Anna Hart asked:


Solar power systems for camping are increasing in availability, but what about practicality? Can solar power systems for camping be put to use readily? Are they portable enough? Are they durable enough?

Solar power practicality for camping must address those questions and more. Are solar power systems for camping cost effective? Do they produce enough energy for normal needs?

RV Camping

Solar power systems for camping can readily be used in RV camping. But are they practical?

Many people spend most of their RV camping time in RV camping spaces with full hook-ups. They plan trips according to where the next RV camp is, and reserve a full hook-up space for the end of each day. For them, solar power practicality is questionable. It makes a good back-up system, if there is a power outage at a campground. On the whole, however, it is an unnecessary expense - just another toy.

Others enjoy the freedom of being able to camp without hook-ups. They want to get off the beaten track - be pioneers. They want the opportunity to be in a remote, quiet place for a few days. They may want to go off road, or stop beside a quiet stream, even though it is in the middle of nowhere. They don’t want to rush to make it to the next full hook-up campground.

Solar power practicality for camping is real for the second group of campers. Solar power serves a practical use for them. It breaks the leash of energy needs and lets them wander as they please.

Operating an RV’s electrical system with a solar power system is simple. Charging its batteries with solar power is also simple. You need to plan your system, of course. You need to know how much energy you want. Then you need to purchase and install solar panels, batteries, and inverters that will produce that amount of energy for you.

Many Internet websites will guide you through the necessary steps of determining how much solar power you need. They will explain which components will provide that amount of energy. Solar power systems for camping in recreational vehicles are increasingly available in a range of sizes, and you are sure to find one to fit your needs. Most are easy to use.

Solar power systems for camping may make you think twice about appliances you take for granted in RV camping. For example, suppose you have a coffee maker that requires 15 minutes to brew coffee, and then keeps the coffee warm on a warming plate. This will consume a lot of your solar power. You may want to replace that coffee maker with one that will brew in 10 minutes and shut itself off. Pour your coffee into a thermos and it will remain hot without using more energy.

Non-RV Camping

Solar power systems for camping are also practical for non-RV camping. The same two groups of people are to be found. One group likes to make camp in a KOA campground, with electrical power close at hand. The other group likes to hike into the back country with lightweight backpacks, and camp wherever darkness overtakes them.

Solar power practicality can easily be seen in the array of lightweight, portable units hitting the market. Solar power can be generated by the backpack in which gear is carried. Flexible solar panels can be rolled up and carried to the campsite, where they can be stretched on the ground to generate additional energy.

Solar power systems for camping are small and portable, but can generate enough energy to run a small heater or light bulb. Solar collected by a backpack while hiking can recharge a cell phone, camera, or iPod. Small solar power units will run appliances made for use in a vehicle. The coffee maker that will plug into your cigarette lighter can be run by a flexible solar power panel.

Solar power practicality for camping is sure to increase, and products for this use will multiply. Those who appreciate the environment enough to want to be far out into it will demand clean energy, i.e. solar power.



Goodman Gas Furnace

Abhishek Agarwal asked:


Solar power technology uses the light of the sun to generate power. The sun is a major source of renewable energy and is available in abundance. Active solar technology uses electrical or mechanical equipment, such as pumps and fans, to manufacture the usable heat in a system. Passive solar power is derived from the rays of the sun without using mechanical devices or equipment. Direct sunlight can be used for heating, cooling or ventilating rooms or it can be stored for future use. Passive solar technology turns sunlight into heat which is used for various domestic purposes. The trend nowadays is to build environmentally –friendly homes. A good practice is to have the suns rays directly pouring into your house, so that you can have a solarium to conserve the heat of the sun, and use it whenever necessary. This is passive solar technology at its best, because all that is required is clear glass window panes incorporated into the design of the house.

Passive solar technologies like the solar furnace sometimes require a small amount of conventional power to operate them. A solar furnace is created to channel the sunlight to one place and then storing it for future use. Storing the trapped heat or aligning the mirrors of the solar furnace may require some amount of electricity. There are other passive solar powered devices like the solar chimney and the solar cooking equipment. Sunlight, a free and abundant natural resource can thus be used as a fuel to power up a lot of devices. Passive solar power does not harm the ozone layer and is therefore the most preferred source of solar energy. Passive solar systems have zero or little operating costs, emit no toxic gases, and are low on maintenance costs, they should be given full consideration as a renewable source of energy.

