The Advantages And Disadvantages Of A Solar Power Fan
The actual term solar power is used to describe not only one issue, but rather a number of methods that involve the harnessing of energy from the light of the sun. There are many different and incredibly resourceful matters that solar power can be and is used for, and the actual subject of solar power is becoming one of quickly increasing popularity. A solar power fan is one of the available uses for solar power, however, as with anything else, a solar power fan does have both its advantages and disadvantages.
What Is A Solar Power Fan?
A solar power fan is a fan for those home owners who do not want to use a fan that is run by the more conventional method of electricity. A solar power fan is, instead, powered directly by sunlight, and the fan will stop at sunset when there is no longer enough sunlight available to power the motor any further. There are both advantages and disadvantages to a solar power fan, and both halves which must be taken fully and thoroughly into consideration before can truly shape an opinion on a solar power fan.
What Are The Advantages?
There are certain advantages to this type of solar powered fan, such as the fact that you do not have to power the fan at all with your own electricity. As well, you do not have to run any electrical wiring to the fan. This can save a lot of time and money as an end result, and is considered as an extremely positive set of factors to the environmentally concerned person.
What Are The Disadvantages?
As with anything, however, there are also disadvantages that come with the solar powered fan, such as the fact that the fan must run on solar power. Thus, the motor is simply not as powerful and it also is much smaller. The fan also covers a lot less space than a regular fan, so you might find that you will have to supply yourself with two of these fans, when you would only need one of the regular forms. As well, the actual cost of a solar powered fan is higher than that of an electrical fan, primarily due to the fact that there is the cost of the solar cell which is additional.
Obviously, you must weigh the advantages and disadvantages out, and the final decision is truly dependent upon your own personal preference.
Goal Zero 22004 Yeti 150 Solar Generator
 | A plug and play generator for emergencies, camping, or wherever you need power. The Goal Zero Yeti 150 Solar Generator is a gas free source of portable power to keep lights, phones and laptops powered on through any situation. It’s your portable mini powerhouse. | |
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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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Duracell DRPP600 Powerpack 600 Jump Starter and Emergency Power Source
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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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Solar Power Lighting Are Becoming Very Popular Today
Solar power lighting was once upon a time the dream of the future, specifically for rural areas where conventional electricity was difficult to provide. However, the cost of installing the solar panels being prohibitive, the projects was dropped in the middle. This was the picture a decade or so back. In the meantime, technology has brought about many changes, making solar power lighting feasible in terms of both cost and installation.
Solar Power Lighting And Urban Locations
The solar power lighting was initially designed for rural areas. However, the fast depletion of organic fuel and the rising costs of conventional electricity have motivated many people to look into the alternatives available. Out of all the choices out there, the solar power generation system was found as the best. This is because all it needs is a one-time installment for a virtually perennial, free of cost source of electricity.
The discovery of the LEDs also added to the charm of the solar power lighting projects. The LEDs are virtually inexhaustible as they are meant to work for thousands of hours. Just one white LED is capable to provide sufficient light for one person to read at night. The whole house electricity can be taken care of by less than fifty LEDs, which consume one hundredth of wattage that a normal household consumes.
Another great addition to the solar power lighting arsenal is the solar candle. This type of lighting is made with the help of LED that run on batteries. Since they consume so less electricity, these can last forever and the light that these candles give is excellent.
New Solar Power Lighting Devices
The advancement of technology brings out more developed and convenient devices every day. The new tube solar panel is one such example. This device is made of extraordinarily thin and flexible solar panels, which can be rolled into a tiny tube. The tube being small and light, can be carried anywhere like camps, trekking trips and the like to provide convenient and safe solar power lighting.
Another great device for camping and trips is the portable mini solar generator station. This device can provide sufficient electricity for you to run your laptop, fan, TV, stereo, cell phone, lights and the like for as long as you like. The generator normally gets charged with the help of one or two fifteen-watt solar panels.
