Tag Archive 'solar panels'

Jan 24 2012

What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Leasing Solar Panels?

Published by under DIY

There are advantages and disadvantages of leasing solar panels; however, one should realize that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Solar energy is becoming more and more popular. Many people want to use solar power instead of traditional electricity. This trend is not at all bad; in fact, using solar power helps the environment and it can save a person a lot of money.

An individual who does not have the money to buy solar paneling may feel tempted to lease the panelling instead. There are numerous companies that lease out solar panels and one does not need to have exceptionally good credit in order to get the lease. A lease can help a homeowner to cut down his or her electricity bill by as much as 15%. Those who are concerned about the environment will also gain the knowledge that they are doing their part to help save the planet. Leasing solar panels cost much less than buying them outright. The company will then take care of the panel installation and any repair work or maintenance work that needs to be done on the paneling.

However, there are a number of pitfalls and disadvantages to leasing solar panels. Selling a house with a solar panel lease is very hard. The reason for this is that most leases last for many years, so the person buying the house would need to be willing to take on the lease. While many buyers do not mind buying a house with solar paneling installed, most are not interested in assuming the responsibility of an already made lease agreement. This means that the homeowner would need to lower the selling price of the house or break the agreement, which is costly and difficult.

If you invest in your own solar paneling, there are some benefits that you would be able to take advantage of. If you own the solar paneling, you may quality for a rebate from your state utility company. If you buy the paneling, you can also get a generous tax rebate from the government. A person who owns his or her own solar paneling can also earn RECs (renewable energy credits) that can then be sold. However, these benefits are only available for those who buy the panels instead of lease them. Solar companies make a lot of money off of leasing the paneling as they get all the above mentioned benefits due to the fact that they own the paneling and are taking full responsibility for it.

It is only recently that companies have started offering solar panels for lease as well as for sale. Leasing solar paneling may sound like a good idea, as it is relatively cheap and hassle free. However, a person should be aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of leasing solar panels before entering a lease agreement. Anyone who is considering selling his or her house should especially avoid solar paneling. Besides the fact that leased solar paneling does not save one a lot of money, it also makes it next to impossible for one to sell his or her home.

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Dec 17 2011

Low-cost Point Loma Solar Panels – Are They Affordable Or Not?

Published by under General Contracting

With today’s growing cost of electrical power, it is no surprise that numerous people are turning to alternative electricity sources. Set up of commercial solar panels can be very costly so men and women are contemplating inexpensive solar panels for less expensive vitality fees. Solar boards deliver so numerous rewards for your electricity fees and low-cost photo voltaic panels can be a fantastic substitute supply of electrical power for your residence.

Solar photovoltaic panels are genuinely efficient sources of power compared to common resources. If you make use of solar boards, you can conserve a good deal on your electricity payments. These photo voltaic panels make use of energy from the sunshine rays to transform them to electrical power for home usage. The electrical power created can be ample to provide energy for property appliances these kinds of as computer systems, tv sets, washing devices, and and so forth. This only signifies you will preserve a good deal of cash by not based so significantly on energy grids. Acquiring photo voltaic panels presents you the edge of not obtaining to encounter electricity outage from power grid overloading or from the temperatures conditions.

If you use low cost photo voltaic boards as an electricity supply in your house, you really don’t want so considerably electricity supplied by the neighborhood electrical business, which in flip lessens your electrical energy bills. Electrical power is widely utilized for various home appliances, and there could be times that more and much more various residence appliances will be additional any time. If you personal much more appliances, it would only indicate having to pay much more for the electrical power payments. So in this circumstance, it is obvious that photo voltaic panels can be an excellent source of electrical energy for your home. Another cause why folks prefer to use solar electrical power panels is due to the fact the power developed is thoroughly clean electricity which can minimize the adverse results on the setting-no greenhouse gasses, no carbon dioxide, no pollutants. You can really do your component in preserving the surroundings by not using the electric power which is produced from fossil fuels.

Solar electricity panels have a lot of fantastic positive aspects but it can be expensive to have them set up. But it is just a 1-time expenditure to install photo voltaic panels due to the fact in the long run, it will help you preserve cash on bills. Inexpensive photo voltaic boards are available and primarily they are used, and no, it is not a negative notion to acquire utilised ones. They can be sold for a reasonable price tag and nevertheless they can perform efficiently. Invest in photo voltaic electrical power panels-you will be using a fantastic electricity resource that is readily available, provided it is usually sunny in your area.

Your first decision is to go solar. Your second decision is to do it right. By choosing Point Loma Solar, you can be sure that you’re getting the best products and services.

