Grape Solar GS-400-KIT 400-Watt Off-Grid Solar Panel Kit
 | The grape solar 400-watt off-grid solar panel kit is ideal for a variety of applications, including rvs, boats, 12 volt battery charging, small pumps, charging small electronic devices and operating led lights. Made with high efficiency crystalline solar cells for years of service, this solar kit is easy to install and virtually maintenance free. An anodized aluminum frame and a sealed junction box make the panel weatherproof for outdoor use. A two diode bypass minimizes power drop caused by sha | |
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Xantrex C60 Charge Controller for Wind and Solar Generators
 | The C60 is a rugged 60 Amp controller that is the perfect controller for handling any DC charging source. Xantrex charge controllers are versatile and reliable. The C60 is a 100% solid state, microprocessor-driven controller which is UL and cUL listed. Like all Xantrex charge controllers, the C60 controller is flexible and can be configured for a variety of applications. The C60 is excellent for solar panel battery charging, DC load control (such as a low voltage disconnect switch) or for DC | |
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Concentrating Solar Power System
What Is A Concentrating Solar Power System?
A concentrating solar power system is a technology which uses reflective materials to concentrate the sun’s energy this concentrated heat energy is then converted into electricity. The technologies involved in a concentrating solar power system are: trough collectors, power towers, and dishengine systems.
In a concentrating solar power system, there are parabolic trough systems which use curved mirrors in order to focus sunlight on a particular absorber tube which is filled with oil or another type of fluid. After this, the hot oil will boil and produce steam, which is then used to generate electricity. These parabolic troughs often use single-axis or dual-axis tracking, and in certain instances they may even be stationary. Temperatures at the main receiver can reach up to 400C, and the heated working fluid may be used for either medium temperature space or process heat, or even to operate a steam turbine for power or electricity generation.
Power towers are involved with systems of their own, and these systems use a large field of sun-tracking mirrors, which are called heliostats, and which are used to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver that is located on the top of a tower. Solar power towers consist of a large field of sun-tracking mirrors, and the enormous amount of energy, concentrated at one point, can produce temperatures of anywhere from 550-1500C. This gained thermal energy can then be used for the heating of water or molten salt, which then also saves energy for later use.
The solar power tower is basically a type of solar furnace which uses a tower in order to receive the focused sunlight. These towers use an array of flat and moveable mirrors in order to focus the sun’s rays upon the central tower, and the more recent heat transfer material that is gained here is that of liquid sodium.
Sodium is a metal that has an incredibly high heat capacity, and although water was originally used as the heat transfer medium in the earlier power tower versions, this system did not allow for power generation during the evening, and therefore a new method had to be thought up.
A solar power system is quite complex and yet simplistic at the same time, and the results which can be generated from this system are incredibly positive and resourceful, not only to the world as a whole, but to people and homes in general.
Your Questions About Solar Energy Generator Wikipedia
James asks…
could the weight of a boat generate energy?
in other words can you harness the energy from the rise and fall of the tide with a cable tied to a very heavy boat then to a pier generate energy? or used to pull a flywheel or something? would the weight of the boat pulling on the cable be able to wind something or spin a flywheel?
what about the simple fact that the boat lowering down would pull the cable with the force of the weight of the boat?
admin answers:
Yes, and New York has installed them on the bottom of the Hudson River.
In this case they are using the in flow and out flow of the tide to generate electricity. The installation was shown on the Discovery Channel and the first one installed was bent because they didn’t plan on the force being so great.
There are wave generators and have been for a while they use up and down motion of the water to move a piston harnessed to a wheel that turns a generator making electrical energy.
Since the waves always move you won’t have to worry about not having enough windy days or not. The problem is that if you are not careful with the design ti will break too easily. This is using wave motion not tidal energy.
If you wanted to create a tide generator then you should go to the Bay of Fundy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Fundy), which has over 12′ tides each day.
The tides themselves are not that strong, they are only dependent on the gravitational energy of the moon and the sun. The heat of the sun drives the motion of waves and the winds that energy is more consistent and reliable. A more efficient conversion is to take the energy from the original source (the sun) in the first place. Solar panels are a good example of this and recent work in carbon fibers have increased the efficiency of them, once the price of making carbon nanofibers drops (or the price of energy continues to rise) it will become worthy of mass scale production.