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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Residential Solar Power Systems: Make Electricity Bills A Thing Of The Past
When it comes to residential energy, spending is at an all time high. It costs so much to run the air conditioner, the television, the computer and whatever else people use to keep themselves occupied in their homes that they often have to reduce spending in other areas just to keep the lights on. The costs of energy have caused many people to consider some kind of residential solar power system.
Free Energy
A residential solar power system doesn’t need to use electricity from the local power plant. Instead, it uses an energy source that’s readily available and that’s, best of all, free. Residential solar power systems use the sunlight to power their household items. This can drastically reduce the amount on the electricity bill or it can even get rid of the electricity bill altogether.
A residential solar power system involves installing solar cells on the roof, or in other strategic places, in order to catch the rays of the sun. Technology has come a long way and this technology is going to save a lot of residents a lot of money.
Harness The Sun
Save your money and research what it would take to install a residential solar power system on your house. There’s no reason why you should spend a load of money to keep your lights on. If the energy is right there, waiting to be harnessed, as is the sun, you might as well take advantage of it.
It might cost you a substantial amount to have a residential solar power system installed on your home but the savings will be phenomenal. Leaving your lights on does not have to drain your pocketbook. You can leave your lights on and can spend your hard earned money on other things. Use the sun as your main energy source and stop relying on expensive power plants to fuel your home.
Residential solar power systems are the way of the future. With so much attention paid to lowering energy usage and keeping our environment clean, it just makes sense that we should use some kind of residential solar power system to fuel our homes. It will save us a lot of money in the long run and it uses an energy source that is available and it has absolutely zero ill effects on our precious atmosphere.
Go Power! GP-SW3000-12 3000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter
 | Go Power! 3000-Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter takes 12 volt DC battery power and converts it to an exact replica of AC houshold power. It is guarenteed to run any load within their wattage range and has a 2 year warranty. This inverter has two GFCI outlets and can use the GP-DC-KIT5 to connect to the batteries with ease. As long as the load is not greater then 3000 watt this inverter will run it and the GP-SW3000-12 can surge to 6000 watt as well as contains all instructions required. | |
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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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Solar Power Generation: Mechanism And Advantages
The concept of using sun as a source of energy is as old as man himself. Man’s relation to solar energy gradually became more systematic and planned as he entered the industrial age from his ages old agricultural heritage. Solar energy began to be used as the driving force for a variety of tasks and culminated in solar power generation in our age. Solar power generation, as we know it now, refers to the generation of electric power by direct conversion of solar energy-a process known as photovoltaics.
Early Use Of Solar Energy
While the use of solar energy for drying wet objects of human households and heating dates to antiquity, the idea of more systematic use of solar energy emerged at around mid 19th century. British astronomer John Herschel, in the 1830s, cooked food in a solar collector box, during a trip to Africa. The exact channel for generating electricity was introduced by Henri Becquerel’s discovery of the photovoltaic effect. It produces electricity directly from the sun through a photovoltaic (PVs) cell or solar cell, as it came to be known in general.
Solar Power Generation Through A Photovoltaic Cell
A photovoltaic cell is basically a non-mechanical device made from alloys of silicon. When sunlight falls on the photovoltaic cell, part of the solar energy is absorbed by the material of the cell. This energy excites the cell’s material to release free electrons that migrate to the cell’s surface. An imbalance of positive and negative charges results between the cell’s front and back surfaces. Connecting these two surfaces through an external load results in a flow of electricity from the surface of higher potential to the lower one. A number of these solar cells are connected electrically to form a module (a weather-tight package). Connecting the modules constitutes the PV system, also called an array. The output of the PV generating plant depends on the size of the array i.e. the number of modules connected.
Performance Of PV Generating Plant
The performance of the PV generating plant directly depends on the amount of sunlight received on its surface. Climatic conditions (fog, clouds etc.) thus affect the performance. Currently, most PV generating plants are 10 % efficient in conversion of solar energy to electricity.
