Residential Solar Power Solutions

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Residential Solar Power Solutions

Author: AdrianFletcher | Total views: 14 | Word Count: 756 | Category: Alternative Energy | Date: May 13th 2008

It seems that fuel costs for the home rise above inflation each and every year. I'm not completely sure why this is the case. There have been many changes in the way utility companies are run in many countries. The biggest change is that many companies have become privatized. This means that they are responsible to their shareholders and their aim is to make a profit. This may explain why prices have been going up from a cynical perspective.

However, the companies themselves are at pains to point out that the real reason for increases is that the fuel used is becoming scarce. Coal, oil and gas are resources that are used by power stations to create electricity or are supplied directly to homes. All of these resources are finite and the more they get used the harder they become to find and extract. All these extra costs have to be passed on to the consumer by the utility companies.

Within this context, people are embracing new ways to create power for the home that are considerably cheaper and have a longterm future. A popular option is solar power. Solar power in one form or the other has been around for thousands of years. In more recent times the technology has been developed to take advantage of sunlight energy. Before that it was principally the heat from the sun that was used. This article will discuss how to run a house on solar power using both these sources.

So, you can run a house using the sun's thermal energy. The best application of this is to heat water that can be used in the home (or even a swimming pool). The idea behind this technique is to allow a metal plate to be heated by the Sun. This can be made more efficient by painting the surface black and putting insulation on the areas not exposed to the Sun so that the heat is not lost.

Once you have a hot plate you can allow water to come in contact with it and the result is heated water. This can be piped into the home to be used however it is needed. The solar heated water can also be connected to the standard water heater thus saving grid supplied energy on making the water hot.

Energy used to heat household water is one of the most expensive items on most utility bills. This could be reduced if a solar water heating system is installed. We can also utilize sunlight to create electricity. This is a more recent development in solar power technology and is known as photovoltaics. Cells made of a silicon semi-conductor react to photons in sunlight. The reaction causes an electron to be thrown loose. The flow of electrons can be controlled using an electric field. This can create a current of electricity. The more photovoltaic cells that are connected the greater the voltage and current that can be produced.

This is direct current (DC) that can be stored in a battery or transformed to alternating current (AC). This can be done using a power inverter. The resulting AC can be used to power the home. The solar panels that you see on the roof of many houses are a number of PV cells connected together in a series or parallel configuration to increase the amount of electricity that can be produced.

Many people allow the utility company to install the solar panels or at least connect the panels to the grid. This means that the electricity that is created by your solar panel is sold to the utility company. This can save money on the electricity that you use from the utility company. This is even more the case if the state requires utility companies to buy the electricity at retail price.

Having a hybrid system of grid and solar power means that if the Sun stops shining or there are cloudy days then you can still use the grid for power. This takes a lot of the responsibility for creating power off the home owner.

The next stage in solar electricity is to go completely off grid. This means you cut off the utility company and rely on solar power solely. This may be scary for some people new to solar power but it is possible but more work. You will need storage devices for your electricity and backup systems should the Sun not shine. Many people have fuel powered generators or have wind or water power systems as backup.

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It seems that fuel costs for the home rise above inflation each and every year. I'm not completely sure why this is the case. There have been many changes in the way utility companies are run in many countries. The biggest change is that many companies have become privatized. This means that they are responsible to their shareholders and their aim is to make a profit. This may explain why prices have been going up from a cynical perspective. 
However, the companies themselves are at pains to point out that the real reason for increases is that the fuel used is becoming scarce. Coal, oil and gas are resources that are used by power stations to create electricity or are supplied directly to homes. All of these resources are finite and the more they get used the harder they become to find and extract. All these extra costs have to be passed on to the consumer by the utility companies. 
Within this context, people are embracing new ways to create power for the home that are considerably cheaper and have a longterm future. A popular option is solar power. Solar power in one form or the other has been around for thousands of years. In more recent times the technology has been developed to take advantage of sunlight energy. Before that it was principally the heat from the sun that was used. This article will discuss how to run a house on solar power using both these sources. 
So, you can run a house using the sun's thermal energy. The best application of this is to heat water that can be used in the home (or even a swimming pool). The idea behind this technique is to allow a metal plate to be heated by the Sun. This can be made more efficient by painting the surface black and putting insulation on the areas not exposed to the Sun so that the heat is not lost. 
Once you have a hot plate you can allow water to come in contact with it and the result is heated water. This can be piped into the home to be used however it is needed. The solar heated water can also be connected to the standard water heater thus saving grid supplied energy on making the water hot. 
Energy used to heat household water is one of the most expensive items on most utility bills. This could be reduced if a solar water heating system is installed. We can also utilize sunlight to create electricity. This is a more recent development in solar power technology and is known as photovoltaics. Cells made of a silicon semi-conductor react to photons in sunlight. The reaction causes an electron to be thrown loose. The flow of electrons can be controlled using an electric field. This can create a current of electricity. The more photovoltaic cells that are connected the greater the voltage and current that can be produced. 
This is direct current (DC) that can be stored in a battery or transformed to alternating current (AC). This can be done using a power inverter. The resulting AC can be used to power the home. The solar panels that you see on the roof of many houses are a number of PV cells connected together in a series or parallel configuration to increase the amount of electricity that can be produced. 
Many people allow the utility company to install the solar panels or at least connect the panels to the grid. This means that the electricity that is created by your solar panel is sold to the utility company. This can save money on the electricity that you use from the utility company. This is even more the case if the state requires utility companies to buy the electricity at retail price. 
Having a hybrid system of grid and solar power means that if the Sun stops shining or there are cloudy days then you can still use the grid for power. This takes a lot of the responsibility for creating power off the home owner. 
The next stage in solar electricity is to go completely off grid. This means you cut off the utility company and rely on solar power solely. This may be scary for some people new to solar power but it is possible but more work. You will need storage devices for your electricity and backup systems should the Sun not shine. Many people have fuel powered generators or have wind or water power systems as backup. Article Source: <a href="http://www.organizingweb.net" target="_blank">OrganizingWeb.net</a> About the Author: Get more details on <a href="http://www.solarpowerappliances.com/Solar_Power_Tax_Rebates_And_Residential_Solar_Power_Grants.html">solar power tax deductions</a> and how <a href="http://www.solarpowerappliances.com/How_Can_Solar_Power_Help_Conserve_Energy.html">solar power can conserve energy</a> visit the solarappliances website.