Heating Water using Solar Power

Heating Water using Solar Power
When you decide to convert your main power source over to solar power you will need to make some adjustments to the appliances that carry the power source. When you use solar power to heat your water you may find that you will need to purchase a solar powered water heater in order to do that. You may be able to make adjustments to your existing one but what ever steps you take to turn it into solar power it will be worth it.
There are several different ways to heat your water using solar power. You can even make your own solar power source. The water runs through pipes before it enters your home. Heating water using solar power will occur before the water gets into your home as it passes by the solar source that attracted the light. You may also have a tank to store the water in that can heat the water up. In order to heat your water successfully you will need to have both a solar collector and a storage tank.
A flat plate collector is the most common collector. It is designed to be a thin, flat rectangular box that has a see through cover and it can carry fluid to be heated. This fluid could be the water or it may be a solution, such as antifreeze that will prevent the water from freezing. Next the water moves through the tubes to an absorber plate. This plate is painted black to attract and absorb the heat from the sun. When the collector gets hot, it will heat the fluid that passes through the tubes. As the water passes through the tubes it goes into the storage tank. The storage tank holds the heated water. It is usually well insulated so the water will stay warm longer. Then the water flows into the home on demand.
Solar water heating systems are divided into two groups: Active and passive. When the heating systems are active, that means that they rely on the pumps or other mechanical device that can move the water between the flat plate collector and the storage tank. Active is the most common because it is quicker and more efficient. The passive system relies on gravity to feed the water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. This may be slow at times and may not be sufficient enough to keep up with the demand. Both ways are logical and may be more of a choice of preference for you. Another thought that you need to consider is that if your flat plate collector and your storage tank is not angled right it may be hard for the gravity to feed the liquid through.
Heating water using solar power is very affordable and can be installed with minimal effort. Choosing to heat your water using solar power is a wise choice and a first step in making a choice to help preserve our environment. We know how easy it is to use solar power to do a lot of things, including heating our water.



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The Cost Of Solar Power

If you are looking for an alternative energy source for your house, solar power could
be for you if you have the right resources. As a general rule right now with today's
technology, solar power can be very expensive. An average American either uses
electricity or gas to provide heat to the house. These fuel sources can also be used
for producing hot water, running your washing machine, and any other appliance or
entertainment device you might have in your home. In some parts of the countries,
such as the Northeast and out west, the cost of electricity and gas products are very
expensive.
Solar power can be an alternative for your house. In a typical house there is a usage
of over 14,400 watt hours per day. That's a lot of juice going to your house. The
more family members you have and the more you are at home enjoying modern
comforts the more electricity you will use. Solar panels can create 70 mW per square
inch. In the course of the day these solar panels might receive about five hours of
sun. This only equals 350 mW hours during the day. So to get the energy you need
for your house which is at 14,400 W hours per day you would have to have 41,000
in.² of solar panel for your house. If you do the math that is almost 300 ft.² of solar
panels. At today's prices that would cost you around $16,000.
Not only would you need a solar panel you'd also have to have a battery bank and an
inverter. Adding these would double your cost of installation and adding materials
and a 48 average size ouster, you are looking at close to $32,000. If you want to add
an air-conditioner to the mix you might as well double that figure to $64,000 for
installation. Added to the installation cost you also need to make your house energyefficient.
This means the closing of cracks between doors and windows. You would
also have to use energy-efficient appliances. You may put the hybrid or hot water
heater so that it only uses electricity during the times that you need it. You would
have to switch over from a desktop to a laptop computer to save on electricity.
This might reduce your need for such a large solar panel but in reality this would not
really stop the sticker shock or the upfront money you need to pay. When you pay
for electricity the traditional way, it only costs around a hundred dollars an hour to
purchase power from the power grid. Of course you should pay for usage but the
hookup to the power grid is a fractional amount of money compared to the large
amount of money you would have to spend to install solar panels on your house.
You have probably seen solar panels on houses in remote areas or as a lot in one
neighborhood. These people have bought these to be more eco friendly and have
invested their money for something they believe in. You too can do this if you have
the resources and the finances, but it might be feasible to wait until the technology is
more efficient and less expensive than it is right now.
Keep up on the technology that is being developed. Periodically go to the internet or
to a science trade publication and see what advances have been made concerning
solar cells and solar panel technology. There may be a break-through that would
bring the prices down so that they are more affordable for the common man. You
might want to start with a small solar panel and just direct that energy to one
appliance that might be draining you, such as a freezer, a water heater, or a washer
and dryer. Technology is moving at light speed these days and the resources to bring
down the cost are here.

