Tag Archives: Energy Production


Simple Tips for cleaning and caring for your Solar Panels

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Solar panels are an important and central part of any home alternative energy system. Thus it is necessary to keep it clean and in working order. Properly maintained solar panels will last longer and can generate more power at higher efficiency.  This will mean more convenience for the owners and less expenses on repairs or purchasing new panels as replacements for damaged ones. Solar panels can work very well from 25-30 years if it is well cared.

The cleaning and maintenance of solar panels is not at all difficult. The panels themselves are rigid, have no moving mechanical parts or sensitive electronics inside them, and they are encased in glass and metal seals for protection. Panel cleaning should be done very occasionally, and it is usually affected by the climate and the physical environment of the panel’s location. One thing to remember is that you must always keep the panels exposed to direct sunlight so as to attain maximum energy production. Cloudy weather and accumulated dirt can block out sunlight and lower their efficiency, but while the former could not be avoided, the latter can be prevented by good cleaning.

 A simple visual inspection can tell you if your panels need cleaning. Only the surface of the panels should be handled. In order to avoid electric shock and corrosion, before doing so, you must disconnect first your wire connection to the inverter. The following manner will teach you on how to clean solar panels using simple household items.

  • To remove loose dust on the surface and any foreign bodies you can use soft broom or brush. Leaves, cobwebs, and dried bird droppings can obstruct the flow of sunlight into the panels.
  • Harsh chemicals or abrasive cleansers should be avoided in cleaning your panels. Soapy water is ideal cleansing agent for the glass casing. A sponge, window cleaner, or car wash brush can be used together with the soapy water in removing dirt from the panels. Rinse well with warm water afterwards.
  • Together with the solar panels, it is also important to keep the electrical components of your solar energy system in proper working order. Occasional inspections and maintenance work should be done with your wiring connections, power grid, inverter, generators, and back-up batteries. If you don’t have enough knowledge in electricity, consult with your electrician or solar power contractor with regard to this.
  • Always put in mind that maintenance and cleaning should not be done regularly It must be done only when the panels are really dirty. Excessive cleaning can hamper the task of power generation of your system. 

Using solar power

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Solar power is possibly the future of home-energy production. Solar energy has often been thought as a ideal source of power, but the price of solar panels were fairly high and the benefits that come with  producing your own energy would not be seen for a long time. As the price of the technology that is required to make the solar panels falls , we find that the benefits are seen a lot sooner .

 

There are plenty of places to buy solar panels online, but by getting the components and constructing it yourself, you can harness solar energy for a fraction of the price . This means that the money save on energy bills will be noticeable a lot sooner .   You must remember that after you have made the solar panel, you will have to attach it to your roof. check that your roof can hold the weight of the panel.

Solar panels are typically installed on rooftops or building tops. It is advisable to install the solar panel so that it gets the optimum exposure to the sun. This is to make sure the solar panel is maximally effective all year round. You can do this by using web-based sources to track the position of the sun in the sky.

Solar panels seem to be more commonly used in the building of new homes, especially the those who follow the ethos of the show Grand Designs. I don’t think it is a bad thing that something that is so good for the environment be a trendy new addition when people are building or renovating.  

 

If you are  considering making  your own solar panels, make sure  you  are within the guide lines set out by your local council. 

There are a lot of things you want to think about when looking at wind power as an alternative to traditional fuels.

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Wind energy is no longer alternative. According to the AWEA, fresh wind projects added within 2007 account for about thirty % of the entire new power-producing capability added across the country within the year. This growing acceptance has the opportunity to get rid of a frequent hindrance of power production: the certainly not in my backyard mindset. One of the most typical criticisms levelled at wind energy is variability. That is, when the blowing wind declines (or blows too hard) the windmills stop spinning and you get no power. Wind energy isn’t naturally eco-friendly, even though it has a few environmental benefits. Building turbines requires a great deal of natural resources, as does moving the turbines and establishing national infrastructure to transport the produced electricity.

