September 7, 2010

China Tariffs for Solar Power May Match Coal Power by 2020, Xinhua Reports

China for Solar Power May Match Coal Power by 2020, Xinhua
China’s solar-power may match those of electricity produced by coal-fired plants by 2020 as the country accelerates the development of cleaner energy, the official Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday, citing comments from Liu Qi, a deputy director at the National Energy Administration, at a conference in Nanjing.
Read more on Bloomberg

Solar power ‘net metering system’ introduced
A high-tech electricity producing system driven by solar power has been introduced by the Power and Energy Ministry. The new method called ‘Net Metering System’ was officially introduced by Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka yesterday.
Read more on Daily News

Power of the Sun, Part 2: Homes and solar power
Installing a solar power system in your home is a green and efficient way to reduce energy.
Read more on WNDU 16 South Bend

Diy Solar Power Made Easy

Diy Solar Power Made Easy
This kit will help people learn how to design, purchase, and install their own solar power system. Great conversion (3-4%) in testing and bonuses for producers. Contact us for your free copy.
Diy Solar Power Made Easy

Solar Powered Car

Why aren’t we all driving on sunlight? Learn more at deathstroke.net
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Brink – Storing Solar Energy

Chemist Dan Nocera’s work capturing and storing solar energy may save the world. No, really!
Video Rating: 4 / 5

How can I use Solar Power in my home?

Question by Josh C: How can I use Solar Power in my home?
I am wanting to power just a couple household items with a small solar panel. What will I need? I know I need a solar panel, and some kind of AC-DC converter, and a battery perhaps? How would I wire it up?

I do NOT want to spend a fortune doing this, I am only in an apartment, so it needs to be small and self-contained.

Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by redscott77092
You might have trouble doing this in an apartment, since apt managers don’t usually like tenants adding things like that.

Powering any appliance will require a PV panel at least 4 feet wide and you’ll have trouble using that in an apartment. Anything small enough to fit on your balcony or deck will not make much power.

That said, if you use a battery set and charger you can charge with almost any panel and operate any device that runs on the juice available from your batteries. In an apartment you won’t have space for very big batteries.

Recreational vehicles use appliances like TV, coffemaker, refrigerator etc designed to run on 12 or 24 volts and will be easier to run on a low volt system. 120 volts will require a bigger PV panel.

Remember, volts is not the only thing to think about. You must also consider the amperage & watts. A fridge will require more amps & watts than a radio.

There are hundreds of websites that teach how to choose (size) the PV panel to run the appliances that you need. If you were in your own home then you could look at “net metering” and not care about batteries, but not in an apartment.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Jack Johnson’s Solar Powered Studio – CNN (Jan. 2008)

An exclusive look at Jack Johnson’s new record “Sleep Through The Static” and Jack, Emmett Malloy and the Brushfire Records’ new solar studio.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

UNI Solar Panthers take third place in international boating competition

UNI Solar Panthers take in international
By: John Anderson For the second consecutive year, the UNI Solar Panthers won overall in the World Championship Intercollegiate Solar in Fayetteville, Ark., June 9-13. This is the UNI team’s fourth year in a row in the top five. In a…
Read more on The Northern Iowan

Xcel tests hybrid solar-coal project in Colorado
What if a coal-fired power plant could use energy from the sun to reduce how much coal it needs to generate electricity?
Read more on AP via Yahoo! News

Your comments: Oregon solar program fills in 15 minutes leaving some customers excited and others frustrated
Thoughtful comments on the story.
Read more on The Oregonian

Celebrating solar power
Sunshine and students flitted about the Owen Middle School courtyard on Solar Awareness Day, held in honor of the sun and the school’s newly received solar panels.
Read more on Black Mountain News

