Passive Solar Ways to Light Your Home

Passive Solar Ways to Light Your Home




When you think of solar lighting, do you automatically think of using solar panels to power your light bulbs? Most people do. But that's not the only way to use the sun's power to help light your home. Here are four more ways you can use solar lighting around the house.



Skylights are the most common passive lighting sources found in homes. They are a great source of natural light, especially for rooms that have small or no windows. Skylights can sometimes deliver more natural light to a room than windows, because their rooftop location exposes them to the sun throughout the day.



Solar light tubes are a really effective way to light dark hallways, closets, interior bathrooms and garages that have no windows of their own. Although this technology seems modern, it was actually used by the ancient Egyptians, so it has a long and proven history. Solar light tubes are usually smaller than skylights, sometimes only 9 to 12 inches in diameter. They are installed in the roof, and use reflective material in the tube to enhance the amount of light they deliver. The reflective material allows them to be effective even on cloudy days, since they don't require direct or bright sunlight to be useful. It is easiest to plan for them and build them into new construction. But they can be added to most existing roofs without too much difficulty.



Solar exterior lighting is extremely practical. It is powered by small solar cells that collect sunlight during the day, then store it for use at night. The solar cell can be mounted in a sunny place and wired to the lighting fixture it its location doesn’t receive enough direct sunlight during the day to power it.



Almost any type of exterior lighting is available in a solar-powered version. Porch lights, patio lights, spot lights and security lights that include motion detectors can all be powered by solar cells. This is an especially good feature for security lighting because it will work even during electrical blackouts or system-wide power outages.



Solar landscaping lights are both practical and attractive. They come is a variety of styles, sizes and uses. Spotlights can be used to light trees, garden sculpture or fountains. Low level lighting can be used to outline driveways and garden borders. Taller lighting fixtures will illuminate outdoor living areas like patios or gazebos. Mid-level lighting with non-glare screens are a good choice for lighting sidewalks or footpaths. Party lights can be used for special occasions or to create an atmosphere for outdoor living areas.



Passive solar lighting is one of the easiest ways to use solar energy. You can start with some inexpensive garden lights. When you buy your next house, or your next new roof, you can plan for the bigger-budget skylights.



Top Stories

Why Should I Install Solar Panels On My Home?

Why Should I Install Solar Panels On My Home?



Solar energy is in the news almost daily.  But have you been wondering whether or not installing solar panels on your home would be a good choice for your family?  Here are a few of the most compelling reasons.


The economic climate is finally favorable again for people who want to use solar energy at home.  There are now federal tax credits in place (or soon to be in place) that can lower the cost of installing a residential solar energy system by as much as 30%.  And don't forget to check into your state and city incentives, too.  The list of states and cities that are offering tax credit and other incentives to help people convert to solar energy is continuing to grow.

There is also the immediate cost savings you will see in lower monthly utility bills. Since you solar panels will be powering your appliances during the day, you will be seeing a savings in electricity usage.  And if your local utility company participates in net metering, your electric bill could be reduced to zero.  Net metering allows you to sell back any excess electricity that your solar panels produce to the electric company for a credit to your account.  So if your solar electric system produces a surplus during the day, the electricity that you use from the grid at night could end up being free.
Solar energy is also great for the environment. It is produced on site where it is used. So there are no fuel transportation costs or emissions, and no plant maintenance costs. It does not contribute to global warming. There is no pollution from burning oil or coal, and it does not produce nuclear waste that will contaminate the planet for generations to come. And last but not least, it is a great way to protect yourself and your family against the future energy price hikes that experts predict.

Top Stories

How Much Solar Energy Will My House Need?

How Much Solar Energy Will My House Need?

If you are thinking about installing a residential solar energy system in your home, you will need to know your current energy consumption.  Usually, you can get this information from your local utility company.  Using this as a basis, you will be able to design your solar energy system to fit the needs of your house.  The climate in your region will have an impact on energy use, as will the direction your windows face, the number and location of trees on your site, and the types of appliances you own.  Even the kind of light bulbs you use can make a difference.

