Nov 17 2009

What Is Solar Energy

In order to know where to find solar energy you must first know what solar energy is. Solar energy is energy from the sun. When the sun is shining solar energy is being produced as it sends the heat radiating to the earth. You can find solar energy anywhere or anything that the sun can shine on. There is a way that you can save the sunlight in order to provide heat during the cold, which is what millions of people have done throughout the years. It started thousands of years ago when people where able to use a thick lens or magnifying glass on an object that would attract the sun rays on that particular object and could get so hot it would catch fire. This gave a new prospective on how strong the heat from the sun really was.

The problem with capturing the suns heat is the fact that when it reaches the earths surface it does not go to one particular spot. It is spread evenly over the earth where the sunlight is able to reach. When this happens you may find it difficult to heat something using only the sunlight. Although the area or object may be hot if left in the sun too long it will not reach the full heating potential of the sun’s light.

In order to use the heat efficiently to heat a room after the sun goes down or when the sun is unable to shine because of clouds you will need to use a source that will attract the heat to one particular area. This source is called a solar collector. The solar collector attracts a lot of sunlight to one particular area allowing the sun to pass through the source and into the space. The objects in the space absorb and hold the heat from the sunlight and trapping it so it will not get back out with the help of the source. Glass is a great solar collector because it allows the sun to pass through it and into the space but the heat from the sun can rarely escape leaving the space under the glass to become warm or hot from the heat. The objects in the space help to hold the heat as it comes in so that the space will stay warmer longer. This allows the area to be heated using solar power.

Because glass is a natural solar collector it makes it great to put into a greenhouse or a sun room. The glass attracts the sunlight and traps the heat inside so that they temperature in the greenhouse or sun room remain warm even at night when the temperature outside may be cold.

Solar energy can be found anywhere the sun shines but in order to fill the heat you must have direct sunlight for an extended period of time. If you just use the morning sun to heat your home your house may not stay warm through the night.

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Nov 17 2009

Why Is Solar Power Important

We have ways to heat our water, our homes and provide us with electricity. We probably take all of this for granted and if we lost them we would probably panic. We take for granted that these conveniences will be there for us from now on. We expect glitches to happen but we want them to be fixable without going long without all of these. We appreciate the heat in the winter when it snows outside and when the temperatures drop. We need water to live and although it is usually running under the ground we want the convenience of it running through our pipes and into our homes.

Electricity is nice when you can have lights with just a simple flick of the switch. In the summertime we experience some power outages when everyone turns on their air conditioners in order to tolerate the extreme temperatures beating down from the sun. This heat is sometimes so intense it can make someone, who has trouble breathing, struggle for every breath.

The sun is a very intense ball of gas up in the atmosphere. It burns twenty four hours a day, seven days per week. We only see it during out daytime but on the other side of the globe they get the daytime when we get the night. When the sun light beams down on the earth’s surface, a small percentage of the solar radiation heading for earth gets reflected. There are larger amounts of the sunlight that is actually absorbed. When you consider the fact that the sunlight must go through fog, clouds, dust particles and harmful pollutants in order to reach us that reduce the amount of sunlight that we receive even more. When it finally makes it to the earth’s surface it is then radiated back up into space. When it reaches the earth, plants and vegetation absorb it and the oceans, winds and other resources absorb the sunlight as well.

Some people use some of the heat generated from the sun in order to heat homes, power electricity and provide water to their families and businesses. When you think about all that you have that runs through a machine it may be possible to reroute that in order to run it all by sunlight. Scientists have only started to make this possible but it is far from being completed. When you consider all the solar energy that reaches the earth’s surface and then radiated back into the atmosphere, you could power electricity, heat and water from now on. This solar energy can be redirected and concentrated using special boxes that attract the light during the day to heat water and homes throughout the night.

Solar power is very important and provides a natural way to heat, obtain electricity and water with just a little more effort. In the future we may have no other choice but to look at natural resources in order to have these necessities and conveniences. Solar power is important now and in the future.