Solar gain means the increase in temperature of a particular area due to the sun’s radiation. The more intense the sunlight, the more the solar gain. The intense heat of the sun can be used to optimize performance in a solar furnace as it uses the concentrated energy accumulated within.

Most of the renewable energy technologies depend either directly or indirectly on the Sun. Solar energy is responsible for dissipating the precipitation around the globe, it promotes wind movement, formation of waves and tides in the oceans.

Solar power can help to mitigate the losses caused due to power outages. It reduces energy imports and dependence on foreign oil imports, thereby reducing trade deficits. Using solar power for domestic purposes like cooking and heating water, for commercial lighting and industrial use will reduce the burden on the economy. In the long run, it will provide an affordable, natural and eco-friendly source of energy which is constantly being replenished by nature. A lot of people, realizing the importance of solar power are switching over from more conventional energy sources to solar energy.



Residential Hot Water Heater

Buddha5 asked:


Can someone post links to some pictures of the solar power manufacturing process? Like a diagram of how they make the actual solar panels?

Ande Fishing Rods

Steve Hanson asked:


What would you do if the utility companies paid you for energy?

You, like me, probably didn’t even know that was possible.

What if you never had to pay energy bills ever again?

Again, something else I didn’t know was possible.

These two questions took me completely by surprise when I started doing research for this article. Especially since both questions pertain to solar power.

The Truth About Solar Efficiency

Everyone has heard about the benefits of solar power in terms of environmental conservation and lessening our dependence on imported fossil fuel. But these are both concepts that apply on a grand scale. It’s very hard to equate what this means to an individual. We have to examine the past, present, and future of solar energy, in order to see that there is huge promise for the future of solar energy.

I, for one, could not have begun to tell you what the hard facts were in relation to solar power until I started digging. It turns out that what we hear about solar energy is just the tip of the iceberg. Which are disappearing, I might add, to the tune of 20% during the summer of 2008.

A Brief History

Before we go exploring the ins and outs of solar energy, let’s take a look at how this force of nature has evolved over the centuries.

Solar technology isn’t new. It probably started some time in the 7th Century B.C., when people learned how to use glass and sunlight to light a fire. There is some evidence that ancient cultures across the globe have used glass and polished metals to concentrate the heat and light of the sun. This concept has been around so long that the Justinian Code of 6th Century A.D. decreed that every individual had “Sun Rights”.

Skip ahead several hundred years and you will find documentation detailing the construction and use of equipment that harnesses the heat and power of the sun.

Solar Power Today

Now that we know where we’ve been, let’s look at where we are.

Right now, all across our planet, governments and organizations are installing solar panels and contributing funds to further research into a renewable energy source that is hoped to rival conventional energy in the next decade.

In the future, we can look forward to more solar energy homes and cars that perform up to the standards we expect from traditional fuel sources. Right this very moment I am living in a house that has solar panels to heat my water, and it does get very hot. I do, however, worry about having hot water at 2 a.m. Not that I take showers very often at that hour, but a writer’s work isn’t always done when the sun sets.

Solar Timeline

The following timeline for solar energy from the U.S. Department of Energy, lists the milestones in the historical development of solar technology from the 7th Century B.C. to now.

* 700 B.C.

A magnifying glass is used to concentrate the sun’s rays on a fuel and light a fire for light, warmth, and cooking.

* 300 B.C.

Greeks and Romans use mirrors to light torches for religious purposes.

* 200 B.C.

As early as 212 B.C., Greek scientist Archimedes makes use of the reflective properties of bronze shields to focus sunlight and set fire to Rome’s wooden ships, which were besieging Syracuse. (Although there is no proof that this actually happened, the Greek navy recreated the experiment in 1973 and successfully set fire to a wooden boat 50 meters away.)

* 20 A.D.

The Chinese report using mirrors to light torches for religious purposes.

* 100 to 400 A.D.

In the first to the fourth centuries, Roman bath houses are built with large, south-facing windows to let in the sun’s warmth.

* 600 A.D.

Sunrooms on houses and public buildings are so common that the Justinian Code establishes “sun rights” to ensure that a building has access to the sun.

* 1300 A.D.

In North America, the ancestors of Pueblo people known as Anasazi build south-facing cliff dwellings that capture the warmth of the winter sun.

* 1700 to 1900 A.D.

Solar contraptions such as photovoltaic fiber, solar cells, and solar steam engines are invented. Eventually a water heater is power by solar electricity.

