Image By Mrs Hilksom Flickr

Pool Heaters: The Secret To Long Swimming Seasons

If you live in an area that is known for it’s hot summer weather, a swimming pool can be a fun and healthy way to stay cool. Swimming pools have become very popular and could be one of the best investments you make in your home’s value and your family’s health.

Many swimming pool owners are opting for swimming pool heaters to extend their swimming season, especially if their home is in an area with relatively short summers. The sun is able to keep your pool water at a comfortable swimming temperature during the long summer days. But in the transitional spring and fall months, the days are shorter and the angle of the sun isn’t high enough to heat your pool water very much. That’s where pool heaters come in. If you live in northern climates, swimming pool heaters can practically double your swimming season.

There are several different types of pool heaters available but gas pool heaters are the most common. Specifically, propane pool heaters are some of the best and most cost efficient ways to heat your swimming pool. Gas pool heaters tend to be the least expensive to purchase. Propane swimming pool heaters can heat a greater amount of water more quickly than electricity. Oil-fired pool heaters are also available in some areas but are much less common.

Electric pool heaters are most often based on a heat pump design. Similar to electric heat pumps used to heat some homes, electric pool heaters take advantage of the heat that already exists in the outside air. The air heats freon gas, which is then compressed to raise it’s temperature even higher. The hot gas is then piped to a heat exchanger, where the heat is transferred to the pool water. The heated water is then pumped back into the swimming pool.

It’s also possible to find or even build your own solar pool heater. Solar pool heaters use the sun’s energy to heat the water. It would appear that you’re getting the heating energy at no cost from the sun and in fact you are. But don’t forget you have to pump the water from your pool into the solar pool heater, where it is heated and returned to the pool. Most people end up using an electric pump to move the water, which means you don’t realise the full energy savings that you might expect. Of course, most pool heater designs require pumping the water from the pool to the heater and back again.

Raypak is a leading manufacturer of swimming pool heaters, both for home pools and commercial pools. Raypak pool water heaters can be easily converted to run on either natural gas or propane. Raypak pool water heaters are known for their high-efficiency. Efficiency refers to the amount of energy actually used for heating the water (compared to how much is used running the heater or how much is lost). Raypak also manufactures electric pool heaters.

If you have your own swimming pool at home, you can go swimming anytime you want. You’ll have something cool and relaxing to do with your family and friends on those hot summer days. And if you add a swimming pool heater, you’ll be enjoying your pool long before AND long after the public swimming pools are open.

Jeff King
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/pool-heaters-the-secret-to-long-swimming-seasons-121826.html

Image By mechanikat Flickr

A Brief History Of Solar Power

Throughout human being’s long history, both the recorded and prehistoric periods, the warmth of the sun has been put to use. Early homes were situated in locations that received a great deal of heat and light and later on methods for distillation of water and cooking of food using only the sun’s rays were developed as well. Today, the sun is being regarded as a fundamentally untapped natural resource but millions of people have begun to explore the remarkable benefits of solar power.

What exactly is solar power? In the simplest of terms, there is energy contained within the intense radiation that comes from the sun. Using a number of materials and systems, scientists, engineers and technicians have created ways in which home and business owners can reduce their supplied energy use through reliance on solar power.

Today solar power is used in many large and small scale applications for everything from heating and cooling of homes and buildings, creating domestic hot water, treating water and sewage, cooking, solar lights, mass electrical production and even in modes of transportation such as cars and airplanes.

Actual development of the solar cells required to harness the sun’s energy in any way began in the 1800s when a French physicist observed that there were “photoelectric” effects from the sun. Only one hundred years later photovoltaic effects were being improved and actually the most commonly used material – cadmium selenide – was being used affectively.

Things really took off from the 1950s onward as silicon and other materials were being put to use for residential and commercial solar applications. It was at this time as well that the gas crisis of the 1970s caused many people to address energy issues beyond the use of oil and petroleum products. At that time many people turned their attention to solar, water and wind as untapped sources of renewable energy.

