Getting home solar electricity is more affordable today than it was 10 years ago.  In fact, the federal government and many state governments are currently offering tax rebates to persons that choose to convert to home solar electricity.  If installing a photovoltaic system to supply your home solar electricity is too far out of your financial abilities, there are also programs available to purchase your utilities from an accredited green energy supplier.  Green energy suppliers offer only utilities fueled by renewable resources, such as solar electricity, hydroelectricity and wind generated electricity.  However, if you made the decision to switch to solar electricity for your home it is important to determine your electricity needs before you start shopping.

The first thing you have to determine is how much power you will need from your home solar electricity system.  Different arrays and solar panel set-ups offer different wattage outputs.  Take the time to determine your average daily electricity usage.  You want to achieve a number that includes the entire year and affords for the different amount of energy used during winter and summer months (more lights, heaters, air conditioners).

When shopping for the right photovoltaic system to supply your home solar electricity definitely research the quality of the product.  A product offering 13% efficiency and a lifetime warranty will be far more valuable than the panel offering 15% efficiency and a one-year warranty.  Ask neighbors, friends and even strangers currently using home solar electricity, to learn more about the differences in systems.  Sufficient time should also be spent interviewing installers and researching manufacturers as well.

A final decision needs to be made as to what kind of system you would like to use to supply your home solar electricity.  There are generally three types of solar panel systems used to supply home solar electricity.  The first type is a grid-tied system in which your solar panels are tied into your current power meter.  You are using both electricity supplied by your panels and your supply is then backed by electricity from your electric company.  The second available solar panel system for supplying home solar electricity is a grid-tie with battery backup.  With this system you are collecting electricity from you panels, filling your batteries for emergencies and then the excess is sent back to the electric company through your meter.  The final system is a stand-alone system.  Very similar to the grid-tied system with battery backup except that you are completely disconnected or maybe never connected to a major utility provider for your area.

Once you educate yourself on providing your home solar electricity, you are probably ready to start shopping.  Remember that converting to home solar electricity is an investment and you will reap the rewards over time.  And don’t forget the pride you will have with reducing your carbon footprint by converting to home solar electricity.

Jon
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/what-to-know-before-purchasing-home-solar-electricity-705601.html

Step number one in getting started with any solar power setup in your home is to perform an energy audit. This is where you evaluate the amount of power (in kilowatts/hour or kilowatt hours) that you’ll need in any given day.

You will also need to take into account the site where your home is located. Geographical considerations such as climate, number of peak hours of sunlight per day, number of days of peak sunlight per year, and average rainfall will play a big role in how efficient a solar system you can design.

Any solar electric system will need, at the very least, the following components:

a collector (usually solar panels);
a mount (to put it on);
an inverter (to convert 12 volt DC power to 110 volt AC power);
a circuit breaker or fuse box and fuses & switches (to regulate the power transferring from the panels to your outlets and/or storage batteries);
(optional) one or more storage batteries;
(if you get a battery) a charge controller (to keep from over- or undercharging the battery and severely reducing its lifespan);

Once you’ve purchased all the elements of the solar system you’ve just designed, installation is fairly easy, though the simplicity of installing a solar power system does not mean you should necessarily do it yourself. There are numerous advantages to hiring a professional installer with training in both electrical systems and solar electrical systems, including knowing how to set everything up to code, should the building inspector ever have the need to look it over (ie. for insurance purposes).

If you find the right solar professional, they will instruct you in those parts of the installation that you are capable of and allow you to do some of the work yourself, saving you on some of your labor costs.

Even if you don’t decide to have a professional install your solar system, it would be well worth your while to consult one with your design to make sure it’s a viable design, one that’s taken all the necessary considerations into account. For example, there is a wide selection of panels, controllers, inverters, and batteries, each one manufactured with different requirements, each one not necessarily interchangeable with the other.

To further minimize the chances of incompatibilities between components in your solar system, consider purchasing all the elements of your set up from the same company and consulting with someone on their sales team that is knowledgeable in solar electric power.

In fact, many companies sell solar kits that contain all the components you would need to set your house up with solar power, with the certainty that all the components are compatible.