* 1900s

Solar technology improved thousands of times over, with a vast array of solar materials and solar collectors being constructed and implemented all over the world. Entire towns are powered by solar energy by the year 2000. Buildings are constructed with photovoltaic glass and green roofs, and are self-sustainable thanks to the advancements is solar power conversion.

* 2000s

Houses are powered with residential solar power systems sold in Home Depot, and NASA builds rockets and planes powered entirely by solar energy. Solar power is regarded as an inefficient possible solution to the upcoming oil issue.

* The Future

Within 10 years, continued advances in solar technology will allow us to generate all the electricity needed to power the entire US, and photovoltaic power will be competitive in price with traditional sources of electricity.

Solar electricity will be used in an electrolysis process that separates the hydrogen and oxygen in water so the hydrogen can be used in fuel cells for transportation and in buildings.

Pros and Cons of Solar Power

So this is where we must think about and examine the ups and downs of solar power.

* First, the sun is free. Once you pay for your solar panels, you are done paying to power your home. Conversely, the sun does take a hiatus. Even so, you can switch to battery power to take up the slack if you want.

* Second, if you have a system that produces more energy than you use, you can sell the excess energy to the utility company. But that usually requires you to live in a very sunny climate.

* Third, the cost of maintenance is very low. Since it is just a flat panel that doesn’t move, you don’t have to worry very much about mechanical malfunctions. Unfortunately, the initial cost of these panels can be very expensive and serves as a deterrent to buying.

I hope that these facts encourage you to look to the future of energy production. Environmental conservation is everyone’s responsibility. We all do what we can. Hopefully sometime soon it will be more cost effective. We can scarce afford to lose the only habitable planet we have and some species, like the polar bear, are already losing.



Designer Scented Candles

nr91326 asked:


I am printing business cards for a company that installs solar power. Can anyone think of what to put on back of business card? Something more creative than a calendar or logo.

Bamboo Window Shades

N Jamal asked:


Do you want to know how to make solar power panels? Is the monthly spending on electric bills driving you crazy? If it is, I bet you would want to know how to make solar power panels. Millions worldwide are switching from conventional power to solar power, reason being its free of course and it helps in preserving the environment alike other non renewable sources of energy like fossil fuels that is a major contributor of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are threatening the survival of life on this beautiful planet, due to the looming fear of global warming.

You can either buy one of these solar power panels for your home which would leave you poorer by anything within $1000-$1500 or else you can decide to make solar power panels for yourself for …. Drumroll please … less than $200! Yes, you can do the same job that a professional would do for an amount that will not burn a hole in your pocket. Gone are the days when only government organizations and big companies could afford it, now every person can afford to make solar power panels.

To make power panel you need some raw materials that can be easily picked up at the local hardware store and found around your household surrounds. Copper wire, Solar cells, plywood, glass sheets and some wooden boards is all you need to build a frame can be made into a solar power panel that can generate adequate energy that can power your entire home and business.

To begin on the right footing and get a head start, you will need a good guide that shows even the smallest details about the required stuff about how to make solar power panels, do’s and don’ts. Go for a guide which has step by step videos included, free updates for life and a free access to member forums where other DIY enthusiast can chat will be an added benefit.



Decorate Fireplace Mantel

Ross G. asked:


My dad is retiring in a few years, and he is looking into this. I know that this is what one of my teachers did when he retired, but I don’t really want to ask him how it’s been goin
So, what are the pros and cons of buying solar power for a house?

P.S. I live in Canada and I live on the bay, so it is only sunny like 50-60% of the time.

Metal Kitchen Cabinets

Jim Martin asked:


Solar Power History: DISCOVER How Solar Power Came to Be in This Article

Solar power is a story that stretches back over centuries. This is often surprising to people who think this is purely a phenomenon that has arisen over the last 50 years or so. In fact generating power from the sun’s rays had come to the attention of scientists many years before.

Mouchout in France created a solar engine in 1860. It was a modest start and worked with solar energy being reflected on to an iron vessel containing water. The effect was multiplied by having a number of reflectors around the vessel. When the water heated it produced steam and the steam pressure then operated a rudimentary steam turbine. This invention was simply the culmination of the realization by many people that the sun could be a source of energy to illuminate their homes and that this energy could also be put to other uses as well.

