Discussion
Your Questions About Solar Energy Generator Suppliers
Michael asks…
I will like set up a solar panel to cut down my eletricity cost in Cameroon.can you allocate me a supplier?
I need a solar panel which can light up 4 full loaded 5 rooms appartment houses
admin answers:
Good idea going solar, i would suggest doing a google search, as their are many suppliers. Then you need to calculate the amount of wattage you think these apartment houses are going to require. Volts x amps = watts. If you are going to be off of the power grid, then you will need a way to store excess energy during good times,( lots of sun) in order to use it during bad times ( no sun ). Or see if you are able to sell your extra power back to your local power company, check because some companies do not allow this. You could even have a generator for emergencies if you go off the power grid. On final note, solar is a pretty sizable investment up front and your profits are seen mainly in the long run, but you will get energy savings immediately, but more likely those savings will go to paying off the solar panels also, you will need a converter to convert the ac (alternate current) produced by the panels into dc ( direct current ) which is used by the apartments. It will tie in to the existing electrical system in the apartments. I know germany is really pushing solar energy and they offer their citizens some pretty sweet deals to go solar. The companies are profiting from this so i would suggest looking for a supplier in germany, first. They may have better deals, or try bp (british petroeum) they have been in the solar business for awhile. I wish you success!
Mandy asks…
how do power stations make electricity?
ok i have the general idea of a power station they use friction to make electric and cole to make gas i guess the gas will cost money to make but what about electric?.
How do they make electricity?
Does it cost the energy supplier anything to make this energy?
is there a reasonable reason for high energy prices? or are they just making it for free and putting a price on it?
next they will tell us using a solar panel costs money to use :p
they say we are running out of resources thats why they want us to cut back on fuel consumption, with the prices raising it begs to wonder how it all works
admin answers:
Most electricity is generated with a “thermal power station” In these something is burned like: Coal or natural gas or heat is produced in some other way like using a nuclear reactor, concentrating the sun or getting heat from volcanic areas deep in the Earth. The heat is used to produce steam which is then used to turn a turbine that mechanically turns a generator that produces electricity.
But there are a few exceptions. Windmills and water turbines in a hydroelectric plant turn turbines directly without using steam or heat. Solar photovoltaic panels convert the sun’s light to electricity directly. There is also another process called magnetohydrodynamics that produces electricity directly without a turbine or a generator. This involves hot charged plasma moving past a magnetic field.
So there are several different fuels and several different processes that can be used to make electricity. What they all have in common is turning one form of energy into another. This is a business and it costs money to operate. Conventional power plants typically have a lower cost for the facility and an ongoing cost for the fuel that is used. Alternative power stations typically have a larger up front cost for the facility but little or no fuel cost. These would include hydroelectric, geothermal, wind and solar power stations. Both have maintenance costs but newer and alternatively fueled stations will cost less for maintenance.
Once fuel was cheap and now it is getting more expensive to supply fuel to older power stations. These older stations are requiring more maintenance so electricity costs rise. But electricity costs have doubled in the last 20 years. Petrol prices have gone up 4 to 6 times in that same period so it is all relative.
There are many factors that go into supplying electricity. Too many plants raises capital costs too few plants requires that electricity to supply the grid must be purchased from somewhere else at a higher cost. Electrical production must meet a constantly changing demand. There are electricity markets to supply too much and too little but very little of it can be stored at this time.
In some places rapid development requires expansion of the electrical grid in order to carry the supplied power to where it is needed. All of this costs money and if it is mostly invisible that is because someone is making it all work. Sometimes they are using your money to make sure it works.
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Materials And Solar Cells
Charles asks…
what is the prospect of solar cells becoming really succesful?
Solar cells have two problems: 1 high cost 2. low efficiency What are the prospects that either of these is going to change ?
admin answers:
Pretty good. The real question is how long will it take for either to change.
First off, the efficiency of solar cells has already grown by leaps and bounds, with the disadvantage being that the methods with the greatest efficiency are very expensive.
There’s a couple of ways to improve the efficiency, perhaps without the associated increase in cost.
1) Increase the spectrum of light that can be converted to electricity. Currently, solar cells only convert a very small range of light frequencies to electricity. You could theoretically expand that range by combining different materials in a solar array, but if the crystal lattices of the different materials differ too much efficiency also suffers.
A new development, discovered during development of LEDs rather than solar cells, could expand the range of frequencies that could be converted to electricity without increasing the cost. Indium gallium nitride holds the promise of increasing efficiency to 50 to 70 percent (the best current solar cells run around 30%). The material is very defect tolerant, meaning the crystal lattices don’t have to match so precisely, decreasing the cost of production, plus it has a high heat capacity. Of course, a p-type version compatible with indium gallium nitride still needs to be developed, but if one is found, the efficiency of solar cells would leap while the cost would plummet.
2) Increase the number of electrons emitted in response to being struck by photons of light. Current solar cells can convert one photon of solar energy to one electron with the rest being lost as heat. Nanotechnology could increase that to three electrons per photon of solar energy, increasing solar cell efficiency to around 65%.
Richard asks…
How does surface area affect energy solar cells?
Can someone explain to me how surface area affects energy solar cells in a simple way?
Thanks!
admin answers:
Likely in the same way acreage area affects farming. More space, more potential.
But productivity isn’t necessarily a linear logical thing. I mean what if the farmer doesn’t water his plants enough? And in the same light, what if less efficient material is used in solar cells?
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Your Questions About Solar Generators Portable
Sandy asks…
What is the best way to power my refrigerator in my rv when not plugged in?
I have the original generator that came with the rv but it does need some work. I don’t really want to have to run the generator just to power fridge while between places. The fridge is an electric fridge. I had thought about a solar panel or maybe just a smaller portable generator. Any ideas? What do people do when they are between places for 8 hours or so and don’t want food to spoil?
admin answers:
Newer RV refrigerators have a variety of of ways to operate now; propane, 12 volt, and 110 volt power. You can purchase a newer one online. I would recommend a 110 volt or propane combo refer. That way when you are using shore power you can use the 110 volt to power the refer or when you are dry camping you can use the propane feature which is very efficient. Or option b: you can purchase a generator (2800 watt or larger) to power it on 110 volt. Option C opower your 110 volt refrigerator with solar panels would require an invertor (2000 watt or higher) as well as a large array of solar panels drilled into the roof accompanied by allot of 6 Volt (golf cart batteries).