Whatever you decide, you don’t have to break the bank to try and supplant your entire power grid reliance with solar power right away and all at once. If you’re interested in availing yourself and your household of the multifold benefits of solar power, start small. Get yourself a single solar panel and see how well that works for you. When you’re ready, add on more panels, batteries, etc., one at a time as you can afford it and as your needs evolve.

Michelle Bery
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/how-to-get-started-with-your-own-home-solar-electric-system-125012.html

Solar power is one of the cleanest sources of power that is virtually free. No wonder the demand for solar power has gone through the roof in recent years. The energy crisis along with a desire to reduce the carbon footprint has made solar power the number one alternative source of energy amidst homeowners.

The cost associated with a professionally installed solar system can be very high, extending from 10000$ to 50000$. Because of this, many homeowners have turned to DIY solar energy. A DIY, or Do-It-Yourself solar system can be fun to construct and thousands of dollars cheaper than a professionally installed solar system. If you want to proceed the DIY route , the first thing you will need is a high quality guidebook to walk you through the process of equipping your home with solar power.

The Earth4Energy eBook is one of the most popular guidebooks about making your own solar power. Not only does it embrace a hefty, information filled eBook, it furthermore has many video walk throughs that detail every step involved in making your home energy efficient and environment friendly. The reduced upfront cost of $49.97 makes it a very cost effective solution to solving your clean energy needs.

The Earth4Energy eBook consists of several parts that deal with clean energy in general, and solar power in particular. If you have ever been enquiring about how solar energy works, or its advantages, you will find the Earth4Energy eBook to be rather handy. After that, you can dive into the meat of the book – a step-by-step guide to making your own solar panels to use solar energy. While it may sound complicated, homemade solar panels are quite easy to construct , especially with the kind of easy-to-follow steps that Earth4Energy outlines.

Of course, some people may find the written instructions a bit difficult to follow. Hence, Earth4Energy furthermore includes a comprehensive video course that details every step involved in building a solar power system.

As a bonus, the Earth4Energy manual furthermore has several parts devoted to wind power and how you can harvest it for electricity. This bonus, along with the detailed focus on solar power make the Earth4Energy eBook one of the best guides to harvesting the power of the sun in your very backyard.

To read opinion of consumers and review visit Earth4Energy review page.

Vitaly V

Solar power is recently broadly used not only from business but from private homes instead of traditional energy resources. The main benefit of using it is that it is renewable – solar power cannot finish and as long as there is sunlight power can be generated.

What do you need to have to benefit from renewable solar power? In fact the equipment needed is neither extraordinary nor very expensive. All you need to have to start using solar power as alternative energy source s solar panels. Moreover solar panels are pretty easy to be manufactured in case you want to do them yourself. The materials required are not very expensive and the actual manufacturing does not require great skills.

Once you have the solar panels installed you should decide what for you will use the renewable solar power. It can be used for generating electricity or heating of your home or just for heating water. Many people prefer using solar panels to get hot water only. Other uses it for home heating as well. Some also get panels installed to generate electricity. Still you will have to get a lot of solar panels installed if you want to fully replace your current electricity supply. However in the most cases you will be able to generate enough power for your garden lighting or other small electricity consumables.

No matter what power of your home needs you replace with renewable solar power, you will definitely cut your utilities bills, especially during winters when you have to pay hundreds just for heating.

Not only renewable solar power is good for your pocket, it is in fact very beneficial for the global ecology. Solar power is totally pollution free – to generate it you don’t need to use any fuels and by generating it you don’t pollute the air, water or soil in any way. It is actually better than using wind power because solar power generators do not produce any noise. The only real disadvantage is that you cannot generate power during nights and if bad cloudy weather power generation is greatly reduced.

Abhinav Sidana
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/renewable-solar-power-598820.html

If you are like many Americans, you are probably scared to receive the utility bills at the end of the month. This is normal in this uncertain economy.

Did you know that you can save more than 70% on your utility bill by switching to alternative sources of power?

If you want, you can choose to live off the grid and say goodbye to your energy bills for good. Thousands of people are already doing it, and you can to by creating their own homemade wind generators.

How can you create alternative energy and save money?

You can create alternative energy by using the power of three natural elements.

1. Sun power

2. Wind power

3. Hydro power

In this article, we are going to talk about using wind power to create electricity. To make your own energy with wind power, you are going to create your own homemade wind generators.