Lastest Solar Power News

Industry-specific PV component standards drive out costs
Since the dawn of solar-generated power, industry insiders have explored new ways to drive costs out of the design, manufacture, and operation of solar cells. Today, the industry is inching closer to reducing the cost/kilowatt-hour (kWh) associated with solar-generated power to levels that are more in line with those found in the traditional generation of electricity. To reach this goal, the …
Read more on Renewable Energy World

Albertsons and SunEdison Activate Solar Power Plants at Three San Diego Area Stores
Albertsons a SUPERVALU INC. company, and SunEdison, North America’s largest solar energy services provider and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials , today announced the activation of rooftop solar power systems at three Albertsons grocery stores in Carlsbad, Oceanside and Alpine, California.
Read more on PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

Are Diy Solar Power Kits Right For You?

Are Diy Solar Power Kits For You?

Most of us are aware that we need to investigate alternative sources of energy. While there are rebates available, the cost of solar panels can still be prohibitive for most people which make DIY Solar Power Kits a very attractive option.

Bored of reading – watch the video here

Why would you do it?

If you have a sense of adventure, you want to do your bit to save the environment or even just to save some money, DIY Solar Power Kits make a lot of sense.

You can convert freely available solar power into electricity that can be used to power your home. Solar power kits can be quite efficient, and the amount of electricity generated depends on the number and wattage of the solar panels and the amount of direct sunlight that the solar panels receive.

Once installed, DIY Solar Power Kits are almost maintenance free. The average lifespan of solar panels is over thirty years. Not only that, but they are emission free and completely silent. One thing you need to calculate before you dive in is the length of time it takes to recoup your initial investment.

Also, do you have a large enough space available that receives at least six hours of direct sun light each day? What is the pitch of your roof and are you comfortable walking on your roof? If not, you might want to consider hiring someone to install the solar panels for you. Alternatively, your DIY Solar Power Kit on the ground in a convenient location.

What types of DIY Solar Power Kits are available?

Stand-Alone Home Power

You can make a solar power generator that can supply some or all of your electricity needs without having to be connected to the electricity grid. This can be useful, but is not limited to, people who live in remote locations.

Hybrid Home Power

You can create your solar panels to be connected to the electricity grid. If your solar panels produce more more electricity than you use at home, this will make your electricity meter run backwards. This means you’ll receive a credit from the electricity company to use when your producing less electricity – such as in cloudy weather.

What options do you have for DIY Solar Power Kits?

You can buy ready made kits and there are a few available on the internet. More and more people are using DIY Solar Power Kits due to the fact they are easy to install and most of the required pieces of equipment are in one package for you. You can also customize your kit and build more specialized solar arrays as you gain more knowledge of how solar systems work.

You can also buy a guide and find your own materials. I recently reviewed an ebook which shows you how to make solar panels in a single weekend. The materials are easily available from hardware stores and you can build the whole thing for less than . Read the Earth4Energy review here.

Making your own DIY Solar Power Kit is a great way to save money and feel good about playing your part to save the planet.

How does solar energy create power for us to use?

Question by tats: How does solar energy create power for us to use?
I mean, how does solar power create electricity and heating? This is for a grade, so I’d appreciate it if you were positive. Please record the websitre or book you used. THANKS!

Best answer:

Answer by Raymond
Begin with the Wikipedia website.

Then look for specifics:
The energy from the Sun gives us light and heat.
The more energetic light photons can be used to knock off electrons from some atoms; the electrons can then flow through wires for electricity (photovolatic cells).
The heat from the sun evaporates water from oceans, forms clouds, rain on mountain sides: brooks, creeks, rivers… The solar energy is “stored” in the water currents as water flows back to the ocean. We intercept it to make turbines run (hydro-electricity).
Plants absorb the energy of Sunlight (chlorophyl). In trees, this becomes fibrous materials which, when buried for thousands of years, become coal. When we burn coal, we “release” the stored solar energy.
Animals eat plants (which, themselves, represent stored solar energy) and, when they are buried for thousands of year, turn to petroleum.

Give your answer to this question below!