For getting free environmental friendly energy to meet your power demands, you need to ascertain how many solar panels are required to be installed. There are various factors which will determine the numbers of solar panels to be installed; this will give you an idea about the numbers of Photovoltaic (PV) panels to be purchased.

The PV system will meet all your energy demands provided you have the initial budget for the investment. Furthermore, you will have to decide about using a high tech solar array or you are planning to have your own panels installed using cheap materials which are readily available in the market.

Calculating Energy Consumption

If you have to arrive at the number of PV panels you need, you will have to calculate the amount of energy you require to meet your energy demands. Considering that a normal household has to meet energy demands about 8000 – 9000 Kwh on yearly basis, a good quality solar panel costs $300 but it can provide about 100 – 200 watts of energy, it means the number of panels should be substantial.

It can vary from home to home, may be you may not require that much power on regular basis. If you love the environment, you must choose the appliances that consume less power consumption, this will ensure that you cut your power demand by half or even more.

If you have the intentions of building your own PV panel, you can further reduce the manufacturing cost under $200 for standard 36 cell solar panel. It also depend upon the quality of your homemade solar array, you may need 30 to 40 panels to provide enough power for your entire home.

The number may become even larger or lesser, if you will use other types of energy like wind power. This will ensure that you get uninterrupted power even in rainy days, especially in this season when the solar panels cannot generate sufficient energy. This is also true that the different types of solar cells provide varying amount of energy, this can be calculated by energy output easily.

However after the building of DIY solar panels, you may measure the current and the voltage produced, which can be multiplied to get the watt value. A small 6 ampere panel produces 12 volts can offer you 72 watts. Such weak panels may not give you sufficient energy, but there are some inexpensive panels which can give double or more power, it should not cost you more than $300 to $400.

A solar array containing 10 to 20 of these panels should be sufficient to meet your energy demands. You may meanwhile use gadgets and appliances which consume less power; this will further reduce the energy demands.

Different Solar Panel Types

The rate and efficiency with which solar cells transform sun light into electricity will also determine about the number of solar panels. The monocrystalline panels have brought a revolution in the use of solar panels; they have been able to transform 24% of sunshine into electric power. It is also possible that in few years these cells may be able to convert 30 to 40% sunshine into electricity.

A good example of the energy efficiency is that uses 36 monocrystalline cells which can produce 100 to 130 watts. Depending upon the quality, your investment should be around $3000 to $4000 for such a plan.

Many people who are interested in installing residential solar power system are quite confused by the terms like Photovoltaic (PV) batteries, solar cells, pop ups etc. Basically they do not understand the differences and are unable to decide about the type of battery to be used in the residential solar power system.

There is nothing complex when you plan to install the solar power system; even in some cases you may not even need batteries.

Solar vs. Photovoltaic cells

Let us understand the meaning of these terms and what is exactly is a Photovoltaic cell and solar cell. There is no difference between the two, the terms have same meaning. Photovoltaic term means converting sunlight into electricity, this can be better understood by the definition photo = light, voltaic = electricity.

The term PV cell is the short form of the photo voltaic cell. All these are technical terms which are often used by the professionals. The solar cell has both negative and positive wafer of silicon placed under a special type of glass which does not get damaged due to variation of temperature etc.

When solar cell is kept in open directly under the sunlight, this stimulates electron activity, normally in a solar panel there are 36 photovoltaic cells also called array, which are connected by wires that captures the electrons when connected to a circuit, it generates a current.

This current is routed through the wires from the panel of the solar cells into solar regulator or is directly sent to the inverter. The inverters further convert DC current to AC which is normally used in the residential areas. This is the reason why the residential solar power system is quite simple as it has no moving parts, this makes it quite durable and it also needs very little maintenance.

It has been seen that even solar power system installed in 1970’s are still working fine and generate power even today.

Batteries or Not

In some of the system, the use of the batteries is totally eliminated, it is normally in the system which is called grid connects, in other words the solar energy produced is not stored but you are still connected to main supply.

If you have surplus production of solar energy or you do not require any appliances to be run on solar energy, it is routed back into the main supply grid. If you are not producing enough solar energy, you can meet the shortfall by drawing it from the grid.