Before you consider building your own wind generators, make sure that there is enough wind in your area. If there is not enough wind, you will not be able to produce the amount of kinetic energy you need to convert the wind into electricity.

Once you installed your own windmill, you will not have many things to do since they don’t require a lot of maintenance. The only problems I can see would be when a bird is is made prisoner by your windmill, or a major storm in your area. In this case, your tower will probably suffer.

Be aware that installing your own home made wind generators can cost you from a few hundreds dollars to a few thousands. You need to conduct your project seriously and learn about all the option available to you before you start. If you really want to do it yourself, you may want to invest in a good guide like Earth4energy manual for example. You will save a lot of money.

The benefits of installing your own windmill generator beside saving money is that you will contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide reducing emissions.

Franck Silvestre
http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/how-to-generate-electricity-from-wind-756466.html

Thera are basically two major area’s of information required to have an essential knowledge of domestic wind turbines. The first is understanding energy yeild and energy consumption. The second is choosing which type of turbine wind generator best suites your needs and situation.

Understanding Energy Yeild and Energy Consumption A simple way of puttings things is

• An average modern homes requires 4,500kWh. per year.
• A domestic wind turbine with a 5 meter rotar diameter provides 4000 – 4,500 kWh, per year in good wind conditions.
• A domestic wind turbine with a 2 meter rotar diameter provides 500 kWh, per year in good wind conditions.

Which type of Turbine Wind Generator? Lets begin with a quick overview of the different types of turbine wind generators available and some of the pros and cons with each.

Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT)
These are far and away the most common type of domestic wind turbines. HAWT’s also have a long history, being the principole behind the famous Dutch Windmills. Advantages: An obvious key advantage is that they are easily available. In addition the blades of HAWT’s can be changed in pitch so as to more fully catch the wind. Secondly they are easiy mounted on high towers which maximises their access to wind shear. Lastly HAWT’s have had the most research and development backing and use in the field. In simple terms at the low end they are easy to build and at the high end there is some pretty complex wind turbine management systems build in. Disadvantages: HAWT’s don’t operate well at ground level. All other disadvantage relate to large installation HAWT’s – such as difficulty with installation of the towers, signal clutter if installed near radar installations, and cost of shipping and the tower system. For use as domestic wind tubines we only recommend micro-HAWT installation. For micro-HAWT installation and how easy it is an advantage, details on easy building and installation of turbine wind generators can be found here.

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT)
There are a few subcategories of (VAWT)’s.

They are:

• Darrieus (or eggbeater) wind turbine
• Giromill
• Savonius wind turbine
• "H" vertical wind turbine

Although many would argue long and hard about the various merits of each design (and the do have them) fundamentaly the advantages of VAWT’s are the same regardless of design.

Advantages: They can be built on the ground making installation and maintenance easier, they generate power at a lower RPM rate than HAWT’s , they integrate better into an urban environment and some claim they are quieter and easier for birds to avoid.

Disadvantages: They generally produce power at 50% of the efficency of HAWT’s. A great deal more stress is placed on the tower structure reducing relaibility and maintenance costs can be high. This is due to the whole structure being under it’s own weight, so to change a component at the bottom of the structure may require you to dismantle almost all of it.

Large vs Small Turbine Wind Generators

Both HAWT’s and VAWT’s com in large configurations. A very simple way of understanding the whole arguement regarding large and small turbine wind generators is to simple say "The larger they are the more efficently they generate electricity but the less flexible they are to manage.". Almost all of advantages and disadvantages related to the size of a wind turbine fall into this area. Since we have already summed up our view on them, here are a few advantages and disadvantages that don;t fall under the above mentioned umbrella.

Advantages & Disadvantages: Large wind turbines have been blames for bird deaths, they cost much more to build and require much more approval than micro-wind. They are also much more noticable in the immediate environment. Small turbines are have more moving parts and are less efficent. However they are easy and cost effective to build at home and are more fleixble, being accessable enough to move or upgrade.
Basically electricity provided by micro-turbine wind generators will be more expensive on a per kWh. basis, however you will be in control and able to manage your supply and use of energy.

Building Integrated Wind Turbines.

Lastly a word on a recent innovation on integrating wind turbines. New plans are underway for the Bahrain World Trade Center to include wind turbines in its superstructure. These turbines will provide 11-15% of the buildings needs.