There is an idea to use electrical generators on the bottom of the ocean just off the Eastern shore of North America in the middle of the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a reliable current that constantly runs and the turbines can be made large enough so that they would move slowly so as to not harm fish. It would be just like putting windmills on the floor of the ocean. The only problem of course is making sure to not let the water get in and salt water is very corrosive. A magnetic induction system could solve that problem though.
Steven asks…
what is the political and social effects of geothermal energy?
what is the economical cost ?
what is the opportunity cost?
please help!
admin answers:
Geothermal power requires no fuel (except for pumps), and is therefore immune to fuel cost fluctuations, but capital costs are significant. Drilling accounts for over half the costs, and exploration of deep resources entails significant risks. A typical well doublet (extraction and injection wells) in Nevada can support 4.5 megawatts (MW) and costs about $10 million to drill, with a 20% failure rate.
In total, electrical plant construction and well drilling cost about 2-5 million € per MW of electrical capacity, while the break–even price is 0.04-0.10 € per kW·h. Enhanced geothermal systems tend to be on the high side of these ranges, with capital costs above $4 million per MW and break–even above $0.054 per kW·h in 2007. Direct heating applications can use much shallower wells with lower temperatures, so smaller systems with lower costs and risks are feasible. Residential geothermal heat pumps with a capacity of 10 kilowatt (kW) are routinely installed for around $1–3,000 per kilowatt. District heating systems may benefit from economies of scale if demand is geographically dense, as in cities, but otherwise piping installation dominates capital costs. The capital cost of one such district heating system in Bavaria was estimated at somewhat over 1 million € per MW. Direct systems of any size are much simpler than electric generators and have lower maintenance costs per kW·h, but they must consume electricity to run pumps and compressors. Some governments subsidize geothermal projects.
Geothermal power is highly scalable: from a rural village to an entire city.
A geothermal heat pump can extract enough heat from shallow ground anywhere in the world to provide home heating, but industrial applications need the higher temperatures of deep resources. The thermal efficiency and profitability of electricity generation is particularly sensitive to temperature. The more demanding applications receive the greatest benefit from a high natural heat flux, ideally from using a hot spring. The next best option is to drill a well into a hot aquifer. If no adequate aquifer is available, an artificial one may be built by injecting water to hydraulically fracture the bedrock. This last approach is called hot dry rock geothermal energy in Europe, or enhanced geothermal systems in North America. Much greater potential may be available from this approach than from conventional tapping of natural aquifers.
Estimates of the electricity generating potential of geothermal energy vary six–fold, from .035 to 2 TW depending on the scale of investments. Upper estimates of geothermal resources assume enhanced geothermal wells as deep as 10 kilometres (6 mi), whereas existing geothermal wells are rarely more than 3 kilometres (2 mi) deep. Wells of this depth are now common in the petroleum industry. The deepest research well in the world, the Kola superdeep borehole, is 12 kilometres (7 mi) deep. This record has recently been imitated by commercial oil wells, such as Exxon’s Z-12 well in the Chayvo field, Sakhalin.
System efficiency does not materially affect operational costs as it would for plants that use fuel, but it does affect return on the capital used to build the plant. In order to produce more energy than the pumps consume, electricity generation requires relatively hot fields and specialized heat cycles.[citation needed] Because geothermal power does not rely on variable sources of energy, unlike, for example, wind or solar, its capacity factor can be quite large – up to 96% has been demonstrated. The global average was 73% in 2005.