Today scientists and physicists, among many others, are continuing to expand the applications of solar energy. It is now not uncommon to see an entire roof paneled with photovoltaic cells or enormous power plants constructed entirely of solar collectors and a single tower for directing the energy into a steam chamber or some other method of converting the light and heat into usable energy.

With all of this research and discovery it has also become much easier to acquire the materials and equipment necessary for outfitting a home or other building with at least one source of solar energy, such as a hot water system. This all means that the days of total natural energy are getting closer and more affordable for almost any budget.

Jonathan Gal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/a-brief-history-of-solar-power-728411.html

Image By larkspurlazuli Flickr

Solar Panels: There Is A Better Way

There is no question that solar panels are a terrific way to cut energy costs, reduce your carbon emissions and make you more self-sufficient. There can be no argument about that.

These magical devices harness the energy of the sun and convert it to another type of energy. Generally the power that results can be used to heat your home, for example or to power anything from your electric shaver to your computer.

As a result, solar panels are now becoming extremely popular in urban areas, where alternative energy advocates and lawmakers are creating incentives for this friendly and quiet alternative energy source.

The state of Colorado, for example, has been offering huge rebates on the up-front cost to acquire and install a residential solar power system.

Solar panels have other advantages. They normally are maintenance free, for one thing and many manufacturers will guarantee electrical output for as long as 20 years.

Plus, after the panels are installed, any excess energy from the system – that is, energy left over after all of your needs have been met – can be diverted for use on the grid, where it is bought back by the electrical power company.

Which means there may be times when you are actually making income from your panels.

You’ll have to be patient, however.

With rebates factored into the initial cost, it generally will take from 17 to 24 years to get back the initial expense, at which time you will essentially be generating power from the sun at no cost.

And there are other factors – maybe I should say “little known” factors – about solar panels that may make them less than desirable for some folks.

One such factor is that solar panels actually may initially contribute to greenhouse emissions.

How so?

Well, it takes power to manufacture a solar panel. And the energy that is required is very often fossil-based and front-end loaded. So there is a time during which a solar panel actually adds to carbon emissions rather than detracting from them.

Until such time as a solar panels have produced energy equivalent to the energy used to manufacture them (it’s fossil-emission payback period) it in effect contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. This fossil-emission payback period is generally considered to be five to 10 years.

And although manufacturers will focus on the magic behind this environmentally friendly power source and why it’s sensible to buy your solar panels now, you should be aware that having your own home energy system installed can be quite an expensive proposition – ranging into the thousands of dollars.

But there is a better way. Cheaper by far. Just as efficient and ultimately far more satisfying.

Dave Tishendorf
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/solar-panels-there-is-a-better-way-744960.html

Image By faul Flickr

Renewable Solar Power

Solar power is used not only for businesses but also for private homes as well instead of traditional energy resources. The main benefit of using it is that it is renewable – solar power can not run out and as long as there is sunlight, power can be generated.

What do you need to benefit from renewable solar power? In fact the equipment needed is neither extraordinary nor overly expensive. All you need to have to start using solar power as an alternative energy source are solar panels. Moreover solar panels are pretty easily made in case you want to do it yourself. The materials required are not very expensive and the actual making of them does not require any 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 your home or just for heating water. Many people prefer using solar panels for hot water only, others use it for home heating as well, whilst others have panels installed to generate electricity. However you will have to get a lot of solar panels installed if you want to fully replace your current electricity source. In most cases you will be able to generate enough power for your garden lighting or other small electricity consumables.

No matter how much power your home needs, you can replace it with renewable solar power, you will definitely cut your utilities bills, especially during winter when you have to pay hundreds of dollars just for heating.

Not only is renewable solar power good for your pocket, it is also 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 can not generate power at night or if the weather is bad / overly cloudy in which case power generation is greatly reduced.

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

Image By kevindooley Flickr

The Affects Of Clouds On A Solar Panel

Solar panels hold a wealth of benefits, both for individuals and for the world at large. Economically, solar panels promise to lower the cost of electrical power. Environmentally, solar panels can give us cleaner power, sustainable power that will not require further damage to the environment. Solar power can reach remote areas. It can carry education or urgently needed medical information.