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Ways to use Solar Power for Heat

We have become accustomed to turning a dial or pushing a button in order to have heat. These ways are nice but they may be inconvenient as well. Heating homes, schools or businesses with solar energy is not only easy but cost effective as well. There are several ways that we can capture the sun's heat even in winter times. In order to capture the sun's heat you need a solar source. This source can be something that will attract the sun rays but trap the heat from it when it enters the source. A good example is a sunroom.
These rooms are attached to a home or a building and are constructed of glass panels from the floor to the ceiling. It is usually facing the morning sun in order to get the full affect of the heat. When the sun shines into the room the glass allows the sunrays heat the furniture and everything in the room. These areas become the source that holds the heat in so that it will not escape back out of the glass. This type of heating is natural and can be very efficient if it is constructed correctly.
Other forms of solar power heat are:
Thermal mass that absorbs and holds in the heat. It traps and holds heat while the sun is shining and disperses the heat when the sun goes down.
Trombe Wall is a natural solar heating and ventilation system that uses air channels to hold the heat between a glass object and a thermal mass that is facing the sun. The sunlight gets trapped and stored inside this wall and is then circulated though vents and the top and the bottom of the wall. The wall radiates the heat.
Transpired collector is also a wall that is used facing the sun. The wall absorbs the sunlight and heats the air when it enters into the ventilation system.
Solar Cooling is a great way to ventilate a building. It absorbs the solar heat and cools it making ice with a solar powered steam engine that is attached to a cooling device.
Solar Chimney is also a solar ventilation system. It is made of a thermal mass that is hollow inside. The chimney will warm the air inside the chimney and causing the heat to rise. The rise allows the air to circulate and vent properly.
There are several ways that we can provide heating and cooling to our homes, businesses, buildings or other structures that need to be heated. The ways listed above are by using all natural material that will pay off in the long run when you have heat using the sun and not an artificial heating source that may be produced by non-renewable resources. We all need heat no matter what. We need to find out what ways we can save the heat from the day to keep our house warm at night. Not only does it work for heating but also cooling as well.


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Portable Solar Panel Systems

One of the most popular types of portable solar panel systems is the 12 volt (12v) system. But just how much energy does 12v give you? Not enough to heat your house, but enough to run some of your portable devices, or recharge their rechargeable batteries.

These portable panels operate like large solar panels, but generate less electricity due to their smaller size. Like their larger cousins, they operate best under direct full sun conditions. Most of them will work on cloudy and rainy days, but it will take longer to generate the electricity to charge your device. Most will not operate with indoor lighting, but there are solar panels being developed that will be able to use indoor light. They're projected to reach the consumer market in another 4 or 5 years.

Good portable panel systems have built-in regulators, meaning they'll automatically adjust the amount of energy they produce to the amount that the device requires. So be sure that the portable panels you buy have this feature, otherwise there's a danger of overcharging (or "frying") the device that you're trying to recharge.

Most portable solar panels fold into sizes small enough to fit into a large pocket or purse. But you can't fold the cells themselves. Think of a weight belt. It's foldable and flexible when compared to a barbell. But it folds because small weights are sewn into a flexible fabric, not because the weights are foldable. It's the same with the foldable solar panels: they fold because the solar cells are small enough to be mounted on foldable fabric.

So even though portable solar panels are advertised to be durable and waterproof, you still need to be careful when handling them. If you fold or crease the solar cell itself, you'll probably break or disable it. So don't fold the cell, or put the portable panels in the washing machine, or poke them with sharp objects. Your weight belt will survive that kind of treatment, but your portable solar panel won't.

One more word of caution: the portable solar panel can't recharge regular batteries. It can only charge rechargeable batteries. This may be obvious to you, but you'd be surprised how many people try to recharge regular batteries.

You will need additional connector equipment in order to use the portable panels, so plan for the additional expense. You'll need connectors that fit with the recharging plugs on your portable devices. And if you plan to use your portable solar panels to trickle charge your car, boat or snowmobile battery, you might need a set of battery clips.

"Trickle charging" can keep your vehicle's battery fully charged. Here's how it works: place the portable solar panel on a surface where it receives the most sun; then plug it into the cigarette lighter socket, or attach the clips to the vehicle's battery. This can be a great help in really cold climates where temperatures drop below freezing, and you have to keep your car parked outside all day.

Portable solar panels are still relatively expensive compared to using grid electricity at home or in the office. But they make sense if you spend a lot of time camping, hiking or working from your car. And they're great backup systems for times when the power goes out.





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