Doki Doki (Me & Me) asked:


If it ran on 100% solar power, would the business/home ever have to use business from an electric company? Could it eliminate power bills completely? Thanks.

Howard

Jon Kelly asked:


As fuel costs continue to rise, alternative sources of energy become more attractive to individuals and businesses. For those who are concerned about pollution or about the depletion of natural resources, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power have presented themselves as possible alternatives to oil and coal.

Yet as increasing demand for clean, renewable energy drives a growing market for solar energy products, many people are left wondering what such systems cost and where those costs come from. Sunlight itself is free to everyone, yet the types of technology used to harness the power of sunlight can be costly. If you are interested in purchasing solar power products for your home or business, knowing what you will be paying for can help you make the best investment.

Two of the main types of products that take advantage of solar energy are passive and active solar products. These two types of systems differ in how they are constructed and can also differ greatly in cost. Passive solar technology can be used to heat air or water using the sun’s energy. Unlike an active solar application, passive solar set-ups accomplish their task without the use of additional electrical components, such as fans that need an external electricity supply.

Some solar space heating or water heating systems are active solar heating systems that have various components that require external power sources. Because of their simplicity compared with active systems, passive solar heating systems generally have the lower cost of the two.

In addition to these solar heating systems, there are also solar power systems available. Rather than using the sun’s energy for heating applications, these systems convert solar energy into electricity. These products are often constructed from hundreds of a type of solar energy collection cell called a photovoltaic cell. The name of this type of cell makes reference to the fact that the cell generates electricity from light. As sunlight falls on a photovoltaic cell, the light’s energy is converted into electricity that can then be used to power many kinds of electronic devices.

Because of the complicated technology involved, these kinds of solar power systems can be very expensive. However, the cost savings may eventually more than pay off your initial investment in the solar cells.

When considering what kind of solar heating or power system to install in your home or business, be sure that you are purchasing your equipment from a reputable manufacturer or distributor who will be able to help you with any necessary repairs, periodic upgrades or additional conversion from traditional systems to a solar-powered system.

The best service will often be the most expensive, but you may be able to find grant funding to help offset the costs of equipment or installation. Many states offer grants for conversion to solar power, and doing some research into the grant programs for solar power systems in your area will help you get a sense of the how much financial assistance is available.



Crystal

Randy asked:


Also where I can inquire here in the Philippines (NCR) about the installation of Solar Power Energy?

Sarah

Scott Salter asked:


It should first be noted that “solar powered pump” is actually a description of a two phase process. You have 1: the actual pump and 2: an energy source being powered by the sun, with a cable or wire connecting the two devices. Solar powered pumps can be used to pump water for humans, livestock or plants. Since the need for water is greatest on sunny hot days the technology is an obvious choice for this application.

Pumping water using solar powered technology is simple, reliable, and requires almost no maintenance.

To date the greatest use for solar powered pumps has been in agriculture where the pumps can be used on remote farms and outback stations to supply water to livestock. The remoteness is the key thing here as powering the pump by any means other than solar would be costly and inefficient. In a like manner, solar powered pumps are used extensively in developing countries to pump water from wells and rivers to villages for domestic consumption and irrigation of crops.

A typical solar powered pumping system consists of an array of Photo Voltaic (PV) cells that powers an electric motor, which drives a pump. The water is often pumped from beneath the ground or from a stream into a storage tank that provides a gravity feed. No energy storage is needed for these systems (save from maybe a rechargeable back-up battery source). Solar powered pumping systems are a cost-effective alternative to windmills (particularly on still days) for remote area water supply.

The most inexpensive solar powered pumps cost less than $1,500 while the larger systems can run to over $20,000. Most PV water pumps rarely exceed 2 horsepower in size. A well installed quality PV water pumping systems can provide over 20 years of reliable and continuous service.

Whilst it has been the needs of developing countries and agriculture that has initially driven the demand for solar powered pump technology, a greater environmental consciousness around the world has seen many householders use solar powered pumps (rather than a less environmentally friendly internal combustion engine) to create solar powered waterfalls or solar powered fountains in a pond display.

A solar powered pond, powered directly from solar panels, will work whenever there is direct sunlight; the brighter the sun the stronger the flow. Some solar powered water fountains will include a remote solar panel with enough wire that allows for the solar panel to be placed well away from the fountain. Solar power offers a great alternative when convenient electrical installation is not possible - as is often the case with gardens.

Decorative additions to a solar powered pond display such as solar powered glowing frog lights and solar powered floating lily pad led lights can usually be purchased at the same place that you purchase your solar powered pump kit.



Lewis

D. Christopher asked:


I live in the basement of a house and would like to run my room on solar power. I have two power strips that run a TV and DVD player, a laptop, printer and two external hard drives and I would need to use a couple floor lamps in the room as well. What kind of solar paneling setup would I need and what would be the ballpark cost on this?

Justin

Abhinav Sidana asked:


 

if you are interested to know how to build your own solar power generator, don’t worry; you have arrived at the right place. Here we will see some easiest and cost effective methods for building your own solar power generators. Making these solar power generators is very simple and you need not to be an engineer or a scientist. The advantage of learning the technology yourself will benefit you in terms of cost and you will be able to save huge cots otherwise would have been paid to the shopkeeper or supplier of the solar panels.

