Electricity generated from solar power (photovoltaic – PV) is steadily proving to be a clean, reliable and essential power.Although naysayers, like fossil-fuel competitors, want us to think otherwise, I can easily demystify some common falsehoods about solar energy because progress and continued research proves that the current and future technologies of PV will meet our needs for cleaner power, which definitely is information worth discussing over any dinner party. First of all most naysayers contend that solar energy cannot deliver any major portion of electricity to the states or the world for that matter. This is a falsehood based on the fact that PV technology can meet the required demand. That a 100-mile-square area of Nevada could supply solar energy to the states with all its electricity (roughly 800 gigawatts) operating reasonably efficient (10%) commercial PV modules. Land, parking lots and rooftops are available for use to generate enough power. An estimated 17 by 17 miles per state is the required amount needed to produce 800 gigawatts. Apparently, there are enough “abandoned” sites that could be used for solar panels.Supporters of solar electricity definitely have proven that PV can supply a major portion of the U.S. electrical needs with their projection of an increase of at least 15% of new added electricity capacity in 2020 with another increase of 10% by 2030.Another falsehood I hear quite regularly is that photovoltaics will never become a huge industry. It’s a boutique business for a small group of privileged consumers.Quite the contrary, solar electricity is a full-fledged business that has been growing steadily for more than 35% per year over the past 2 years. As a matter of fact, it’s been reported that the U.S.-based industry itself is reaching the $1 billion mark per year and providing 25,000 jobs. In the next two decades the growth rate is expected to rise to the $10-$15 billion level, thus provided 300,000 jobs by 2025. We are talking a major expansion of solar electricity as a tried and true power source.Another very common falsehood that I hear at dinner party conversations is the PV is too expensive and will not ever compete against all mighty fossil-fuels – the industry will never manufacture the energy that it takes to produce the system.Do I have a smirk on my face? Yes. This is so far from the truth, it is ridiculous. The overall cost of producing PV modules has dropped from 1980 at $50 per peak watt to as low as $3 per peak watt, presently, bringing the competitive applications to as low as 15¢-25¢ per kilowatt hour (kWh).One can simply take a look at the market in California. The state incentives and net metering alone have places, PV electricity prices below 11¢/kWh, which is in the norm with some utility-delivered power. Designed for most domestic markets the trend is projected to continue through 2010 for most domestic markets.Technologically the thin-film modules that are being implemented today payback in one year or even less, which means clean and practically free of overhead energy for the remaining 29-year life expectancy of the modules. Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet’s solar energy resource page contains articles and tools such as our solar calculator to help with your solar project.
spanish mortgage

Change is a watch word for our planet, and changes have been made that have enhanced the Earth. Scientist are exploring the negative effects of solar energy in order to safely replace the energy sources that we presently use with this form.Solar energy has the ability to give us cheaper if not free electricity to our homes through the use of solar panels. However, before you jump on the band wagon and go out and try to start this new power trip there are a few things you should know. There are some people who believe there are many negatives to solar power. Many people believe that thermal solar energy has many health risks when it is used to heat water and the air in their homes. This can happen when it has not been set up properly or the manufacturer made errors when producing it. If it is unable to store the water properly it can cause fungus and molds to grow making anyone who drinks or uses the water sick. To make sure that this does not happen you can make sure that the units used to store the water have been built from materials that are made to prevent this.PV solar energy also as health risks that you need to be careful of. PV (photo-voltaic) panels require millions of silicon dioxide in order to be used. That number is lowered when they are exposed to heat. The materials that are released during the refining process will increase the rate of toxicity and can affect your health. This is one of the more serious negatives of solar energy that is responsible for eleven to twenty one deaths per each quadrillion joules of energy that are created.But do not let this deter you completely. Study up on the different types of solar panels and the negatives as well as the positives. You might find that they are worth it in the end. There are many Solar Energy Negatives that people should consider. But they will not do you any good if you do not compare them to the Benefits of Solar Energy.how to hypnotize someone

