bharatbhasha.net


Free Articles  >>  Family >>  Page 346  >> 

Creating Electricity From Sunshine



Do you want to do your part to help the environment while saving yourself some money? Then why not cover your roof with photovoltaic solar panels? Many home and business owners are using solar panels as a way to control the cost of heating, cooling or powering their buildings, helping the environment and generating income. California is the national leader in using solar panels to capture, use and sell the energy of the sun.

If you live in North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico or even New Jersey, you may soon be able to trade in your plain old roofing tiles for power generating, money making solar panels. Solar panels have been available for years but the older models were heavy, cumbersome and required a specially reinforced roof. Today there are lightweight, efficient photovoltaic solar panels that generate electricity directly from sunlight. The solar power is converted to electricity using an inverter, charger, and a battery.

Large scale solar systems traditionally used a technology called solar thermal which uses mirrors to concentrate the sun's heat and direct it to a liquid. The liquid heats up and generates steam which in turn runs a generator which creates electricity. The advent of photovoltaic panels have now made it possible for homes and small businesses to capture sunlight and generate enough electricity to power their homes. The bonus is that they can sell the excess power to utility companies.

As demand has increased and manufacturing techniques have improved in the past few years, the price of the panels has dropped almost fifty percent. The old solar panels required the home or business owners to drill holes in the roof, create elaborate systems to tie the panels to the roof and reinforce the roof to take all the extra weight of the solar thermal system.

This was a disincentive, however the new photovoltaic panels are light, easy to install and do not require reinforcement of residential roofing or commercial roofing. These two factors combined with the commitment and incentives from many states and the federal government to employ alternatives to fossil fuels have created opportunities for home and business owners to go green while making green.

You probably are wondering how many solar panels and how much sunshine you need for your home or business. Then there is the upfront cost. These are questions many people considering solar need answered. To start off, the key concept to understand is the term insolation. This is not insulation spelled incorrectly, these are two different words.

The word insolation refers to the intensity of the sunshine in your area between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm. In terms of size, some home owners can begin with solar panels covering only 50 square feet of their roof. The larger the system, the more it will cost initially, but the more return you will get on your investment in the long run. To get exact pricing for your needs, contact a reputable solar panel company or do some research yourself.


About Author Nick Messe :

Northern Virginia Roofing has been doing McLean VA roofing and commercial roofing projects in the Washington DC metro and Northern Virginia area for more than 40 years - http://www.nvroofs.com


Article Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.net
Article Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.net/family.php/256261


Article Added on Tuesday, August 24, 2010
LD
Other Articles by Nick Messe

•Can Solar Panels Generate Enough Energy To Run Your Home
? Energy costs in America are at an all time high. Natural gas, oil, and electric energy, are all costs that are straining every pocket book in America and people are looking for relief. Solar energy is being promoted as an environmentally friendly way of getting electric energy to run your home. But can you get enough energy from solar panels to do this? First of all, and quite simply, a solar panel on your roof can supply 100 percent of the electric energy needs of your home. With battery...

•What Is A Duel Fuel Heat Pump System
? With energy prices on the rise, many Americans have scaled back their driving habits and switched to more efficient cars. But the drive to become green doesn't end on the road. Indeed, this push must also extend into our homes and daily lives. One of the best ways to bring green sensibilities from the garage to the living room is the addition of a dual fuel heat pump system to your home. A duel fuel heat pump system consists of a highly efficient gas furnace and an electric-powered heat...

•Protect Your Computer From Hidden Dangers
It blew the dog fence right off the garage wall. Every appliance in the house was fried. Hearing my neighbor lament the loss of all his appliances through one lightning strike made me do some research into the hidden dangers of power surges. I was amazed to find that even without lightning strikes, the electricity supply to my home was sending power surges through my computers up to 20 times a day. Time to call an electrical contractor. I found out that power fluctuations on the electrical...

•A Water Feature Adds Value To Your Home
Natural stone looks fantastic in a home or in a garden and drastically increases your home or your property's value. Since there is plenty of natural stone available, it is abundant and easy to find. There are numerous wonderful home improvement projects you can complete with natural stone and pavers. These include patios, walls for your garden, and walkways. One natural stone project that adds a special ambiance to your home is a stone waterfall. Just think of how it will enhance your...