Sandra asks…
Is their a generator small enough that will work with wii?
Is their a generator small enough that is at least 50 watts no more thatn 70watts taht fits a standard size house plug. I will go on a coach bus and i want to bring wii with me but i need a small generator. any ideas where i can get one.
admin answers:
I’m not sure what you mean by generator.. You maybe need a battery system.. But you would need to power a television along with it.. The Wii isn’t really set up as a portable system..
Check the link below.. Some people set up a solar power generator for their Wii..
Good luck..
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Generators For Sale
Joseph asks…
I need information resources for a hybrid solar/wind system?
I am building a small cabin (500sf) where grid power is not available. I need information not a salesman’s pitch. Anybody have any experience?? Thanks!
admin answers:
Your hybrid system would have to depend on the location where you are building your cabin. If sun is abundant all year around, solar powered system is advisable. Solar cells are not so expensive now as before. If the wind in the area is normal, there are inexpensive designs for a wind powered system. Both system has to store the power in battery banks.
Both system may easily be used in tandem storing energy to a single battery bank provided that your storage (battery banks) has enough capacity. Too much capacity would also mean higher cost. So the battery bank should just be enough to last until the next charging time (or cycle) normally every day.
Check your planned power requirement and match it with the system you might need.
For emergency cases, you must have a small engine driven generator set for lights and whatever emergency equipment you might have, just in case your batteries run out of power.
For suppliers of these system(s), you should check first for any local distributors and manufacturers closest to your cabin. It would make a difference at maintenance ( or other after sales services).
Jenny asks…
I wanna use golf cart batteries but which one?
I found this system on the internet
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/system/solaredge-8-trina-solar-panel-gridtie-system.html
and i know its already grid tied but still i wanna add in some batteries for emergency situations and people keep suggesting golf cart batteries. What voltage of golf cart batteries should i purchase? they keep saying that the voltage used by the solar panels, the batteries and the inverters must be the same but i dunno how to determine the voltage used by the solar panels in the link above.
admin answers:
Hey Stefan, actually, you can build up a, “hybrid,” solar/battery/grid tie system like you’ve described here with parts off the shelf, but I don’t think you’ll find that package already made up at Whole Sale Solar. You could give them a call and tell them what you want to do, they should be able to give you a quote on what parts are necessary and what the price would be.
First of all, all golf cart batteries are 6 volt, but the best one is made by Trojan. They are made in California, the model no. Is Trojan T-105. Each one holds 220 amp hours at 6 volts, has 3 cells, and weighs 80 pounds. We only have 4 of them in our hybrid system, really just enough to keep the basic loads in our home running overnight during power outages until the solar array comes back up in the morning. There are other golf cart battery makers, like Interstate for example, but you’ll get the best longevity from a Trojan. Our home has been powered by the wind and sun for 11 years now, we’ve been through lots of batteries in our day, trust me, the Trojan will hold up best. Look in the phone book for a place that sells and services golf carts, they go through batteries by the truckload, that’s where we found ours. There is a great book at the library on battery charging, I’ll list it below.
Our system uses a 1.4 kw solar array made up of Kyocera 120 panels, and has a Southwest Windpower H-40 900 watt wind turbine. The array and turbine all charge our 24 volt battery bank (using 4 golf cart batteries wired in series) through separate charge controllers. The solar array uses a Xantrex digital C-60 controller, and the wind turbine has its own, like most genny’s do. The heart to the system is the Xantrex SW-4024 sine wave inverter. It can stand alone, using battery power to feed AC power to your home, like ours did for years, or tie with the grid and parallel feed, like we have it doing now. The inverter has multiple connections, output, grid connection, generator, battery, and so on. It is programmable to sell/buy from the grid, and automatically switch to stand alone to keep your house running if the grid goes down, as long as your batteries have power. Since you’ll be charging them from the solar panels, this will work fine.
There are probably other inverters today that can do this same thing, but you have to have one labeled, “Utility Interactive.” A utility tie, or, “Grid Tie,” inverter only works with the grid, and a stand alone or, “independent inverter,” only works with the batteries and your loads, but an interactive inverter can do both simultaneously. I’ll warn you that they are not cheap, last time I checked that inverter was a little over $2,000 USD. This is why most of the grid tie systems do not use them, by listing a less expensive grid tie inverter, and then leaving the batteries off the parts list, they can reduce the total system cost by over 30%. It’s up to you what you are willing to pay for.
What I would do first is spend some time educating yourself on all of this. There is a great magazine that gets into the nuts and bolts of this stuff, and has lots of advertisements from vendors like Wholesale where you can shop for prices and kits. Also consider taking the time to get to one of the energy fairs listed in the back of the mag, we did 12 years ago, and this is where it got us today. The magazine liked some of our system so much they ran an article on our place several years ago. If you subscribe, you can check out articles and write ups on lots of peoples homes that work like ours. In the end, you might decide not to get involved at all, and that’s fine, but at least you will be well informed. Good luck Stefan, and take care, Rudydoo
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Jobs
Ken asks…
What are possible positions (jobs) in solar energy?
I want to work in something that has to do with alternative energy sources such as solar energy hydroelectricity etc. To what type of program i would need to applay and what are the requirements?
admin answers:
I’m just finishing a physics masters in CdTe solar cells. If I wanted to I could go into solar research from here, or get a job with a renewable energy company. A first class (or in some cases upper second) physics degree is sufficient in the UK.
Particularly well paid jobs will generally require a degree. Physics for research and possibly for planning, engineering for designing installations and possibly planning. Mathematicians or other physical scientists may be able to get involved in the actual planning. Non-scientists may be able to get jobs in solar companies in marketing, human resources etc. Physics or electrical engineering would be my recommendation.
If you don’t particularly want to go to university and/or you don’t particularly like maths, then many countries now run practical courses which teach you how to install solar systems in houses and you can get on one of those and be fully qualified to work in installing solar panels.
