Homemade Solar Energy: How You can Generate Your Own Homemade Solar Energy
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Is it possible to generate your own homemade solar energy?
Why are so few people generating their own homemade solar energy? Since ancient times the sun was considered as a source of energy: spiritual and otherwise. It is a distressing fact to discover that in fact only 10% of the sun's energy is actually used today. Most people are not aware of the fact that they can generate their own electricity from the sun's energy, mainly because it is so easy to get power from the electrical grid. Perhaps if we are more aware of its use and its ability as a sustainable source of power, then surely we will be able to use and promote energy from the sun.
The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun. -- Ralph Nader
Advantages of homemade solar energy
The advantages of homemade solar energy are as follows:- You cut down on your bills from the power company. Energy from the sun is free and renewable (the sun won't go away in the foreseeable future)
- You go green. If enough people start to do this, harmful emissions
(greenhouse gases) from coal power stations will be minimized. You can lower or even eliminate your monthly electricity bills - The sun's energy energy allows electricity to be produced in the place where it is consumed (i.e. your home). This is also known as distributed generation. Since sunlight hours overlap nicely with peak demand, solar panels produce electricity when it is both most costly and most required.
- You will add more value to your property and can sell your house for more, thus recovering your initial financial outlay (and perhaps even make a nice profit on it, too)
- Your dependency upon the Power Company becomes less, i.e. you are not so much affected by power outages
- Your solar electricityinstallation can operate with little maintenance or intervention after initial setup
- You can even get money from the Power Company for generating surplus electricity that they can distribute, or get a rebate from the Power Company for installing a solar electricity system (depending on where you live)
Video: DIY Cheap Solar Electricity
What do you need to produce homemade solar energy?
First of all, you will need the solar panels, also called photovoltaic panels or PV panels. Each panel is made up of a number of electrically interconnected solar (or PV) cells. When sunlight strikes a PV cell, a small electric current is produced. By connecting these cells together, a much larger current can be obtained.
The photovoltaic panels should be installed facing south (in the Northern Hemisphere.) They will work best if they are not in the shade between 9am and 3pm. The panels can be installed on your roof or on the ground, usually mounted onto some kind of pedestal. The important thing to consider is that the closer they are to your house, the less electric wiring will cost and the fewer panels you will need. Longer wires cause higher resistance, which causes less current to flow, meaning you will need more panels to generate the required electricity, which in turn leads to higher costs.
As a common rule, the panels should be sloping at about the same degree as the latitude you are situated in. For example, if you are at 30 degrees north, your panel should be at a 30 degree angle. Never install PV panels at an angle of less than 5 degrees, because dust will collect on the panel, making it less efficient.
You will also need some additional components for your homemade solar energy system. The actual PV panels are only part of the solar electrical system. The extra components frequently make up 50% of the total cost.
Most photovoltaic panels create direct current electricity (DC). As most homes operate on alternating current (AC), you will need an inverter to convert the current from DC to AC. A deep cycle battery is required to store the solar electricity that you are not using immediately. This is so that you will have power if there is a power cut (if you are connected to the grid) or at night (if you rely solely on energy from the sun.) A charge controller prevents your batteries from overcharging or from discharging too much. This ensures that the life of the battery is prolonged.
Where do you find a guide that shows you exactly how to build a homemade solar energy plant?
Reader Feedback on Homemade Solar Energy
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jidianer
Jul 12, 2011 @ 6:35 pm | delete
- Thanks for sharing.Wecome to solar path lights
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