•Why Is A Hybrid Heat System The Green Way To Go
? If you are looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint and to make your lifestyle more environmentally friendly, then it is important to look at many different aspects of your energy usage. This way you will be able to identify more ways to make your life greener. One tremendous innovation in the past few years has been the development of hybrid heating systems. These state-of-the-art heating and air conditioning systems are not only better for the environment, but they can also save you...

•What Will You Do If Power Goes Out This Winter
? Mother nature has a knack for throwing some powerful snowstorms. Nearly every winter no matter how prepared an area is, the power is knocked out. Sometimes the power may be out for an hour or extend several days depending on where a person may live and the severity of the outage. The dead of winter is not a good time to go without electricity. For those who rely on electricity as their sole source of heat, a generator is an absolute must. An electrician can help a homeowner decide what kind...

•A Sump Pump Works Hard To Keep Your Basement Dry
A sump pump, such as one supplied by your plumbing contractor, is a small pump installed in the lowest part of a basement or crawlspace. A professional will tell you that the purpose of a sump pump is to keep the area under the building dry and to prevent it from flood­ing. When the water table around a home rises, flooding occurs. The upper surface of ground water is called the water table. Below this water surface, all the cracks and sediment are saturated with water. These saturated layers...

•Should You Install Your Own Ceiling Fan
? Ceiling fans are a great investment. They look nice, and act as a light source and save energy in both summer and winter by circulating air more efficiently. But should you risk this investment by attempting to install it yourself? There are several things you should consider before attempting this project, including your electrical skills, mechanical skills and physical attributes. First, the electrical wiring, though not complicated for a professional, is a little more than screwing in a...

•Get An Emergency Generator To Protect Your Family
Having an emergency generator for back-up at your home or business is a sure way to protect yourself, your family, your property, and important equipment from disaster and damage. Without electricity, the world as most of us know it comes to a screeching halt. Your lights, computer and electronic equipment, heating system, water pump, and important appliances such as refrigerators no longer work. When electrical power is knocked out by a winter storm and you find yourself with no back-up...

•What s The Latest Scoop On Tankless Water Heaters
? An Englishman by the name of Maughan invented the first tankless water heater in the 1870's, the idea being to heat the water almost instantaneously and only when the water was needed. Like many other inventions, the tankless water heater went through a number of designs over the years with the most prominent design being able to heat the water at the point of use. This meant that anywhere hot water was needed a small gas or electric powered heating unit would be located so there would be at...

Click here to see More Articles by Nick Messe
Publishers / Webmasters
Tell A Friend
Leave A Comment!
Download this article in PDF
Report Article!
Search through all the articles:


255 Users Online!!
Related Articles:
Latest Articles:
 
family >> Top 50 Articles on Family
Category - >
• Advertising • Advice • Affiliate Programs • Automobiles
• Be Your Own Mentor • Careers • Communication • Consumers
• CopyWriting • Crime • Domain Names • DoT com Entrepreneur Corner
• Ebooks • Ecommerce • Education • Email
• Entertainment • Environment • Family • Finance And Business
• Food & Drink • Gardening • Health & Fitness • Hobbies
• Home Business • Home Improvement • Humour • House Holds
• Internet And Computers • Kiddos and Teens • Legal Matters • Mail Order
• Management • Marketing • Marriage • MetaPhysical
• Motivational • MultiMedia • Multi Level Marketing • NewsLetters
• Pets • Psychology • Religion • Parenting
• Politics • Sales • Science • Search Engine Optimization
• Site Promotion • Sports • Technology • Travel
• Web Development • Web Hosting • WeightLoss • Women's Corner
• Writing • Miscellaneous Articles • Real Estate • Arts And Crafts
• Aging


Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed in the articles are those of the authors
and do not necessarily represent the views of bharatbhasha.net and/or its owners.


Copyright © AwareINDIA. All rights reserved || Privacy Policy || Terms Of Use || Author Guidelines || Free Articles
FAQs Link To Us || Submit An Article || Free Downloads|| Contact Us || Site Map  || Advertise with Us ||
Click here for Special webhosting packages for visitors of this website only!
Vastu Shastra

Linux Hosting Provided By AwareIndia