So if you build a new home in future, considering engaging an architect who can offer integrated wind turbines. Like with all alternative energy solutions, look into the return on investment (ROI). Will these integrated wind turbines pay for themselves in energy savings…? Will it take 2 years or 10?

However if you just want advice on how to best integrated you domestic wind turbines into yourcurrent housing structure then "Wind Energy Basics" is a good place to begin.

In Conclusion. Turbine wind generators come in many variations, with many advantages and disadvantages for each. The fact that domestic wind turbines are overwhelmingly HAWT configurations suggests they must be working. However a wind only approach to homemade electricity generation is not an effective strategy. Any attempt at energy independence must include multiple energy sources. The most common are solar and wind. Excellent information on running your own successful energy independence project can be found here

Dr Self Help
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/turbine-wind-generator-essential-knowledge-708168.html

If the entrance door to your home is fitted with glass panels, or there is a glass panel right next to the door, you have yourself a home security risk.

Doors with glass panes allow light into what otherwise would be dark hallways, but from a security point of view they are a poor design.

It does not take much for a burglar to break that glass, reach in and open the latch, or turn the knob on the single cylinder deadbolt. Single cylinder deadbolt locks are the kind that are operated by a key from the outside but don’t need a key to open from the inside.

The simple solution would be to fit a double cylinder deadbolt. These require the key to be used on both sides and would indeed prevent the burglar from opening your door.

The snag is that in the case of emergency, especially a fire, you or your family may be hampered from making an exit if the key is not immediately at hand. It is for this reason that some local building codes and regulations do not allow the use of double cylinder deadbolt locks. If your local regulations permit their use, make sure that the key is always kept near the door, but out of any possible reach of the burglar. Make sure also that all members of your family know where the key is kept and can reach it.

So what’s the alternative? Window security film is a clear, flexible and impact resistant polyester sheet that is affixed to the inside of the glass. The burglar would have a very tough time breaking through that.

It takes a good deal of force to shatter glass protected by security film and even then the shattered glass is still held in place by the film. With many weighty hammer blows a burglar could make enough of a hole to reach through the glass, but that would take him a lot of time, make a heck of a lot of noise and likely attract unwanted attention.

Window security film is available in several widths and thickness and is generally sold by the foot. Some types of security film impede solar heat as well as give protection against intruders.

If you consider yourself to be a competent do-it-yourself enthusiast you may want to take on the job of installing the window security film. You will need to be precise with measurements, use the correct adhesive and have the right tools to hand. Having professional installers fit the film will naturally bump up the cost, but may get you a guarantee.

If light into a hallway is not an issue, then another alternative is to replace the glass panel door with an external quality door with no glass panels. Solid core external doors are not cheap but this would be preferable to having a door with a security issue.

Whichever method you choose to overcome the problem you have to take action. Doors with glass panels make it too easy for the burglar. Don’t just ignore the problem, fix it.

Martin Underwood
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-security-articles/doors-with-glass-panels-an-easy-way-in-for-the-burglar-125020.html

Did you know that “Cheap Solar Power For Home” System easily enables you to construct your very own power-supply-system? The first impression may not reveal that, but this technique can be implemented quite easily by any novice user. Read this short report if you want to learn more about this special technology.

Some basics

As you probably already imagine, in order to have such “Cheap Solar Power For Home” System you’ll need to have one of these unique Web-guides that’ll expose simple methods on how to assemble solar panels with your own hands. Just like everything else in life, some guides deliver and some other don’t; check for real customers case studies, make sure it provides descriptive illustrations, photos, and tech support. Anyway, here are several tips & benefits to help you better understand this topic.

Main benefits

This solution provides various benefits; here are just a few of them:

* Uses natural and clean resources.
* Cuts down on the usage of non-renewable enr. resources.
* Leaves us almost unaffected by any possible energy crisis.
* No need to remember to switch off the lights each time we leave the room.
* Increases the value of your home by thousands.

Advice

Be aware that nowadays it is possible to get the paneling for free – most professional guides will show how to do that.

