Solar Power Used To Heat Water Efficiently
September 18, 2009 by Kobi Haretz
Filed under Renewable Energy
Due to frustration with utility companies more and more people are looking for way to make a switch to efficient and affordable homemade energy. One of the first steps in significantly lowering your costs is making the transition to a solar powered water heater.This is done by installing solar photovoltaic panels.This is much more efficient today because of affordable home solar panel kits.The use of solar power now allows you to heat your water efficiently and affordably.
You have a variety of options when switching to heating your water using solar power.You can even make your own homemade solar panels using a solar photovoltaic kit.The water runs through pipes before it enters your home. Heating water using solar power will take place before the water goes into your home as it passes by the solar source that attracted the light. You will also want to purchase a tank to store the water in.Heating your water successfully will require both a storage tank and a solar collector.
A very common collector is a plate collector,which is designed be a thin,flat box that has a transparent cover. It carries the fluid to be heated. This can be water or solution such as antifreeze that prevents the water from freezing in the winter . The water then moves through tubes to an absorber plate. This plate is often black in color to absorb heat from the sun. Once the collector gets hot, it heats the fluid that passes through the tubes. The water is then transported to the storage tank through the tubes. The tank holds the water after it is heated. It is well insulated so the water will stay warm even longer.This creates a very efficient way of heating water on demand.
There are two groups in which solar water heating systems are divided into, Active and Passive:
1. The most common water heating system is referred to as active. It relies on some type of mechanical devices such as a pump, moving water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. The active water heating system is more efficient and quicker making it the most common.
2. A passive water heating system relies on gravity feeding the water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. It may be slow and not able to keep up the demands of hot water. It is important to also note that your flat plate collector and your storage tank need to be angled right for the gravity to feed the liquid through.
Heating water using solar power is very affordable and can be installed with minimal effort. Choosing to heat your water using solar power is a wise choice and a first step in making a choice to help preserve our environment. We know how easy it is to use solar power to do a lot of things, including heating our water.
Trying to find more information about solar photovoltaic products ? Then you will find a wealth of resources aboutliving off grid by visiting Kobi Haretz’s site.

The Advantages Of Building A Solar Home
September 15, 2009 by Tariq Ajram
Filed under Renewable Energy
I am sure you have driven by homes with excessively large tinted windows and probably thought how ridiculous but they are smarter than you think. Most homes can be built with a few modifications and the help of a home solar panel kit. You could not only have solar powered lights but heating, solar water and all of your modern appliances and conveniences powered by solar panels. In these tough economic times do you really want to keep feeding the beast that is your local power company. Wouldn’t you love to be able to save money and help the environment at the same time? Living off grid is no longer just for hippies.
Here are a few ideas you should consider when building your solar powered home. Depending on what part of the country you live in will determine which side of the house you should put the most windows. Generally it is more common for the sun to rise toward the south side of your home, therefore you would want most of the windows located on the south side of your home. By doing so you will allow the sunshine to flow through your home warming it naturally. Making sure there are not a lot of trees blocking the suns rays is also very important when using solar energy to power your home. Another good tip would be to use lighter colors in decorating your home because they tend to attract the heat more evenly than darker colors.
Adding a home solar panel kit when building your home, works by collecting heat from the sun then converting it into usable energy for powering your home and heating your water. The cost for setting up solar power may be more than that of a conventional home, but your savings over the years can not be measured. You will not only save money for your family but you will also be part of saving the environment. The cost of electricity has dramatically increased the past few years while solar photovoltaic products have become more affordable. Spending the initial investment on building a solar powered home makes more sense now than ever before.
Effectively heating and cooling your home using solar power by following these simple steps:
1.) The amount of time you run your air conditioner can be reduced by the use of ceiling fans.
2.) Central heat and air units can be inefficient by leaving hot and cold pockets throughout your home, but this can be eliminated by using the ceiling fans to distribute the heat and air more evenly.
3.) The use of metal insulated doors will help retain the heat and also keep out the cold.
4.) By keeping the doors shut on the side of your home most exposed to sunlight, it will help save the heat inside your home for a longer period of time.
There are many benefits to building a solar home including throwing your monthly energy bill out the window! You not only save money by using the free power of the sun but you are being environmentally conscious as well. Living off grid is easier to do than in years past thanks to affordable home solar panel kits. Without the worry of rising gas and electricity prices you can really enjoy your new solar powered home.
There are many benefits to building a solar home as Tariq Ajram points out in his helpful article about using Home Solar Panel Kits. You can also find a wide selection of affordable solar products by visiting Tariq’s online store.

