How to Make Your Own Solar Powered Winter Garage Heater

January 5th, 2010 admin No comments

Whilst a lot of people do have electricity in their own garages and sheds, heat can be an issue throughout winter.
However you can take advantage of the sunny days of winter and use solar power from the sun to produce heat in your garage. Particularly if you live in hilly or mountainous areas, where the sun can reflect the suns rays as you could build a solar furnace to collect some of that sunshine that bounces off the snow or that just beams down. Solar powered furnaces have in the past recorded to reach temperatures of up to 110 degrees. So if you have a lot of scrap laying around in your basement, then put it to good use.
You can start with some 2×4’s and plywood to make a simple box. It helps if you build your box to the dimensions of the material that you are going to be fitting in there, in this case you should use aluminum cans because they’re easy to get hold of and to fit into your home made box. 50 cans in 5 columns of 10 will funnel air upwards.
Before putting your cans in the box, be sure to seal the edges with wood glue to ensure that any of the heat that the box produces does not escape.
So you may have already thought, “How can air climb the columns of cans when there’s no hole at the bottom of the can?” Answer: drill press and 3/4-inch bit. Times 45.
The last five cans, the bases of each column, will sit on the bottom of the box and thus will be unable to draw air from underneath, so I poked holes in the sides of each of the five. Stack the cans with liberal doses of adhesive caulk. Give them enough time to dry. Once they have dried paint each column with black BBQ paint to absorb the suns heat, make sure that the paint is matt, as it absorbs more heat like this, BBQ paint is also very good because it keeps from flaking off the cans.
At the top, you can then drill an outlet hole. Leave an inch or two of space between the tops of the columns and the top of the box to permit air to flow out of the columns. Drill out the outlet hole based on the diameter of a wet-dry vacuum hose that you could find laying in your basement, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
At the bottom you can use another wet-dry vacuum attachment; the rectangle shaped end that you use on the carpet, this will disperse the incoming air more evenly. Screw it in at each ends, then glue the seal. Then you can start to glue the columns in place. Remember to have drilled your inlet hole in the bottom. You can drill an inlet hole at the base for each column if you have time, this way the air can simply pass over the cans (there’s about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch between the cans and the upper edge of the 2×4 frame) and all the air would be forced to pass though them picking up all of the absorbed heat.
You can then make a frame for your solar powered furnace using anything strong enough to hold it up towards the sun, you may wish to attach a thermometer to it to see how quickly it heats up and to what temperatures it can reach. Once it has been out side all day you can then bring it inside your garage and the heat that has been preserved by the solar heater shall radiate through your chosen space to heat up.

Inexpensive Solar Panels For Home Use – Donâ??t Miss This !

January 5th, 2010 admin No comments

If you’re searching for websites on inexpensive solar panels for home use, then do yourself a favor and check out this brief text, which will give you a new slant on the possibilities of putting the sun to work for you. What if i told you that there is a groundbreaking solution that gives you a simple and effective way to use the sun’s power to create electricity for an extremely low cost – wouldn’t you want to know how? Keep reading the following article.

Up until now, taking the leap into solar-generated power for your home electricity was considered quite an expensive investment that only few could afford, yet for many it remained something to aspire to. inexpensive solar panels for home use are now popular keywords for web searches, which makes it obvious that interest in solar is on the rise, and there are many who are searching for accurate information on this exciting field.

The latest word in this fast-growing field is that this technology finally became accessible and best of all, it’s easy on the bank account. so you too can have an absolutely free and unlimited home power supply. Harnessing the sun’s energy for personal use is a longstanding alternative, although it remained out of reach for the majority due to the price; thus we had no choice but to buy the electricity our families required, spending unnecessary money on a staple such as electricity.

