Author: admin

Solar kits are great ways you can build cost-effective solar panels that will generate power and savings year after year. They make building your own home solar panels inexpensive. The sun is an almost infinite source of energy that’s non-polluting and free and it is now easy to start using this resource. The retail market for home solar panels has prices around the region of $20,000 for the panels and installation. These sorts of numbers mean that it will take years before you recover the cost of your investment and is not practical for even the most environmentally-conscious homeowner. Solar kits allow the homeowner to build their own home solar panels for under $300, with performance comparable to the retail units.

To make home solar panels feasible, you need to check if there is adequate sunlight. Countries like India, Indonesia, New Zealand and South Africa have lots of sunshine all year round and solar kits are very popular there. Strangely enough, the United Kingdom, where grey weather and lack of sunshine is a national source of amusement, also sees strong sales in solar kits for homeowners who want to save money.

It is possible to save 80% or more of your electricity bill each month. However, you should expect such a saving after having built two or more solar panels and the best advice is to start small, building a solar panel to power one or two appliances like your mobile phone chargers and then start scaling up the project to power your air conditioning or your electric oven. As your skill and know-how at building the solar panels grows so will the efficiency of the units you produce. Eventually you will be able to generate enough energy to supplement all of your needs when the sun is shining, and you might even be able to sell some electricity back to the power company and save even more money. Whilst a DIY solar kit will provide many of the materials and components you need, you’ll still have to buy a few more to help you install the solar panel, but these components are easily available from your local hardware store. All in all it should cost you about $300 per panel in total. Shop around for the best deals Your first solar panel might seem like a bit of a learning curve. Rest assured, you should need no engineering skills to assemble the solar panel.

Most solar kits have clear instructions on how to put the solar panel together and install it, so once you have understood the instructions you should be able to complete the project quite quickly and easily. You could even make it a project for the entire family. The solar kit will give you all you need to build a home renewable energy system that will generate power and save you money for years to come, and it’s a great way to both save money and fight climate change.

Frustrated about increasing electricity-bills? “How To: Solar Panels Installation” System is probably what you need. Many users already found out that this technique provides quick results almost instantly. By reading this quick article you’ll be able to learn more about how it works.

Getting some basics

The concept behind this “How To: Solar Panels Installation” System is quite simple – there are few excellent guides on the Net that demonstrate how to assemble professional Solar-Cells by using materials that can be found at any local hardware store. It is important then to choose the right guide; check for real customers case studies, make sure it provides descriptive illustrations, photos, and tech support. This way or another, here are just a few advantage & advices to help you better understand this topic.

What is in it for us?

By now we clearly notice how it brings several key-benefits:

* Requires no more than a weekend to be installed.
* Can work for anyone, no matter where he/she lives on the globe.
* Leaves us almost unaffected by any possible energy crisis.
* Cuts down on the usage of non-renewable enr. resources.
* Uses natural and clean resources.

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

It isn’t just about saving thousands each year; this powerful “How To: Solar Panels Installation” System enables us to preserve our planet. Without any question – there are plenty other benefits provided by this unique idea, simply because it brings a real change to this industry. The best advice would be to try it as in most cases it will take you no more than a single weekend to have it working.

Hey, check out these auctions:
[eba kw=”solar panel prices” num=”2″ ebcat=”all”]
Cool, arent they?

Looking for a true way that’ll enable you to get rid of these high electricity-bills once and for all? You should definitely consider using this incredible “Your Own Solar Panel Kit” System. Very quickly you’ll find out that this technique provides quick results almost instantly. Need more information? start reading this article and discover more about this special technology.

Basic introduction

Did you know that “Your Own Solar Panel Kit” System doesn’t have to be that expensive as most people think? Nowadays there are quite few excellent guides on the Web that teach you everything about assembling Solar-Panels on your own. The most recommended guides are those that are written for the average user; check for real customers case studies, make sure it provides descriptive illustrations, photos, and tech support. Well, here are several tips & benefits that may help you to know more about this subject.

Main benefits

We could clearly notice several good reasons to use this one-of-a-kind solution:

* Knowing that we are doing our part to conserve the planet.
* Made of simple parts/tools found at any local hardware store.
* One-time investment that lasts for life.
* Enables us to get an extra income by quickly providing such sys. for others.
* Extremely easy to be implemented by almost anyone.

Tip to go

Be aware that nowadays it is possible to get the paneling for free – most professional guides will show how to do that.

Bottom line

If we look for an outstanding opportunity that’ll help us erase our elec. expenses, no doubt that this advanced “Your Own Solar Panel Kit” System can get us there. There are so many other pluses provided by this exceptional idea, simply because it is revolutionary. By the end of this quick article the best advice would be to test it in order for you to enjoy the benefits that it offers.

What are thin film solar panels, and what could possibly be so exciting about them? Why are they so important to the future of alternative energy and solar power on this planet?

Thin film solar panels operate in the same manner that regular solar panels do, the only difference being that they are a lot thinner and require far less materials and energy for construction.

This might not sound extremely spectacular, but in fact it is. It’s a major breakthrough in solar technology.

Why Thin Film Solar Panels Are So Important?

