DIY Solar Home Blog - Making Your Own Home Solar System

Should You Go Solar Power For Your Home?

Solar energy is a form of renewable energy wherein you depend on Mother Nature to generate the required power for your home. Considering the fact that we humans have done considerable damage to the nature by using non renewable energy sources and polluted our planet, solar energy helps curb some part of the damage and helps us give back something to nature.

Solar energy provides a lot of benefits. At the same time we also should know its cons. Money investment to get a solar setup is huge. No doubt that you do get a good value in return but the initial investment is what keeps people from opting for solar in the first place. You will find many people who are interested to put up solar models but don’t have enough cash in hand and the others don’t even give it a thought.

Solar models in itself are only equipped to provide you the energy during day times. Its only when the sun is shining that it works best. If you want energy from them at night or during the not so shiny days, then you need backup batteries which will store energy for such situations. If not the batteries then another alternate power source should be fit to ensure you get uninterrupted power.

The amount of sunlight differs from place to place. Sun isn’t generous at all places. When Arizona has higher temperature, New York may be cloudy. Hence what works in Arizona will not be useful in New York. In fact even at different places in your home the amount of sunlight that you receive is different.

Hence you need batteries or the solar panel should be connected using a device called intertie which connects the solar equipment to the public utility system. Also if you see during the day when the sun is shining the need for energy is not at the peak.

The heater will be off, everyone will be at work or school and hence not much activities at home. And this is the time when the energy produced is the maximum. In the evening you get the heater turned on, children start playing their videogames, kitchen equipments run simultaneously and you use the garden mower or vacuum cleaner etc. This is the time when the energy requirement is high and your solar generates less energy.

Considering this, you should give considerable thought around the building codes while setting up the solar panel. Apart from the cost and the planning needed to set it up, you will also be frustrated with the bureaucracy involved in getting permissions and getting other formalities done in installing the solar equipment. Though the government claims to be in favor of alternate energy models, the bureaucracy do exist.

The situation is changing these days. The court favors such installations giving a raise to environment consciousness. Also you need to find a good technical contractor who can install this complex equipment successfully.

Solar panels are the not best looking systems around. You may like it in exhibitions but not when it’s in your backyard or your garden. There are many communities who have banned its usage just because of this. Quiet a lot of efforts are been done by governmental organizations and NGO’s to make usage of solar panels in a larger scale. In the future this will be a major source attracting a lot of tax benefits etc.

Home DIY Solar Panel Guide

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The program was specially created to teach you step by step how to construct a solar array on a shoestring budget. The instructions are in PDF files and also High Definition (HD) video recordings. Click on the link below and visit Green DIY Energy right now.

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4 Types Of Power Inverter For Home Solar System

If you are planning to set up your own home solar energy system, one of the key components you’ll need is the power inverter. With so many different models of power inverter, which one should you choose? This post will list out 4 types of inverters in the market and I hope it will help you in your selection process.

1) Square Wave Inverter

Among the various types of inverters designed to provide electric supply when supply from the main source is not available for reasons like tripping in the main grids, fault in any of the equipment under use for power production and transmission etc., a square wave inverter costs lowest; but it ranks lowest in its efficiency too.

The supply from such an inverter may cause damage to some gadgets that are sensitive. Square inverters can supply power up to 500 watts and can be connected using a cigarette lighter fitted to cars. However, use of square inverter is not advisable for domestic solar power system for its inefficiency and possibility of damaging the equipment.

2) Modified Sine Wave Inverter

A modified sine wave inverter has gained in popularity over the years because it is economical and acts as a power source when needed with least possibility of causing damage even to most electronic gadgets in domestic use.

The pattern of the electric power these inverters produce wave that can be categorized somewhere between a sine wave and a square wave giving them a popular name of “quasi-sine” inverter.

Here a word of caution; these inverters are not suited for running gadgets that involve motor speed controls or timers. For such equipment a different type of inverter is needed.

3) True Sine Wave Inverter

The waves that emanate from a true sine wave inverter are more or less like a pure sine wave curve. Though falling in the category of the costliest type of inverters, the benefit in using them is that they produce power which is qualitatively better than the power supplied by the utility companies!

These types of inverters are suited for delivering power to any AC electronic equipment; they behave excellently to cope with variation and cut off/on power as is needed by the AC load.

4) Grid Tie Power Inverter

This type of inverter is needed when you intend using solar power to support power received from the utility source. It efficiently relays power from solar panels to various electrical appliances in use at your home; because of reduction in actual power drawn from the main supply grid, benefit of reduction in power bills is achieved.

The input voltage for power inverter are available in three power ratings; 12 volts, 24 volts and 48 volts. You may choose an inverter of right voltage depending on the distance between the solar panels array and your set of batteries. The specifications of the cables depend on the magnitude of voltage. It is important that the solar panels, inverter and battery pack match in their voltage rating.

Despite the knowledge you thus acquire, you should not hesitate to take technical advice before you choose an inverter of the right type and specifications so that it gives you hassle free service.

Build Your Own Solar Panel 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 Earth4Energy manual 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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Solar Battery Storage For Home – Choosing The Right Battery Type

Now, you can store power generated by your home solar power system even when the sun is not shining or the generator is not running, with the help of batteries. This post describes the 4 basic types of batteries which you can choose as your solar system battery bank. The post also contains guides on the care and maintenance of your batteries and on enhancing their performance and life.

1) Marine and golf cart battery.

Marine type batteries are suitable only for very small systems like boats and campers. They are not really capable for continuous service with many cycles of charge or discharge for years.

Golf cart battery is the very popular battery for small systems. Though they are a bit costlier than the deep cycle recreational batteries, for small systems on budget these are probably the least expensive ones.

The following 3 types are heavier industrial grade batteries. They are also considered deep cycles but are usually lead acid types. They have much thicker internal plates capable of withstanding many deep energy cycles. They are designed for alternative energy system such as solar or wind power.

2) Flooded type battery.

These are lead acid batteries with caps to add water. Though many manufacturers are making these batteries for solar energy use, Trojan, Surrette, Deka are probably the most popular ones. They are reasonably priced and very durable.

The flooded batteries should not be used indoors as they release gas when charged. In case they are to be installed indoors, a venting system should be used to vent out the explosive gases.

3) Gel type battery.

These are actually not maintenance free batteries. Unlike flooded batteries these gel batteries have no vents to release gas during charging process. So they can be installed indoors without any venting provision. This is a big advantage as it allows the batteries to maintain a more constant temperature and perform better.

4) Absorbed glass mat (AGM).

The absorbed glass mat or commonly known as AGM batteries are the best available for solar power use, in my opinion. A woven glass mat is used between the plates to hold electrolyte. They are leak / spill proof, do not release gas while charging and they have superior performance.

They have all the advantages of the sealed gel types but are of higher quality. They maintain voltage better and last longer. The SunXtender series by Concorde Battery is an excellent example of AGM batteries.

They are more expensive but you get what you paid for. These types of batteries are used in airplanes, hospitals and remote telephone / cell tower installations.

As batteries get cool to a low temperature, their voltage drops and their performance suffers. This is one main reason that AGM batteries are preferable as they can be stored indoors where the temperature varies less.

Another important thing to consider is how deeply you discharge your batteries or DOD (Depth Of Discharge). In other words how low you let the voltage drop before your next charge cycle. Though most battery ratings talk about 50% or so, they will last longer if you keep them as charged as much as possible.

A normal 70% charge range on your battery should be okay. Lead acid batteries will last longer if you do not discharge deeply. This shallow cycling extends their life thus saving you money in the long term.