now and so we need to know how this Solar Power system works, what it is actually and how can we use it effectively. Especially, the residential consumers should focus their minds more to understand it, because they have to deal with on daily basis and all the time. So a better understanding of things always helps.

Starting with the main source, it’s always better to use the roof, since it goes well with the usual solar power installation criteria. But, there are many independent residential solar power systems users who install who install panels to posts, grounds or wall. It depends on the consumer’s preference.

Coming to the volts, generally household uses more and less 110 volt (AC) power and that is where we have converters, as it easily turns 12 volts to 110 volts, which is pretty enough for home usage. Solar panels collect sunlight at 12 volt (DC) energy which is then transferred and stored by the deep cycle batteries. There is a regulator that is planted to make sure that the batteries are not under or over charged. This control system also adds to the life of the batteries.

In this transferred and stored form the energy will run any appliance or device that uses 12 volt powder or that has a plug that fits into a vehicle cigarette lighter. But, we should make ourselves clear that a 12 volt power does not run most household appliances pr electronics.

Now comes the high tide part, the cost, well it depends on your consumption requirements. Liberal use of insulation always helps in the long run, whether it concerns with keeping in or out the heat, insulation is your biggest card to play. Besides there are all kinds of other ways to make your home energy efficient including conserving energy at home? Energy efficient designed home is going to be future’s ideal, so u better start thinking about it.

pratibha
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/residential-solar-power-systems-678129.html

Solar homes. Many people talk about them, although few in the U.S. do more than talk. They are said to reduce utility bills. Some say a solar home cuts utility bills drastically. Some are able to sell excess power back to the power grid. Savings are not automatic, however. Steps must be taken to make the solar home efficient; to conserve the electricity that is produced.

Ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home must be found. The home owner must actively seek out ways to make those photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof as efficient as possible. Photovoltaic power is free, but it cannot be generated in unlimited quantities. It is important to take measures to use it to best advantage.

Of all the ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home, the most important is probably replacement of power-gobbling electric appliances. Home lighting can also be changed to conserve solar photovoltaic power (PV power). Finally, power usage can be reduced by making every person in the solar home conscious of conservation methods.

12 Ways to Conserve Solar Photovoltaic Power in the Home

1. Shop for energy-efficient appliances and home electronics for your solar home. Most products in this category carry EnergyGuide labels. These labels give an estimate of the products’ energy consumption or energy efficiency, and show the ratings of similar appliance models. In the U.S., appliances and home electronics that meet strict Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) energy efficiency criteria carry Energy Star labels.

2. Replace an electric water heater in a solar home with an energy-efficient propane or natural gas heater. Connect the new water heater to a Solar Water Heater system. The sun will preheat the water, and the new unit will have less work. Wrap the water heater with thermal wrap to retain heat.

3. Replace the solar home’s electric furnace with an energy-efficient propane or natural gas unit. Install a solar panel air heater to reduce the work load of the new furnace. If you are building a new solar home, consider passive ways to heat the floors and air, further reducing the workload.

4. If the solar home is in a hot, dry climate, use an evaporative cooling unit in place of an electric air conditioner.

5. Check weather stripping around all windows and doors. Seal cracks and openings. Stopping air leakage in and out can improve indoor climate control in every season.

6. Insulate the solar home well. Insulation will keep heat or cool air from escaping. It will also keep outdoor cold or heat from entering readily.

7. Use heavy, insulted drapes and window shades/blinds in the solar home to keep out hot or cold air, making cooling and heating units work more efficiently.

8. A serious solar home owner can save even further by using a solar oven for cooking whenever possible. Especially good in hot climates or summer months, a solar oven will cook food with solar energy, and avoid heating the home. Money is thus saved in two ways.

9. Control of computer usage is another of the many ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home. Monitors should be turned off whenever the computer will not be in use for 20 minutes or more. The CPU and monitor both should be turned off when the unit will not be used for 2 hours or more. Power down or sleep modes should be set.

10. Replace light bulbs with Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs. If every U.S. home replaced just one light bulb with one of these bulbs, we would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs. To the solar home owner, such savings are vital.

11. Maximize your use of daylight, turning on lights only when necessary. Use windows to advantage, and install skylights where possible.

12. Landscape your property to block the heat of summer sunlight, permit winter sunlight. Deciduous trees near the solar home will shade windows in the summer, and let warming sunlight through in winter months.

Ways to conserve solar photovoltaic power in the home are not limited to these twelve, but if these alone are used, the increase in efficiency will be tremendous.

Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/solar-home-conserving-pv-power-172506.html