In case of surplus generation, it is metered and you will get credit for it. In some countries, the surplus electricity is more than the market rate, and people in fact earn money by selling the surplus power generated. The only drawback is black out, you will not have any light in such cases and you will be at par with your neighbors.

To have an interrupted power supply using solar power system than the battery backup is absolutely must. Batteries is an excellent option for the remote areas where connecting to main grid system is difficult.

What type of batteries should you use?

Some people have been seen using car batteries for solar power storage, this may work but in fact it is a short term solution, these batteries have a different specification and constant drawing of power will have deep discharge over a period of time. The only solution is to use deep cycle batteries which will give optimal results.

Solar panels can generate enough power to meet the demands of various electric appliances under optimal conditions in a typical American home. Not only this, it can also warm your homes in winter and cool in the summers.

The efficiency of the solar panels depends mostly on the location and availability of the sunlight. Solar panels can be placed at any place of your house provided it is properly exposed to sun. Most suitable position for the southern climate is the north facing side and for the northern climates it is the south facing side.

The places where the sunlight is for less than six hours in a year, the energy generation will not be sufficient. It also a fact that sunlight is more at many places as compared to others, in such case number of solar panels have to be increased.

Not enough sunlight? Even if the sunlight is not sufficient to generate enough power, it is still recommended that you must take the benefit of the solar power. Most of the homes who have installed solar panels still use power from the main grid.

This ensures that the energy bills are in control as the consumption from the main grid gets reduced. They can use the solar energy generated to run the appliances even if the solar energy partly meets their demands.

How much will Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels cost?

Having a hybrid option to use both solar power and power from the grid, the installation cost should be more, using only solar power should cost about $12 to $15 per watt. This means that you will have to spend $12K to $15 K per kilowatt hour of the energy which you want to produce.

Even if you compare it with the power supplied by the utility company solar energy still is very cost effective. There could be places where the utility companies do not supply power; you will have to totally depend upon the solar panels to get the electricity. You can recover the cost of installation in few years by saving the rising bills of the utility companies.

Solar panels are not only cost effective but fascinating too; you become savior of the environment. Another good option is to combine solar power with wind turbines which should generate enough power to meet your energy demands.

Furthermore, you can also reduce the electric consumption by using appliances which are Energy Star appliances, efficient light bulbs, efficient cooling and heating systems and other appliances which consume less power. You can also use separate dedicated systems like solar and geothermal water heating systems for the pool and or for bath which can be done by using portable solar panels for the areas where you do not need power all the time.

If you simply discipline your energy needs, you can produce enough power from solar panels and save on the rising energy bills. Using lights, unplugging the plugs, using natural renewable energy sources like solar and wind can go long way in consuming less energy and also contribute to the environment.

The question that is doing the rounds is whether solar panels are economically viable; that is, do their utilities really outweigh the price. The answer can be either way, since different types of projects and even states where these are installed play a crucial role.

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, Arizona, Massachusetts, Colorado are Hawaii some of the prominent states where installation of solar panels had proved beneficial. In these as well as in some other states, a solar panel project stopped financial expenditure as early as three to five years after installation; the supply of energy was dependable and paved the way for long term energy savings.

However, if you are planning to install a solar energy project for your home, consider some or all of the following factors that can be instrumental in helping you to calculate the returns on you investment in solar panels.

• Consider your actual financial spending for electricity consumption. Keeping all the things constant, if you see that your expense per kilowatt hour (KWh) is relatively high; solar home energy system is the ideal thing for you and you can save big money on electricity consumption.

• Also consider the solar energy incentives that are available in your state or area. If your state government allows you to sell solar renewable energy credits (SRECs); a home solar energy system is not only going to bring down your electricity bill but is also going to help you earn.

Majority of the states in the United States receive a lot of sunshine and if you reside in one such state; installation of solar energy system can prove to be very effective.

Solar panels even influence the value of your homes; if you install solar panels, these are going to increase your home’s worth and decrease the price of ownership. Get an authentic quote for the solar energy system that you are planning to install for your home; it is not only going to provide you with year on year cost benefit associated with this system, but will also give you a cash flow analysis thus helping you to anticipate the time frame by which you can recover your investment and also the returns on it.