Carol asks…
what is the best way to break into the solar energy industry?
what is the best way to break into the solar energy industry is still by way of a thorough solar education as provided?
admin answers:
Start by building your own solar cell from recycled materials, but don’t give up your day job. Experiment in your spare time and also take all the solar education courses that are available in your area. Solar energy will definitely be the power of the future as fossil fuels are exhausted.
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Your Questions About Solar Generators For Home Use
Joseph asks…
Anyone have any ideas for electricity in woods?
I know this sounds stupid, but I am building a cabin in the woods over a very small stream. I need electricity out there to power some lights and maybe a radio with some speakers. The stream isn’t big enough for hydroelectric power and I was wondering if anybody had any ideas to get electricity out there. Extension cords would be too long, solar maybe if it is cheap, a rechargeable car battery would be too heavy to carry up to charge each time. If you guys have any ideas, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
admin answers:
I don’t think it is stupid. I would check out solar, but if not, have you thought about wind? Otherwise maybe a power inverter? I don’t know if they are much lighter than a car battery but they are made for things like this. All I know about them is what I have heard on QVC, but I am sure they are available at home improvement or hardware stores. You could of course get a generator and haul gas, but I wouldn’t, too noisy and pollutes. Keep the radio down and enjoy the woodland creatures.
William asks…
How much (estimate) would it cost to get septic/power/gas installed in a rural area?
Curious how much people think it would cost to get not only a septic system set-up but also some kind of power and gas supply in a rural field in colorado? Assume a trailer home is on the land for a house. (If that matters) 10 acres of land.
admin answers:
Ideally a pond with reed beds is best,this makes a bio-diverse pond the bacteria in the pond eat the sewage,pond about 50-100metres away from property.pond details on net? Solar panels are great for electricity,and are better and cheaper now,some on net from 250,Windmills also good make one via car generator,run cable from alternator to one -way diode to battery, use inverter from battery. Or use gas in a tank, delivered by lorry. Pond 100+ power50+ gas tank usually cheap as you buy gas from them.sy.
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Generators
Thomas asks…
Is there a solar electric generator? I heard a company in Chicago has manufactured an electric generator that?
I am looking for a company that manufactures electric generators that uses solar energy.
admin answers:
Erm – that would be a electric solar cell then.
James asks…
is there an alternative for solar panels that can collect and convert solar energy into electricity?
A solar panel is a device that collects and converts solar energy into electricity or heat which can be used by (for example) nearby buildings. But is there any device that acts like a solar panel?
admin answers:
Besides the silicon type, there are a couple of types:
1. The reflector type of solar power, which uses a mirrored dish to focus sunlight to boil water to drive a generator.
2. Using sunlight to heat a thermocouple which drives a current.
Both of these are larger than your typical solar cell and are not really that efficient – yet.
A solar cell is the only thing that converts photonic energy into electricity, although they can be made of silicon and other materials.
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Colorado
Paul asks…
Why is oil shale not used as a natural resource?
There is more oil shale in Colorado than all the oil in the middle east. If we use solar energy to refine it wouldn’t that make up for the energy loss? I think oil shale can be converted into a type of jet fuel. Correct me if I am wrong please.
oh well nice though
admin answers:
Be patient as oil shale will be developed in the future. Oil shale extraction has been around in Colorado since the early 1980’s and was once subsidized by the US Government in order to try to determine if it could be made economical. However, oil price collapses during the late 1980’s caused those projects to be canceled. At the present time it is just too expensive to compete with conventional oil & natural gas resources. However, there are several Federal Government permitted oil shale projects in smaller scale field trials underway. It will take about 10 years per project just to determine if they can be reasonably expanded to larger scale trials. The interest in oil shale was great in 2008 when oil prices peaked at $150 per barrel but some of that interest has decreased now that oil is around $70 to $80 per barrel.
See the link below on oil shale extraction methods in general.
Chris asks…
Is there a way to tell how much solar energy will be produced based on location?
For instance, in Colorado, more Wattage can be produced in a Solar cell than in Ohio. Is there way to tell the difference?
admin answers:
Insolation maps can be found here: http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook/atlas/
These are based on actual measured historical data, so take into account local clouds and weather conditions.
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Your Questions About Solar Generators Reviews
Jenny asks…
Are there problems adding other charging units like wind power to a Harbor Freight Solar Panel ChargeControler?
I would like to buy a small wind generator and just add the negative and positive wires to the negative and positive wires in my Harbor Freight Solar Panel kit. The Harbor Freight Solar Panel kit’s charge control will still protect the battery from over charging right? Even though the charge controller would be buffering more wattage then what the manufaturer probably intended it to buffer? If so, could there be long term implications on the charge controller or battery?
admin answers:
Hey Me, what are you using for battery storage? If I understand the harbor freight kit properly, it does not have a battery included, or it is a very small sealed AGM type battery. If that is the case, don’t bother adding another source of charging power, you’ll just fill that battery up faster and still have no place to put your excess energy. If you have a good sized deep cycle battery or two hooked up, my suggestion is simply get a wind turbine that has it’s own charge controller, most of them do. Then wire it straight to the battery bypassing the harbor freight unit. A good example would be Southwest Windpowers Air 403, puts out up to 300 watts, although in ideal conditions on a tall tower, but has its own internal regulator, like a car alternator. So the two wires coming down the tower go straight to the battery, and the turbine is already prevented from overcharging anything.
In most wind/solar power systems, the charge controller is the achilles heel. It is the one thing that breaks down first and causes the most problems. We’ve been living in a wind and solar powered home for years now, I can speak from experience on this. We’ve not purchased the HF kit because the panels are not built as robustly as they need to be to be mounted on the roof of a home in all weather conditions, and the wiring harnesses are not designed for permanent installation, to be sunlight resistant, etc. Also the electronics are not UL listed to my knowledge, so they would not be legal for in home installation either. They are terrific little units to make small amounts of power in a portable application, like camping, or a remote shed for example. Adding another source of power to be fed through the existing controls of that kit would be like welding a bed on the back of a Ford Pinto in order to use it as a pickup truck. My suggestion is to have a good sized battery pack, like a pair of Trojan T-105 golf cart batteries (220 amp hours) then get a small turbine with its own regulator, and wire it straight to the batteries. The batteries will happily take a charge from either source, or both simultaneously, that’s how our home works. If you really want to do some shopping for this stuff, get a subscription to Home Power Magazine, they regularly run articles on all the available panels, turbines, controllers and othe components to home power systems. If you subscribe, you can use their website to review archived articles in past issues that have all the write ups you’re looking for. Good luck Me, and take care, Rudydoo
Sandra asks…
What are some of the best rechargeable flashlights (solar/winding/shaking/plug-in/etc)?
