The Solar Energy Industries Organisation guesses that over 200,000 U.S. Houses will be powered off-grid by alternative solar energy by the end of 2010. While the production of solar equipment requires some inputs of capital, energy and materials, the resultant system will supply power for many years with very little cost or maintenance. Home solar electricity systems, and homes that depend on solar power stations ‘on-the-grid ‘ are becoming more popular as many governments offer incentives to house owners to join the solar revolution. So when you're doing your next home remodeling porject, consider these solar options.
There are three alternative ways of capturing solar energy for home use: passively, concentrating heat and light, or by solar power cells. Passive solar is the easiest and least expensive, where there is no mechanical action and the heating properties are simply a matter of good design suited to your local climate. Homes can be engineered to capture or reflect heat through placement, ventilation and materials, maximising summer cooling and winter heating. The “One Tonne Home” in Sweden (designed by Gert Wingrdh) is an excellent example of passive solar in action for a cool climate: with a big surface area of walls and darkened windows for heat storage and, and high thermal mass in the walls that maintain an even internal temperature. The home also has a solar system so effective it can charge the family electric vehicle!
Solar hot water systems employ passive solar and can cut your electricity bills by 30% dependent on your location. Solar hot water systems are cheap to run, and in overcast weather can be bolstered with and electric backup if you run out of hot water. They work just by soaking up heat through a sequence of water filled pipes and then storing that heated water in a well insulated tank.
Photovoltaics convert light energy into electricity which is either used immediately or stored in batteries. Power from photovoltaic power cells can scaled to your requirements. You may simply want to install solar lights for your garden, or go further and power your whole house with a complete system. The size and price of your off-grid system will depend on your needs, however a 10kWh system is mostly adequate for the standard family of 4, and will cost you about $US40,000 for a professionally installed system. The real cost maybe a ton less when you apply govt motivations supplied in many countries. Motivations to buy solar systems exist in many U.S. States and in California a ‘feed-in tariff ‘ means you can sell your power back to the grid. Many new solar system lease programs such as that offered by USA Solar Electricity, Solar City and Lease The Sun to help folks take advantage of the emissions and savings reductions of limitless solar energy in their homes.
Concentrating solar collectors are the technique used by solar electricity stations. Mirrors reflect and concentrate daylight onto a central location that heats water to turn turbines. Many home made and tiny scale version are being developed for home water heating such as these ones at Build It Solar. This principle is what powers the straightforward home-made parabolic or flat reflecting solar range, but on a much bigger scale such as that of the 354 MW SEGS thermal power plant, in California and the recently authorized Blythe solar collector plant that's mooted to power at least 300,000 houses in the area when in open s in 2013.
After installation home solar electricity systems can provide limitless electric power at a small fraction of the price of typical grid connected power, with the additional feel good of knowing you do your bit to reduce carbon emissions and make the future a cleaner, greener place.
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