Solar energy is radiated from the sun through forms of heat and light, this powers the Earth’s climate and sustains life. Today’s technologies can make use of this energy resource. Simply, solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electric power. The technologies that are used to convert the sunlight into power are called photovoltaics, there are also other technologies that have been used such as concentrating solar thermal devices but a lot of the experimental devices such as thermal converters, solar chimneys and solar ponds have also been used.
Solar energy is a much safer and energy efficient way of creating electricity, the use of solar energy has now become an important component to consider when designing a building. This is what thermal mass is used for; because it preserves the heat that the sunshine delivers to the building and can then transfer that heat into electricity. There are also solar water heaters which are a much more efficient way of heating swimming pools, and are a great idea for large hotels and sports pools, which use up a lot of the earths non-renewable fuels.
We also use solar power in agriculture, in particular greenhouses, in case you’ve always wondered what they are for, now you know, because they grow specialty crops, which are difficult to grow out side in the normal atmosphere, instead, the greenhouse uses the photovoltaics, which cause the plants to photosynthesize, which causes them to grow faster and stronger. There are also photovoltaic-powered water pumps for grazing cattle. There are also evaporation ponds which can work in the city and in the country; they are used to harvest salt and clean streams of contaminants.
In the poorer areas of the world, solar distillation and disinfection techniques produce potable water for millions of people. Also for families, and large buildings, family-scale cookers and larger solar kitchens concentrate sunlight for cooking, and in the more industrial work places, more sophisticated concentrating technologies magnify the rays of the sun for high-temperature material testing, metal smelting and industrial chemical production. A range of prototype solar vehicles provide ground, air and sea transportation.
How do the solar power technologies work? Here is an example:
The simplest form of solar energy collection is the FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR, this is a long flat rectangle which ideally would be fixed on to a roof or building in a sunny area.
Dark metal plates absorb and preserve the heat. Coils of tubing are looped throughout the collector, next to the metal plates with air, water or an anti-freeze solution circulating within them. The heat is transferred into the coils and thus the fluid/air as it circulates through the tubing. The air or fluid is either used immediately (as hot water or to heat a room, pool, etc.) or it is transferred to a well insulated holding tank for later use.
These are capable of reaching temperatures of 82 degrees Celsius which is great for heating water or a room. Free WP Plugins

In this day and age of growing technology, scientists are working diligently to find ways to harness solar energy in order to power the Earth. Producing cars and products powered by solar energy will reduce the emission of harmful gasses and chemicals into the atmosphere. Our Earth is a precious commodity and we need to take care to protect it.What is solar energy? Solar energy is radiant heat and light that is emanated from the Sun. This light helps to influence the climate on Earth and allows not only humans and animals – but also fish to live. Solar energy has been harnessed for power since the ancient times by humans through the use of different technologies.The Earth can receive 174 petawatts of solar radiation or insolation in its upper atmosphere. Close to 30% of that is reflected back into space and the rest is absorbed by the clouds, land masses, and the oceans. The spectrum of solar light on the surface of the Earth is predominantly spread across near infrared and visible ranges and a small part in the near ultraviolet. The solar light that is absorbed is able to heat the land surface, atmosphere, and oceans.Solar energy as well as hydroelectricity, wind, and wave power make up 99.97% of the renewable energy that is available on the Earth. The total amount of solar energy that the Earth’s atmosphere, land masses, and oceans absorbs is close to 3,850 zettajoules a year. Studies show that in 2002 this was more energy in one single hour then what the world would use in a total year. The amount of solar energy that the Earth’s surface can capture is so large that in a single year it will be twice the amount that we can obtain from non-renewable resources of oil, coal, and natural gas. Because of this consumers themselves are seeking to purchase their own solar energy systems to help save them money and to keep the Earth safe. Understanding what Solar Energy Is and why most people find it important will give us an insight on way that we can Harness It.

Solar energy is likely the largest, single answer to this nation’s dependence on fossil fuels. With enough solar energy, U.S. citizens can ignore the threat of Peak Oil, the more visible threat of oil embargoes from Mideast countries, the rising cost of fossil fuels and the air pollution that is making large cities virtually uninhabitable.Getting to that goal isn’t easy. There are a lot of solar incentives out there, from utility companies sponsoring solar installation to local, state and federal governments offering funding or tax rebates to homeowners installing a photovoltaic (PV) system. Unfortunately, these incentives are all over the board, vary from state to state and even region to region depending on the utility, are rarely publicly advertised to make homeowners aware of their existence, and change from one year to the next depending on the whims of Congress.Most homeowners, when presented with the 10,000 hoops required to get some kind of incentive package, shrug their shoulders and walk away. Life is complicated enough. If president-elect Barack Obama truly wants to meet his eco-friendly energy goals – five million “green collar” jobs, negative oil imports in by 2018, and 10 percent of energy coming from renewable sources like solar – he will first need to translate this mishmash of incentives into a cohesive, comprehensive and comprehensible national policy.What if, for example, instead of searching DSIRE’s (Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy) map for your state, then searching the more than 100 entries for a program that matches your qualifications and expectations, you could simply rely on the fact that state, regional and utility incentives all offered a specific program?Better yet, what if an agency of the federal government, like the U.S. Department of Energy, took over all incentives and offered a flat rebate not subject to change every time Congress was in session? Can you imagine the numbers of individuals who – currently stymied by a maze of regulations and stipulations – would flock to install solar energy panels? I can, and it would give the solar energy industry a boost not seen since Henry Ford first introduced an affordable automobile.You can make this happen by writing your representative and demanding a uniform, timeless, renewable energy incentive program. Better yet, join a social networking site and start your own petition, or contact renewable energy advocate sites (the American Solar Energy Society is a good start) and ask them to start a petition asking Obama and his transition team to develop such a program.The future of solar energy is you, and tomorrow is already here. Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet’s solar energy resource page contains articles and tools such as our solar calculator to help with your solar project.