I think I would like a solar or electrical outlet plug-in rechargeable flashlight for home use, especially for power outages, and a winding/shaking one to keep in the glove box of my vehicle.
What are some of the best performers out there? The only one I’ve found with consistently good reviews is the SolarLite (Costco, Amazon).
admin answers:
Hey jdude
for rechargable go to
http://www.maglite.com/
have been using this brand for years at work.
I have tried a couple wind up lights in my vehicle and they dont last. I think the temp and humidity swings have an effect on generator and/or battery. I now have an LED 2 cell for the car now. It holds up fine.
I’ve had good luck with this wind up from radio shack. Keep it in the house near crawl space for emergency reasons. Tornado/asteroid strike or nuke fall out. (gosh i hope none of this ever happens)
Dynamo Emergency Crank Radio with AM/FM/NOAA Bands
price 40 bucks
hope this helps
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Generator Wikipedia
Michael asks…
What is the establishment cost for a coal burning factory?
I need this for a science assignment. Holy crap do I hate science.
So yeah, what is the establishment cost to set up a coal burning factory? (Where the coal is transferred into energy)
admin answers:
The current establishment cost of a coal fired power station is about $2000 per kilowatt of power produced. Over a 50 year life; this is quite low compared with establishment costs for wind and solar power generation, and a lot (hundreds) of wind generators are needed to produce the same power output of a large coal powered generator. This is why it is proving difficult to replace coal for large scale power generation.
Here’s a wiki ref:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_station
Charles asks…
Year 12 Physics – How do generators and transformers work?
I have a basic idea but am having a little trouble understanding it completely – so i can answer abstract questions in texts… and the textbook is just confusing.
Anyone want to explain a little?
admin answers:
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled electrical conductors. A changing current in the first circuit (the primary) creates a changing magnetic field; in turn, this magnetic field induces a changing voltage in the second circuit (the secondary). By adding a load to the secondary circuit, one can make current flow in the transformer, thus transferring energy from one circuit to the other.
The voltage in the secondary circuit is in general different from the voltage in the primary circuit.
In electricity generation, an electrical generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy, generally using electromagnetic induction. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor, and motors and generators have many similarities. The source of mechanical energy may be a reciprocating or turbine steam engine, water falling through a turbine or waterwheel, an internal combustion engine, a wind turbine, a hand crank, the sun or solar energy, compressed air or any other source of mechanical energy.
In electricity generation, an electrical generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy, generally using electromagnetic induction. The reverse conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy is done by a motor, and motors and generators have many similarities. The source of mechanical energy may be a reciprocating or turbine steam engine, water falling through a turbine or waterwheel, an internal combustion engine, a wind turbine, a hand crank, the sun or solar energy, compressed air or any other source of mechanical energy.
Wikipedia
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Pros And Cons
Betty asks…
Pros and Cons of using nuclear energy to produce electricity?
Please give me some pros and cons of using nuclear energy for producing electricity! List as many as you know.
admin answers:
Pros:
Cheaper per kW-hr than gas, coal, petroleum, and solar energy production.
Zero carbon emissions power production
Higher output than any other energy source for a given area
High paying jobs stimulate local economy more than other forms of energy production
More jobs created than from gas, coal or petroleum production
With reprocessing, nuclear energy could provide a nearly endless supply of power at current demands.
Cons:
Re-Processing of commercial fuels currently creates issues with waste volume in the United States, leading to storage and disposal issues.
Wastes are highly radioactive and must be handles carefully and dealt with using engineered safety features.
Public opinion of nuclear power presents a “not in my back yard” mentality, even with US plant design being some of the safest plants in the world to operate.
Plants must be built in geologically stable area, or engineered to withstand geological events to prevent the release of contamination.
The approval and construction process for new nuclear plants is quite costly, making it difficult to build new facilities.
Lizzie asks…
What are Problems of Fossil Fuels and the Advantages of Solar Energy.?
What are the pros and cons of Solar Energy with respect to cost, impact on the environment, availability etc.
admin answers:
There are several problems with fossil fuels. They are a limited commodity, they cause pollution when burned, and they are destructive to drill for or mine.
Solar energy is a growing technology right now. People who have solar panels on their houses often generate more electricity than they can even use, and in some places they can sell it back to the power companies and make a profit while not paying for electricity.
At present, solar panels are expensive to buy, but this will change as more people buy them, just like any other technology.
For the environment, I would guess that solar energy is almost completely harmless. I don’t know what kind of chemicals that are required for making solar panels, but once they are produced, solar energy uses a virtually unlimited energy source that is clean to harvest and gives off no emissions.
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Generator Price
Joseph asks…
How can people say that green energy is inefficient when the lack of investment causes it’s inefficiency?
The financial elite (the 5% of Americans who own 75% of America or the 1% of the world who own 40% of the world, whichever way you want to look at it) invested a lot in the coal and oil energy business because they controlled the coal and oil mines.
They could invest in solar, tide, wind, geothermal etc energy but they can’t sell us any of those things, so even though it would make very positive change for everyone, they aren’t doing it, which is WHY the technologies are still inefficient.
admin answers:
Some of it is inefficient. For example, solar panels can only capture about 20-40% of energy. For the price of the item, no one wants to take that chance. All the investments in the world won’t change the fact that you’re not getting most of it. There is a reason only businesses and celebrities have solar panels. Also, the world tends to get dark from time to time, making it unreliable.
I agree that we should have them. It’s not like surfers and fishermen need the oceans to be pretty and not have wave generators five miles from the coast. It is free and everywhere. But the fact still remains that it isn’t prestigious or cheap enough.
Mark asks…
Solar energy: How to get more wattage from several solar panels?
