Author: admin

Financial Climate Still Sunny For Solar in California

The worldwide economic recession has put a damper on solar panel production and sales, most notably in China and parts of Europe. But in California, where local, regional and state tax incentives continue to drive solar power sales, many solar panel manufacturers and installers are finding the financial climate positively sunny.

Up to now, solar system costs – which can range from $20,000 to $50,000 for a fully solar-powered home, and take 15 years to recoup – have kept California solar at a measly one percent of generation.

Optimism over solar’s future prompted a flood of U.S. startups and venture capital funding in 2006 and 2007. Then came the economic downturn, with a few of those solar startups going bottom’s up. The remainder – the courageous or merely foolhardy – see the downturn as an incentive to drive down solar costs and capture at least a part of that other 99 percent of electricity generation. And even though many solar panel manufacturing companies have seen almost half their value surrendered to the current recession, a few hardy souls, including those who manufacture on the periphery of solar energy, see instead continuing interest.

A prime example would be Blue Sky Energy, Inc., which makes charge controllers that regulate the flow of electricity from solar panels into batteries, where it is stored overnight for use in traffic signals, parking lots and other lighting venues not connected to electrical grids. In spite of worldwide economic woes, Blue Sky’s annual revenue continues to grow by 10 to 15 percent a year, according to co-owner Melanie Cullen.

California manufacturers and installers are also seeing a burst of activity as tax credits, which took effect the first of the year, encourage “greenies” to install solar. For the average homeowner, says Kelly Barber, marketing manager for Natural Energy USA Inc. in Escondido (mentioned on Cooler Planet’s provider page), state rebates will cover $3,800 worth of costs, while the 30 percent federal tax credit can reduce the cost to about $11,000 (compared to the former $14,000 before the government dropped the cap of $2,000 per system).

The main factor that will drive down solar panel costs appears to be the worldwide glut of panels, which are time-consuming to manufacture and require expensive and somewhat rare raw materials.

This over-abundance, mainly in Europe, will help drive down U.S. solar panel costs. And the brief hiatus in manufacturing may also allow solar panel companies the time they need to investigate cheaper and more effective solar panel materials. In any case, expect 2009 to see a renewal in solar electric

Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet’s solar energy resource page contains articles and tools such as our solar calculator to help with your solar project.

Do it yourself Solar Panel Installation © – it Really Works!

No doubt that Do It Yourself Solar Panel Installation gains amazing popularity these days among many households, simply because what it offers is revolutionary and can instantly cut your expenses. You may be surprised but this technique makes it possible for almost anyone – novice/professional to get it to work in just a few days. Sounds interesting? keep reading and discover more about how it works.

Introduction

One of the most important elements of any Do It Yourself Solar Panel Installation is the Solar-panel, and luckily nowadays anyone can easily have one of these popular guides that teach you how to assemble them. Choosing a guide is probably one of the most important actions you need to take; make sure it uses simple english without being too much ‘techi’, also, does it offer video tutorials, illustrations, and tech support? In any case, here are few key-benefits and & quick advices that may help you to know more about this subject.

Important advantages

Going down to the bottom-line we notice the following benefits:

* Made of simple parts/tools found at any local hardware store.
* Should you create more energy than needed; the power-company will actually pay you!
* Uses Wind-Power as a backup when having long periods of cloudy days.
* Knowing that we are doing our part to conserve the planet.
* Cuts down on the usage of non-renewable enr. resources.

Quick advice

In order to optimize it, make sure to place the solar-paneling unit in a spot that gets the most sun at all times of the year.

Summarizing this article

When we constantly look for immediate and affordable ways to ‘cut’ our elec. expenses, no doubt that Do It Yourself Solar Panel Installation is one of the most revolutionary ideas that can help us achieve that goal. There are probably many other great benefits provided by this one-of-a-kind idea, simply because as individuals we no longer need to depend on the authorities to supply these needs. The best advice would be to simply get it as in most cases it will take you no more than a single weekend to have it working.

Learn how Do It Yourself Solar Panel Installation easily enables you to produce free and unlimited electricity in just few days.


Visit: EasyFreeEnergy.com

How Is Energy From Solar Panels Converted To Energy That Can Be Used For Solar Power?

I want to do a science project where I create my own solar panels out of different materials to see which one will produce the greatest amount of energy. Is this a realistic topic if it has to be done before Thanksgiving? If so, how do I make the solar panels? How do I measure/convert the energy? Please help!