The Role Solar Panels Play In Making Solar Energy
September 10, 2009 by Neo Defrank
Filed under Renewable Energy
The use of solar panels to attract the energy from the sun is becoming more common than ever before. Solar panels are the connecting factor between the sun’s energy and the energy we use every day to power our homes. There are many ways solar panels are used to create usable energy even in something as simple as a small calculator or as complicated as a space ship. Using the natural power from the sun by way of solar panels gives all of us an opportunity to help ourselves and help our environment.
Over a hundred years ago there was even a somewhat more primitive way of using the sun’s power. We had the idea to use the sun’s power to power machinery by using the steam from the hot sun to start and maintain the machinery. This idea caught the attention of many scientists who wasted no time in seeing this discovery and researching the possibilities. Since that time there have been more efficient ways developed, such as solar panels, making the use of the sun’s power more convenient than ever before. use a natural resource such as the sun in order to work machinery.
Solar panels are produced in many shapes and sizes but they are all intended to attract the sun’s light so that it can be converted into electricity. Photovoltaic or PV for short is the process that allows the solar energy to become a usable energy. Thin film solar cells or photovoltaic cells are thin layers of photovoltaic materials that are deposited on a substrate or semiconductor. These solar cells are an integral part for processing the power of the sun into electricity. We can then use this electricity (solar power), to heat our water, our homes or power our homes.
Solar panels are becoming more and more common. You may see them on top of houses, office buildings, or maybe even a large solar array that belongs to a solar power plant. Research and development of solar energy has been on the rise over the last few years, especially with the skyrocketing electricity costs. We already have solar calculators, solar chargers, solar lighting, solar computers and even phones but there are more projects in the works like a solar powered car. No matter what size or shape the solar panel, it is clearly the next step in using the resources provided to us naturally by the sun. We can all do our part to help save our environment by taking steps to start living off grid with solar panels.
Finding solar panels for your home was not so easy a few years ago and they could be quite costly. The advances in technology have developed a more efficient, less costly solar panel which can be purchased right off of your computer. The tax incentives and programs sponsored by the government help limit the initial investment costs of making the switch to living off grid. That coupled with not having an electric bill every month, you could save thousands of dollars a year. So what are you waiting for, make the switch to powering your home with affordable, efficient solar panels.
Neo Defrank has highlighted some basic yet helpful information about solar panels. As Neo has pointed out there are a variety of solar photovoltaic products available and they are more affordable & efficient than ever before.

Living Off The Grid
March 21, 2009 by tmccar
Filed under Renewable Energy
When you talk about alternative energy and living off the grid, a lot of people feel instantly that they will have to give up most of their modern amenities to live in such a fashion. Many more think this is an endeavor solely for granola loving hippies, whose modest ways coincide with fewer technologies, TVs, ACs, etc. The truth is, living off the grid is a possibility open to anyone. Granted, you may have a larger investment if you are powering three chest freezers and all high-energy appliances, but this would simply mean you need a larger system.
The increased demand for renewable energy technology has led to the development of more efficient and easy to use components to make living off the grid a reasonable option for anyone willing to be mindful of their energy consumption.
Using renewable energy sources to produce electricity is a fairly simple process. You need a power source-sun, wind or water-from which you will harness a low voltage direct current that is then converted, using an inverter, into usable house current (AC). Excess current generated by your system is stored in battery banks where it can be retrieved during more high demand times or times when the direct energy source is unavailable.
Living off the grid with renewable power resources is almost completely automated as well. Except for the maintenance of your batteries, there is almost no special attention needed, other than monitoring your energy use to make sure you do not exceed your supply with your demand. The key to success in living off the grid is making sure you size your system to meet the demand of your energy needs.
Living off the grid can be an exhilarating experience. The feeling of energy freedom is like no other and you can be proud of your efforts to combat global warming and best of all, you may never have to worry about a power outage again. It is important to conduct your research and determine which alternative energy sources will work best for you in your geographical area, but it is definitely worthwhile to learn how to live off the grid and feel the rush of freedom being off the grid can give.