For more, please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_World_Geothermal_Congress
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Thames & Kosmos Alternative Energy and Environmental Science Stirling Engine
 | 620325 Features: -Stirling engine is a heat engine can convert engine into mechanical work and mechanical engine into electricity.-Stirling engines are highly efficient.-Can use many different sources of heat: combustion of fuels, nuclear fission, geothermal, or solar heat.-Stirling engine in this kit is located in charging station with a mirrored parabolic dish.-Air inside the bulb heats up and pushes a piston, which turns an electric generator.-Generator produces electricity that charges a rec | |
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HVA All in One Charge Controller for Wind Turbine Generators & Solar Panels
 | Some of the key features of this controller are:
◦Microprocessor controlled -- This is very important for both stability and functionality. ◦User changeable settings -- Several controllers on the market set the dump level, and that's that! ◦Super High amp rating - 440 Amps -- 10,000 watts. -- . ◦Works directly with 12, 24 or 48 volt systems. -- The relay contacts can handle open collector voltages of up to 120 volts. Connect multiple turbines and solar panels up to 440 amps worth at the | |
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Windmax HY600-3 750 Watt Max 24-Volt 3-Blade Residential Wind Generator Kit
 | Solar/wind Max: 900w, Wind only: 600w rated, Wind only Max: 750w, solar panel is not included. | |
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Your Questions About Solar Energy
Daniel asks…
How solar energy can be generated at competitive cost?
How solar energy can be produced at competitive cost for the welfare of people at large?Presently what is the status of its use in india?
admin answers:
Use materials from space (moon or asteroids) to build solar generating plants in Geostationary orbit and beam the power down to a rectena using microwaves.
We lack the space infrastructure needed to do that so it’s decades away but it is probably the only way solar will be cost competitive (and if we didn’t have nuclear power which could provide the zero emissions power we need it’d be our best bet for solving global warming).
There aren’t really any countries that actually have significant amounts of solar generation (and certainly none that get the majority of power from solar, unless you count hydro-electricity or fossil fuels as solar power (but if you do that then you’d also have to call photovoltaics nuclear)).
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://how-to-build-cheap-solar-energy.blogspot.com/
Lisa asks…
How can we store solar energy in Springs to run a vehicle?
Is there any way we can store solar energy into compression of spring and later release springs when we want to run vehicle. Is there any way we can use compressed springs to run motor.
Any idea on possible system design would be highly appreciated.
admin answers:
Well it sounds like a logical answer, but due to friction and mechanical losses this would not work.
The current ideas are the best store solar energy in batteries for future use yes that does work.
Pressure vessels is another idea the problems are also not a good idea so discount that one.
The idea of a hydrogen cell which gets it’s gas from water is probably the best idea but this does require a small amount of acid to make the water change state with a little electricity.
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Features Of A Solar Power Water Fountain
A solar power water fountain is one that runs by solar cells. The solar cells either use a battery setup or directly power a pump system. A wide variety of such fountains is now available, and their use is becoming popular among consumers each passing day.
How It Works
A solar power water fountain is very easy to set up and most of the models do not require any kind of installation. It works by means of sunlight collected on a number of small panels that convert solar energy into electric current. In many fountains, the solar panels are built within them. Others carry attached wires, which convey the electric current produced in the panels as they are positioned at some distance (usually up to 15 feet away) for collecting optimum quantity of solar energy.
Positioning A Solar Power Water Fountain
Several simple methods can be used to position the solar power water fountain, for example, like placing it on the mounting system that comes with it. Grass stakes can be used to position it in the lawn or garden or you can even mount it to a wall. In areas where there are a lot of bushes or other protruding objects that hinder the sunlight from collecting on the panels, the best way is to mount them to a wooden stake.
Weather And Solar Power Water Fountains
A solar power water fountain is typically a sunny day’s item. The thin silicon PV cells in the panel cannot store enough solar energy if the sun goes down or if it is very cloudy outside. The fountain does work in slightly cloudy weather or in overcast but the performance is affected, yielding a slower and thinner flow. If a battery backup is provided, the fountain works well even in such diffused sunlight or cloudy conditions. In winter, fountains powered by solar energy should only be used if it is not below freezing point. This is because, in snowy weather, when it is sunny outside, the pump will suffer damage.
Prices Of Solar Power Water Fountains
Solar fountains show a great variety in their prices, depending on the size and other features. They range from as low as under 30 for simple vertical fountains to over 2000 for the ornate carved stone style.
Benefits Of Using Solar Fountains
Solar fountains beautify the outside place, using sunlight as their energy source. This makes it possible to place them anywhere that has sunlight available. Most of these fountains need no installation and are easy to use. They are also environment friendly and need almost no maintenance. With no emissions, fuel, or noise, solar fountains are very harmless to kids and pets.