Mouchout’s solar engine was then notably enhanced by inventors such Charles Tellier, John Ericsson, Henry E. Willsie Eneas and Shuman. William Adams one of the inventors who succeeded Mouchout made a version of the solar engine with 72 mirrors or reflectors. This enhancement alone boosted the power output by a factor of three. Yet the problem remained that the coal-fired engines that were available at the time were more convenient and less expensive to use.

The Tennessee Valley Authority started to set the direction however in the first half of the twentieth century by encouraging the use of hydroelectric power plants. In the Netherlands windmills began to be used more and more for pumping water. At the same time many people came to understand that fossil fuel was not a renewable source of energy and that alternative sources would need to be explored.

Alternative energy sources were still being researched when the mass market for motorcars exploded. The intensive use of motorcars exhausted it even the local crude oil supplies in the United States. This was a problem of crude oil being a victim of its own success. The initial process for extracting and refining food petroleum had been perfected by colonel Edwin Drake in Pennsylvania who had been able to produce a range of derivatives including kerosene and basic petroleum by feeding the crude oil into a fractional column. The U.S. started to import crude oil from the Arab world where it seemed at the time that there was no limit to the amount of oil in these lands. However amongst Arabs sheikhs, wars and also internal feuding threatened the stability of supply of crude oil and encouraged efforts to be stepped up on the search for alternative power sources. Public opinion started to move in the direction of pushing for alternative power sources and their introduction in the market.

The first silicon solar cell that was able to produce a real electric current simply by sitting in the sun, was developed by Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller. Their work as scientists at the Bell Laboratories in 1953 constituted the first major advance in solar energy cell generation. Their inventions however needed to face and resolve a number of technical and business challenges.

For one thing, the solar PV (photovoltaic) cells were in the initial stages much too expensive to produce. They did not give the required output either. This however changed as the invention became mass-produced thanks to initiatives taken mainly by the German and Japanese governments. The growth in the production of photovoltaic cells has since then achieved an astounding rate of growth. The market for photovoltaic energy cells using solar power is currently increasing at a staggering 30 percent per annum. Japan has already begun to make hybrid cars that use both classical fuel as well as solar power, and in the U.S. solar panels operate for many homes and workplaces to provide heating.

Solar power should therefore increase in use throughout the world . We can also expect it to become less and less expensive. This is a natural consequence of leveraging a renewable source of energy provided by nature and also has the benefit of reducing pollution.



Sliding Closet Doors

dasa751 asked:


I’m doing research on portable solar equipment, and there are a lot of companies out there that I’ve found. Anyone have any ideas as to what brands will hold up for long periods of hiking and driving? It would need to be able to power batteries for laptops, camcorders, and probably some smaller equipment like cell phones, iPods, etc.

Residential Hot Water Heater

N Jamal asked:


Have you ever thought about generating affordable solar power? If not, then it’s just about time that you seriously take it into consideration as affordable solar power systems are now within the reach of the masses. Gone are the days when only governments and big companies had the resources to invest in generating solar power. With the advent of technology it’s very much possible and affordable for the common man to generate solar power and save heaps, by slashing down the electric bills up to 80% without reducing the usage.

With dwindling resources such as fossil fuel, which is the primary contributor in production of commercially available energy and increasing supply v/s demand ratio, the energy prices are sky-rocketing and will always continue to rise. Energy prices have shot up sharply and are enough to burn a hole in one’s pocket. The big question is, how much are you prepared to pay?

The most common myth that is prevalent in society and the primary reason why people shy away from generating solar power is due to a misconception that is, solar power is expensive to generate. Well, sure it is, if you decide to buy a readymade solar power kit from market it would leave you poorer by anything within $1000-$10000. However what you don’t know is that an affordable solar power kit can be made by you using raw materials which are easily available at the local hardware store for less than….drumroll please…… $200! And also if you choose to make one for yourself, it would only take half a weekend to setup and have a solar power system up and running.

Now taking into consideration that you can build your own affordable solar power system for less then $200 and the fact that solar power systems are maintenance free and have an average life span of 30-35 years, for such a small investment you will be saving thousands of dollars in the long run. Detailed procedure for setting these affordable solar power systems can be found in several DIY guides that show the minutest details ranging from what all raw material you require to make an affordable solar power kit to setting them up. Try to go for a DIY guide that has videos included and if they have an online forum where you can chat with other DIY enthusiasts, it would be a great added bonus.



Stained Glass Fireplace Screen