Solar power systems for home come in a wide variety of types and sizes.  One of the first things you’ll need to know is exactly how you’ll be using your free energy.  The PV cells of a solar array absorb the sun’s ultraviolet rays and convert that energy into electric current… but that doesn’t mean you can use it right away.  The ‘juice’ created by the photovoltaic process is direct current (DC) and needs to be changed to alternating current (AC) before it can be used for your household electric needs.  This requires the use of an inverter.  There are some uses for DC current within the household, but most solar power in homes consists of electricity that’s been already transformed into a more standard usable form.The next thing to consider is how you’ll be gathering this free, clean, renewable energy from the sun!  When most people think of home solar heating panels they think of those great big monstrosities that used to clutter rooftops back in the 70’s and 80’s.  Those ugly eyesores did little to promote the industry, and if anything they hurt the image of solar energy for decades to come.  Luckily in today’s world, advances in PV cell technology have made it so that you can harness the sun’s rays in a multitude of new ways.  Rooftop solar panels installation is much simpler, easier, and a LOT more attractive these days!  Panels are smaller and better looking, and they can be mounted flush to the roofline.  Solar shingles are another way to go… you can build entire home photovoltaic systems that look the same as asphalt shingles or ceramic glazed roofing.  By tiling the top of your home with thousands of these tiny cells, you can harness free green energy year-round.  These systems go up easily with just a few solar panel installation classes, and in a few days or even hours you can begin lowering your electric bills while making the planet a cleaner place to live.Solar heaters for pools are another popular do it yourself project.  You can install a diy solar pool heater in just a matter of hours, saving you hundreds of dollars over the summer in pool heating costs.  Either the sun warms water in an insulated tank, or a vacuum tube system is utilized to make the most of the day’s UV rays.  Water tanks can also be used in the home – for showers, dishwashers, washing machines, or anywhere hot water is required.You can even take solar energy classes that will instruct you on the guidelines of step by step solar system setup.  From determining the angle of installation to drilling the struts that will support the array, one of the best ways to learn is through watching home solar panel kit videos.  The visuals and knowledge obtained by learning from these videos will give you the confidence to begin solar panels installation on any scale project, small or large.   You don’t have to have previous experience with any type of green energy – the instructions are all that you need.And when it comes to installation, usually only a few small tools are required: a laser level, a chalkline, a drill and a socket set.  In most cases connectors will snap together, but you may also need a soldering gun.  The hardware that comes with a home solar power kit is designed to attach to the backs of your PV panels and then be bolted or clamped right to the mounting struts.  In many cases these mounts will be adjustable so you can tilt them toward the sun no matter which month it is.  This allows you to maximize your solar exposure as the sun changes position (relative to your roof) throughout the year. Check out Installing PV Panels for more information, and for video instruction on step by step solar energy classes. And for clean, renewable energy from the sun, be sure to visit Home Solar PV Panels.