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Nov 17 2009

Using Solar Power

When you think of solar power you think of heating and light for your home. That is one of the many things that we use solar power for. Solar power is everywhere and it is growing everyday. There are different products that are made using solar power. This article will list these products and their uses and also how solar power affects them. Solar power is using the sun’s natural heat to produce electricity, heat, and more. When you use solar power you are using the natural resources found that cannot harm the earth in ways that other methods can.

There are more products that use solar power than what we realize. A lot of the electronics made will use some type of solar power in order to function completely and accurately. For example, calculators are solar power products. These calculators may or may not have on and off switches. Some rely on the solar panel completely in order to stay or turn off. Solar power calculators need a certain amount of light inside the solar panel in order to turn the calculator on and perform what you want it to do; add, subtract, divide, multiply and more. The solar panel in a calculator is not as big as the one that you would to power your home. The size needed for a calculator is adjusted before installation to provide the right amount of what it needs. Solar power products can be found in travel products, outdoor recreation, safety products, emergency products and more.

Radios have are produced with a solar panel inside that transforms the sunlight into energy allowing you to listen to your radio while you are outside. You may also find solar power in flashlights, battery chargers, mobile phone chargers, watches, lanterns, emergency products such as sirens and lights. As you see there are several products that are using the solar power technology. Portable chargers are great to use because they charge the product that you have using the sunlight just as easy as turning a calculator on. Camping equipment and supplies work well with solar power because it allows the sunlight during the day to supply their lanterns, flashlights and radios at night.

Cooking outdoors can also be done by using solar power in order to heat the element that will ignite and allow for even cooking. Because more people are turning to solar power for their future energy source there are companies that are marketing products that are produced using solar power. Appliances are being made for solar power homes. These appliances, refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and more will work great in a home that is generated by solar power. They are built to conserve energy even more so than the products available to everyone.

In the future when everything turns to solar power in order to work we will be prepared using the knowledge and the products that are available today. We can’t predict the future in solar power but we can all do our best to make it happen.

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Nov 17 2009

Storing Energy

We have come to rely completely on energy. We use it in almost everything we do; we live in it, use it for all our modern conveniences and more. Without energy we wouldn’t know what to do. In the past, before energy, there were lanterns for light and matches and wood for heat. That was the only options people had. When power was accessible to everyone by running power lines through cities, towns, residential areas to allow everyone to tap into the new generation, people were skeptical as to how this would affect everyone in the future.

Over the years, appliances became energy friendly, which made for less manual labor and more free time. Wash machines, dryers, dishwashers and the latest in cooking stoves that no longer needed wood. These were all great inventions and although people were skeptical they still took advantage of these appliances. Today we have the worry of saving the energy that we know and love so well. Our energy is fueled by non-renewable resources which will allow the depletion of these resources slowly and over time where we won’t realize it until it is gone. We need to find an alternative to the way we power our energy but we also need to store the energy that we already have.

Solar energy has been tested and experimented with as we learn more and more about how to conserve and store the natural heat from the sunlight. We all know how effective it is and why it is something that we should work very hard at conserving. Storing the solar energy can mean endless usage of water and other necessities by using conservative methods of saving energy.

Thermal mass systems are the process of using natural resources to make material that will store solar energy. This type of storage uses renewable resources from the earth, such as dirt, water and man made resources such as concrete to help store energy if only for a short period of time. Thermal mass can help heat water at night or heat your home long after the sun goes down or on cloudy days when the sun doesn’t peak through the clouds at all. These need to be worked on because there is no extensive long storage capability using solar power just yet.

Then you have the thermo-chemically phase which uses types of devices to store heat. Some examples of this type of storage includes

Paraffin wax inside of a storage tank. When the paraffin wax is cold it is solid but when it is heated it is a liquid that can help hold heat for a very long time without cooling it down. As the paraffin wax cools it becomes hard which can hold the heat in longer.

Eutectic Salts are inexpensive and can store heat in a heating system which will distribute the heat evenly and lasting hotter longer.

