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How Solar Power Makes A Difference Solar power is one of those phrases you hear a lot of these days. But what is solar power, and how does it benefit you to use it? While the term “solar power” is often used interchangeably with the term “solar energy,” solar power refers specifically to the converting solar energy into electricity. How can it be stored so that it can be used at night, or during adverse conditions?  In a nutshell, solar power is created one of two ways: Active solar techonolgies work by “collecting” solar energy. Sunlight shines on special panels, called solar panels, that transform the light into DC electricity. This electricity is converted to AC power and is either used in your home during the day, stored in a thermal storage system, or fed into the local utility grid. At night, electricity is drawn from either the storage system or the grid for use in your home. Passive solar technologies include things like designing a building relative to the way it faces the Sun, and the use of solar design packages, which tie together solar lighting, heating, and ventilation systems forming a complete residential solar power system. Active solar technology can boost the effectiveness of these passive systems. Thermal storage systems use materials with high specific heat capacities, like water, stone, and earth, which are generally readily available. Solar energy advantages include energy and money savings, less reliance on conventional power systems which can be at the mercy of varying weather conditions, especially during the storm season and external influences over which we have no control. Another advantage which is quite important is the fact that solar power energy is a totally clean power source producing no harmful emissions. One of the earliest major scientific applications of solar power was on commercial satellites. Solar power is not, however, a new idea. The ancients used systems of lenses and mirrors to concentrate solar energy for various purposes. Due to natural and economic fluctuations in the supply of oil, natural gas, and other resources, the call for solar power is increasing rapidly, and is likely to continue to do so as technologies develop that make harnessing it and using it more viable and less expensive. Read more Tony dickfos

Concentrated Solar Power (or”CSP”) refers to the type of solar energy which is created by concentrating sunlight onto a small area, thus creating intense light and heat, which in turn generates power and electricity. Concentrated Solar Power is one of several alternative energy technologies which have been developed in order to harness the energy emitted by the sun and turn it into useable electricity. The main difference between concentrated solar power (CSP) energy systems and other solar power systems (such as photovoltaics and solar heating), is that concentrated solar power uses mirrors and reflectors in order to focus concentrated sunlight on a specific location.How Concentrated Solar Power Systems Work A simple but accurate comparison to Concentrated Solar Power is the use of a magnifying lens to focus sunlight on a specific area. But the target of a CSP system is to heat fluids, not ants or other luckless insects. The fluids heated by this concentrated solar energy are then turned into steam. The steam is in turn forced through a fan, and is used to drive a regular steam turbine, which uses its turning motion to generate electricity through electromagnetic means. One advantage of concentrated solar power is that it is completely compatible with the contemporary power generators which are used in conventional power plants. But in the case of CSP solar energy, the “fuel” used to generate steam is sunlight, not fossil fuels such as oil and coal. You may be surprised to learn that in the USA, several CSP power plants are already up and running – and that they have performed reliably for the past fifteen years. At the time of this writing, the least expensive method of using solar power to produce electricity is the to use concentrated solar power systems. Research and development projects are underway, with the aim of reducing costs even further, so that the cost of producing electricity with solar power can eventually compete with the costs of energy production in modern conventional power plants. Concentrated Solar Power is one of several methods of generating solar power and alternative energy on a broad scale. Another example of broad scale solar power production is the use of solar power towers. These towers use an assortment of moving mirrors (called heliostats) to continuously reflect sunlight toward a central area at the top of the tower. These heliostats are set up so that they follow the movement of the sun, thus maintaining the strongest reflecting power possible. Find out more information about solar power at Anna’s website, Solar Power. Learn more about solar towers at Solar Towers.