Thin film solar technology is considered to be a major breakthrough because, up until now, the two barriers that have prevented solar energy and solar technology from becoming mainstream energy providers have been the 1. the cost to produce them, and 2. the problems in rapidly mass-producing them.

Both of these problems have been solved. This paves the way for rapid expansion of clean energy in the form of solar power.

What is Thin Film Solar Technology?

Thin film solar technology is a method of putting extremely thin films of photovoltaic material on to a thin layer of backing for support.

This is made possible through new inventions, such as solar ink. A photovoltaic material is dissolved into a solution, that is then printable as ink. It is then printed out, similarly to how books are printed.

Because of the invention of solar ink, it is possible to print photovoltaic material onto thin layers of plastic fabric or metal. This printing process is extremely fast, and thus it allows you to mass-produce solar panels at a high speed and at only a fraction of the cost.

Whereas, in the past, solar panels were bulky and weighed a serious amount, thin film solar panels weigh almost nothing and take up almost no space. This means that solar panels can now be produced at only 5 percent of the cost, as compared to our old bulky solar panels.

Uses of Thin Film Technology

The ability to literally print solar panels onto fabric, plastic and metal has opened up new horizons in the application of solar power.

Some of the uses now possible are as follows:

Construction:

Metal roofing Membrane roofing Architectural fabric

Consumer:

Rollable solar chargers Foldable solar chargers AA battery solar charger Cell phone chargers Satellite phone chargers Laptop chargers GPS chargers PDA chargers Handheld game chargers Radios

Outdoors/Camping:

RVs Campers Boats GPS devices

Military, Police and Emergency Services:

Solar field shelters Foldable solar chargers Rollable solar chargers AA battery solar charger Communications systems Medical refrigeration systems Water purification systems

Remote Locations, etc:

GPS asset tracking Highway/transportation lighting and signals Weather stations Wildlife feeders Remote sensors and data transmitters Security lighting Warning/safety lights Water pumping systems

The above are just some of the ways that solar power can be and is being used, with the advent of thin film solar panels. I am sure that many more uses will be added, now that the price and manufacturing barrier of solar power have been broken.

Sharp, the world’s number one solar cell producer, has just turned its hand to glass studded with LED lights and cells. Instead of generating enough electricity to run a home, it creates a psychedelic light show at night, powered entirely by the day’s sun: it’s more likely to feature in a photo shoot for Wallpaper* magazine than a Green Party newsletter. Tory leader David Cameron’s cool halo owes much to the solar panels he’s installing on his Notting Hill roof. And I can’t walk down the street wearing my solar backpack without being stopped by fascinated strangers, an experience Graham Hill of the American eco-blog treehugger.com knows well.

Learn How To Make Solar Panels

Gadgets like the backpack have certainly played a large part in solar’s image revival. Our appetite for consumer electronics of all sorts has grown hugely over the past few years, with sales totalling a record $135.4bn (£71.4bn) in the US alone last year. With so many gizmos to power, solar suddenly has new uses. When Will Gould, a gadget lover and TV script editor, set off to travel the world for a year, his first purchase was a solar charger for iPods and phones. “I didn’t know when I’d be near a plug socket,” he explains, “and, yes, there’s gadget lust: the Solio I bought has a beautiful flower-like, iPod white design”.

Once a distant technology that sat on roofs and was hard to understand, solar power has become a tool that we can hold in our hands. As John Laumer, a Treehugger contributor, puts it, “seeing is believing”. New gadgets increasingly have solar built-in. Recent outlandish additions include a solar-powered tent, scooter and LED house numbers, while mundane ones like bike lights, torches and radios have been around for years. “Solar bags” that charge anything smaller than a laptop have been particularly popular, and when the hip snow’n’surf brand O’Neill introduced one, it sold out. Even high street store Maplins now sells the Scotty, a relatively cheap (£35) solar charger.

Like other elements of the green revolution – such as furniture and fashion – design has been key. Adam Thacker, from Better Energy Systems,the Solio’s maker, says: “When we first looked at making a renewable-powered charger, it fast became apparent that most stuff was sold by making people feel guilty about their environmental impact. Design is so important. The iPod’s not the best MP3 player out there, but it’s caught people’s imagination because of the way it looks.”

Purchases inspired by design and hands-on experience have gone some way to demolishing ignorance about solar power. Contrary to popular myth, solar cells don’t need direct sunlight to produce electricity, and Britain’s actually quite well located for the sun. Sharp’s research says that if every single building in the UK was roofed with solar panels, we’d generate more than the UK’s present industrial and residential electricity consumption – there’d be no need for gas, nuclear, coal or even wind power.

Clearly, some of us are waking up to the benefits of making our own electricity at home. Solarcentury, a company promoting solar in the UK, has seen sales to its residential installers – the teams that fit solar panels on homes – double between 2005 and 2006. Donnachadh McCarthy, who offers “eco audits” from his solar-powered south London home, thinks the Cameron effect shouldn’t be ignored.

“He’s definitely made solar sexy. Lately, I’ve had several rich, naturally Tory, clients who want solar, and their genuine motivation is to reduce carbon emissions,” he says. “But there are a host of other reasons. One family was concerned about its lighting going off in the case of an energy emergency or oil crisis.”