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Nov 17 2009

Solar Power Efficient Appliances

Solar power is the latest in saving the planet and conserving our energy. Solar power is energy produced from the sun and has great results when you use both energy and conservation. With solar power becoming more popular there is also the need for solar power products. People are now building solar power houses to live in more efficiently. They also want appliances, lighting, heating, water pumps and water heaters to be solar power efficient as well. That is why we now have a way of purchasing solar power appliances to use in the kitchen. Appliances are usually the most costly appliance in a home as they usually run almost continuously and get used often.

Appliances Available

Now you don’t have to go through the time and effort of making your home solar power but using regular standard appliances. With solar power appliances it is easy to become solar power all the way.

Refrigerators: The one great thing about solar power refrigerators is that they offer the convenience of a refrigerator and freezer in one at a minimal amount of cost. They are thermostat controlled which allows you to set the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. There is minimal noise as it runs because the power to it is a natural constant flow. They also come in a variety of sizes as well as colors in order to fit into any solar power kitchen.

Appliances that are Efficient: Not all appliances can be solar powered and for that reason appliances that are efficient are the next best thing. They conserve the energy that it takes to run that appliance and provide you with the service that you expect out of that appliance. Chest freezers, dishwashers, stoves, microwaves, washers and dryers are all appliances that can be purchased with efficiency to save on energy and money. When you use appliances that are efficient they usually cost more up front but in the long run they are worth the effort and can last you a lifetime with proper maintenance.

Today most of the products and appliances that we buy are energy efficient and guaranteed to run on minimal energy which saves you money when you purchase it. Although you won’t be able to see the cost decrease all at once you may notice it over time. There are several other ways that you can reduce the cost of appliances such as drying clothes on a clothes line indoors or outdoors to keep from running a clothes dryer.

Washing the dishes by hand instead of in a dishwasher or using one or two days per week to wash clothing instead of one or two loads everyday is a great way to cut down expenses. Over time these helpful tips will decrease your bill and allow you to see a noticeable difference. When you save energy it benefits everyone. Once we can all use solar power to provide energy we will all see a difference in the cost of energy. Using energy efficient appliances is a great investment that will last for years.

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Nov 17 2009

Heating Your Home With Solar Energy

It doesn’t matter if you are building your home or remodeling, you can turn it into a solar energy home by making a few simple changes to your plan. If electric and gas become hard to manage you may want to consider heating your home with the sun. Solar energy is the heat that comes from the sun down to the earth. When it reaches the earth it spreads evenly but you may need it to go to a certain area like your home. How do you get that much sunlight to heat a home? It’s easy to do and takes a few extra steps to help get it started.

Building or Remodeling your Home

If you are building your home you have several choices to choose from regarding your heating source. If you choose to heat from the sun you need to build your home facing in the direction that the sun rise’s. This allows your home to get the most sunshine during the hottest part of the day. Buying solar powered glass windows allow the sun to come through and stay in the home without escaping back out. After the sun goes down your home is kept warm by the sunlight that came into the home during the day. You need to keep the door shut in order to keep the heat in and you also need to use insulated curtains on the windows at night so that the heat will not escape at night while you sleep. Make sure you don’t allow too many windows on the side of the house that faces the evening sun as it may cause the home to cool down quickly.

Remodeling your home to use the sun as a natural heating source is fairly easy to do. Although you can’t change the direction that your home is built in to face the morning sun you can still trap the sunlight that shines through and reduce the amount of time that you use another source of heat. You may want to consider building a sun room onto the side that catches the morning sun allowing it to heat up naturally and then install ceiling fans that will circulate the air into the parts of the house. During the day this may provide enough heat to maintain the warmth in your home. When remodeling your home, it will help to install solar power windows that are specially designed to attract the sunlight and allow it to come into the house but not let it escape. This is a natural way to heat your home.

Using sunlight to heat your home is an excellent way to safe money on your heating bill and also to improve the environment. You can install a backup heating source incase the sunlight does not heat your home efficiently during the day because of clouds. Your back up system can be used to assist the solar energy which will also cut down on the use of electric or gas.