As a home owner, you can thus determine the type of monetary payback that you would like to have in your home energy system. Like many, you can choose a 10-year repayment option and can remain rest assured that your solar panel system is going to give you inflation-protected financial savings for an additional 15 years; over and above the initial 10-year period.

There are other types of solar panels, too, which can help you to recover your investment within 5 years or less; no matter, whichever solar energy system you choose, you are going to get benefitted only. With each passing day newer systems are coming which are cutting down homeowner’s power bills and this, along with positive return on investment (ROI), heavily outweighs the upfront solar panels cost.

However, the above does not hold true for some of the states where solar incentives are weak and/or cost of electricity is quite cheap. But, since the solar panels are becoming more affordable every day coupled with state initiatives for encouraging solar power; you can expect affordable home solar energy system for homeowners, anywhere in this country.

If you happen to live in a state where conditions are favorable for generating solar power, do not let this opportunity slip; install solar panels and reap rich dividends.

If you are thinking of slashing your home electricity consumption, the best option is to examine your living style and your energy usage habits before you actually think of installing solar electrical system in your home. You will be amazed to know that the amount saved on power bills would be huge if you simply adopt eco-friendly power usage habits.

Obviously, you will have to make some changes in your household so that your dependency on grid power and fossil fuels gets reduced. It is a known fact that solar power is clean energy and is gaining much popularity. Before you invest on a home Photovoltaic (PV) system, it is important to calculate your home power needs as it will determine if you should require a small, medium or large solar installation.

If you don’t feel that you have the necessary skills, by all means, seek professional help in getting the solar power system installed. However, if you are confident on your own skill to handle the job, the following are the 6components needed for the PV system.

1) Mounting.

Photovoltaic solar panel mounting is a very important part of the entire system. This is because the panels have to be mounted on a safe and secure manner as you will have to protect your investment from damage cause by strong wind.

To get the maximum benefit of using solar, you need to install the PV modules properly so that the panels are in the right direction and are facing the path of the sun for optimum exposure.

It is very important to finalize the location for installation of the solar panels on your property e.g. roof of your house, wall, on the ground or even on a pole as it will determine the accessibility for servicing.

2) Wiring and collector boxes.

The complexity of this component depends upon the number of solar panels. If you are using multiple panels system, you will have to connect all the panels in a safe and secure manner and then all the wiring connection will be linked to the multi-contact connection or the collector box.

Here’s a tip, be sure to use high quality wiring which is of correct type and size otherwise your solar system may lose power in the wiring before it even reaches your battery storage system which can significantly reduce power supply.

3) Collector and fuses.

When all of the PV panels are wired to the collector box, from there the wires are to be connected to the charge controller. Along the way, the wires will pass through switches and fuses.

Switches and fuses are used for safety purposes. They are generally circuit breakers in case there is a malfunction in the system. Fuse protection is used to prevent over heating of the cables in case of overloading. Power overload on cables is dangerous because it can cause fire on your property.

4) Charge controller.

The next component on your residential solar system is to enable you to control the power output for the PV modules and then directs it to a battery storage unit. This is where the electrical charge controller comes into play.

The complexity of the charge controller unit will depend on the amount of money you are willing to spend. An expensive controller will give you multiple options of settings and configuration in order to extract power from the panels to charge a series of deep cycle batteries.

5) Deep cycle batteries.

The function of the deep cycle batteries is generally to hold the charge from the solar panel and release them when you needed it. The size of your battery storage will depend on the amount of power you’ll need for your household. Now you know why you need to calculate the amount of power needed by your household before you install the PV system.

6) Power inverter.

The final component of your solar system would be the power inverter. The inverter is to convert Direct Current (DC) output from the battery storage to Alternating Current (AC) power. Almost all of your home electrical devices run on AC. The size of the inverter has to match the amounts of power or watts used by your home at a given time.

There you have it, 6 general components of a home solar power system. The components above are not really difficult to find. The challenge is to make the calculation and then purchase the right component unit to meet your needs. If you don’t think this is something you can do, by all means, employ the service of a profession solar contractor.

Do you want to go green with your home, how about using a solar heating system? If that sound somewhat interesting, you have a lot of options to consider. One such option is to choosing either an active or passive solar heating system.

Now what is active solar heating system? This system is that which involves storing and harnessing solar energy in the form of heat. Fans and other similar mechanical devices are used to dispense heat that is harness and collected from the sun.

