Solar Power Saves on Electricity Bills

by: Davinos Greeno

Once a distant technology that just sat on roofs that a few green minded people used, solar power has become a trendy tool we can hold in our hands. Sunlight - solar energy - can be used to generate electricity, provide hot water, and to heat, cool, and light buildings.

A typical solar system will reduce the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. Often the plumbing from a solar heater connects to a houses existing water heater, which stays inactive as long as the water coming in is hot or hotter than the temperature setting on the indoor water heater. When it falls below this temperature, the homes water heater can kick in to make up the difference. Incorporating passive solar designs can reduce heating bills by as much as 50 percent. High-temperature solar water heaters can provide energy-efficient hot water and hot water heat for large commercial and industrial facilities.

Many large commercial buildings can use solar collectors to provide more than just hot water. Solar process heating systems can be used to heat these buildings. A solar ventilation system can be used in cold climates to preheat air as it enters a building. And the heat from a solar collector can even be used to provide energy for cooling a building. The Co-operative Insurance Building in Manchester has the largest commercial solar system in the UK. I think it looks very futuristic and cool!


You can generate electricity for a single building like the co-op but there is the potential in the future to generate enough power for a power plant. The author of a recent Christian Aid report, John McGhie, said that for $50bn (26bn) the whole of sub-Saharan Africa could be turned into a solar-generated economy. And $50bn is exactly the same amount as the continent would have to pay on extra fuel bills from oil," he said.

Electrical retailer Currys is about to add a new item to its usual array of washing machines and other white goods - solar panels. Currys is taking a risk as the solar panels will cost far more than anything else the store sells. They say it will cost the average three bedroom household about 9,000 to buy and install solar panels - compared to 16,000 in specialist stores. There are also grants available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

What other solar gadgets can you buy?

Well, 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.

You can also buy solar chargers for iPods and phones. Other 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.

People can also use captured passive solar heat to cook food. A basic cooker consists of an insulated box with a glass top. Heat from concentrated sunlight gets trapped in the box and can be used to heat food enclosed in the box. These have not been very popular to date.

About The Author

Davinos Greeno - I work with the Organic directory http://www.guidemegreen.com This growing green products directory lists 100s of Organic and Fairtrade food and drinks companies, jobs at http://www.jobs.guidemegreen.com and Campaigning Videos http://www.videos.guidemegreen.com.

Solar Powered Cars

by: Jonathon Hardcastle

The elements of nature have been created for man alone. Every single need can be acquired and it is present in nature around us. Man only needs to travel and explore the hidden treasures of nature and use them for the fulfillment of his basic needs of life. Something that doesn't need any searching shines up above in the sky. The sun is the basic source of life on earth. If there was no sun no life would have been possible.

Sun emits light which is known as the solar energy and you may have heard and studied about solar energy being used for thousands of purposes. This energy has been used for heating systems and thermal power plants are run through solar energy and so on. When you read or hear about these things you simply pass on because this is too common.

When it comes to solar powered cars it is very likely that you stop and think for a while. It is a promising future prospect and you wish you live long enough to see only solar powered cars racing down the streets, no running out gas, no waiting at the filling station, no more paying for the petrol. Imagine how quickly you would be able to increase your standard of living.

Solar powered cars have been in existence since the mid of the 19th century. They have been increasing in number year by year and organizations tend to hold solar powered car racing each year and thousands of people invest their money and bet on their solar powered cars. The mechanism of these cars is very simple. The batteries installed in these light bodied cars charge themselves from the solar energy. Then this energy is converted by them into electrical energy thus it helps the motor run.

Now this prospect is very simple or more likely it sounds very simple and trouble free. The sun shines everyday and there doesn't seem to be any such problem with these cars. But the fact is that the amount of energy stored at a time by these cars enables them to drive at a very slow pace. The road has to be leveled and not steep because that requires even more energy. It will need more powerful batteries and more storage capacity.

Have you never noticed that this is the reason why solar powered cars are small; light weighed, and can carry one person at a time? There are many technical facts that render the concept of these cars as vague.


About The Author

Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://worldofautomotives.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://supershoppingtips.com/ and http://recreationsource.net/

The Basics of Solar Power For Your Home

by: Rick Chapo


Solar power is an alternative energy source with tremendous economic and environmental benefits. If youˇre considering it for your home, here are the basics.