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Dec 17 2011

Photo Voltaic Power Rebate – Suggestions To See You Are Competent

Published by under General Contracting

Going photo voltaic usually entails an regular of $20,000 for the components and installation. To offset this problem, nevertheless, the government has arrive up with incentives that could make using renewable sources of vitality this sort of as photo voltaic electricity a lot more beautiful to home owners and companies. They occur in the type of photo voltaic energy rebate and tax credits.

Who Can Get Photo voltaic Electricity Rebate?

You can get unlimited tax credit rating for making use of option, renewable sources of vitality this sort of as photo voltaic. The legislation mandates a rebate of 30% the ultimate set up cost, no ceiling, for solar electricity programs set up in the United States soon after 2009 up to yr 2016. Prior to this regulation, a ceiling price of $2,000 was set.

On best of these federal photo voltaic power rebates, you can avail of the state incentives obtainable in your region. The state of California, known as the biggest user of photo voltaic in the place, provides state rebate packages for installations on the two new and existing properties via the California Photo voltaic Initiative. Florida delivers as considerably as $four per watt for various photo voltaic systems and heaters. Colorado presents a $two for each watt upon set up and a succeeding $1.fifty for each watt as renewable vitality incentive to increase the electricity that can be produced in properties with far more than ample daylight.

Massachusetts can pay up to $twenty,000 in photo voltaic power rebate hard cash, based on your home worth and cash flow. Other states have different incentive schemes for likely photo voltaic, and you can see what applies to you on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Effectiveness (DSIRE). In addition to these state incentives, you can increase the financial advantages in your state by promoting again your extra generated energy again to your power grid.

What Variables Affect Your Solar Electrical power Rebate?

The government also considers the physical factors of your set up prior to granting photo voltaic subsidies. Your method performance also dictates how significantly you will be ready to get back again so the geographical place of your home, weather conditions situations, obstructions, shadings, angle of set up, module effectiveness, and other factors that could influence your solar method effectiveness also dictates the amount of subsidy you get for your system.

Your first decision is to go solar. Your second decision is to do it right. By choosing National City Solar, you can be sure that you’re getting the best products and services.

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Sep 25 2011

Solar Panels : How They Work

Published by under General Contracting

Energy rates are not getting any cheaper. Much of this phenomenon is caused by the seemingly constant fluctuation in price of crude oil. A large portion of the world is powered by means that are directly and indirectly linked to energy sources that are derived from petroleum. That is why there have been pockets forming all over that are investing in alternative forms of energy. Solar energy is one of the oldest forms of this alternative energy, and most of this technology’s energy production is accommodated by solar panels. How do solar panels work to produce electricity and other energy?

Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic modules or photovoltaic panels, are often found in groups that make up a system. A system is often required to create adequate energy for an establishment rather than a single panel. Each panel is comprised of interconnected solar cells that gather the photons from the sun and transform them into usable power. Most of these cells are made of crystalline silicon in wafer-form or cadmium telluride in thin-film form.

As a current is formed by the solar cells, wires conduct it from the panels via copper, silver, and other conductive metals. Most of the time, non-magnetic metals are utilized. In order to maintain a continuous conduit of energy, the solar cells must be connected to each other and every part of the system. Each electrical connection occurs in series until it reaches the predetermined output voltage that supports the desired current capacity.

Some solar collectors are designed using troughs . The troughs are elongated, concave, mirrored surfaces that collect sunlight and focus it onto tubes that span the length of the structure. Inside the tubes is a liquid that conducts the energy and transfers it to a substation that can then serve it to a connected building or into the grid. Heat may be generated using solar panels and mirrors as well as electricity.

Solar panels operate by means of a limitless energy source that costs nothing, and that is the sun. They are not expensive to operate, because the only electricity required is a minimal amount needed to power the motors that reposition the panels and mirrors throughout the day. This current is sometimes produced by the panels to which the motors are attached. Operational costs are thusly kept quite low.

More : Solar Panels On Warehouses Or Solar Panels On Restaurants

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Sep 02 2010

What You Need to Know When You Want Off Grid Energy

Published by under Energy Saving

These days awareness of higher energy costs are gradually motivating people to think outside the box. A way to save energy is of course, to limit the use of electrical appliances, but most people look for easier, cleaner, cheaper and more energy efficient solutions when it comes to their energy consuming appliances. One of the alternatives is to buy solar panels for on site electric generation. Let us take a closer look at what to consider when you choose to generate your own electricity with solar panels.


For anyone unfamiliar with solar panels, it is a devices that catches light from the sun and converts it into usable electricity. The more bright the sunlight is, the more electricity the panel can produce. But investing in this device can get very expensive so buying very large solar panels is not cost efficient.