Before you go any further with your investigation into inexpensive solar panels for home use, I want to let you in on the latest development: a respected ‘green’ energy professional wants to spread the word about a way for you to fabricate solar panels and start reaping the cost-effective and earth-friendly rewards of solar power with low-cost and easy-to-find materials and a simple method for assembling them. It turns out that there are many thousands of enthusiastic users of solar technology who are now enjoying the ability not only to produce free and clean power supply, but even get paid by the power company for the extra power that they produce. Because it’s such a snap to use, the availability of clean, green energy is surely going to revitalize the way we produce our electricity.

Renewable Solar Power:

January 5th, 2010 admin No comments

Solar power is the new technology which is natural and cost effective at the same time. Solar panel plays the major role in capturing this energy from the sun. in most regions, there are days that are overcast or rainy which decreases the amount of collectable energy striking the panels. To compensate for this lack you can tie into local energy grids or add a bank of batteries to store energy and provide a consistent supply. It always helps in the long run. Solar power has a great deal of potential as a major source of energy but cost and efficiency issues are preventing it from merging into the mainstream. Beside, solar generators are way expensive. These issues are currently being addressed and researches are working on economical alternatives. But still its importance and potential cannot be denied. We are sure that in future it would become accessible and economic to produce.

Various industries can benefit from the sun as well. Solar panels have become more efficient over the years and are also available in various sizes that can be placed on rooftops and other structures easily. You can pare costs dramatically by making your home as energy efficient as possible before converting to solar.

Solar power has immense advantages; it is free of cost after the system is installed. Sun is the source of energy so it is totally renewable, because it never runs out of energy. It is very much environment friendly and there is no fuss of greenhouse gases as a matter of fact it cuts cost of fuel. Beside, it’s a heavily gift for the residence of remote areas where electricity has not reached and no grids are available. And when you can get ample solar power without any further cost why should you pay for limited electricity. It’s definitely a wise choice especially in this world of competition where every resource is precious.

Inexpensive Solar Panels For Home Use – Donâ??t Miss This !

January 4th, 2010 admin No comments

If you’re searching for websites on inexpensive solar panels for home use, then do yourself a favor and check out this brief text, which will give you a new slant on the possibilities of putting the sun to work for you. What if i told you that there is a groundbreaking solution that gives you a simple and effective way to use the sun’s power to create electricity for an extremely low cost – wouldn’t you want to know how? Keep reading the following article.

Up until now, taking the leap into solar-generated power for your home electricity was considered quite an expensive investment that only few could afford, yet for many it remained something to aspire to. inexpensive solar panels for home use are now popular keywords for web searches, which makes it obvious that interest in solar is on the rise, and there are many who are searching for accurate information on this exciting field.

The latest word in this fast-growing field is that this technology finally became accessible and best of all, it’s easy on the bank account. so you too can have an absolutely free and unlimited home power supply. Harnessing the sun’s energy for personal use is a longstanding alternative, although it remained out of reach for the majority due to the price; thus we had no choice but to buy the electricity our families required, spending unnecessary money on a staple such as electricity.

Before you go any further with your investigation into inexpensive solar panels for home use, I want to let you in on the latest development: a respected ‘green’ energy professional wants to spread the word about a way for you to fabricate solar panels and start reaping the cost-effective and earth-friendly rewards of solar power with low-cost and easy-to-find materials and a simple method for assembling them. It turns out that there are many thousands of enthusiastic users of solar technology who are now enjoying the ability not only to produce free and clean power supply, but even get paid by the power company for the extra power that they produce. Because it’s such a snap to use, the availability of clean, green energy is surely going to revitalize the way we produce our electricity.

Green Energy – Biofuels, the Real Solar Power

January 4th, 2010 admin No comments

We live in a world eager for new resources of energy. But despite the huge progress and development of green energy and renewable resources, we did not yet reach the goal of good fossil fuels replacements.

There are several directions of research for new energy sources, but all of them cannot supply enough energy to make a real change. The real “green” resources are wind, waves, hydro and geothermal power, which are good resources, but certainly not sufficient to supply the demands.