“SOLAR ENERGY”   by Farooq Raza Qadri               Today in Pakistan we are facing shortage of almost every basic need of life like water, gas, and especially electricity. It is the worst conditions we are facing now a days. The reason for that is…well we all know “THE REASONS” don’t we!!! Few days back I was reading an article in a local newspaper which was about getting electricity like many European countries which is from “Wind Turbines”. It’s a very good idea and we must have to think other ways of energy to meet our needs. Another idea which I’m going to discuss here is “SOLAR ENERGY”.  As we all know that summer season is longer than winter in Pakistan. So it means we can get more and more sunlight. In my view Solar Energy Systems will be more successful in Pakistan than any European country because thankfully we can have more sunlight than Europe. Many scientists and engineers from all over the world are working in this field. Some say that it’ll be very costly, YES it’ll be but only in start as like everything when it’s new its price is high but when the competition arises then prices goes down its simple economics. We’ve used the Sun for drying clothes and food for thousands of years, but only recently have we been able to use it for generating power. The Sun is 150 million Kilometers away, and amazingly powerful. Just the tiny fraction of the Sun’s energy that hits the Earth (around a hundredth of a millionth of a percent) is enough to meet all our power needs many times over. In fact, every minute, enough energy arrives at the Earth to meet our demands for a whole year – if only we could harness it properly and preserve it.             Here are some techniques that are being used in many parts of the world to get energy from the sun light. Solar Cells (really called “photovoltaic” or “photoelectric” cells) that convert light directly into electricity. In a sunny climate, you can get enough power to run a 100W light bulb from just one square metre of solar panel. This was originally developed in order to provide electricity for satellites, but these days many of us own calculators powered by solar cells. Solar cells provide the energy to run satellites that oribt the Earth. These give us satellite TV, telephones, navigation, weather forecasting, the internet and all manner of other facilities Solar water heating, where heat from the Sun is used to heat water in glass panels on your roof. This means you don’t need to use so much gas or electricity to heat your water at home. Water is pumped through pipes in the panel. The pipes are painted black, so they get hot when the Sun shines on them. This helps out your central heating system, and cuts your fuel bills. However, in very cold places especially in winter season you must remember to drain the water out to stop the panels freezing. Solar heating is worthwhile in places like California, Australia, South East Asia (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh) where you get lots of sunshine as I mentioned it earlier. Solar Towers One idea that is being considered is to build Solar Towers. The idea is very simple – you build a big greenhouse, which is warmed by the Sun. In the middle of the greenhouse you put a very tall tower. The hot air from the greenhouse will rise up this tower, fast – and can drive turbines along the way. This could generate significant amounts of power, especially in countries where there is a lot of sunshine and a lot of room, such as Australia.   Advantages Disadvantages Is it renewable? Solar Power is renewable. The Sun will keep on shining anyway, so it makes sense to use it.             Why “THE PROFESSIONALS” from Europe and America etc. I’ll suggest that to lower the cost we should use our own manpower which is cheaper and hardworking. By the Grace of ALLAH we are Blessed with everything in our country like skilled manpower, raw material and especially more and more SUN LIGHT!!! As I mentioned earlier Europe like UK and many other countries are facing problem with less sun light but By the Grace of ALLAH we don’t have to face it. We just need good management of these things and work with diligence. INSHALLAH we’ll be successful. Pakistan will be successful. LONG LIVE PAKISTAN!

Solar Power History

“I have no doubt that we will be successful in harnessing the sun’s energy… If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago.” These are words of Sir George Porter (December 1920 – August 2002), Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, which today is a reality. The energy which is derived from the sun and responsible for practically all life on earth is today harnessed for generating heat, light, power and electricity for meeting global needs for alternate energy resources. Yet the concept and use of solar energy is not new. Early Greeks, Native Americans and Chinese have used it to their benefit by orienting their home and hearth toward the sun for centuries. The term solar power has today become synonymous with solar energy which is obtained by converting sunlight to electricity.

While the application span of solar energy now encompasses the domestic (including cooking and heating), commercial, industrial, farming, aviation and surface transport sectors, there are several technologies which are in place to generate this type of natural energy. In fact, solar energy has now found its place in every day use items like cars and calculators.

Back in historical times, solar energy may not have been known by any name, but its use has always been the backbone of agriculture ever since man learned to till the land and grow food or crops. We have seen the importance of this energy in medieval Europe where farmers deployed elaborate agricultural strategies to get the maximum out of sunlight for the wellbeing of their yield. Even today, sunlight optimization is the primary agenda for anyone who is involved in farming or gardening, starting from planning their planting schedule, strategizing row orientation, altering plant heights between rows, etc.

Man has always built his home to take the most out of available sunlight. Critical use of solar energy is evident in today’s urban building designs where not only the building orientation but window placements and proportions and building materials are chosen to harness the most of this invaluable energy form. The importance of solar energy was realized by first century Roman architect Vitruvius who commented that home designs must be made according to the diversity of the climate of that particular region. Solar energy when deployed to supplement day lighting techniques, homes can save enormous amount of resources by making maximum use of sunlight during all the time that it lasts. The importance of solar lighting or natural light was appreciated way back in 6th century Rome and later corroborated by the British in 1832. In fact, it was only in the 20th century that artificial methods became the primary source of interior lighting. The energy and oil crises during 1973 and 1979, made people re-focus on natural lighting, but soon the interest died due to cheap available sources of energy.