For starter, if we look at the cost of keeping a house warm and well light and cozy it is enough to make us flip the other way to the solar power energy system. What about when you run out of electricity, do you enjoy lighting candles well of course we all do sometimes but wouldn’t it be nice if you had a home solar power system in place ready to kick in anytime when you encounter these unpleasant moments. As we all know, the sun does produce and disperses a huge amount of heat on the surface of the earth. A lot of it goes to waste when not used efficiently to our advantage. Solar power can be strong enough to power machinery and it may comes as a surprise to you but the space shuttle uses solar panels faced toward the sun in order to be able to power the shuttle efficiently. Ok but what about when it snows and rains, when the sky is cloudy and we don’t see a trace of the sun for days. You can safely rest assured that with the amount of knowledge the scientist have about solar energy and all resources made available to them, storing solar energy for rainy days is a walk in the park for them. It is possible to produce enough heat in your solar source to create enough energy to last until the sun shows up again. Solar power is the way to the future, we must educate ourselves, prepare and we need to be ready for it. Right now solar power is primarily used by those who are more aware and worried about our earth’s atmosphere. Global warming is a big issue that we should all be worried about. Never the less solar power is being used around the globe. It is cost effective to have a home solar power system put in place. You can choose to have a company put everything in place for you while still keeping the old conventional ways to heat your home. You can use solar energy to power your appliances only or heater only. You could also do your own research as far as material needed to implement a solar power system in your home. There are great books, videos, DVD, teaching you how to build your own solar power system. No matter how you look at it, the advantages of having a home solar power system outweigh the disadvantages, solar power energy is here to stay and will become very popular in household around the world, we are living in desperate times and finding ways to cut expenses to keep a bit of what we earn in our pockets is the way to go. The price it may cost you to have a solar system put in place or to build one yourself will pay for itself in a very short time. Did you find this article useful? If you did and are interested in learning how to build your own solar power system for very cheap and start generating your own electricity from the sun, visit :

http://bytelan.com/HomemadeSolarCell.htm

Many households are considering of converting their home energy to be solar powered for the purpose of cutting down their electricity bills while saving our planet with this environmental friendly power source. But, not many are taking their action to make the real conversion to a solar-powered home because they are still doubt on the advantages of solar power that they can really get after the conversion while they do worry about the potential problems that may encountered after they make the conversion. Let briefly go through the advantages versus the disadvantages of solar power, so that you are cleared before you make your decision on whether to use solar-powered energy at home.Advantages of Solar PowerSolar power is a renewable source generated from the sun, meaning that the solar energy source is never going to finish. So, we do not need to worry about we may jeopardy of the energy source if you over use it.Solar power is environmental friendly energy source. Unlike oil, the use of solar energy will never causes green house effects or emits carcinogens into the air and causes the air pollution.The sun is FREE. Unlike the traditional energy source which you need to pay more if you use more, there is not limit on how much you can use the energy generated from solar power, and you do not need to think of the electricity cost when you use a solar-powered energy generator, because the sun is FOC (Free of Charge).Little maintenance cost on solar power system. Solar cells can last for a lifetime and because there are no moving parts, it needs very little maintenance. You do not really need to allocate significant budget for it maintenance cost.Disadvantages of Solar PowerThe key stopping factor that makes most of people who are interested to install solar power system is the total cost is expensive. A solar power system that provides enough energy to power an average sized home can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000. Seeing the potential market demand on solar power system, the industries with continue research efforts are trying to reduce the material costs. Moreover, there are many simple-to-follow DIY instruction manuals had been made published to teach people how to build their own solar power system using cheap materials which can be found at local market.The solar power can be generated without sunlight, which means the power cannot be created at night, during rain and winter season when sun is hiding behind the cloud. This had been one of key discouragement of using solar power as the alternative power solution.If you build the solar panel at the roof of your home, it becomes part of the house. You may need to sell it together with your house if you decide to move to a new home. And you need to reinstall the solar power system at your new home.SummaryYou should clearly understand of both the advantages and the disadvantages of solar power system before you go ahead to convert your home to be solar-powered so that you can really benefited from the advantages of solar power while handling the disadvantages of solar power to minimize the impacts. Dave Stilman, the author warns you not to buy any of <a href="http://www.wind-solar-power.info” rel=”nofollow”>Renewable Home Energy Guide without reading the important review at http://www.wind-solar-power.info.