The more promising sources of energy are:

1.Solar energy – which is for now very inefficient and expensive.

2. Hydrogen – which is hard to produce right now.

3. biofuels – that can compromise our food supply.

The question is – what is the most promising? – in what resource we should invest?

Before we all start to walk in the solar power road, we first must understand that for now, biofuels are the real solar power supply.

why is that? well, our solar harvesting devices are very insufficient comparing to engines using fossil fuels. but from where these fuels came from? well, these fuels come from ancient plants and animals that were much more efficient in term of harvesting the sun’s energy. I am talking about photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is one of the most efficient processes on earth, maybe the most competent. Cyanobacteria, algae and plants can use almost 100% of the sun’s energy to produce chemical energy. nearly hundred percents of the light captured buy the photosynthesis apparatus, is transformed to electric currents and then to chmical energy stored in sugars and fats. these sugars and fats turn to be our fuels millions of years later.

But today’s plats and algae can still produce this solar energy as good as they did millions of years ago, and we use this energy in our foods to maintain our lives. Agriculture was the driving force that first let humans to control this enormous energy supply, and probably was the main trigger for the development of the human society.

In order the satisfy the ever growing demand for energy in the modern and post-modern society, we must increase a little beat our agricultural skills. Why we need to re-invent new ways to harvest the sun’s fruit, when evolution already sis it for us, and created an amazing machinery in plants?

The real goal of the people who seek for new energy sources should be dramatically increasing the yield of the agricultural production, in order to be able to use plants sugars and fats to produce ethanol, biodiesel and other bio-fuels to use in the modern industry and transportation.

Let change our investments from traditional engineering approaches to bio-engineering, guiding our research toward more proficient production of biodiesel and ethanol, the easily accessible solar power.

How To Use A Solar Power System To Save Money In Your Home

January 3rd, 2010 admin No comments

There is a lot of money to be saved with the use of solar power system devices. These devices will take the energy from the sun and use it to create a power source for your home that is cheaper, renewable and better for the environment. There are no emissions from this energy source and the only thing that may cause you some trouble is obstacles between your panels and the sun.
When the weather is cloudy many people believe that solar panels are not able to function at all. This is not actually true. The solar panels will just require a bit more time to charge your batteries, but they are still working. Many people use a backup method to ensure continuous power when the batteries need charging on cloudy days. You should not have to use your backup source very often and when you are using the solar power source, it is completely free.
Setting up your system devices is not that difficult and you may be able to do it all on your own. The solar panels are lined up on your roof to form an array. The energy that is taken from the sun is called photon energy. The cells are connected to batteries where your energy will be stored for use. The batteries, then, become the place where your appliances will be plugged in to draw on the energy. You will most likely need to use an inverter unless you have direct current appliances.
There are some utility companies that will give you the option for choosing grid on and grid off for your energy needs. The utility companies are attempting to encourage households to produce their own energy for their needs. Homeowners will have a chance to give back any excess energy that is produced for others to use. The utility company will actually pay you for your excess energy. This can be a great arrangement for many homeowners.
There is an investment to get started producing your own energy. In some cases, it will cost you thousands of dollars to set up a system in your home that produces enough energy to power your household appliances. Your costs will rise with more appliances. There are a great many resources for solar equipment and materials. The Internet is a good resource for these devices and materials.
There is little maintenance in the equipment that you will use to power your home. One problem that you may run into is obstacles in your path between your solar panels and the sun. There are professionals that will assess your home and any obstacles that may be in your way. The batteries should be monitored to determine that they are in good working order.
Batteries that are typically used in vehicles will have to have their water replenished occasionally. Check the levels of the water in your batteries. A good system of maintenance will keep everything running great in your home. As long as you keep an eye on your equipment regularly, you will be able to enjoy free power and you may even make some money in the process.