Sunning Your Home

Put simply, solar power works by converting free sunlight into usable energy. This process involves using photovoltaic tiles or platforms to capture the energy inherent in sunlight. The photovoltaic materials consist of positive and negative slices of material, often silicone, that react to the sun. As the sunlight hits these cells, the energy ¨slices〃 off negatively charged ions. This creates a magnetic field, a form of energy. The energy is then captured in small wires, which forms an electric current. The wires are connected to an inverter. The inverter converts the energy into a usable power source.

The beauty of solar power is it is a free source of energy. Historically, the cost of capturing and maintaining solar power wasnˇt cheap, but this has changed dramatically in the last ten years. Systems are now much more efficient, with the total cost usually involved in the purchase and installation. Depending on the system, there is almost no maintenance cost and most systems have a 40 or 50 year life span. Not bad, eh?

Going solar is also more attractive now because of laws passed by numerous states. Initially, homeowners can get a tax rebate for installing solar. On top of this, more than half of the states now mandate a concept known as ¨net metering.〃

Net metering is all about saving tons of money on your utilities. Essentially, you are now allowed to ¨sell〃 power back to the utility companies at the same price they charge you. With solar power, this means you can simply feed your system into the utility grid during the day and then use regular energy at night. Since your utility meter runs backwards, this effectively means you will dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, your electricity bills. This process alone can save you thousands of dollars a year and $40,000 to $100,000 over the life of the system, depending on your typical monthly bills. With such savings, you can see why solar power is becoming more attractive.

When it comes to solar power, the question isnˇt whether you should use it. The real question is why you arenˇt using it already!

About The Author


Rick Chapo is with http://www.solarcompanies.com  a directory of solar energy and solar power companies. Visit http://www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar electricity articles.

Financial Incentives for Using Solar Power in Your Home

Financial Incentives for Using Solar Power in Your Home
by: Rick Chapo

It is undeniable that energy prices are going through the roof. Just take a look at your utility bill. The good news is using solar power can save your bank account, particularly with new incentives.

Personal Tax Credit and Deductions

If anything is more aggravating than exploding energy costs, itˇs your tax bill. New and established government programs let you attack both by going solar. The first method is by simply saving money on taxes. If you install a solar energy system on your home, the federal government is going to give you a tax credit of up to $2,000. Tax credits reduce your tax liability dollar for dollar unlike deductions which are subtracted from your gross income. A majority of states now also offer tax credits you can use when paying state taxes. Each state handles the matter differently, but you can expect to get a credit for a percentage of your installation cost or a fixed figure.

Net Metering

Net metering is a concept that has resulted in exploding sales in the solar energy industry. Net metering refers to state laws that require utilities to purchase power generated from your residential solar system at the same price the utilities would otherwise charge you for electricity. In effect, net metering lets you use the utility company as a battery. While you are at work during the day, your solar system sends energy to the utility and your power meter actually runs backwards. When you come home at night and use power, the power meter runs forward. All and all, net metering will either slash or completely eliminate your utility bill. With solar panel systems having a life of 40 years, think how much money youˇll save! While a majority of states have net metering laws, not all do. Make sure to check if yours does.

Property Tax Incentives

Property taxes. How we all hate paying property taxes. Well, many states now provide exemptions, exclusions or credits for homes with solar power. Each state handles this issue differently, so look into the potential savings in yours.

Rebate Programs

To promote solar energy, rebate programs are offered to homeowners by states and utilities. Again, the characteristics of such programs vary wildly, but typically come in the form of rebates ranging from a couple hundred bucks to $4,000 or more.

With your utility bills going through the roof, it is time to consider steps you can take to save money. The economic benefits of going solar have never been better, which makes now the time to convert.

About The Author


Rick Chapo is with http://www.solarcompanies.com  a directory of solar energy and solar power companies. Visit http://www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar electricity articles.

Financial Incentives for Your Business to Use Solar Power

Financial Incentives for Your Business to Use Solar Power
by: Rick Chapo

When it comes to running a business, much of the necessary focus is on the bottom line. Many businesses, however, fail to realize they can seriously cut energy costs by going solar.

Tax Incentives

Federal and State governments know the best way to initiate change is to provide an economic benefit. When it comes to energy, governments try to make the use of solar energy as economically attractive as possible to businesses. This is done through granting tax incentives in the form of tax credits and deductions. Depending upon which government agency is involved, federal or a particular state, corporations can get tax credits and deductions ranging from 10 to as high as 35 percent of the cost of purchasing and installing solar energy systems.