One of the areas where solar energy is most widely used today is in the field of solar thermal applications, where the applied technology uses heat from the sun to heat water and space; for ventilation; for processed heat required for industrial applications, cooking, for water distillation plants, etc.

For more info visit www.solar-reviews.com Nathan is the owner of many free to use research sites gardening guide @ iplant.co.ukBenefits of echium creams @ EchiumCreams.com cheap cruise deals and ideas

While solar farms and tax credits and fresh energy policies push their way to the solar forefront, rooftop photovoltaic systems have been lagging. Those within the solar industry may be boasting a predicted annual growth rate of 50%, but until local businesses and citizens are able to embrace solar energy over fossil fuels, the prediction may be just that.The idea of solar farms seems somewhat contradictory in terms of providing a ‘greener’ source of energy; we’re already seeing the first fits of rushes to snag acreage for generating solar power. Isn’t one of the concepts of an eco-friendly future to re-use what you’ve already got? To get even more picky about it, the electricity generated by solar farms requires a greatly upgraded power grid in order to deliver the power from solar farms in rural areas into the cities. And the tax credits are a step in the right direction, but they still don’t make installing solar panels affordable for the average citizen. Luckily, there is a concept floating around that may assuage nit-pickers and sticklers for practicality like me: rooftop leasing for the use of photovoltaic systems which feed energy into the grid.There are positive effects of having power drip into the main grid from many different sources rather than from a few massive sources. A 2005 study revealed that if every commercial and residential rooftop was equipped to capture solar power, 75% of the U.S.’s energy consumption would be taken care of. But how to make solar installation affordable for everyone with a rooftop? Rooftop leasing.We’re already seeing the idea in action in California, where the city of Santa Barbara has leased out the rooftops of city-owned buildings to solar integration companies to provide enough energy to power 1,040 homes. But before you write a letter to your local statesperson, let’s look at some pros and cons of a solar energy grid based on the leased rooftop system.Pros Cons While the pros and cons seem to outweigh one another on paper, I still think rooftop leasing is one of the best ideas for generating enough solar energy to power a country while making it affordable and maintaining solar’s green image. Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet’s solar energy resource page contains articles and tools such as our solar calculator to help with your solar project.

Solar energy is available all around us, it helps control environmental pollution and the best thing is, it is free. Apart from that, most of us feel that installing solar panels to extract this valuable solar energy into our homes is difficult and troublesome. But little do we know that installing these solar energy solutions is surprisingly easy. Furthermore, installing these solar energy systems in our homes will help us cut down on our electric bills or even eliminate it altogether. Knowing that you are doing your part to save the earth for your children and the future generations will make you feel satisfied and delightful… Let us explore the various home solar energy solutions available in the market. The Solar cooker: You don’t have to use any fuel at all when you are cooking with a solar cooker. Food for up to six people can be cooked in the small box. You can boil, roast and bake food items in the solar cooker. The only disadvantage is that it takes a longer time to cook but the biggest advantage is that this solar cooker is using the free source of solar energy all around you and it will definitely help you cut down those utility bills and help save power. Solar lights for homes Solar energy is converted into electrical energy for your house by a solar home lighting system. This is achieved via cells that are charged with solar energy. If you are wondering why the lights can still be turned on in the house at night time, it is because the solar cells have stored the solar energy. You don’t have to worry about paying your electricity bills anymore after you have installed the solar home lighting system in your house The Solar heating system: Cut down your electricity bill and save the world’s exhausting power by installing a solar heating system in your home. Installing the solar heating system is not that expensive and it also will not make your home look unsightly. Solar power solutions companies will provide aesthetically-pleasing heating systems in your house. Do not worry about the cost of installing the solar heating system in your home because you get a return on your investment within within 2 years and the service will be absolutely free after that. Watch a video of one man who uses his very own solar panels to supply electricity to his home and now gets money back from the electrical company because his utilities electric meter reverse backwards.

Please Visit: – Solar Panels save home owner cash

Alternatively, you can learn how to build an economical solar energy system in your own home and save TONS of money on your electrical utility bills.

Please visit: No More Electric Bills

Lets help save the earth and and preserve a cleaner planet for our children… All the best!!