Silicon is the most common type of solar heat collectors for constructing Photovoltaic (PV) cells. The cells are typically contains or placed on solar panels which are located in the roof of the house.

Now, what are the types of solar collectors? There are two primary types. The main difference between these two types lies in the material that captures and helps to move the heat that is located in the solar collector.

The material usually consists of a gas or a liquid. For instance, an air-based system contains transpired air collectors or an air room heater. But on liquid-based systems usually contains water or an antifreeze element to capture and move heat around your house.

Generally the goal of such a system is to heat up to three-fourths of a home’s interior. When there is more than normal solar energy than a house needs is produced, the homeowner could then sell excessive power back to his or her local utility company.

It is always advisable to heat the air and water in your home so that the solar heating system can function throughout the entire year. This system is a low-technology method of capturing and harnessing solar energy.

It functions by the method of directly capturing the sun’s heat, and then retaining it within the house for the function of heating. This is mainly achieved through methods such as quality insulation and windows. This kind of system can tremendously lower your current heating cost or even replace your home’s current system.

How about passive solar heating? What are its components? One of the primary components of passive systems is windows.

The goal of the component is to maximize the amount of sunlight and heat that one can be collected during the daytime. Generally the common windows consist of a special kind of glass that absorbs as much heat as possible and then keeps it inside the house for a maximum amount of time.

Besides windows, there is another common component of passive solar heating systems which are trombes, a special type of wall. There is a pane of glass in front of the wall. This method is used to collect heat provided the space between the glass and wall.

Another common method is to paint the concrete walls black so they will absorb heat more rapidly and instantly. What are the benefits? This is generally an ideal option when you are looking for a solar heating system for a new home.

The reason is that passive solar heating systems are restricted due to many factors such as the location of the windows in the home, the location of the building itself, the amount of insulation in the building, and so on. These types of problems can be much challenging to make a change within existing homes, especially the location of the home.

Learning the basics of active and passive solar heating systems, it is now possible to determine which the best is for you and your family.

Even though residential wiring is considered to be safe, with many options of residential wiring which you may chose as per the age of your house. Wiring which gives the complete electric solution to your home was started with Knob & Tube wire. It was used somewhere around 1920 to 1930’s and was working well, but now it is considered to be unsafe.

Many insurance companies decline to insure your house, if they find that you still use Knob & Tube wires. It was in 1930’s that steel conduit gained popularity and was normally used in the wiring homes. This method was based o fuse box and was normally used to travel from outbox to out box, from wall outlet to light outlet and to switch outlet.

The wire was laid in such a manner so as to reach the desired locations such as switches, lights and receptacles; this method is applicable even today. During 1940’s & 1950’s many houses used spiral steel jacketed cable known as BX, which consisted of jacket with two or three conductors or wires, which were made of either copper or steel.

Steel was commonly used in WW2. The introduction BX stage of wiring was introduced by Romex; presently Romex is available as plastic jacketed cable with two or three conductors which are similar to BX.

Romex and BX have similar function so that jacket is stripped where it enters the outer box so that the conductors are connected to the switch, light fixture or receptacle from inside the outlet box. Romex is easier and faster to strip which can be done with a simple knife whereas BX requires a special tool that cuts through the steel jacket.

Romex which was available in 1940’s had an outer covering of cloth and had oil based substance, it got transformed to various types of outer coverings till 1970, when plastic covering was used which we use even today. I always would consider the type of residential wire which is protected best from critters, nails to be the safest.

As per Knob & Tube is considered it no longer is safe. Earlier Romex used a method of stapling of studs and attic joists, this system had great potential danger of short circuit which is the most common cause of electric fire. This is a lesson for those who still have older homes to once again get their wiring rechecked by a professional electrician.

It has been seen that in older houses, the kitchen light fixture has burned up the wires. Still in some old kitchens sealed drum type light fixture is used. The maximum load taken by a sealed drum fixture is 60 watts, whereas people use 100 watt bulbs to make kitchen brighter, this makes the fixture hot and the wires start burning.