When you compared conventional heating methods with generating your heat with harnessed energy from solar panels, it is needless to say you will need to store energy during the day for heating in the night. That means you will need considerable space to store connected batteries. The use of this energy would last much longer when appliances would operate on DC instead of AC. Solar power is free of monthly expenses for as long as it operates. In an off grid house the consumption of power should be as limited as possible. Not only would you need it to provide heating, it also has to provide cooling and ventilation and many other things through your electric appliances. In certain countries, governments even gives allowance and incentive to people who provide in their own electricity needs!


When you consider investing in homemade electricity, it is primarily important to know your electrical needs. So first thing to check would be which electrical appliance you wish to power, and how much power they need. Most common use for solar panels is heating of water because this consumes a lot of power. I would do the same. The most energy consuming appliances would best be substituted with solar energy. A DC to AC converter would be needed to use typical household appliances on solar power. When you have summed up the total wattage of your commonly used appliances, but a solar panel capable of producing a high wattage. This will ensure that the solar panel you will be using will have enough power output for your energy needs.


The roof of your house is most commonly used for locating the panels. You want your solar panels to have maximum light collection throughout the day. A solar tracker will provide maximum energy output, but it will cost additional investments. The use of such a device would be advisable for larger scale and when applied at a location that is predominately sunny during the year. The best thing to do without such a device is to place the solar panels in a way that they would be facing the sun directly when the sun is at its brightest.


Check the guaranteed service and lifespan of the solar panels you buy. The lifespan can range between 10-20 years. Compare the expenses of the commonly used panels to buying a more expensive and durable panel. It could give you savings considering it will only last for such period of time. People think it lasts forever, no it does not!


Solar panels truly give benefits to our houses. But other alternatives are appearing so most people hesitate to buy them. New technology can create much more efficient panels but always consider costs and benefits when buying your own electricity generating system. Moreover, do not oversee the time that your equipment will last. You want to enjoy the benefits of generating your own power, not suffer the high cost.


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Aug 12 2010

If You Don’t Use an in Ground Pool Solar Heater, You’ll Be Sorry

Published by under Pools & Spas

Solar water heating has reached a high level of popularity in a lot of residential homes in the past years. It is not an uncommon sight anymore to have an in ground pool solar heater. This way of heating is very efficient and cheap, since you are using a free and renewable energy, your electric bills would be reduced up to 50%. Because of the high demand, several manufacturers produce and retail different models and makes to the consumers.


There are two basic kinds of solar heating sytems: passive and active. An active solar eating system uses electric pumps and controllers to be able to circulate water through the collectors. These systems are usually more expensive than passive ones. Passive heating systems basically rely on physics and transfer and collect power more naturally, making it more reliable and easier to maintain. The setback though is water flow is slower so it can be less efficient. AmeriMerc is one of the online websites that offer different in ground pool solar heater. One of their products is the SunGrabber Deluxe Solar Pool Heater item NS715, which includes the system kit and 4 – 2 X 10 solar panels, priced at $534.75. The system kit consists of a ball valve, check valve, couplers, tie-downs and a vacuum relief alve. The packages they sell are basic and include only 4 panels but for optimal coverage it is advisable that the panels be 50% of the area of the pool.


Another in ground pool solar heater made by the same manufacturer is the SunGrabber Economy Solar Heater Item NS700, which costs $699.75 at AmeriMerc’s website. This base package includes 4 – 2 X 20 solar panels and related hardware. These solar panels are horizontally mounted on the roof and have large headers which maximize solar efficiency and also make for better circulation. You can also purchase additional accessories and parts to go with the base package. You can buy add-on solar panels for about $150 each to be able to achieve optimal heating. The website also offers a sizing chart to help you better understand how many panels are needed for a certain pool size. Both of these SunGrabber products manufactured by Fafco come with a 10 year warranty on the solar collector.


AmeriMerc also sells the Sunheater in ground pool solar heater which has an over molded fiberglass header pipes and can up the temperature of the pool by 10 degrees. This product can be easily installed on the house’s roof or just placed on the ground on a mounted rack. The price would depend on the kind of package you want to purchase but the lowest priced one is Item S601 which includes 2 – 2 x 20 solar panels which is able to gather up to 80,000 BTUs every day. Freight shipping is free and the product costs $229.95 on their website. Other packages can include up to 8 solar panels with a system kit included and costs $949.95. All of these come with a 5 year limited warranty. The initial installation of an in ground pool solar heater may not be that cheap but you will be able to reap its benefits in the long run. These systems are more efficient and reliable than other heating systems that are electric or gas fueled.