Here’s the thing. I have this little farm in a far far place where there’s no electrical power. I only have a generator that I can’t afford to have on all day… I have this chickens I need to keep warm at night among other things, like turning on light bulbs (both old and energy saving ones), tv, radio, etc for a few hours.
Here’s the thing, I was looking online and I found a descent price on a 130 watts solar panel, 12 volts output so I was thinking of buying it.
I’ll explain what I know so far so you can maybe help me out with my doubts:
I am supposed to sum up the amount of watts consumed by the devices connected to my panels right ? for instance, if I have three 40 watts bulbs that would mean 120 watts per hour, which means the panel would do the job right ? Let’s assume for a second we have ideal weather conditions. So that would mean that if I need the bulbs on for 4 hours that’s “120*4= 480 watts hour” .. the panels would need to be working under ideal conditions 4 hours as well right ? That would mean “130*4=520 watts hours” so I should be fine, right ? No energy storage involve so far. Just direct energy consumption right?
Now, here’s one of my main question. I couldn’t fine panels that could provide more than 130 watts, so what do I do when I need more energy than that ? am I supposed to connect several panels in parallel to keep the same voltage or am I supposed to connect them in series and deal later with the voltage increase ? My “common sense” tells me that I should connect them in parallel (assuming I’m buying the same panel several times), so I get the same voltage output, to them connect them to a power inverter. But, will I get a wattage increase, will it just keep adding up ? For instance if I have four 130 watts panels in parallel will I get total of 520 watts ? *Crucial question*
Also, among all the doubts I have, I would also like to ask how to select my system. Like I said before, my main issue is to keep the chicken warm. I would like to light up say, 6 old light bulbs just so I can heat up the room for the chickens. Let’s say 60 watts (maybe?). According to my logic that would mean 360 watts so one panel wouldn’t be enough, so how to I get more wattage ? How to I get enough wattage to light up these light bulbs plus a couple other energy saving ones for the surroundings of the farm, and old small tv and maybe a small fan ? The “warming bulbs” would be on all night, that’s the goal.. the other things I intend to power would be on for 4 hours average.
Last but not least, actually this is quite important… how to I store enough energy to keep this things going on once the sun is gone. As you may have figured out already I need energy at night, once the sun is gone, to keep the chicken warm at night an to light up the patio I guess. I’m gonna need an arrangement of batteries for this.. but which ones ? How many ? in parallel (of course?) ? How much time will they need to charge before I need to use them again ? Remember I plan to use them on a daily basis.
So as you can see I’m pretty much an ignorant when it comes to this, but I’m really trying to figure it out. I know this sounds a bit nuts but I’m basically asking you to teach me to set up a whole systems for my needs. Is it even possible ? Given the case that I can’t keep the “warming bulbs” on, I would still like to set up a system to light up the patio with energy saving bulbs, to turn on a small tv and perhaps a fan, that would still help a lot.
Even if what I’m asking is too crazy, do you know of any other affordable way to produce or store enough energy for any of this things ? Like maybe wind energy? or (I don’t know) is there a way to charge an arrangement of batteries with my generator and then use these batteries with an inverter to keep the rest of the things on at night ? Because I don’t keep the generator on all night, it would probably break after a while. Sounds like waste to have such a huge thing on for hours every night just to keep a few bulbs and a small tv on.
Well anyway, thanks for your time. I hope this doesn’t sound too crazy and I hope you can help me out or maybe guide me in the right direction.
ROWLFE: Please, I hope you read this. You seem to be well informed, more than just well. Thanks by the way.. but I need to flood you with a bunch of other questions if that’s alright. So I assuming I have a established storage battery system (which I don’t, I don’t even know where to start, but let’s just assume I have it) would it matter if I have a 130 watts panel or a bazillion watts panel ? What I mean is, since I’m using the power almost strictly when the sun is gone, then I can’t consider the panel a “battery” as you said. I absolutely need the so said storage unit… so if I had this unit, any panel would do the trick to charge it ?
I don’t know if I’m explaining myself well, what I’m trying to say is that my energy consumption will be strictly supplied by my batteries, the solar panel in this case is just one of the many ways to charge those batteries. If I could charge the batteries with anything else then I would.. but I need pow
but I need power at night to light up incandescent light bulbs. So would I need an specific solar panel to charge an ARRANGEMENT OF BATTERIES THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DESIGNED TO POWER MY NEEDS ? or any panel/wattage would do the job since I would not be feeding directly from it ?
By the way, since I have no clue where to start, do you think you could maybe recommend some panels/wattage for what I need ? and batteries, specially batteries. I know I can’t use just regular car batteries since they are not designed to be charged and discharged so often. I heard something about golf car batteries, I don’t know. Man if you could maybe show some quick schematics/designs of a system that might work for my needs, that would help me out a lot. Even if its just a block diagram… I’m sorry to sound so stupid but this is the first time I try to do something like this so I’m still on the trial and error stage. I promise I’m a bit smarter than this. Thanks for your help!
admin answers:
To keep a 12v system, mount multiple panels in parallel. That increases available watts leaving volts constant.
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Your Questions About Solar Generators Home Depot
Maria asks…
Who knows of a honest Company that sells wind generators and solar panels for a decent price?
admin answers:
Try Northern Arizona Wind and Sun. Their prices are decent, not always the lowest, but decent. Service is good, and the forum they sponsor has helped many.
Another company, partsonsale.com, has good prices, but you need to wade through the hype. Know what you want, and don’t believe everything you read.
On occasion, some Home Depot stores actually stock the large 165 and 175-watt Mitsubishi panels.
John asks…
How to build your own wind or solar power!?