Advantages Of Solar Power Generation
The greatest advantage of solar power generation is perhaps its minimal environmental impact. It requires no water for cooling of the system, thus creating no large heat imbalance. Also, no by-products are produced that are detrimental to the environment. Another advantage of solar power generation is that bulky mechanical generators are not needed. The process of electricity generation is quick and the arrays are available in a variety of sizes according to the specific use.
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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Goal Zero Extreme 350 Power Pack
 | Take power to Earth's most extreme places. Get the Extreme 350 battery as an add-on to your Extreme power kit and enjoy even more power. Whether at base camp on Everest or in relief efforts in Haiti you can have longer lasting power chaining up to a total of four extreme power packs. That's 1400 watt hours of power. Charge via wall, solar panels or car adapter and use as a primary source of power for lighting, cooling and accessories. | |
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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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Where To Find A Solar Power Garden Light
The sun is the source of all the available energy on Earth and therefore using something such as a solar power garden light is a good idea, because it saves the Earth’s lessening available fossil fuels for other means. The advantages of a solar power garden light are many, including that they can be freely distributed in gardens without the owners having to worry about cabling, or about their children or pets being electrocuted.
A solar power garden light uses renewable energy, and has little or no emission of pollutants. However, one of the only disadvantages to a solar power garden light is that they tend to only have a small area of solar cells, and therefore they have a reputation for emitting only a small amount of light for a relatively short period of time. It should be known, though, that even this should not be considered as a full disadvantage, as the technology of solar cells and batteries is constantly improving and the current generation of solar powered garden lights is clearly superior to that of the first generation of solar powered garden lights.
Where To Find A Solar Power Garden Light
Generally, as with the majority of other products, the more you pay the better quality you are going to get. There are many available locations that offer a wide variety of solar power garden lights, including that of Silicon Solar, which is one of the most popular and notorious solar power product selling company in the world.
Here they offer a multitude of products, including: portable solar power systems, flexible solar panels, flexible panel accessories, solar electric panels, solar panel modules, RV solar panels, solar fountain pumps, floating solar water fountains, solar birdbath fountains, large solar fountains, solar garden lights, solar flood lights, solar security lights, solar flag lights, solar sign lights, solar post lights, solar spot lights, commercial solar cells, solar cells by the watt, educational solar cells, solar panel kits, solar powered cars, and solar powered battery chargers.
They also offer sealed lead acid batteries, solar books, evacuated solar collectors, flat plate solar collectors, solar hot water controllers, solar hot water storage tanks, and more. Silicon Solar is a company which has been around long enough to gain a positive and respected reputation, and they fully stand by all of their products and services if you are looking for a place to shop for your solar power needs, this is an excellent choice.
Your Questions About Solar Energy For Kids
Mark asks…
What do you think of creating your own wind and solar energy?
I stumbled across this site that shows you how to make your own windmill and solar panels… earth4energy.i8.com
Do you think it’s a good investment? If it works I’m a welder and I could pop a whole bunch of windmills up easy but thats only if this works.. What do you think?
admin answers:
Wind Power wouldn’t really benefit you unless you have a lot of wind near your house. Also Wind Turbines cause a lot of noise pollution (annoying noise) and kill birds (I’m not kidding, migratory birds get killed when they get near the turbine because they get stuck). I wouldn’t invest in wing power unless I live near the beach where there is a lot of wind or a place with a lot of wind.
It will take you about 10 years to get back the money you have invested in a solar panel. Keep in mind that the days get shorter during winter until the winter solstice and there is less sunlight. Solar Panels absorb very little of the energy of the sun.
Keep in mind what I said before investing in solar and wind power. I suggest waiting till the solar panel cost gets cheaper till you buy.
Betty asks…
Can you get solar energy when your renting a town house in Las Vegas?