Aside from pools, solar heating can also be used for spa systems and residential household needs.

These are just a few of the options in solar water heaters.


Next, discover how the different types of water heaters at www.waterheaterreport.com can really save cut your utility bills.

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Mar 10 2010

What You Need to Know About Solar Panel Prices

Published by under Energy Saving

Solar panels are a great way to reduce electricity costs and to protect the environment. They come in a lot of flavors from very high tech and expensive to very cheap. They can be silicon based and even organic. This is why a lot of people are intimidated by solar energy panels. They do not believe that they can build their own panels from scratch.


By now you should be enthusiastic about building your own solar energy panels and wondering how you can build them yourself. You may not be very confident but you should know that most of the sites that selling these panels are run by people that building them themselves. You do not have to be an expert in order to build some basic solar energy panels.


If you decide to outfit your house with solar energy panels you will build, you should start look for a course on the subject. These courses usually cover everything you need to know about building solar panels. You should be able to go through the entire course in a day or two. They will also teach you how you should plug the solar energy panel system in your grid.


You probably already have the skills required to build a solar panel. The parts you need are very common, cheap and can be found at your local hardware store. You can even build enough panels to go completely off the grid and no longer depend on the power companies. Try it now!

And, a step-by-step video guide that will show you how to Make a Solar Panel at home can be found on my site. Click here to find out how YOU can save thousands by making your own solar panels and save even more off your power bills.

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Feb 24 2010

Solar Batteries Provide Free Power For Your Portable Gear

Published by under Electrical

Solar batteries can help power your portable devices with simple sunlight. They do this by using a flexible solar panel to charge an internal battery pack in the device that can be used later if needed. There are a wide variety of models of these solar batteries, which makes it easy to find the perfect solution for your needs.


Smaller versions of these solar batteries are used to provide power for cell phones or laptops and can add hours of use to these devices when fully charged.


Many of them have universal connectors that allow you to easily hook up your device to the unit for power.


Some of these solar chargers also include a standard battery holder, which enables you to charge a set of standard NiCad batteries that can be removed when charged and used in any device they fit. This way you can snap a set of dead batteries into the charger and sit the unit out in the sun to recharge them for later use.


There are also larger versions of these solar batteries that can be used on mobile homes and boats. These systems consist of slightly larger solar panels that are mounted on a flat surface of these vehicles to get the sun exposure they need. This solar panel is connected to a bank of deep cycle batteries that are charged when the sun is shining and can be used later to power electronics or lighting in the boat or camper.


Solar batteries also make a great portable power source for camping or use in a remote cabin. This type of system usually consists of a portable solar panel that is connected to a controller unit. The controller unit contains the batteries and trickle charges them with the power from the solar panels.


When they are fully charged, the controller can be disconnected from the solar panels and taken with you to provide power where you need it. Most of these systems feature controllers that can supply both 12VDC power as well as standard residential 120VAC power.


They normally have a set of standard connectors built into them where you can plug in the lighting and appliances you want to power with the device. When you return home from your trip, you can simply plug the controller back into the solar panel to recharge the batteries so they are ready when you need them next or you can take your solar panel with you to keep your controller fully charged.


To power your home you will need a slightly different set up. You will need solar panels mounted in an array to provide your home with enough power. In addition to store the power you will need a bank of deep cycle solar batteries so you will have power when the Sun is not shinning.

If you would like information using solar power and solar batteries click on one of the links in this section.


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Check out my Blog online for more information, click on the links above.

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Jan 19 2010

Solar Panels – Are They Right For You?

Published by under Energy Saving

Solar panels are devices that convert light into electricity. Solar panels are dropping in price, but they still aren’t dirt cheap, so if you’re switching to solar it’s a great time to also carefully evaluate your electricity use. Call your utility company and get an “energy audit” and follow the recommendations. Most homeowners can cut their use of electricity or gas by anywhere from 5% to 30%. By cutting your power usage to an absolute minimum you can purchase only the solar panel capacity that is required for your home. PV (photovoltaic) solar panels are made from solar cells which are a semiconductor material.

Electricity

The process for creating electricity from sun light is rather complex, but all you need to know is that photons collide with electrons in the semiconductor material and essentially free them up to flow when hooked up to a battery. This flow of electrons is what makes an electrical current.

The average household uses 30kwh of electricity per day. Electrical utility companies are required by law to accommodate “net metering”. This means that you can sell your excess power back to the power company. Thus, if you are out at work on a sunny day, or go on a two-week skiing vacation and aren’t using any electricity, the power being created by the solar panels is going back into the grid to the utility company. In other words every kilowatt-hour of electricity produced by a solar energy system ends up being used to the advantage of the homeowner, either as power to run appliances when the homeowner is there or as a dollar-for-dollar credit provided by the utility company for power that is not being used.