Monocrystalline Renogy 50W Watts Solar Panel UL Listed Off Grid 12 Volt 12V RV Boat
 | High Modules Conversion Efficiency, 50W Monocrystalline solar panel charges 12v battery• Guaranteed Positive Output Tolerance (0-3%)• Delivered ready for connection & Fast and inexpensive mounting• Withstand high wind (2400 Pa) and snow loads (5400 Pa) & Excellent performance in low light environments | |
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FatCat FCP1006 White Desktop Model Wind Turbine
 | Mango FCP1006 FatCat White Plastic Non-Solar Model Wind Turbine - This beautiful miniature wind turbine makes a great gift for anyone committed to sustainable energy. Realistic white plastic wind turbine for your desk or table. Free spinning clip-on blades. Easy to assemble, no tools. Stands 15" to top of rotor. | |
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Your Questions About Solar Generators Hawaii
Mark asks…
Do you believe in climate change or a skeptic?
I’m a believer I have solar panels but I do think we need windmills
admin answers:
You have solar panels? Soalr thermal or Solar PV? Have you performed the math to dertermine how long it will take to get your money back or are you wealthy enough not to care?
Some areas solar PV can pay well. It depnds (HIGHLY) on you local electric rates and government rebates. Example Puerto Rico and Hawaii both have VERY HIGH electric rates ($0.30 – $0.40 / kWh). Solar PV pays realtively well even without utility incentives mostly because they have to import the fuel needed to run their generators and this is costly.
US Midwest with electric rates of $0.05 – $0.10 / kWh have a simple payback of around 30 years to install solar PV without including incentives.
Soalr thermal is a different story. Solar thermal can often offer positive economic return.
Wind can be good if you have a good resource. Not for all areas…
Best renewable resources are still hydroelectric and direct geothermal. Additionally you should look into ground source heat pumps. Long ROI (10ish years) but the base system (wells) have a service life of 200 years.
I am an Energy Manager. I design, install and manage these types of systems.
I have yet to be sold on the idea of AGW.
Climate change? Well, it changes all the time. I do not see the imperical evidence that it is happening in my region of the world. Yes, we use weather data in all of our designs as your systems will NOT function properly without it being included in your calculations. Data is upated annually and there is no discernable trend for the past several decades, hot or cold.
Nancy asks…
Please help with a project Solar wind and electricity!?
You are to determine a location and set up a home for solar and wind electricity.
1.) The home is 1500 square feet on one story. Determine the typical load requirement for a single family dwelling
2.) select a site (flat land enclosed by woods)
3.) minimal utility power is to be used and allowed for in your setup which includes a contingency plan for no sunlight
4.) explain your reasoning in all selection criteria
* include estimated cost of equipment and labor
admin answers:
1) You have to figure it out. If it’s in Hawaii, you probably don’t need heat, and can get by without A/C, too. In other places, more would be typical.
2) Your choice!
3) Since utilities are allowed, just to be minimized, I’d go with grid-tied solar electricity. The panels can generate 100% of average usage over time (unless this is Alaska or something). The grid is assumed to be reliable, but if there are doubts, I would go with a gas-powered generator for emergencies before I went with batteries to store electricity. The cost and upkeep of batteries would not be worth it unless they were going to be used all the time – typically, and off-grid arrangement.
Our house is 1900 square feet, single story. You can look at my profile and find out web page, with details on how much our system cost, which provides essentially 100% of our electrical needs. The link is called “Our Solar Panel Project” on that page. But we have gas heat. And prices have come down since we had ours installed, so you need to research current pricing.