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Nov 17 2009

Solar Power For The RV

Everyone likes to get away for the weekend and when you get a chance to there is a lot of fun in taking a recreational vehicle, or RV, to go camping in. Your RV could be a pull behind camper or a camper that you can drive. What ever you use RV’s usually run off of electricity from another source or they have battery powered lights. When you use electric hook up in a camper you may want to consider turning your RV into a solar powered RV and never worry about electric hook ups again. Enjoy your vacation anywhere without restrictions.

Once you hook up to a power source you are able to have the comforts of home by turning on and off the lights and using the bathroom. If you cannot access a power outlet you may use a generator to supply power to the camper. These generators are nice in a pinch but you have the problems of running out of fuel to keep it going not to mention the noise that it makes. If you want to turn your RV into a solar power RV it is simple to do and with little expense. There are a number of different products that you can buy to make camping fun and modern with little or no effort.

You can mount a solar panel to the RV camper in order to charge your energy in your RV. This is done by purchasing a solar panel mounting bracket that your solar panel will set on. You can buy RV solar panel kits that include both the mount and the panel. Once it is installed you can power your camper and batteries using the suns warmth that was already there and it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg to do so. Run your solar panel wire to the battery compartment and you are ready to go. Each solar powered kit offers different wattages and sizes so you can select the right one for your RV size and what you will be using.

When you are out on a camping trip you can feel good knowing that you can go anywhere you need to go. Your solar panel on top of your RV will also withstand any type of weather and because a camper is so small it won’t take much solar power to operate the RV. Another hot solar powered item to buy for your RV is called the Solar Power Ventilator. This provides the perfect ventilation system for small quarters, such as RV’s. When it is hot in the summer or anytime that the sun is shining it doesn’t take long for the RV to heat up and become very uncomfortable. The solar power ventilator will run all the hot air out and circulate the air with clean fresh air.

When you take the RV out you want to enjoy your time in the great outdoors without giving up the fact that you have to rely on a power source or go without power completely. If you have to go without power you may find that

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Nov 17 2009

Solar Power Lighting

Lighting is important to everyone. When the sun goes down we expect the lights to be just a click away. Sometime we may take advantage of our lighting and miss it when it is out. Lighting is used in many different ways. You can have different wattage bulbs of your lighting as well as different colors. Your lighting source may be a lamp, an overhead light, a porch light and a flash light, just to name a few. Light can be taken with us or left behind. The source that powers your light is what this article is about. Learn about indoor and outdoor lighting using solar power and ways you can get this type of lighting.

Indoor Lighting

Some really great ideas for indoor solar lighting include using it inside of your sheds, gazebos, garages, or inside your home. You don’t need to continuously change light bulbs. The installation is easy and your maintenance is minimal. You need to install a solar panel that can receive the most possible sunlight in your area. That’s it. Enjoy your lighting system all through the night. You will need to find a solar panel that is right for the size of building you will be providing light to. Once your indoor lighting has been installed you will be able to use the lighting both night and day. During the day you may not need it except on cloudy days. During the night you should have enough energy from the solar power to last you through the night. It is becoming the latest in lighting barns on farms as well because there is no wiring needed to get lighting out to the barn.

Outdoor Lighting

When you are outside during the day you won’t need much light but at night you will appreciate the lighting that you have installed using solar power. There are different types of outdoor lighting using solar power; flood lights, pond or pool lights, garden lights, post lights, spot lights, security lights, solar flag lights and sign lights. If you have a pool or pond in your yard that you like to add lighting to it is easy to do and there are several choices to choose from as far as the design and shape. Everyone wants an eye catching yard that has been well taken care of and now your efforts can be reflected at night. If you display a flag out in your yard people only see it at night, until now. Add your flag to a stand that is solar powered so it can be seen at all times. If your yard is too dark invest in security lighting that will work even when the power is off and trees are down. When the sun is out you are sure to have light at night.