Net Metering

On top of the tax incentives given to businesses for going solar, a majority of states now offer incredible cost savings through net metering. Net metering refers to state laws that require utilities to purchase power generated from solar systems used by businesses at the same price the utilities would otherwise charge the business. If the business is producing energy in excess of what it is using, the energy is sent into the utility grid and the building power meter actually runs backwards. Since many businesses are closed two days a week, this effectively means the utility is buying the power on said days. Net metering is an incredibly effective means of slashing utility costs.

Solar Loans

Businesses can gain further benefits through going solar by taking advantage of government solar financing programs. These loan programs offer incredible terms in an effort to promote the use of renewable energy and make sense for both new construction and renovations. Typically created as state programs, these ¨solar loans〃 offer financing for the purchase and installation of the equipment. The loans typically have seven to 10 year terms, and are offered as no interest or extremely low interest financing. Combined with the economic benefits of net metering, such loans make the decision to go solar a slam dunk.

Each state tends to handle the promotion of alternative energy in different ways and with different benefits. When combined with federal programs, businesses can reap a financial benefit from using solar energy sources.

About The Author


Rick Chapo is with http://www.solarcompanies.com  a directory of solar energy and solar power companies. Visit http://www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar electricity articles.

The usage

Solar Power
by: Andrew Palmer

Solar power is becoming more and more popular as the oil prices keep increasing. Our demand on our natural resources such as coal, oil and gas continues to grown on a daily basis worldwide. Not to mention what these types of fuels are doing to global warming and air pollution. So, solar power is a great alternative that will save us money and maybe even save our earth.

Solar power is known to be one of the cleanest renewable energies around today. How solar power works is by photovoltaic tiles. These tiles change the sunlight into a form of electricity that can be used to heat our homes and even help our gardens grow.

What happens in essence is that the tiles are created with pieces of positive and negative silicon that is place under a thin piece of glass. The sunlight hitting the tiles causes the neutrons to move off of the silicon. The neutrons that are negatively charged are stuck to the silicon by the magnetic field that is caused because of the reaction. Then an electric current is formed. Then this current is passed to the area in which we wish to heat through as inverter which converts it to electrical power for us to use in our homes. This solar power can be used just like electricity for lamps, televisions, and of course heat.

Many people in the United States are now adding solar power to different areas of their homes, such as basements, sunrooms, or their entire home. These solar panels are not very hard to install but may be expensive according to how large the panels need to be and how they need to be installed.

Many states throughout the United States are now giving tax incentives to individuals and companies that wish to covert to solar power. You can find out more by talking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Energy.

Many schools throughout the national are now converting to solar power. This is a great way to save money for our school systems. Many schools have very high electric bills, due to the electricity that is being used on a daily basis to light the class rooms, keep our children warm during the winter and cool during the summer. This money that is being spent on electricity can soon be spent on better educating our children.

About The Author


Andrew Palmer maintain http://www.solar-panels.cc, an online source of information about solar power and renewable energy.

First Solar to invest RM2bil in largest panel plant in Asia

By SIRA HABIBU

sira@thestar.com.my

ALOR STAR: First Solar Inc is investing RM2bil in Kulim Hi-Tech Park to set up the largest solar panel manufacturing plant in Asia.

Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the plant on a 39.6ha plot at the park's phase III would be fully operational by early next year. The company had an existing product development and manufacturing base in Ohio, the United States, he told a press conference, adding that it was involved in manufacturing thin-film photovoltaic modules.

It also has operations in Mainz and Berlin in Germany for customer service, sales and marketing for the European market.

"It has chosen Kulim Hi-Tech to set up its first Asian operation," Mahdzir said, adding that First Solar would hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its plant on April 2. He said the plant would provide 2,000 jobs.

Mahdzir said the state was waiting for feedback from two Germany-based companies that would be investing between RM19bil and RM21bil to set up operations in Kulim Hi-Tech Park.

"One of them is public-listed. If its board of directors agree to set up operations here, we can expect investment amounting to RM11bil over the next five years.

"Western Digital, is deciding between Kulim Hi-Tech, Hanoi (in Vietnam) and Shenzhen (in China) to set up its wafer manufacturing plant. "It is planning to invest between RM8bil and RM10bil. Competition is stiff but we are trying to woo the investors by offering attractive incentives," he said.