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Learn Sun Power:(DVD) How to Set up Batteries, Inverter, Charge Controller, and Panels for a Complete Off-grid Solar Energy System
 | If you want to put together a solar power system yourself this DVD is for you. Although it covers an off-grid system it is just as helpful for someone who wants to be partially on grid but would rather set up the system themselves. This is not an overview but rather programmed instruction. This DVD shows, step-by-step, how a 650-watt, off-grid, do-it-yourself solar-panel system was set up. The system partially replaced a 2-gallon-a-day gasoline-driven generator system and was estimated to pay fo | |
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Grape Solar GS-200-KIT 200-Watt Off-Grid Solar Panel Kit
 | The grape solar 200-watt off-grid solar panel kit is ideal for a variety of applications, including rvs, boats, 12 volt battery charging, small pumps, charging small electronic devices and operating led lights. Made with high efficiency crystalline solar cells for years of service, this solar kit is easy to install and virtually maintenance free. An anodized aluminum frame and a sealed junction box make the panel weatherproof for outdoor use. A two diode bypass minimizes power drop caused by sha | |
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Solar e Power Cube 1500 Plus – Portable Solar Generator – 1200 Watts / 100 Ah Battery
 | The Solar e Power Cube 1500 Plus can be easily taken to places that need power to supply AC, DC or USB devices with power obtained from AC/DC outlets or from the sun. | |
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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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Goal Zero 12401 Nomad 13.5M Solar Panel
 | The Nomad 13.5M collect 13.5 watts of power from the sun, and stores power with the Sherpa 50 power pack for use anytime. The solar panel charges the Sherpa 50 power pack in 6-10 hours from the sun, giving you the power you need to use your smartphone, GPS, portable media player, or any other device you carry. On the mountain or at the beach, the Nomad 13.5M goes wherever you do. | |
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The Purpose Of A Solar Power Station
What Is A Solar Power Station?
There are solar power stations, although quite rare, in North America which are beneficial in many different ways. A solar power station often uses that of trackers, which are used to keep the solar panels permanently facing the sun. A solar power station will often require some other various type of energy storage for when the sun is not shining, and this is why particularly special lead acid batteries are used, which can then discharge half of their energy several thousand times before they actually deteriorate.
In a solar power station, the sunlight is converted directly into electric current, and it is in the solar cells photons of a semiconductor are absorbed, which thus entails that of the production of an electrical charge carrier. A solar power station takes up a large surface area, and, at present, the production of a solar cell is still relatively expensive, as only a small number of this type of item is actually produced.
The solar power plant is also useful in regards to space stations, and it is considered to, in fact, be one of the most important and essential systems of the space station altogether. This is because it delivers direct current, is equipped with a storage battery, and also is comparable in basic principle to a standard steam turbine power plant of the same type.
One solar power station in particular is that of the White Cliffs Solar Power Station, which is located in New South Wales, in Australia. It is actually Australia’s first solar power station, and it was constructed by a team from Australian National University, and the station consisted of fourteen three-meter parabolic dishes, which are each covered by more than 2000 mirrors and then mounted on a heliostatic mounting.
A solar updraft tower is a relatively low technology styled thermal power plant, in which air passes under a very large agricultural glass house and is then heated by the sun and then channeled upwards towards a convection tower. The air then rises naturally and is used to drive turbines, which thus generates electricity.
On the other hand, an energy tower is an alternative proposal for the solar updraft tower as the energy tower is instead driven by spraying water at the top of the tower, and evaporation of water is what then causes a downdraft by cooling the air, thereby increasing its density, driving wind turbines at the bottom of the tower.
Sunforce 50012 1.8-Watt Solar Battery Maintainer
 | The Sunforce 50012 1.8-Watt Solar Battery Maintainer is the perfect solution for charging the batteries of motorcycles, automobiles, snowmobiles, tractors and more. Made of durable ABS plastic and amorphous solar cells, this unit charges in all daylight conditions, even on cloudy days. Constructed with a built-in blocking diode to prevent reverse discharge, this solar panel is easy to install and completely maintenance-free. Just plug this solar charger into your vehicle's 12-volt lighter socke | |
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SolarChlor MAX Deck Mounted Chlorine Generator
 | The SolarChlor MAX efficiently and effectively transforms simple salt into chlorine through electrolysis utilizing a high output, shatter-proof, durable solar panel which works all day long and even when cloudy. Simply add salt to the swimming pool and you're ready to save! No plumbing or electrical hook-up needed with no changes required to your existing pool equipment. Unique feature allows for salt to be added directly to the cell housing should a boost be required. Easily sets up in minutes | |
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