The yearly temperature extremes in the geographical region you live in will be a big factor.  If you live in an area with temperature extremes in winter or in summer, you will use more energy to heat or cool your home than if you lived in a moderate climate.

South facing windows in a cold climate can help lower your heating bills.  North facing windows in a hot climate can lower cooling bills.

Mature trees can provide shade and help lower cooling bills during the summer, while the bare tree limbs allow sunlight in during the winter months.  All of these factors contribute to your overall energy use. And installing energy efficient insulation in walls, roofs and floors help reduce utility bills in all climates.

If possible, convert all of your appliances to energy efficient models.  Newer appliance models often use as much as 50% less energy than older models, especially if they need repairs and are not working at top efficiency.  Changing to compact fluorescent light bulbs also makes a substantial impact on reducing electricity consumption.

After evaluating your house for these factors, you can plan to build a solar photovoltaic system by multiplying your average daily kilowatt hour usage by about .25.  This should give you a rough estimate of the daily kilowatts your solar panels will need to generate in order to supply your current electrical needs.

Top Stories

Solar Panels: Will They Work For Your Pool?

Have you been thinking of installing solar panels to heat your swimming pool? Good news! Solar panels that heat water are relatively inexpensive to buy. You can even build them yourself for less than $100 in materials and less than a weekend's worth of your time. The best news is that once you have paid for the cost of installation, you won't have any ongoing fuel bills.



But before you decide, you’ll need to answer some questions. First, will your solar panel system get enough sunlight during the day? The solar panels used for heating pools are simple passive collectors. They’re typically made of plastic coils filled with water and sandwiched between sheets of shatter-resistant glass. As water collects in the coils, it gets heated by the sun then pumped into the pool.



If your lot is covered with tall trees that shade your house and yard, it may not get enough sunlight for a passive pool heater. But an unobstructed rooftop that faces south or west is a perfect location for solar panels to get full exposure to the sun throughout the day.



Next, how much difference is there between the outside air and the temperature you want the pool to be? For example, if you're thinking about heating an outdoor pool in Minnesota to 80 degrees during a below-zero winter, stick with pool covers and a heavy-duty gas heating system. But if you want to heat an outdoor pool in California to 80 degrees during a 50-degree winter, a solar pool heating system is ideal.



Even with your new solar heater installed and working, you'll want to use a solar cover or blanket whenever the outside air is colder than your pool's water temperature. Anytime you see steam rising from the pool, it's wise to use the pool cover to keep the heat in. That way, the heat will stay in the water instead of dispersing it into the air.



Here's a note of caution if you’re just learning about solar heating systems. Some people think they may be able to save even more money by using their pool’s solar heater for hot water in their house. Sorry, but the tow systems don’t mix well. The water in your pool is being conditioned with chlorine and muriatic acid. It won't hurt you to swim in it or to swallow a couple of mouthfuls of it, but you really don't want to add it to your home's drinking water system. Solar water heating for your home is an entirely different project.

Top Stories

Developing technologies that take advantage of the clean abundant energy of the sun is important to reducing greenhouse gasses and helps stimulate the economy. Examples of solar technologies being developed by the Department of Energy and Industry are Photovoltaic cells, concentrating solar power technologies and low temperature solar collectors.




Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity and are made of semiconductors such as crystalline silicon or various thin-film materials. Photovoltaics can provide tiny amounts of power for watches, large amounts for the electric grid, and everything in between.



Concentrating solar power technologies use reflective materials to concentrate the sun's heat energy, which ultimately drives a generator to produce electricity. These technologies include dish/engine systems, parabolic troughs, and central power towers.



Low-temperature solar collectors also absorb the sun's heat energy, but the heat is used directly for hot water or space heating for residential, commercial, and industrial facilities.



You can also find statistical information relating to the use of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic energy through the Energy Information Administration.

The Basics of Solar Power

Solar power is the harnessing of the sun’s heat and light emissions. It is the power we get from converting the sun’s energy. The energy of the sun is abundant, clean, and environment friendly. Every day, we receive more energy from the sun than could be used by us, globally, in 27 years! Solar power is considered to be renewable as the energy from the sun is estimated to last another 4.5 billion years.