The affects of clouds on a solar panel, though, might diminish those and other promising benefits.

The affects of clouds on a solar panel might make it far less efficient in certain parts of the world and during certain seasons.

For that reason, people who are considering solar panels for their homes are often heard to ask: will clouds affect my solar panels?

Will Clouds Affect My Solar Panels?

Clouds do affect solar panels. The amount of power your solar panels can produce is directly dependent on the level of light they receive.

In full, bright sunlight, solar panels receive maximum levels of light. During those “peak” sunlight hours, your solar panels will produce power at their maximum capacity.

When clouds cover the sun, light levels are reduced. This does not shut down power production, however, if there is enough light to cast a shadow, in spite of the clouds, your solar panels should operate at about half of their full capacity. Thicker cloud cover will reduce operations further. Eventually, with heavy cloud cover, solar panels will produce very little useful power.

The Good News!

The effects of clouds on a solar panel can be surprisingly good, however, incredibly, your solar panels will put out their ultimate amount of peak power during cloudy weather!

As the sun moves into a hole between the clouds, your solar panels will see something wonderful. They will see full direct sunlight “plus” reflected light from the clouds! They will drink in more energy than they could on a cloudless day!

The affects of clouds on a solar panel could then produce peaks at or above 50 percent more than it’s direct-sun output!

Meeting The Challenge

There are ways to meet the cloud challenge.

1. If you often have clouds in the afternoon but mornings are clear, aim your solar panels slightly toward the east.

2. Be sure you use a large enough battery system to maximise the amount of power stored for use when the clouds arrive.

3. Make sure your controller has plenty of headroom over the rated panel output power so that it can absorb the surges when the sun reflects off the clouds.

Those tricks and more are practiced in cloudy regions of the world where people have sprinted far ahead of the United States in their use of solar panel energy.

Affects Of Clouds On A Solar Panel In Germany

Germany is typically a very cloudy country. Read about the climate of Germany and you will find that it is “temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind” according to Nation Master’s website.

In spite of it’s cloudy climate, though, Germany is by far the world’s biggest user of solar panels. If you lived in Germany, you could sell back to the main power grid all of the excess electricity produced by your solar panels. Why would I even care in such a cloudy climate? If clouds affect my solar panels too much, I would not worry about selling back to the main grid.

In 2006, Germany opened the largest solar park in the world. Germany also has Europe’s most modern solar housing project – a solar village of 50 solar houses that produce more energy than they use!

Will clouds affect my solar panels? Even if I lived in Germany, the affect would not be enough to forego solar power.

Tip: There are few places that are so consistently cloudy that solar power is out of the question. Improvements are being made constantly and even solar panels small enough to fold into a briefcase can produce helpful amounts of power.

Anna Hart

http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/effects-of-clouds-on-a-solar-panel-136546.html

Image By richardmasoner Flickr

Compact Electric Power Generator For The Home Based On Solar Energy

The small solar-power generator for homes is waiting to be built as of today. Parts and components for a solar power generator have been invented, developed and in operation for many years but the full electrical equipment that powers up a home has not been integrated and is not ready for the market place.

The home power generator (HPG) based on sun heat requires a small solar dish to collect the heat, a small Stirling engine capable of moving a 3 KWh electrical generator, the power generator and a battery system to store one or two days generated electricity. The battery bank would then supply 24/7 electricity to any outlet upon demand. An additional gas heater installation can be included to backup the lack of sun light, making the system a reliable alternative. Components for this home power generator have yet to be integrated into an appliance homeowners can buy at Sears, Home Depot or other stores and have it installed.  Larger Power Generators using Stirling Engine are a reality and have been developed by Infinia Corporation for the California Solar Plant.