I am really looking for Ebooks that are FREE, not the kits where you spent $1000 to build the darn thing but books on how to use common items in building a wind or solar power kind of stuff. My father is REALLY wanting to build a wind turbine, and maybe even a solar panel. The problem is that all the books we find require you either buy a kit or go to some special hardware store to get this or that. I have talked to a man that has a solar panel he built himself not spending over $200 and got all the stuff from home depot! This is what I am looking for if ANYONE can point me in the right direction PLEASE PLEASE do so!!
admin answers:
You Can Build A Wind Generator from you home as little as $100
just click on the link or copy and paste in your browers for more info on wind generator
http://rbagent.windplans.hop.clickbank.net?tid=wind1&gid=&yid=&ex=
hope this helps you in your matter
richard
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Calculator
George asks…
Q. How the electricity is produced by using solar energy?
Please describe in details how do the whole mechanisms work? How it is developed? What apparatus is required? How the solar panel is constructed and how it works? Explain me all questions by using 3d figures or images or video if available. I have no prior knowledge about solar electricity so; please guide me in the easiest way as much as possible; I want to make electricity for my home by using solar energy what should I do? How can I achieve or construct it myself?
admin answers:
Solar electric panels are made up of something called silicon, the same thing that makes up sand. There is more silicon on the planet than almost anything else. Even though you can find silicon almost everywhere, making a solar panel is difficult and expensive. The silicon has to be heated to super high temperatures in a big factory, and then formed into very thin wafers.
When sunlight hits a solar panel, it makes electrons in the silicon move around. (Electrons are teeny tiny specks–they?re way too small for us to see, even under a microscope.) The electrons flow through wires that were built into the solar panel. And presto! We have electricity! We can do whatever we want with this electricity, run a calculator, a CD player, or, if we have big enough solar panels, a satellite! [Solar panels are also called photovoltaic panels. “Photo” means light and “voltaic” means electricity.]
http://www.windandsolar.com/nss-folder/pictures/Solar%20Panels%20S%20Wind%20machines%208319%20W%20Sunset%20005.jpg
Before installing solar panels, make sure you are wearing safety goggles. Make sure you have read and understand the manuals for your installation equipment.
Mandy asks…
How do solar powered calculators work?
Explain how a solar powered calculator works. My solar powered calculator also works with, light from a light bulb, how is this?
admin answers:
A solar powered calculator uses a photovoltaic cell to convert light energy (photons) into electric current to power it. Any source of visible light should work, including a light bulb.
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Your Questions About Solar Generator For Home Use
Donald asks…
What are the physics involved in the generation of electricity?
Please help me with this question, i can’t find what i needed. I need to research it on two countries of my choice. It would be great if you guys just give me the link of the website. Thanks a bunch 🙂
admin answers:
I hope this helps!!
A generator can also be used to produce direct current. I have an old generator, most physics teachers do. You can see the magnets and the coils of wire. As you turn the hand crank, the wires rotate around the magnets. As the coils of wires cut across the magnetic field, electrons are forced to move in the wire producing current. The wire in the light bulb has resistance, so the wire heats up as the electrons move in it. This causes the metal filament in the light bulb to get hot enough to glow. The last piece of equipment in a generator is a split ring commutator. As the rotating coil of wire moves down thru the magnetic field, the electrons are pushed one direction. As the rotating coil of wire moves up thru the magnetic field, the electrons are pushed the other direction. The split ring commutator reverses the current each ½ turn, so the electrons are all moving the same direction thru the light bulb.
Here is a picture of the split ring commutator
http://www.gcsescience.com/pme13.htm
Go to this site and you will see a picture of a generator.
Http://www.unm.edu/~physics/demo/html_demo_pages/5k4080.jpg
Here is an excellent article on alternating current.
Http://science.howstuffworks.com/electricity5.htm
Alternating current is produced by an alternator. The main difference between a generator and an alternator is that the alternator has no split ring commutator, so the current reverses each half a turn. This may mean nothing to you, but in order to reverse direction of motion, the electrons have to slow down, stop, and speed up in the other direction. As the electrons accelerate they send out an increasing magnetic field. As the electrons decelerate the magnetic field decreases. This changing magnetic field can produces current in a coil of wire. This is how a transformer works.
A transformer contains 2 sets of coils of wire each wrapped an iron core. One iron core has more coils of wire wrapped around it. If there are more coils, higher voltage is produced. At the power plant the voltage is increased to 110,000 volts to send to your house.
The power plant produces power. In physics we learn that power = voltage * current. The power produced by the power plant is constant, so if the voltage is high, the current is low. Low current is good, because high current produces too much heat in the wires and the wires melt. Before the power reaches your home, it goes thru a transformer which reduces the voltage, thus increasing the current. High voltage is dangerous. It can cause electricity to arc and cause a fire. The high voltage lines are up on tall poles and separated about 3 feet for that reason. You can see the transformers on the poles in alleys. They look like a cylindrical can attached to the side of the pole.
Now back to how AC works. Voltage energizes the electrons. The electrons give this energy to the light bulb (and all other electric appliances). The electrons obviously have to move to get to the light bulb. But, it doesn’t matter if they move in one direction (DC) or move back and forth in the light bulb. Either way the wire in the bulb gets hot and glows. When the electrons have given their energy to the light bulb, they leave the bulb and go thru the ground wire to the ground rod attached to your electricity meter. Go outside and look below the electricity meter. There is a thick aluminum wire going down to a metal rod. The rod is an 8 ft long copper rod. The electrons travel down this rod and join gavillions of other electrons in the earth.
¬Here is an article on AC vs DC power
This transformer helps transfer power traveling to and from California.
¬Batteries, fuel cells and solar cells all produce something called direct current (DC). The positive and negative terminals of a battery are always, respectively, positive ¬and negative. Current always flows in the same direction between those two terminals.
The power that comes from a power plant, on the other hand, is called alternating current (AC). The direction of the current reverses, or alternates, 60 times per second (in the U.S.) or 50 times per second (in Europe, for example). The power that is available at a wall socket in the United States is 120-volt, 60-cycle AC power.
The big advantage that alternating current provides for the power grid is the fact that it is relatively easy to change the voltage of the power, using a device called a transformer. Power companies save a great deal of money this way, using very high voltages to transmit power over long distances.
How does this work? Well, let’s say that you have a power plant that can produce 1 million watts of power. One way to transmit that power would be to send 1 million amps at 1 volt. Another way to transmit it would be to send 1 amp at 1 million volts. Sending 1 amp requires only a thin wire, and not much of the power is lost to heat during transmission. Sending 1 million amps would require a huge wire.
¬So power companies convert alternating current to very high voltages for transmission (such as 1 million volts), then drop it back down to lower voltages for distribution (such as 1,000 volts), and finally down to 120 volts inside the house for safety. As you might imagine, it’s a lot harder to kill someone with 120 volts than with 1 million volts (and most electrical deaths are prevented altogether today using GFCI outlets). To learn more, read How Power Grids Work.