Solar energy is available around the world and for cutting down your electricity bills; this is the right option for you. The advantage of getting solar electricity is that it does not produce any pollutants and further it is renewable. Solar energy is available in plenty and you need a simple kit which will convert the heat of solar energy into electricity that will stored in a battery and whenever we require electricity we get it delivered from battery.

You will need to get a few items including copper, plywood board, wood boards, glass sheets, solar cells etc. All these materials are easily available in electrical and plywood shops and you can select a suitable size of board so that it meets your requirements. You will further need an audio/video guide so that once you go through the guide you can do the fabrication job yourself. If you purchase a readymade solar power generator from market, you will be spending any amount between $2000 and $3000, however if you build your own solar power generator, you will have to spend only $200. So, a huge cost saving can be achieved if you build solar power generator your own.



Adrian

drohilm asked:


In spite of the obvious importance of solar energy for our future energy reserves, and the huge amount of energy, that the sun provide us for free, I want’ to emphasize some of the draw-backs of solar energy, with the current technology, and share some of my worries about the problem that using solar energy still have.

I intend to drip some cool water on the entire hot “solar power” lobby, not to abolish it, but to speed them up, and causing them to think again about the problems.

Availability

Although solar energy is a great source of energy, it is still can be unavailable and unreliable some time. we need to remember that on our spherical earth, receiving different amount of light during the day and throughout the year, making it hard to retain constant energy supply. moreover, our current devices require a huge surfaces of panels in order to collect a small amount of energy, making it unachievable.

Price

solar energy, in our current situation is very expensive. Yes, sun is for free, but the current technology is very expensive, and in terms of surface needed relative to the production of electricity with fossil fuel, it is still very expensive. So prices have to be dramatically reduced , before it will become a good energy resource.

Efficiency

As I already said, our current technology is extremely inefficient. There are two main ways to produce electricity form solar energy: photovoltaic cells – which produce electricity directly from the sun, but are very inefficient and expensive, and heating fluids using the sun (like solar boiler), to drive turbines that produce energy. these two methods are still very ineffective, energetically speaking. There must be other ways to produce electricity efficiently from solar power.

Possible effect on the environment

Although it might sound strange, solar energy in its current form can be harmful to the environment. First, the materials used for the production of the panels, and the methods of production are very unfriendly to the environment. Second, these large surfaces, consume a huge space, and increasing the use of solar power will cost in many space wasted on solar panels. Third, increasing the reflecting surface of earth might cause a phenomenon of reflecting the sun light out, causing global cooling (this is not a joke!). Global cooling, looks good in first glance, might be horrific in the future. messing with earth climate was never a good idea. Not mention the effect that such a phenomenon might have on plants and photosynthesis, which are the basis for life.

effect on technology

Finally, since the current situation of solar energy in insufficiency and economically problematic, I think that the time to promote solar energy has not arrived yet, most of the concentration should be in increasing the investment in research and development, so the future generation will benefit from a good solar energy solutions.



Don

Arnold Hexden asked:


Solar power has many more uses around your home than just solar heating. The technology has made significant advances and you can now cook, heat your pool and even refrigerate your groceries using energy from the sun. However, your solar home may have issues that you may be unaware of. In this article, we’ll talk about the economic and environmental benefits and drawbacks of using solar power.

The biggest benefit of solar energy is that the fuel is free and the source is unlimited. There is little to no maintenance required with solar panels because there are no moving parts. In fact, most manufacturers include warranties on their products that are good for up to twenty-five years. In the event of a blackout, solar power is not affected. That means that during extreme storms, your family can still enjoy all the comforts of your solar home.

Environmentally speaking, the use of solar energy produces no emissions because there is no burning of fossil fuels. Solar energy prices are steadily declining and as new technologies emerge, the costs of solar systems will continue to decrease.

It is a fact that solar power home kits have become more commonplace in recent years, however, these kits can be dangerous. As the instructions in these kits are laid out in what seems to be easy-to-follow steps, some people forget the fact that they are working with electricity. To be on the safe side, purchasers of solar home power kits should read the instructions thoroughly.

It is recommended that you hire a professional installer or electrician instead of installing the kit yourself. Professionals have received more training, so they are much more capable of handling the risks that come with using solar power home kits.

It is also worth bearing in mind that although solar electricity is a clean source of power, eventual disposal of the cells is environmentally unfriendly! It is known that most solar cells that are used to create a solar home contain the highly toxic substance known as cadmium. Extreme care should be taken as it can cause serious environmental damage if it’s not disposed of properly.

The supply of sunlight should also be taken into account as with solar power it is imperative. Generally most places do have adequate light to operate with solar panels, but there are areas in the extreme north and south that experience only darkness for up to a month a year.

While solar power is a huge step forward in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, there are some drawbacks. Like with any investment, consumers should thoroughly research their options and consult professionals. Solar energy is a rapidly advancing technology, so it’s reasonable to assume that the issue of cadmium contamination will be addressed. It’s important to remember that building a solar home is not just a financial investment, but an investment into the future of a clean planet that will sustain generations to come.



Tyrone

Earth to Bella asked:


And what are some of the Advantages and Disadvantages of solar power?

Rita

r34gtrowner asked:


I want to make solar power at home but dont want to spend a fortune. I just want enough solar power to power a few household items.

I have a patio at the back of my house with a tv, juke box and a few other things. I just want to be able to power this stuff. Can I make a solar power generater at home to power this?

Leslie