The soft glow from solar power lights calm and relax. They are not bright and in your eyes but they are eye catching. Investing in solar power lighting is a smart economical and practical choice that is also very affordable.

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Nov 17 2009

Heating Water Using Solar Power

When you decide to convert your main power source over to solar power you will need to make some adjustments to the appliances that carry the power source. When you use solar power to heat your water you may find that you will need to purchase a solar powered water heater in order to do that. You may be able to make adjustments to your existing one but what ever steps you take to turn it into solar power it will be worth it.

There are several different ways to heat your water using solar power. You can even make your own solar power source. The water runs through pipes before it enters your home. Heating water using solar power will occur before the water gets into your home as it passes by the solar source that attracted the light. You may also have a tank to store the water in that can heat the water up. In order to heat your water successfully you will need to have both a solar collector and a storage tank.

A flat plate collector is the most common collector. It is designed to be a thin, flat rectangular box that has a see through cover and it can carry fluid to be heated. This fluid could be the water or it may be a solution, such as antifreeze that will prevent the water from freezing. Next the water moves through the tubes to an absorber plate. This plate is painted black to attract and absorb the heat from the sun. When the collector gets hot, it will heat the fluid that passes through the tubes. As the water passes through the tubes it goes into the storage tank. The storage tank holds the heated water. It is usually well insulated so the water will stay warm longer. Then the water flows into the home on demand.

Solar water heating systems are divided into two groups: Active and passive. When the heating systems are active, that means that they rely on the pumps or other mechanical device that can move the water between the flat plate collector and the storage tank. Active is the most common because it is quicker and more efficient. The passive system relies on gravity to feed the water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. This may be slow at times and may not be sufficient enough to keep up with the demand. Both ways are logical and may be more of a choice of preference for you. Another thought that you need to consider is that if your flat plate collector and your storage tank is not angled right it may be hard 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.

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Nov 17 2009

How Do You Find Renewable Energy?

We already know that the use of electricity, gas and coal are all resources that we may eventually run out of. These are the non-renewable resources that we rely heavily on today. We use these non-renewable resources to do many things, including supplying us with power, heating our homes, businesses and schools and more. When we use all the non-renewable resources up and there are no more to gather, then what? How will we go without the convenience that we are so accustomed to? It’s nice to flip a switch to get power and it is even better when the latest technology allows us to press a button to do all the things that women and men had to work for hours to accomplish. We are fortunate to live in a world with so many modern gadgets. Unfortunately when we lose it we may be so accustomed to the modern perks that we will not know what to do when we don’t have them any longer.

What we have to rely on in the future is renewable resources. These resources are all resources that offer us an abundant supply and will never run out. They recharge and allow us to enjoy them again and again. The renewable resources consist of Solar, Wind, Biomass, Hydrogen, Geothermal, Ocean, and Hydropower We need all of these and right now we have access to each one of them. What do they do and how do they help us with solar power? Let’s find out.

Solar refers to the solar energy that we get everyday either directly or indirectly from the sun. Solar energy can be used for several things, such as heating, electricity to home, schools, businesses, or buildings, heating water, cooling and ventilation.

Wind helps the suns heat down to earth. When the wind combines with the heat of the sun, it causes evaporation. When the water turns into precipitation it produces energy that can then be captured by hydropower.

Hydropower takes energy from flowing water and captures it turning it into electricity. Hydropower is very complicated and requires a great deal of technology in order to successfully accumulate energy from water.

Biomass is an organic matter that can help to make up the plants. It can be used for the production of electricity, transport fuels or chemicals.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element found on earth, usually with other elements. If hydrogen is found alone it can be burned or converted into electricity.

Geothermal looks toward the inner parts of the earth for heat and can be used for power, heating, and cooling.

Ocean produces thermal energy using the heat from the sun. It can also use mechanical energy for the tides and waves.

As you can see the renewable resources are all around us. We know what they do and how we can use them. There are so many benefits to using renewable resources. If we don’t use them now we may not have a choice later. The knowledge we learn from today will help us use the energy more wisely.

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