What would you do if the utility companies paid you for energy?
You, like me, probably didn’t even know that was possible.
What if you never had to pay energy bills ever again?
Again, something else I didn’t know was possible.
These two questions took me completely by surprise when I started doing research for this article. Especially since both questions pertain to solar power.
The Truth About Solar Efficiency
Everyone has heard about the benefits of solar power in terms of environmental conservation and lessening our dependence on imported fossil fuel. But these are both concepts that apply on a grand scale. It’s very hard to equate what this means to an individual. We have to examine the past, present, and future of solar energy, in order to see that there is huge promise for the future of solar energy.
I, for one, could not have begun to tell you what the hard facts were in relation to solar power until I started digging. It turns out that what we hear about solar energy is just the tip of the iceberg. Which are disappearing, I might add, to the tune of 20% during the summer of 2008.
A Brief History
Before we go exploring the ins and outs of solar energy, let’s take a look at how this force of nature has evolved over the centuries.
Solar technology isn’t new. It probably started some time in the 7th Century B.C., when people learned how to use glass and sunlight to light a fire. There is some evidence that ancient cultures across the globe have used glass and polished metals to concentrate the heat and light of the sun. This concept has been around so long that the Justinian Code of 6th Century A.D. decreed that every individual had “Sun Rights”.
Skip ahead several hundred years and you will find documentation detailing the construction and use of equipment that harnesses the heat and power of the sun.
Solar Power Today
Now that we know where we’ve been, let’s look at where we are.
Right now, all across our planet, governments and organizations are installing solar panels and contributing funds to further research into a renewable energy source that is hoped to rival conventional energy in the next decade.
In the future, we can look forward to more solar energy homes and cars that perform up to the standards we expect from traditional fuel sources. Right this very moment I am living in a house that has solar panels to heat my water, and it does get very hot. I do, however, worry about having hot water at 2 a.m. Not that I take showers very often at that hour, but a writer’s work isn’t always done when the sun sets.
Solar Timeline
The following timeline for solar energy from the U.S. Department of Energy, lists the milestones in the historical development of solar technology from the 7th Century B.C. to now.
* 700 B.C.
A magnifying glass is used to concentrate the sun’s rays on a fuel and light a fire for light, warmth, and cooking.
* 300 B.C.
Greeks and Romans use mirrors to light torches for religious purposes.
* 200 B.C.
As early as 212 B.C., Greek scientist Archimedes makes use of the reflective properties of bronze shields to focus sunlight and set fire to Rome’s wooden ships, which were besieging Syracuse. (Although there is no proof that this actually happened, the Greek navy recreated the experiment in 1973 and successfully set fire to a wooden boat 50 meters away.)
* 20 A.D.
The Chinese report using mirrors to light torches for religious purposes.
* 100 to 400 A.D.
In the first to the fourth centuries, Roman bath houses are built with large, south-facing windows to let in the sun’s warmth.
* 600 A.D.
Sunrooms on houses and public buildings are so common that the Justinian Code establishes “sun rights” to ensure that a building has access to the sun.
* 1300 A.D.
In North America, the ancestors of Pueblo people known as Anasazi build south-facing cliff dwellings that capture the warmth of the winter sun.
* 1700 to 1900 A.D.
Solar contraptions such as photovoltaic fiber, solar cells, and solar steam engines are invented. Eventually a water heater is power by solar electricity.
* 1900s
Solar technology improved thousands of times over, with a vast array of solar materials and solar collectors being constructed and implemented all over the world. Entire towns are powered by solar energy by the year 2000. Buildings are constructed with photovoltaic glass and green roofs, and are self-sustainable thanks to the advancements is solar power conversion.
* 2000s
Houses are powered with residential solar power systems sold in Home Depot, and NASA builds rockets and planes powered entirely by solar energy. Solar power is regarded as an inefficient possible solution to the upcoming oil issue.
* The Future
Within 10 years, continued advances in solar technology will allow us to generate all the electricity needed to power the entire US, and photovoltaic power will be competitive in price with traditional sources of electricity.