There’s also a practical, very British reason for our interest in solar: money. With the average household’s electricity bill above £900 (and set to rise again with British Gas’s latest price rises), solar panels start to make sense at £4,000, after you’ve received a government grant available for installation. They can add value, too. When two new homes in Norfolk sold recently, the one with solar PV roof tiles by Solarcentury sold for 8.6% more than its neighbour. Energy efficiency ratings in next year’s home information packs, grants of up to £3,000 and imminent improved planning laws should help further.

Solar may suddenly be cool, but there are reasons for pause. The recent government energy review contained little concrete promotion of solar, and the scale of what’s been achieved can be overstated. As McCarthy points out, “only 100 solar PV installs have happened in London since 1999, so it’s perhaps a bit early to say it’s truly trendy.” Plus the price of fitting solar on your home is unlikely to drop soon, since silicon – the raw material in solar cells – is currently in high demand. Sharp, however, is working to keep prices down by slicing the silicon used in cells even thinner than today’s 180 microns.

Still, the forecast looks bright for solar. Cameron’s celebrity power shouldn’t be underestimated, our growing gadget energy use – expected to double by 2010 – should ensure cheap green alternatives’ success, and ethical living is in fashion. If you’re making fairtrade, organic and green choices in other areas of your life, solar’s the next obvious step. Besides, as the thronged parks and high streets of summer prove, we Brits love anything to do with the sun.

I’m interested in purchasing a 5 watt solar panel to hook up to a car battery.

Hey, check out these auctions:
[eba kw=”solar panels for sale” num=”2″ ebcat=”all”]
Cool, arent they?

Hey, check out these auctions:
[eba kw=”solar panel prices” num=”2″ ebcat=”all”]
Cool, arent they?

This article explains how home solar PV cells transform photons produced by the sun into solar generated electricity that can be used for home energy needs. For home solar power applications, this transformation of energy allows the photoelectric effect to work. Also explained in this article is the process of doping silicon with specific impurities to enhance electric production.

Doping Silicon Cells to Create Home Solar Arrays

Introducing impurities, called dopants, into the silicon making up the solar cell creates the one-way flow of electrons necessary to produce electricity more efficient. Two differently doped silicon wafers are layered together to create this flow. The next section details out the dopants that are often mixed with solar grade silicon to improve efficiencies.

Boron (p-type): Boron has 3 outer electrons, unlike silicon, which has 4. So wherever boron is introduced into the lattice, a hole is created due to the absence of an electron. This hole creates a net positive charge and is filled by a neighboring electron vibrating in to fill the hole there, and leaving a new hole. These positively charged holes move about. Boron doped silicon is also called p-type, because the freely moving charge is positive.

Phosphorus (n-type): Phosphorus atoms contain five electrons rotating around their nucleus. This is one more than silicon. Wherever a phosphorus atom is introduced into the lattice, it has a complete set of 4 electrons to share with its 4 silicon neighbors and a 5th electron with no bond to fill. The fifth external electron rotating around the core of the atom bumps free of the atom and moves throughout the silicon wafers or lattice structure. So the introduction of phosphorus provides an electron that moves within the crystal lattice. This type of doped silicon is called n-type because the freely moving charge is negative.

Solar Cells, Electricity and the P-N Junction: What?

The magical flow direction needed to provide current of positive charge in one direction and negative charge in the opposite is created where these two differently doped silicon wafers are “mashed together” as a diode. The surface where the where n-type silicon meets p-type silicon is called the p/n junction.

An interesting aspect to define, the two materials each containing an opposite charge when placed side-by-side create an electric field where electrons pass back and forth. This simple structure is called a diode; an important and necessary processing step as silicon atoms are manufactured into silicon grade solar cells often used in the creation of residential solar panel arrays.

At the p-n junction, the extra phosphorus electron breaks free and wanders until it falls into a hole near a boron atom. Because the phosphorus atom starts out neutral, neither having a negative nor a positive charge due to the loss or addition of an electron, it will have a net positive charge when it looses it’s negative electron. Similarly, the boron site, which was electrically neutral, now has one more electron, which makes the net charge at the site negative.

This process continues all along the region between n-type and p-type silicon, with extra phosphorus electrons crossing over to fill boron holes. Creating two areas with opposite atomic charges, this process creates two charges within the silicon PV cell. The result is a flow of electrons from one side to the other and the production of an electric current. The electric field is produced within the silicon wafers at the p-n junction of the diode.

Understanding How Solar Energy Fits into the Mix

We are at the dawn of a solar revolution in the United States. Every aspect of the solar industry is experiencing explosive growth. Currently, there is huge demand and great expansion across the solar PV cell manufacturing industry. Specifically, the production of solar grade silicon. There is added demand for solar sales personal as well as huge demand for solar installation crews with appropriate certification. Opportunities abound everywhere.

The renting of a solar energy system for your home is a new, attractive twist to the idea of switching to renewable energy. With the adoption of a leasing or rental model for residential solar electric systems, an average homeowner can now go green at home as well as build a part-time, solar energy business.