Or do you still have to pay an electric bill with the energy company?
admin answers:
It would cost a substantial amount to eradicate an electric bill. Keep in mind that most states have laws regarding housing, specifically anything that is physical attached becomes the property of the property owner. This would apply even to something as simple as an under counter can opener.
If you want to maintain ownership get it in writing.
You will also need permission to make an addition to the property. A homemade window box collector would not need attaching necessarily but fits into a partially open window. Search it like
solar windowbox heater free plans Relatively easy to build and cost effective until some smart “S” kid throws a rock.
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Would You Like Your Solar Power Charger To Be Waterproof?
Many people would love to have a waterproof solar power charger. The reason is that it could be used outdoors when power is actually most necessary. Think of having power when you are having a picnic on the beach, or on a picturesque virgin location unspoiled yet by human touch. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you would be able to use your radio there, or your toaster, or your coffee maker?
The Good News – Waterproof Solar Power Chargers Are Now Available In The Market
For those who would like to use power outdoors, there is good news. There are a number of new model solar power chargers that are waterproof today. You will have chargers that will satisfy all your power needs in all circumstances. You can use them on your boat where water can splash on them constantly, or you can have them while trekking in the mountains in spite of rain or snow.
Previously, it was not possible to use electrical devices near water because any humidity or water getting to the device could short-circuit it. Today, however, with the technology answering to the needs of the new generation, we can enjoy power wherever we want it. Inside, outside, dry or wet it does not make any difference anymore. You can have power wherever you want it.
There is the need now to get the electricelectronic devices waterproof as well. This may take some time, but this is not too far away. We already have all-weather cameras and computers that can work in any type of weather, be it sunny or rainy. Time will come when there will be waterproof TVs, waterproof radios, waterproof mobile phones and so on.
In the meantime, the availability of the waterproof solar power chargers offers a good alternative for power generation in hostile environments. Now, it is possible to have your devices charges wherever you go without having to worry about any type of water or humidity. It will be okay if you are on a boat or on an expedition or in the rain your devices will be charged thanks to the waterproof solar power chargers.
There is a lot of freedom brought about by the waterproof solar power chargers. However, until we have our electronic devices waterproof, as well, we will still need cover during rain and watery conditions. Until then, we will need to make do with what we have available.
Your Questions About Solar Generators
Mandy asks…
How do I build a solar generator for my cabin?
We don’t use much electricity, so we don’t need anything too heavy-duty. I would like to run our cabin on solar electricity, but am having trouble getting help as far as what size battery, inverter, solar panel I will need. I know I also need a regulator, but don’t know anything about them either. From start to finish, what do I need and where can I get all he parts I need at a reasonable price? Is it cost-effective to buy an already put together solar generator?
admin answers:
Try http://www.solarelectricsupply.com/
The stuff they sell seems to more or less live up to the specifications.
If you decide to buy discounted panels be a little careful. It was my experience that the specifications overstated the performance by 50% to 100%
BTW – the best investment you can make is a good recent book on the subject. Anything copyright before 2007 is probably obsolete.
Good luck
Sandra asks…
Does anyone have any leads on backup solar generators?
I want to purchase a solar powered backup generator in the event that we have a power outage. I don’t want a gas/diesel generator as I don’t want to have to fight everyone else to get gas for a generator. I’ve been only able to find one solar generator that would seem to work for my home. Any suggestions?
admin answers:
I’ve just started looking at solar myself, here’s a link to a site that seems to have some reasonably priced systems:
http://www.sunenergyusa.com/index.html
Maybe there will be information that will help, I’m a novice myself so I’m not sure what exactly you are looking for.
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Goal Zero Yeti 1250 Solar Generator With Tripod
 | Power lights, appliances, or tools off-grid, without noise and fumes of gas generators. The Yeti Solar Generator is powerful enough for any job. This solar powered wonder will give you all the sun solar energy you need to power up all your outdoor adventures. Thanks to the included Solar Boulder 30 Solar Panel, you can be sure that you''re getting reliable energy that''s always available when you need it | |
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