Final words

Many home-makers already found this outstanding “Cheap Solar Power For Home” System as one of the most effective ways to ‘eliminate’ these irritating elect. expenses. One thing is clear – there are many other great benefits provided by this remarkable idea, simply because we no longer need to rely on others to supply these needs. The first action you need to take is to simply get it and experience how it takes just days to start enjoying from its benefits.

Jason Gilford
http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/quotcheap-solar-power-for-homequot-system–amazing-results-726878.html

What are thin film solar panels, and what could possibly be so exciting about them? Why are they so important to the future of alternative energy and solar power on this planet?

Thin film solar panels operate in the same manner that regular solar panels do, the only difference being that they are a lot thinner and require far less materials and energy for construction.

This might not sound extremely spectacular, but in fact it is. It’s a major breakthrough in solar technology.

Why Thin Film Solar Panels Are So Important?

Thin film solar technology is considered to be a major breakthrough because, up until now, the two barriers that have prevented solar energy and solar technology from becoming mainstream energy providers have been the 1. the cost to produce them, and 2. the problems in rapidly mass-producing them.

Both of these problems have been solved. This paves the way for rapid expansion of clean energy in the form of solar power.

What is Thin Film Solar Technology?

Thin film solar technology is a method of putting extremely thin films of photovoltaic material on to a thin layer of backing for support.

This is made possible through new inventions, such as solar ink. A photovoltaic material is dissolved into a solution, that is then printable as ink. It is then printed out, similarly to how books are printed.

Because of the invention of solar ink, it is possible to print photovoltaic material onto thin layers of plastic fabric or metal. This printing process is extremely fast, and thus it allows you to mass-produce solar panels at a high speed and at only a fraction of the cost.

Whereas, in the past, solar panels were bulky and weighed a serious amount, thin film solar panels weigh almost nothing and take up almost no space. This means that solar panels can now be produced at only 5 percent of the cost, as compared to our old bulky solar panels.

Uses of Thin Film Technology

The ability to literally print solar panels onto fabric, plastic and metal has opened up new horizons in the application of solar power.

Some of the uses now possible are as follows:

Construction:

• Metal roofing
• Membrane roofing
• Architectural fabric

Consumer:

• Rollable solar chargers
• Foldable solar chargers
• AA battery solar charger
• Cell phone chargers
• Satellite phone chargers
• Laptop chargers
• GPS chargers
• PDA chargers
• Handheld game chargers
• Radios

Outdoors/Camping:

• RVs
• Campers
• Boats
• GPS devices

Military, Police and Emergency Services:

• Solar field shelters
• Foldable solar chargers
• Rollable solar chargers
• AA battery solar charger
• Communications systems
• Medical refrigeration systems
• Water purification systems

Remote Locations, etc:

• GPS asset tracking
• Highway/transportation lighting and signals
• Weather stations
• Wildlife feeders
• Remote sensors and data transmitters
• Security lighting
• Warning/safety lights
• Water pumping systems

The above are just some of the ways that solar power can be and is being used, with the advent of thin film solar panels. I am sure that many more uses will be added, now that the price and manufacturing barrier of solar power have been broken.

Anna

If you have thought about learning to build your own solar panels, today’s technology has advanced to the point where it’s very easy and affordable. Solar energy systems now can work twice as well and even work in less sunlight. Building solar panels has become much more simple and easy allowing any one with a little motivation and instruction manual to be able to build and install their own solar panels. By utilizing solar technology you can save thousands of dollars a year in energy costs.

All the materials like plywood, glass and copper wire needed to build solar panels can be purchased from your local hardware store. Photovoltaic cell’s can be purchased for below wholesale prices if you know where to look. A lot of them are available online or in some cases they can be found at local retailers where you can purchase them. Solar panels can be built in your garage or back yard and it takes about a day to build a solar panel once you have all your materials.

With homemade solar panels saving you thousands of dollars, I would recommend you invest in a good quality instruction manual, as this would save you from many mistakes and wasted time researching for what you need. Over all the cost of building your own solar panels can be very low and a good how to guide can end up saving you even more.

The truth is solar energy has become a lot easier and affordable for home use, it is growing in popularity and can even be see along roadways in use to power signs and lights. Solar power could lesson the effect of global warming, save you money and help become less dependant on fossil fuels. With the energy crises, now could be the perfect time to go solar. Plus building your own solar panels can be a fun project the whole family can be involved in.

houston bruce