Mandy asks…
How does the world switch over to hybrid automobiles fast?
How are world governments going to assess this? Do they scrap every person’s current car and force them to buy a new one or will their government pay for one to provide?
If Global Warming is to be stopped/slowed down one of these options must happen.
admin answers:
Once the price of oil in the US reaches 5 to 6 dollars a gallon; you’ll see a massive movement that pushes better fuel economy and within 10 years gets rid of gasoline run engines entirely. The people would have to get a 100% to 300% cost of living raise in all sectors to combat rising fuel prices once the price of gas hits 5 to 6 dollars a gallon the government will be forced into creating a massive campaign to get rid of gasoline entirely.
You’ll see fuel cells that don’t pollute being put into cars; solar panels being made mandatory on all new homes in addition to wind generators in windy areas.
You’ll also see the governement forced into releasing our military fuel reserves to our allies and ourselves to reduce gas prices and pressure being increased by the military on politicians to increase the speed of the current programs to remove gasoline as a viable fuel source.
Most don’t realize it’s already being done in the military and once that’s completed it will be done in the private sector as well.
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Your Questions About Solar Generators For The Home
Robert asks…
Build a solar or wind propelled generator?
I want to know how to make a solar or wind propelled generator? First if i can make a solar and wind propelled generator and combine them to work at the same time. The solar panel can be around 12 volts. I just want to do this as a home project. I don’t want extreme power out of this. I am young but have a lot of experience with building electronics so keep it simple enough for me to do it.
admin answers:
Well i dont know much but i hope this will help, i whould imagine for the wind power you whould need the light propeler to be somehow conected to a magnetic generater. And for the solar power, well i dont know much about that but i hope to find out soon.
Sharon asks…
How many solar panels does it take to run an A/C unit? Also, How many batteries in an array?
I was wondering how many 700 W solar panels it would take to run a household A/C unit. Also curious how many batteries it would take to keep A/C running in inhospitable environments. Would a 3500 W inverter be enough if it were to run 220 AC?
admin answers:
Here we are doing the math of two facts to multiply or divide, to find the third, and you don’t give enough to make up the equation!
My 2.5 ton unit needs 220 VAC at 5 KW for the heater coils, and 3.5 KW for the cooling and fans, but, in electricity, we are always having to discriminate between inductive loads (transformers, oven coils, heater coils) and other uses, like lncandescent lighting.
To run my HVAC unit, in my 1,000 square foot home, would demand a10KW unit, and the 5200 watt (5500 watt Surge rated)
would not work. A generator simply stalls out under load, possibly smokes the generator electrics, while a solar unit and batteries can reverse potential under severe load, and explode!
The surge rating for my HVAC unit is 3X higher, (the Switching Load), for either heating or cooling. When figuring out the generator load for an emergency generator, for warranty purposes, they demand we install a generator with a ‘surge’ power rating triple the start-up load of our equipment, and that is the way to try to load your Solar panel, also!
Now, go to the hardware store, and get a booklet or pamphlet about emergency power generation, and look at the descriptions of the generator start up power capabilities for the ‘switching loads’!
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Generators For Home
Donald asks…
need help with my science home work questions?
1) describe 2 different ways to convert solar energy into electrical energy.
2) what problem exists when you use either solar or wind energy to generate electrical energy?
3) describe the nessary conditions for the use of tidal energy to generate electrical energy.
4) what is nuclear fusion? how does it differ from nuclear fission?
5) nuclear fission reactions take place is a large, sturdy tank. why is it impossible to use the same type of vessel for nuclear fusion reactions.
admin answers:
1. Solar energy can be converted to electricity in two ways:
Photovoltaic (PV devices) or “solar cells” – change sunlight directly into electricity.
Solar Power Plants – indirectly generate electricity when the heat from solar thermal collectors is used to heat a fluid which produces steam that is used to power generator.
2. The amount of sunlight that arrives at the earth’s surface is not constant. It depends on location, time of day, time of year, and weather conditions.Because the sun doesn’t deliver that much energy to any one place at any one time, a large surface area is required to collect the energy at a useful rate.
4. Nuclear Fusion- the process by which multiple atomic particles join together to form a heavier nucleus.
Nuclear fission is the splitting of the nucleus of an atom into parts (lighter nuclei) often producing free neutrons and other smaller nuclei, which may eventually produce photons.
5. An electrode structure is comprised of a pair of electrodes provided in a reaction vessel for causing a nuclear fusion reaction with deuterium or a deuterium compound in a gaseous or liquid state, at least one of the electrodes having a surface portion which is made of a reactive material for nuclear fusion reaction and a base which is tightly connected with the surface portion, wherein a heat exchange medium is introduced from a heat exchange device into the base and out from the base to the heat exchange device after heated by nuclear fusion reaction.
Sandra asks…
What is alternative energy and what are some examples?
I need a few examples of alternative energy and what it is.
admin answers:
Alternative energy is a term that refers to methods of generating energy that are not the usual method (i.e. Fossil fuels). There are many forms of alternative energy, but, as energy is conserved, you have to ask yourself where the energy comes from (and the answer is always “the sun”). You should always be careful when you look at energy forms, because some of them just won’t work – like the idea of putting water in your gas tank that another user has suggested (thermodynamics shows that these ideas won’t work).
The sun undergoes nuclear reactions which result in the release of photons (beams of light that have energy associated with them). Alternative energy forms just capture the energy from the sun in different ways (actually, fossil fuels also got their energy from the sun a long time ago).
Here are a few alternative energy sources and how they relate to the sun:
Bio-fuels: We can grow plants (such as algae, corn, sugar cane) which collect the photons from the sun and use the energy in the photons to create sugars. We can harvest those sugars and and turn them into liquid fuels such as ethanol.
Solar Energy: This technology directly harnesses the energy of the sun by absorbing photons through photovoltaic solar cells and which create an electrical current when they absorb a photon. Additionally, you can use the energy of the sun to thermally heat an object, which is referred to as solar-thermal energy.