Home solar power system- An amazing and yet simple way to cut down on energy bills

January 3rd, 2010 admin No comments

The rising level of awareness about issues pertaining to our environment is leading many people to try out alternate sources of energy these days. Among them, solar power is perhaps the most widely used source of energy. Not only is it is renewable, it is also cheap and helps us contribute towards a healthier environment too. Tapping this source of energy has also become very easy nowadays. You can yourself build a home solar power system and start saving on your utility bills every month.

In fact in many places where homeowners are using their grid -tied home solar power system to even sell excess electricity that is produced back to their utility. A home solar power system also makes sense because they operate very quietly and don’t require much of maintenance. All that they need is a few hours of sunshine to produce the energy required to run the various different appliances in your home. The entire process will seem a lot easier if you were to approach it as a way of having some weekend fun.

One of the reasons for an increasing number of people using solar power these days can be attributed to the widespread availability of online guides on the topic. You can easily build your own home solar power system by simply following the instructions given on a good online guide. The entire process will not cost you much, with most of the supplies needed for the process at a local hardware store. Alternately you can also find many do it yourself or DIY kits too available in the market these days. All that you need to do with these DIY home solar power system kits is to assemble all the components that you find in the package.

Times Square Goes Green With Solar Powered Billboard

January 2nd, 2010 admin No comments

Ricoh Company Ltd., of Tyoko, has announced plans for a billboard to be powered by wind and solar power.
The billboard, which will stand on 7th Avenue, 42nd Street, is expected to be operational in December of this year. It will be powered by 45 solar panels and 4 wind turbines, and Ricoh Company Ltd. expect the change to reduce carbon emissions in the area by 18 tons each year.
The sign’s predecessors can be found in San Francisco – the first of its type in the U.S – plus two in Canada, and two in South Africa.
In 2006, Johannesburg was home to the first solar powered billboard, developed by Nedbank. It supplies power to a nearby school, and displayed the phrase ‘This Isn’t a Billboard. It’s a Power Plant’.
A second followed a year later, when Nedbank erected a new billboard in Cape Town in December 2007. It currently provides power for a local youth centre.
It was in January of this year that Pacific Gas and Electric Company installed the billboard in San Francisco. It can be found at 1000 Brannon Street, and generates a maximum of 3.4KW of power, through 20 solar panels. It was developed as part of the company’s ‘We Can Do This’ campaign, which centres on the company’s commitment to the environment.
Unlike its American and South African counterparts, the two Canadian solar powered boards are not connected to the public power grids. But they represent the same cause.
One, developed by the finance company Vancity, commissioned the sign as a symbol of their commitment to tan active environmental policy. The company claims to want to develop a carbon neutral policy, and used the billboard as a promotion of that fact.
With billboards like these springing up in some of the world’s major cities, it marks a new partnership between cosmopolitan tradition and sustainability initiatives; where before sustainable energy was perhaps viewed as a rural luxury, it is now being pioneered as having a legitimate place in the city.
Now that companies such as Ricoh Company Ltd., Vancity and Nedbank are ‘going green’, corporations are becoming more and more aware of their environmental responsibilities.
Whilst solar powered billboards are more symbolic than practical – powering only limited areas – they can be tied to the theme of a growing environmental consciousness. With major companies investing in such installations in major cities, it shows that corporations are looking to develop an environmentally ethical image.
Indeed, many companies are bucking the trend. Waitrose – owned by the John Lewis Partnership – trialled a rapeseed oil fuel for their lorries in 2007, and most of the major supermarket chains are now encouraging the precedence of reusable bags.
It is hard to tell whether these commitments are out of genuine environmental concern or out of concern for pubic image and profits, but it marks a step, nonetheless; the more the general public demands an environmentally motivated business sector, the more the business sector will feel the pressure to concede to these demands.
With a rise in political concern for the environment, perhaps also coming out of public demand, businesses could feel the strain of legislature, too.

How To Build A Solar Panel At Home – You Are Going To Be Amazed !