The basic difference between generation of solar power and the conventional power is:



· Solar Power does not need large, polluting power stations

· Solar power can be generated at home and in industries

· Once installed, there is no further need of any raw materials to generate solar power, except sunlight



Converting Sun’s Energy



There are many different ways of converting the sun’s energy, in the form of light, into electricity.



Photovoltaic Cells – These are more commonly known as solar cells and are made of semi-conductors. These energy converters convert the energy of the sunlight into electricity. Sunlight, which is a stream of energy particles – photons – falls on the semi-conductors or the conductors, and transfers its energy to them. The photons transfer their energy on hitting the silicon atoms in the solar cells, thereby releasing the electrons from their orbit around the nucleus, generating electricity.



To help concentrate the sunlight on a small area of photovoltaic cells, Fresnel lenses, mirrors, and mirrored dishes are used as concentrators. A Fresnel lens consists of concentric rings of segmental lenses having a short focal length. Multiple solar cells are combined to make a solar panel. For protection of these solar cells, glass, with an anti-reflective coating, is used as a cover.



Solar panels usually produce 12V or 24V DC power.



Boiling Fluids – Mirrors or reflective surfaces are used to concentrate the sun's energy on a fluid reservoir. This leads to steam generation, by boiling of the fluid, which in turn spins a turbine, to generate electricity. Using a turbine to generate electricity is similar to the conventional way of power generation, except that solar energy is used in place of burning raw materials.



Either DC or AC electric power can be generated.



Heat Engine – The heat engine, the most common one being a Stirling engine, has a gas enclosed compartment. Through mirrors or reflective surfaces, the sunlight is concentrated on the engine, which heats up the gas. This causes the piston to move to run the generator. The gas gets cooled and returns to go through the heating cycle again. These heat engines are noiseless, and depending on the generator, can produce either DC or AC current.



Top Stories

You Need a PV System to Generate Solar Energy

Solar energy has been around for quite some time. In fact, now is the best time to get it if you want to cut your electric bill and do your share to protect the environment.
For that to happen, you will need to buy a PV system. This is designed to reduce or eliminate the amount of electricity you purchase from the utility especially when there could be a price increase in the next few months.
The best part about the PV system is that it generates clean electricity which is clean, reliable and renewable since it does not emit any harmful gases into the atmosphere.
The PV system must be placed in an area that is free from any obstruction otherwise, it will not be able to capture the sun’s rays. A lot of experts say that the south facing roof is best while the east and west is sufficient. If the roof is not available, it can be mounted on the ground.
You should know that PV systems come in various sizes so you should get the one that matches our electrical needs. If you consume about 6,500 kilowatts a year, then a PV system within the 3 to 4 kilowatt range is right for your home. You can measure this by reviewing your past electric bills and making some projections.
Naturally, the size of the PV system will determine the amount of space needed. If you do not use that much electricity, 50 square feet may be sufficient. However, a larger system may require a little over 600 square feet. Just remember that a kilowatt of electricity requires an area of 100 square feet.
Solar energy is converted with the help of an inverter since this is what changes direct current to alternating current. You will also need batteries so excess energy may be stored so you can still use solar energy during the evening or during a power outage.
The size of the PV system is also in direct proportion with the cost. Most cost from $9 to $10 per watt and when you include installation, the bill may reach be from $10,000 to $20,000.
The cost of the PV system should not discourage you from investing in solar energy. People who use it are able to get tax rebates and it will also increase the value of your home. With that, the only thing to do now is to call a reputable solar energy provider.
One other thing you should know about the PV system is that this should also be connected to your grid. For this to work, you have to enter into an interconnection agreement with your utility.
This agreement will address the issue with regards to the terms and conditions under which your system is tied up with them. This also includes what is known as net metering which allows you to bank any surplus electricity that your system generates on the electric grid in the same manner that you will be charged accordingly should you consume more electricity than what you have banked.
You need a PV system to generate solar energy. You just need to know what size of a system you require so this can be installed by your solar provider.


Top Stories