CENTRALISED POWER GENERATION

Large power generation and distribution companies are staying away from the home markets. There are 44 companies in the United States that generate and distribute electricity, with 403 billion in revenues, making profits of 36 billion per year, who wish to continue charging each consumer forever. Developing technology for homes can hurt their central power generation business. Although their plans may include the diversification of their power source, such as: nuclear, hydro, solar, thermal power, as well as, continuing the use of coal, natural gas, oil, it does not include the home power generation market.

Sunlight is the only energy available to all homes, free of charge, provided by nature. If sunlight was harnessed by each consumer to power up their home, central power generators and distributors may not be needed. Other power generating technologies coming from thermal power, hydro or nuclear power, are innocuous to these utility companies, because home owners will never use these energy sources to generate their own power. Thus we can expect that current power utility companies will continue to use these traditional sources of energy extensively and will defer and try to derail home solar technology as much as they can, as long as they can.

When no other alternative existed for obtaining electricity as we have had in the past, electricity supplied from these large plants was welcomed but today, with so many more technologies available, large power generation plants and the centralised business model is highly inefficient because:

1. consumers pay more and forever, to these virtual monopolies;

2. homes need to be within the reach of the electrical grids, remote country homes not tied to the grid need to find other ways to power up their home;

3. flying electrical cables through the streets provide for visual contamination and make streets and neighborhoods look bad;

4. the land used for laying down the high tension cables is about 3%; 99% of the power generated comes from contaminating fuels, either fossil fuels or radioactive materials; and lastly the expensive investment plant model inhibits poor countries from obtaining electricity.

In essence the centralised power plants have American paying electricity forever and are the direct cause for poverty and starvation in the world.  Please read on Poverty generation:  http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/poverty-and-the-new-world-order-809385.html

We need to understand that insisting on generating electricity via very large plants, without the development of the Home Power Generator, creates world poverty, inhibits poor countries from obtaining electricity, inhibits people in those countries to produce food and make products to generate an income which can sustain themselves and comes back to the USA in terms of the help we need to provide but always as charity.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Since FPL, Duque Energy, Constellation Energy and the other 39 companies are incapable of developing the HPG, other investors are needed to develop this light weight solar power generation industry, similar to the Air conditioning manufacturing plants. Development and fabrication of the HPG would be the integration of the 4 components, which can be produced or outsourced by the investor, making the investment accessible to smaller investors. The HPG appliance will be maintenance free, operating-cost free, can be sold all over the world, to power up homes and eliminating the electricity cost of those using it.

Juan Trevino

http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/compact-electric-power-generator-for-the-home-based-on-solar-energy-725300.html

P.S. Free Online Training Course Reveals The Secrets Of Solar Panels For Homes… Click Here Now!

Image by hnnhlh14 flickr

8 Frustrations Of Solar Panels For Homes

When I started the Solar Panels For Homes Guide I wanted to conduct a survey to get a really good understanding of what everyone’s pet peeves are so that I could gain insight into what people want and what would be good topics for me to focus on. The question I put forward was simply “What do you want? What is your biggest frustration right now in relation to solar panels for homes?” The following is a summary of the results of that survey so far (if you would like to participate in the survey… click here now…)

Image by Andres Rueda Flickr

The Cost Of Solar Panels For Homes

Now that Climate Change is Public Enemy Number One and with all this talk of rising energy prices and dependence on foreign energy sources – what is preventing solar panels for homes from reaching their full potential? The growth of solar panels for homes is currently estimated at around forty per cent per year and solar hot water is being adopted at an even faster rate however this only represents a fraction of the total population. The major stumbling block for most people is still cost, price and more specifically return on investment. Currently solar power costs about $10 to $12 per watt installed. Most estimates show it takes between twenty and thirty years for a grid-connected solar system to “pay for itself” – that is, to recoup the initial outlay through savings made compared with exising bills. Some estimates are even as high as fifty years which means that solar power is currently the most expensive type of renewable energy. This article is going to discuss the main issues involved in calculating the costs of solar panels for homes and offer recommendations for reducing those costs in order to assist you in achieving a better return on your investment.