Wind Energy: When the photons from the sun hit the air in the atmosphere, that energy can cause the generation of wind. We can harvest the wind energy by using turbines which spin when the wind hits them. The spinning motion is used to turn a generator which produces electricity.
Hydro-electric: When the sun hits water, it can cause the water to turn into a gas and later that gas can result in rain. If the rain occurs at a high enough elevation and gets held behind a dam, the water now possesses a high potential energy due to the energy from the sun. That energy can be turned into electrical energy by converting the potential energy of the water into kinetic energy which is then used to turn a turbine in a hydroelectric dam.
I came accross a new, proven and tested home made wind power system and solar power system which eliminates our electricity bills. It was written by a Renewable energy enthusiasts Michael Harvey the diy called Earth4energy. You can get your copy to save energy and help environment while eliminating your power bills. Get it from here: http://homemadeenergyreviews.blogspot.com/
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Facts
Linda asks…
What is the easiest and cheapest way to use solar energy in a classroom?
Hi, I’m doing a school project. We are required to design a classroom which exists in a “storage” container, with the idea that this classroom could host 25 learners and be self-sufficient so that it would be able to be used in rural settlements.
What is the easiest and cheapest method of using solar energy? The energy would only need to be used in winter for lighting and maybe a heater/radiator of some sort.
Ideas????
admin answers:
It is possible but very expensive to build a solar system that will make a room the size of a classroom “Self Sufficient” in winter period. May even be practically impossible if located where a lot of cloudy days are experienced.
At least the projects design and cost calculations may open your students eyes to the fact that Solar power is not easy and cheap like the news media likes to make us believe.
I have studied solar power for years. My first guess is you would spend over $100,000 and still not have a system that could support the goal of “Self Sufficient” unless class is willing to spend many days bundled up in freezing temperatures. May be possible in an area like Arizona or the Sahara desert.
Sharon asks…
what daily activities can be done effectively if solar energy is used?
to reduce the use of non-renewable energy in our day-to-day activities, solar energy can be used as it is abundantly available to us. but please give me an idea for which of our daily activities can solar energy be used however small or trivial the work is.
admin answers:
With the net metering laws in most states today, most solar arrays can be connected directly to the grid, and they supply any load you may have during the day.
In fact, most of them supply power to the grid and spin your meter backwards during a sunny day. This “excess” accumulates a credit on your account and you can use the power later for no cost.
Do your job today to run your loads from solar energy!
Contact us today to start the steps to declaring energy freedom!
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Your Questions About Solar Generators For Sale
Mark asks…
where can i find out how a solar generator works and how long they last?
Im interested in getting a solar gen. to use for camping,[coffee pot,heater, lite,ect im trying to get reliable info on them.
admin answers:
You can get basic info about small units for sale from most camping, hunting and outdoors shops – all of the outdoorsmen still want to be able to recharge their electronics. For more general info about these, you should be able to ask questions at forums about outdoors subjects.
Sandra asks…
Do you think the government should force manufacture of fuel effciant cars?
They have electric roadsters that do 0-60 in 3 seconds and have a 100 mile plus range lineing up for production. Just add a small desile generator and some solar panels and it will get 100 to infinity miles per gallon. Why don’t they mandate hybred and solor car manufacturing! Think they should make a limit on how much fuel a vehical can consume? Like 1 gallon per hour private and 3 commercial?
admin answers:
You can’t mandate something like that.
The consumer dictates what will be built. The companies respond to that.
When gas got to $3.00 a gallon, SUV and pickup sales went down to its lowest levels since 1995. People were looking into more efficient cars. Toyota and Honda had already thought ahead and been producting them. The government encourages it by giving tax breaks and allowing them into HOV lanes. The US car makers were still churning out SUV’s and fell behind yet again. Now Toyota is poised to become the number one car maker because they’re able to think ahead, innovate, and respond quicker to the market.
Now that gas is back to $2.06 a gallon, people are going *whew* and are driving SUV’s again. But there is a percentage that are thinking ahead and are selling their SUV’s and buying the Toyota’s and Honda’s.
You can blame the SUV and Minivan market in part on the increased safety levels required by the government. Since they require car seats for each kid, a family with three kids needs a larger vehicle so Minivan’s were born. Guys were harassed about driving a “minivan” so the car manufacturers created SUV’s to satisfy a guy’s ego.
Then you have the Hummer type ads. You’ve seen them. Where they harass the moms now, calling them wimps and pressuring them to buy Hummers. What a bunch of crap.
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Your Questions About Solar Energy Generator Cost
Mark asks…
what type of battery should I use?
I am going to be making a small solar generator, what type of battery should I use for the longest lasting quality.
admin answers:
I think lead acid batteries are the lowest cost for the energy stored. But charge/discharge cycles degrade the plates, especially high capacity types intended for motor starting. So either you use over sized starting batteries, so you don’t discharge them very deeply each day, or you buy deep cycle versions that degrade much less for each deep charge/discharge cycle.
Also, low maintenance types (absorbed glass mat and especially gel cells) are very easily damaged by too fast charging or overcharging, since either of those conditions produces gas on the plates. This gas consumes the water in the starved electrolyte (absorbed glass mat types) drying them out, or makes permanent bubbles in the gel of gel calls, damaging them. Flooded cell batteries allow you to replace the water lost to gas production, so that less than perfect charging is a lot less damaging to them.
But any battery will last longer if its charge is controlled by a charge regulator circuit than if it is just charged with whatever the solar cells put out.
—
Regards,
John Popelish
Lisa asks…
How do I do a science fair on solar energy with a thermoelectric generator? How would I ask the question?
For example, if I wanted to see how much waste energy from a house can be turned into usable electricity with a thermoelectric generator, how would I do that?
Or any more ideas?
And how would I word that into a question? “How much electricity can a thermoelectric generator power from waste heat from a house?” or something? PLEASE ASAP
admin answers:
The first question would be “How does the temperature of a thermoelectric device effect the electrical output?” You can measure the temperature fairly easily while measuring the intensity of sunlight is more difficult.
The most likely question about waste heat would be one of these two: “Can electricity be produced from the low level of waste heat from a house heating system?” “Is it cost effective to install thermoelectric generators in the heating system of a house?”
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