For the safety of your homes, you must check the wiring especially when your house is old, it would be better to seek the services of a professional and licensed electrician to have a complete relook of the entire wiring of your home. Sometimes these electricians give you a report free of charge, but in any case you should not ignore the safety even if you have to spend some dollars for inspection, this will ensure peace of mind and safety for the entire family and your home.

Now that you understand the science behind your home wiring, you can now determine if it is possible to hook up a DIY solar power system to supplement your home energy usage.

Earth4Energy Video Sample

If you need guidance to start your homemade solar power project, check out the Earth4Energy guide my Michael Harvey. The guide comes with a comprehensive PDF with High Definition (HD) instructional videos on how to build a solar panel on a small budget. Check out the Earth4Energy review on this blog for more information.

Home electrical wiring has a limited lifespan of 20 years. The PVC cables used for electric wiring have to be replaced once they complete their lifespan as the condition of cables deteriorates due to aging. It is recommended that the homeowners replace the electrical wiring in order to ensure safety at home.

As the condition of the insulation deteriorates, live wires get exposed and cause damage to the properties. It is, therefore, important to follow the electrical wiring replacement schedules with the help of a licensed electrical technician or an electrical engineer.

An electrical technician will be able to ascertain whether it is safe to use the present wiring or not. If it is not safe to use, he can organize its replacement. It is not correct to think that electrical wiring has to be replaced only at the end of its lifespan.

Whenever an electrical problem crops up and electrical wiring has to be replaced, either partly or fully, it has to be done without fail. In order to identify electrical problems, one should have some knowledge about the consumer unit and the switches associated with it.

The consumer unit distributes electricity to the panels that are put together, enclosed and installed at home. The home appliances are protected from electrical faults and overheating of cables by miniature circuit breakers or MCBs.

Tripping of the MCBs will cut power supply to the circuits that are being protected by them. MCBs get switched off due to short circuit, earth-fault, or overload. If such an electrical fault causes serious damage to the wiring, then the wiring is to be necessarily changed.

Replacement of the electrical wiring may be required for fixing both window and split air conditioners. In the case of a window air conditioner, an electrical plug is required for providing power source. The plug has to be mounted by making a rectangular hole in the wall.

The split type air conditioner is more difficult to install as it has sophisticated features. The split type air conditioner has two parts. The one that blows cold air is installed inside the room and the external unit houses the compressor. The two units are connected through pipes. Both the units require separate power sources.

To enjoy trouble free operation of the air conditioner, the plastic filters have to be checked and cleaned frequently. This will eliminate many electrical failures. Replacement of electrical wiring is a risky and serious job.

If you are thorough with the principles of electrical wiring replacement, you may not suffer burns or other fatal injuries. Before replacing the electrical wiring, the power to the circuits has to be turned off. Always double check to make sure that power is cut off.

After successfully replacing everything, including electrical receptacles, you need test using a tester to find out if the receptacle is working. Taking simple steps like this will keep you and visitors to your house safe. Generally, it is possible to manage electrical wiring replacement yourself. However, if you do not have the capabilities, it is better to seek professional help.

If you are planning to start a home solar power system project, make sure you check the condition of your home electrical wiring. It is up to par or is it due for replacement?

Although solar power systems are generally reliable, small issues do crop up at times. The problems may be a slow and unexpected decline in power output and you may not be able to locate the actual problem.

You may feel that the batteries are not generating enough power despite good sunshine. In order to investigate the problem, you will require a multimeter. If you do not know to use one, you may have to seek the help of an expert.

Since you are dealing with electricity, it is always better to call a professional if you are not sure of what you have to do. Poor connection due to corrosion is the most common problem that is generally encountered.

The problem could also be because of a defective blocking diode. When the panel is not generating electricity, a blocking diode prevents a backward flow of current from your batteries and protects them from getting drained. The blocking diode works like a cut-off valve.

One blocking diode has to be installed for each solar panel. If the diode is defective, there can be a lot of problems, especially during low-light times like morning, evening, or a cloudy day. After checking for any obvious problems, you can start checking the panels.

The panels have to be disconnected from the system before you start panel inspection. This can be done either by removing the battery terminals or by operating the isolation switch to your batteries.

Test the output of each panel. If the panels are not driving power at the anticipated rate in full sunshine, it means that the connections are bad due to corrosion or some cells are defective or the diode is faulty.