When calculating the cost of solar panels for homes and return on investment you will want to answer six main questions:

1. How much electricity do you need?
2. How can you reduce the overall amount of electricity that you need?
3. How much is it going to cost?
4. How can you offset that cost?
5. How can you best prepare your house for solar panels?
6. What other costs are likely to be incurred?

1. How much electricity do you need?

The first step is to asses what capacity you need and can afford. At this stage you want to consider the pay back period and also the environmental impact. An average household’s electricity use is about eighteen kilowatt hours of electricity per day. The most popular domestic size solar panel (a one kilowatt system) produces nearly four kilowatt hours (kWh) per day of electricity, depending on where you live. That’s about 20% of the average household’s electricity consumption. However, the bigger the system you buy, the more electricity you’ll produce.

2. How can you reduce the overall amount of electricity that you need?

Before you run off spending thousands of dollars on solar panels for your home you may want to consider what other, less expensive things you can do right now to reduce the total amount of electricity that you really need, for instance, some actions that you can take that will have a dramatic impact on your energy consumption are – double glazing windows, shutting off rooms to reduce heating requirements and installing energy efficient appliances and monitoring systems.

3. How much is it going to cost?

When considering costs you want to look at the cost of the technology as well as the cost of installation, with the technology you want to consider not only price but quality and other likely emerging technologies as well.

• Price – The standard one kilowatt solar panel system costs between $12,000 and $15,000. A 2 kilowatt system costs about $20,000. The problem with photovoltaics is the high cost of refining silicon, a crucial component of the cell, to the ninety nine per cent purity required. Silicon represents about forty per cent of the cost of solar panels for homes. Whilst cheaper panels are becoming available you want to be careful when buying cheaper brands because some don’t last as long as you’d expect them to.
• Quality - It’s impossible to tell a good panel from a bad one just by looking at them. Most of the good solar panels have branded names such as Schott Solar, Kaneka, BP Solar, Sharp, Kyocera, Unisolar and Suntech. The most important figures to look at are how much energy the system will produce each year versus the money spent, this also includes – how long the solar panels are likely to last. Also you should consider that, to be eligible for the government rebate panels must pass international testing and certification with testing performed by an international Electrotechnical Commission accredited lab but there’s concern about the quality of some panels on the market that don’t meet the standards.
• Emerging Technologies – New “thin film” or “silver” technology is being tested which reduces the amount of silicon needed by up to seventy five per cent. Also, some companies are exploring non-silicon based solar cells which could see solar cells being embedded into manufactured roofing for houses and buildings.
• Installation – The cost of installing a grid-connected solar system is between $9,000 and $40,000 depending on the size of your house and family, with such a high cost it pays to get a range of quotes  and to ensure that the designer / installer is accredited, that means that they’re deemed qualified to design and install PV systems. Also, you should consider that in order to be eligible for government rebates you must use an accredited installer. An installer’s work is usually guaranteed for one year but ideally you should also look for someone who has a good reputation: how long have they been in business for?; Do they have an established track record and experience / expertise?; And also, be sure to check with their previous customers, think of it this way, almost anyone can get a driver’s license but not everyone is a good driver – it’s the same with accreditation, just because someone is accredited doesn’t make them a good person.

4. How can you offset that cost?

When looking for ways to offset the cost of your solar panels for homes projects you will want to investigate the likely impact of rebates, net metering and also financing arrangements if applicable.

• Rebates - Make sure that the panel is approved for a government rebate – even if your household is ineligible for rebates, buying an approved panel will give you more confidence about it’s quality.
• Net metering vs gross metering – Some governments are planning to adopt “feed-in-tarrifs” which increase the rate home owners are paid for producing electricity from solar panels. Gross metering is best for households because it means you’re paid the higher rate for all the electricity you produce. That system has been used in most countries where solar power has been successful. With net metering, you don’t know what you’ll get so it’s hard to estimate your systems’ payback time – a disincentive to investing in solar panels.
• Financing - Many people are still experieincing frustration with regards to obtaining financing for their solar panels for homes projects which is a shame considering the environmental as well as financial benefits of solar panels for homes but more and more financing companies are understanding the importance of solar panels for homes as well as realising that solar panels for homes are usually installed by higher income, more affluent households – the average household would much rather buy a new big screen television or high performance car.