Solar electricity will be used in an electrolysis process that separates the hydrogen and oxygen in water so the hydrogen can be used in fuel cells for transportation and in buildings.
Pros and Cons of Solar Power
So this is where we must think about and examine the ups and downs of solar power.
* First, the sun is free. Once you pay for your solar panels, you are done paying to power your home. Conversely, the sun does take a hiatus. Even so, you can switch to battery power to take up the slack if you want.
* Second, if you have a system that produces more energy than you use, you can sell the excess energy to the utility company. But that usually requires you to live in a very sunny climate.
* Third, the cost of maintenance is very low. Since it is just a flat panel that doesn’t move, you don’t have to worry very much about mechanical malfunctions. Unfortunately, the initial cost of these panels can be very expensive and serves as a deterrent to buying.
I hope that these facts encourage you to look to the future of energy production. Environmental conservation is everyone’s responsibility. We all do what we can. Hopefully sometime soon it will be more cost effective. We can scarce afford to lose the only habitable planet we have and some species, like the polar bear, are already losing. The Energy Superstore was developed with a singular purpose: to enable residential, business and industrial customers to save energy in the most efficient and cost effective ways possible. With over 40 years of experience, we provide many tools including energy audits, products, and recommendations.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFLs) and Alternative Energy Advice From Your Energy Saving Superstore

Home solar power is often considered as the most effective means of reducing your electric bills. If you wish to benefit through solar power energy, you need to be well aware that a home solar option is readily available through online stores. If you are tired of unreasonable power cuts and wish to benefit through a regular supply of electricity, you need to take advantage through home solar options. Listed below are a few advantages of opting for solar power energy.
Home Solar Power Is Readily Available
Solar power energy is abundant in nature and it is also said to be a renewable source for power generation. Hence, when the need of the hour is to pick suitable home solar power systems, you need to research well and then apply your facts to good use. Home solar options can be had through the means of a secured site and while most may appear expensive, there are a few which are really inexpensive and long lasting as well. Home solar power systems are also considered essential to meet your energy requirements as they are promoted by the government agencies.
Solar Power Energy Can Be Harnessed Through Your Backyard
The second advantage of a home solar option is that it can be harnessed through your backyard. Home solar power systems work on the basis of assembled kits which can be obtained through the means of the World Wide Web. Solar power installations can be ordered online. They come in the form of a kit, which has an instructions manual as well. Simply follow the manual book and you can ensure that your solar power installations are in perfect order. Solar power kits have the ability to be used and built from home. Hence, they can be utilized by just about any human being-you need not be a technical viz to harness solar powered electricity from home.
Solar Power Cost Is Very Low
The third advantage of setting up a home solar power option is the saving in terms of electricity bills. Solar power cells, which are used in producing electricity, are affordable and long lasting. Once you have them installed in your roof, you can be rest assured that they would carry on for the rest of your life. You only cost is the initial purchase of the solar powered kits and the installation charges. Nowadays, there are solar power kits which are available for under a hundred dollars. Such options can be had through the means of a reputed online manufacturer only. Thereafter, the total cost of power generation is nil and you not only generate power for your home, you also never actually spend a dime while doing so.
Solar Thermal Power Is Pure
With the rise in air pollution and the reduction in the ozone layer, the chances are that your conventional sources of energy may prove to be a hindrance to the future generations. This is when solar thermal power comes into picture. Over here, not only are your electric bills reduced drastically, you also have a chance of keeping your environment neat and tidy. This is so as solar energy is a clean energy resource and it does not emit any harmful chemicals in the atmosphere. Hence, whenever solar energy is produced from home, it is considered a blessing in disguise for the environment.
Solar Power Cells Are Noiseless
As compared to the usual sources of energy, the solar power cells, which are generally used in a solar powered grid, are noiseless in nature. Hence, if you are using solar generated power for your household uses, you are indirectly saving your environment from excessive noise pollution. At the same time, the energy which is generated is never wasted and can be easily stored for future use.