In the correct locations wind energy is an economically attractive type of alternative energy production. However, big wind turbines are a substantial expense and if the power creation potential of a area is bad then wind energy developers will look elsewhere. The single greatest challenge to the progress of wind energy is the price of stretching the power grid towards the wind farms. However, with impending climate and alternative energy bills getting drawn up for the U.S. There’s no evidence that industrial wind power is likely to have a substantial impact on carbon emissions. Denmark, the earth’s most wind-intensive country, with more than 6,000 wind turbines producing 19% of its electricity, has yet to close a single fossil-fuel plant.

Obviously wind power is not the only solution nor is it for certain the right solution for certain geographical areas and should be used in conjunction with other systems. The same fields where these wind power generators can be found can additionally be used for biodiesel production. Wind power is more obtainable during certain seasons because climatic situations influence wind speed. In California, wind speeds tend to be highest in the hot summer months, and roughly three-fourths of most annual wind energy output is generated during the early spring and summer. The prospective for offshore wind power is even greater, projected at 750 gigawatts. Offshore wind speed is higher and more steady than onshore wind, and just offshore wind farm sites tend to be closer to the major electrical power load centers in numerous places.

Wind power as a power source is attractive for an alternative to fossil fuels, simply because it’s plentiful, replenishable, broadly distributed, clean, and produces no greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the building of wind farms isn’t globally welcomed because of their aesthetic impact and other effects on the natural environment. That’s why the Division of Energys National Renewable Energy Laboratory, made a product that silently produces electricity for a fraction of the price of current technologies. There are low profile windmills you can buy for property owners which are suitable for set up in many residential areas around the world.

Important advances in turbine technology have made power generated from wind the only type of green power currently truly cost-competitive with fossil-fuels. And also, wind’s role in our nation’s power policy mix is rapidly gaining significance. Ofcourse, wind generation isn’t constant and can not replace base-load generation systems, but wind energy does help reduce our reliance on standard fuels and helps secure our power independence.

How to Hedge Against Rising Energy Rates.

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Did you know that a private company has a monopoly over your utility bill?  They are able to shut off your power, charge you any(a) rates they want, and they aren’t currently even required to pay you if your solar panels produce more energy than your home uses.  Why do we as consumers stand for this? 

In 2007, San Diego Gas and Electric was blamed for 3 wildfires because of “shoddy maintenance” and agreed to pay out almost $15 million.  The fires destroyed 1,300 homes. Because of the payout, SDGE was forced to purchase $950 million of insurance coverage at a cost of $11 million this year.

SDGE’s parent company, Sempra Energy requested a 7% rate increase to cover the cost of the increased insurance to San Diego homeowners, even though Sempra just announced their 2nd quarter earnings of $222 million.  This just shows the greed of Sempra Energy.  They care more about their shareholders than their customers.

This increase does not take into account the price of current fuel costs, which are really cheap right now.  Natural gas is shipped in from overseas and accounts for a large percentage of energy generation.  What will happen when natural gas prices increases?  Energy rates for San Diegans will go through the roof.

Last month, SDGE decided to invest in a large wind farm which will be located in Montana.  SDGE will not even see the direct energy from their acquisition.  They will acquire Renewable Energy Credits instead, which will help them reach their mandated portfolio goals for alternative energy production. 

I am here to tell you that you actually do have a choice!  You can continue to pay your utility company, or you can invest in a solar panel installation.  If your solar installation creates your own electricity for your home, you can liberate yourself from the private utility company.  Their rate increases will never effect you.  Solar panels are an amazing investment. 

To circumvent solar customers from ever seeing rate increases, it is important that they get set up on a net metering agreement so that they can offset the energy that they use with the solar power that they generate.  Those who are smart enough to invest in solar panels will hedge against future rate increases, because they are creating their own solar energy on top of their homes.