To identify problems due to corrosion, visually check connections. A problematic cell can be identified by checking whether the cells are hotter than the ones near them. If there is no corrosion problem or cell problem identified, go ahead and test the blocking diode.

Actually, the blocking diode has to be installed with the silver ring facing the opposite side of the panel toward the output connection. Some diodes come with an arrow mark, indicating the direction of current flow.

Ensure that the diode is installed properly. When you use the multimeter to check the diode, the black lead is to be connected into the socket marked COM, abbreviation for common.

Set the multimeter to read OHMS. Keep the COM probe on the end away from the ring-end of the diode and the other probe at the ring-end. The multimeter must show a zero or a low reading.

If the multimeter reading is high, it indicates a diode problem. Verify the result by doing another test. You can now reverse the probes. After attaching the COM probe on the ring-side of the diode, check the multimeter reading.

If it does not exhibit a high-resistance reading, then the diode is faulty. You can replace the diode to solve the problem. It is always better to correctly install only one blocking diode.

If you connect many small diodes in parallel to cut costs, you may get into problems. This is because diodes are never equally matched and hence the weakest one will take the entire load and fail. Then the next one will take the entire load and the problem will repeat.

You can prevent small problems from becoming big ones by doing periodic checks on the system. A Do It Yourself (DIY) solar panel provides a cost-effective way to produce electricity. While installing the panels, diligently follow the instruction guide and keep the system in good shape.

It is very important to properly clean and maintain your solar panels to ensure that they continue to work properly. A dirty solar panel may block the sun which can reduce the energy output of your solar panel or cause it to stop working efficiently.

Cleaning and maintaining your solar panels regularly can improve their energy output by 30 percent or more! This article will help you manually clean and maintain your solar panels at home giving you the highest energy output possible.

Materials you will need to clean your solar panel are water, cleaning solution, soft sponge, cloth, or towel, squidgy or similar window cleaning tool (optional). Follow these steps to easily clean and maintain your solar panels.

First you will need to make sure that you can safely access your solar panels. Take extra care with panels located on a roof to ensure that you are properly secured to the roof and can move around safely while cleaning.

Also make sure that you have removed all sticks, leaves, and other debris from your panels. Any debris that has fallen onto or between your panel may cause a malfunction in the panel.

You will want to clean your solar panel as you would a glass window, by coating the surface with water and cleaning solution. This will help to loosen all dirt and grime making removal easier. It is important to mix your cleaning solution with water in this step to minimize solution residue.

The electrical components of your solar panels are protected underneath the surface. This makes them waterproof and safer to clean so wetting them is not a concern. Next use your sponge (squidgy, etc.) to remove all access cleaning solution and dirt using rinsing water when needed. Be careful to avoid streaking while completing this step.

Streaking can leave solution residue behind which can hinder the sunlight much like dirt. It is possible to use an environmentally safe cleaning solution, however, you will want to test it on a transparent glass window first to minimize streaking.

Dark glass surfaces tend to hide streaking, so a clear surface is best. An automatic solar panel cleaning system may be necessary if your panels are in a location that is not easily or safely accessed. These systems are used much like windshield wipers in that they have a cleaning solution hose and mechanical cleaning arm.

These systems may be installed at the same time as your solar panels. Initially it is beneficial to install your panels at a tilt or angel so that they are cleaned naturally by the rain. A solar panel that is installed in a flat position will naturally collect more dirt and debris minimizing your energy output.

Even with panels installed at an angle some debris may accumulate at the corners over time but this does not prove to cause a major disruption in energy output. Using this guide to properly clean and maintain your solar panels will help to ensure that you have the best functioning system possible.

If you are looking for a tool which will make cleaning solar panels on the roof much easier, check out the Mr. Long Arm 1009 Pro Curve Solar Panel Cleaning System Kit from Amazon.com/. Click on the button on the right for more information.

Residential Solar Panel Building Guide

One of the best ways to save money on a residential solar power system is to build your own solar panel. If you are good with hand tools, you can make a Photovoltaic (PV) array for around $150. What you’ll need is a step by step instructional guide.

Read some of the Earth 4 Energy reviews and learn what the top selling DIY solar array ebook on the web has to offer. Also, remember to check out the Earth4Energy download page for more information.

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