Cost

The most important component of the PV solar panel system will probably be the amount of subsidy you are eligible for. Since some utility companies need to meet goals for the amount of renewable energy they furnish, there are some very attractive rebates offered at times. These can be large rebates indeed, up to 50% of the cost of a system or even higher. This can make a system that would support the average 30 kwh per day home cost roughly $20,000 rather than $40,000! In addition, there is a $2,000 tax credit offered by the federal government. However, this is not always the case. In our local area of Colorado there are several utility companies that service the region. One offers a 50% rebate as described above. Another offers a 66% rebate, and a third offers no rebate at all. So you need to check with your utility company to see what rebates, if any, apply to your location. You should also contact a solar panel contractor who can give you lots of information about system costs, and of course they will probably know the rebates offered in your local area. Typical PV solar panels cost about $4 per watt before installation. Installation is a major expense, however, and in the example cited above with a 50% rebate, final system costs will amount to about $6.50- $7.00 per watt installed.

Batteries

Batteries are required in stand-alone systems to provide energy during night hours. These can be very expensive, but if you have an isolated cabin, an RV, or some other need for power and don’t have access to the public power grid, a solar system with batteries is certainly a solution.

Conclusion

When you consider the costs of a full blown PV solar system which will cut your electric bill down to zero or close to it, you get one other benefit. The value of your property increases with such a system, and your property taxes will not increase because of this added value. In addition to the satisfaction of cutting down your carbon footprint significantly, your system will eventually pay for itself, and your property will be worth more as well. Keep these factors in mind when you calculate your pay-back period.

Walt Ballenberger is web master for http://www.solarpanelsblog.info/wordpress which has tons of information about solar panels of all sorts. Visit also a companion site http://www.solarlightsblog.com/solarlights to learn about solar lighting and associated products.

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Dec 14 2009

A Solar Water Heating System Can Help Cut Your Fuel Bills

Published by under Heating & Air

One modern day luxury that we often take for granted is the ability to have a hot bath or shower at the flick of a water faucet. If you are like me, a hot shower is a great way to relax after a busy day at work. An even better way to relieve stress is to spend a few hours in a hot bath that has a few drops of relaxing essential oil. Of course it was not always this easy and in many parts of the world is seen as a great luxury. It is estimated that the average home spends more money on heating water than any other energy need. In most homes this is done by using grid electricity to power a water heater. The down side to this is that grid electricity is powered by fossil fuels that are linked to causing environmental problems and are ultimately finite. What this means is that in time using this method to heat your water is bad for the planet and bad for your wallet. An alternative to this is to use a solar water heating system. This article will explain some of the important parts and how the system works.

One of the first things to consider when thinking about solar power is to make your home more energy efficient. This means using the energy created to the utmost and getting as much energy from the source as possible. In terms of creating hot water this means insulating your hot water tank so that heat is not lost to the environment. Most tanks have some form of insulation but if your system is old, the insulation might not be the best or may need replacing. You should also look at the one that you use. This may be an old resistive type heater and should be replaced by more modern heaters that can be up to 5 times more efficient at heating water. Heat water pumps are a very efficient way of heating water. These systems can either reduce or eliminate your need for grid powered water heating.

Many people start off with a system that integrates into the existing grid powered system because this provides the least amount of change or disruption to the home. As a person gets more comfortable with the idea of solar power they may move onto total solar powered water heating.

The two types of solar water heating systems are known as flat plate collectors and batch collectors. Flat plate collectors are simply a length of piping that allows liquid to pass through it. The pipes are located on a surface that comes in contact with the sun. So the roof top is often the most suitable place and also is out of the way so the system is unlikely to be damaged. The pipes in the flat plate collector are painted black on the underside to absorb heat. The side facing the sun often have a glass that helps to absorb and distribute the sunlight to the liquid. Batch collectors are a water tank that is insulated to absorb heat. Thus they will be painted black also.

The water that is heated by these two systems can then be plumbed into the conventional heating system. As the water is already heated the conventional system will use less electricity to heat the water. As your use of solar power evolves you will move to using solar panels to provide the electricity to power the hot water heater. At this stage you will be utilizing the full power of the sun to heat water for your home.

Solar power can be applied to many house and garden products. In recent years the cost of these appliances have become very affordable and saved money on energy bills. Learn more about solar powered appliances at http://www.solarpowerappliances.com – The site has features on solar water heating systems and various solar power related articles. Adrian Whittle writes about using solar power and appliances that can utilize renewable energy sources.

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