January 2nd, 2010 admin No comments

If you’re searching for websites on how to build a solar panel at home, just take a look at what i have to say on the subject – it is going to radically change your current thinking about incorporating solar electricity into your life. What if i told you that there is a groundbreaking solution that provides you the simple technology for converting solar energy into abundant energy for your home at an unbeatably low budget – wouldn’t you be eager to learn more? Keep reading the following article.

Not long ago, equipping your house with a stand-alone solar energy power generator was often thought of as a noble gesture but was just too pricey for most, for many others it remained as a dream. It’s now a common occurrence to seek information on how to build a solar panel at home, which clearly shows that there is a growing number of people who want to educate themselves on this exciting field.

The latest news in this field is that the time to easily ’solarize’ your home is here and now and most importantly affordable to anyone who wishes to get an absolutely free and unlimited home power supply. This ‘green’ energy source has been used to a limited extent for years, but for most of us, the cost kept us from getting on board; so we continued to have our home electricity supplied by the local power company, paying needless bills and counting our pennies.

As you continue to further check about how to build a solar panel at home, I want to let you in on the latest development: a respected professional in the field of green technology found a secret way that enables you to build solar panels and a device capable of converting the power of the sun into useable electricity with no equipment other than can be found at the local hardware store. It turns out that there are many satisfied users of solar energy, both in the united states and around the world, who are able not only to produce free and clean power supply, but in addition, actually make money by selling their extra power to the electric company. Being that affordable and accessible, this technology is bringing major – and long-awaited – changes to energy production as we know it.

If You Haven’t Looked Into Solar Power Recently, You Will be in for Quite a Surprise

January 2nd, 2010 admin No comments

With a new and green administration in the White House, and with the media’s increasing coverage of the environment impact we are having on our planet, you likely are thinking of ways to improve your lifestyle and adopt green living practices.
You may have big dreams of starting your new green living by switching to solar power for your house. The good news is that if you haven’t looked into solar power recently, you will be in for quite a surprise. Where once it would take thousands of dollars of investment for you to switch to solar power and install solar panels to your house, there are now do-it-yourself solar panel kits on the market. These kits are affordable and relatively easier for a seasoned do-it-yourself er to install. Then, for only a few hours of your time and a few hundred dollars (rather than thousands of dollars), you can be living green!
You can also stretch your usage of solar power by looking at easy ways to save solar energy consumption. By making small changes to your household, you can drastically cut down your energy usage and get more bang for your green. First, save energy at home by turning off unused electronics and appliances. There is a phantom energy drain on many appliances that aren’t even turned on. If they are plugged into the wall, many appliances are using energy. This goes from your cell phone charger to your microwave, coffee maker, and even lamps. An easy project is to buy a few power strips and plug all of your main appliances into the power strip. Then when you aren’t using the appliances, you can simply turn off or unplug the main power strip.
Other ways to save on energy are just as simple. Your air conditioner is one of the largest drains of energy on your household, and you may be looking at how to save energy using A/C conservation tips. First, when your A/C is turned on, turn up the thermostat to save energy. Adjust the thermostat to 78 degrees or higher. Turn the A/C off completely on nice days or when you will out of the house for a full day or longer. When you will be out of the house for a few hours or longer, turn the thermostat up a few extra degrees. Use ceiling fans in the rooms are you in. Also, the proper maintenance of your A/C is critical. Be sure to get an annual maintenance on your A/C and change your filters regularly. Use weather strips on leaky windows and doors to keep the cool air inside where you want it.
Your clothes dryer is also a major energy drain, ranking among the highest energy usage appliances in your house. You can always dry your clothes on a clothesline in your backyard. But if that seems impractical or inconvenient, there is another green way. For a small price, you can save energy with a dryer conversion kit. These affordable kits are designed to convert the energy usage of your electric or gas dryer into a liquid propane usage dryer.
It’s not hard to be green. It simply takes a little effort to make small and easy changes to your daily life!