5. How can you best prepare your house for solar panels?

You may not be ready for installing solar panels in your home yet or perhaps you are building a new home with an inclination that you may decide to go solar in the future. If this is you then you may wish to ensure that your home is designed with passive solar design concepts in mind and build with a roof at the correct angle and facing in the  correct direction. A flat roof with tar and chip roofing makes for easy installation of solar panels. If you already own a home, you may want to get it assessed to see whether your house is suitable for solar panels and perhaps get a list of recommendations on what you can do to prepare.

6. What other costs are likely to be incurred?

Other cost considerations relate to pre-installation, post-installation and safety factors.

• Pre-Installation – Be sure to check out what local council approval is needed, you don’t want to spend all of that money without consulting your local council and community members. Also be sure to look into warranties and guarantees provided by manufacturers. Manufacturer warranties or guarantees range from five to twenty five years. Solar systems should last at least twenty five years, obviously, a warranty or guarantee for that length is best.
• Post-Installation – You will want to consider the likely costs of maintenance, cleaning and replacement parts, whether you do this yourself or get someone else to do it, you will still need to factor in the time and cost of getting this done to ensure that your solar panels for homes system remains efficient for the longest time possible.
• Safety – Unfortunately with the boom of the solar industry, there are a lot of companies around with bad practices and shonky certificates. Some panels have the “CE” mark which is self-certification and therefore completely meaningless because it is not independent and not worth anything. Poor quality panels and wiring could reult in electrocution or even house fires so it’s important to check that your installer is accredited and also has good references i.e. talk to their past customers! It’s your money so be sure not to waste it!

Starting with small projects first

Even if you have the money and are very keen to install a bazzillion solar panels on your roof it may help to start with smaller projects first so that you can get used to the technology and see if it is right for you. So smaller projects that you can start with include installing a solar pool heater, a solar hot water system or purchasing a portable solar panel system that can be used to power a few appliances at a time such as a TV, computer or BBQ.

• Solar Pool Heater – You can buy a pre-fab system to heat your swimming pool or hot tub for several hundred dollars – this will pay for itself very quickly.
• Solar Hot Water – Solar hot water uses simple thermal technology – similar to what happens if you leave a bottle of drinking water in direct sunlight. A solar hot water system costs up to three times more than a gas or electric set-up but at about $4,000, it is still much more affordable than solar electricity. A solar hot water system should pay for itself within five or ten years and because solar hot water tanks usually last twenty years, installing a solar hot water system can mean free hot water for up to ten years. Therefore solar hot water makes ecnomic as well as financial sense.
• Portable Solar Panel System – It is possible to buy a mini-portable solar panel system which is big enough to power a computer, television as well as a few other smaller items for about $700 to $1,000, this is a great way to get started, get comfortable with how solar power works and you can always add more solar panels later if you find that you like it.

Conclusion

Unfortunately if you don’t include the environmental costs of coal-fired electricity when comparing them with solar, it becomes very difficult to justify the investment in solar panels for homes. Saving money is not what motivates the early adopters and if that’s all that motivates you, then perhaps going solar is not for you. Whilst it’s possible to reduce the cost of solar panels for your home by being diligent and doing your research to ensure that you are getting the best possible return on your investment – the cost of solar panels for homes is still the number one biggest issue preventing most people from going solar. Many of these factors are within your control but some are not. The technology is continuing to improve, rebates becoming more widely available and net metering policies becoming more consumer friendly, the question that you have to ask yourself is – is solar power right for me now? And if the answer is no, then what else could you be doing to achieve the same outcome – reducing your energy costs whilst helping out the envrionment.

Other stuff

If you like the information provided here and think that others could benefit from it be sure to Digg, Stumble or whatever this blog post using the social bookmarking tools provided.

P.S. To access the free online training course (Solar Panels For Homes Guide) normally valued at $97… click here now…