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Possible Options For Household Solar Power

Possible Options For Household Solar Power

When it comes to solar power, homeowners now have many options to choose from. Here are a few common ones that you need to know for your residential property from https://www.beyondsolar.com.au/.

1. Photovoltaic or PV systems

Most solar power systems use photovoltaic or PV panels to transform energy from the sun into electricity. These units contain a lot of sunlight-absorbing cells, which might cause a mechanism called the “photoelectric effect.” Under its effects, an electrical current will be captured by the circuit in the panels and distributed to your electrical system. A properly-engineered PV system installed on a roof requires direct exposure to sunlight to produce a considerable amount of electricity needed to run an energy-efficient house. In many cases, it could even produce a surplus of energy during the day, which could be sold to utility companies and sent to other clients via the electrical grid.

2. Thermal solar units

For those people who cannot afford a PV system to produce electricity, it is a good idea to go for thermal solar units. In general, they could be used to generate heated liquid or heat a swimming pool. These products are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, with different advantages and disadvantages. One of the most obvious drawbacks is that it should be connected with the plumbing system of your home instead of the electrical system. The expense for installing a thermal solar heater to your plumbing system could be included in the bid of the contractor.

The most important benefit of this system is that it does not need costly panels to be set up on the exterior of your home. Instead, it will have simpler collectors to capture energy from the sun.

3. Solar power design

Homeowners could also make use of energy from the sun by making use of passive home designs. House constructed with this these materials would come with floors, walls, windows, and doors which can absorb, release, and store the sun’s heat during the winter.

Other passive devices, systems, and techniques include air sealing, wall insulation, climate-appropriate ceiling, and engineered roofing. Solar energy-efficient designs are also integrated into overhanging eaves or customised canopies which help to shade windows from sunlight in the summer. In addition, landscaping could be specially created to increase the energy efficiency of your home.

4. Purchase solar power from utility companies

The easiest option for you is to purchase solar power from local utility companies. Here are some tips for you:

  • Check with the current provider to know whether they provide a “green program” which might give you the option to buy all or part of your electricity from green energy sources.
  • If you are living in a deregulated region with a competitive market, it will have many other options when it comes to renewable energy like solar power. Make sure to check with the state utility agency or local authority for more information about these regulations.

Factors To Consider Before Installing Solar Energy Systems In Your Home

Factors To Consider Before Installing Solar Energy Systems In Your Home

Electricity plays a vital role in the wellbeing of human beings. There are very many sources of electricity today. Some of these sources are unfriendly to the environment while others are friendly.

Over the years man has been trying to invent clean and more efficient energy sources because global warming is on the rise. One of the best innovations that had happened to the world is the invention of solar energy.

In this article, you will learn some of the key factors to consider before installing a solar energy system in your home. Keep reading the guidelines below.

Efficiency

The first aspect to look at before making a decision on installing a new energy panel system is the energy efficiency of the solar panel system. Make sure that you invest in a high-efficiency solar panel. When we are talking about the solar panel efficiency, we mean the ratio in percentage of the energy from the sun.

For instance, if your solar panel can capture half of the energy supplied by the sun, then the panel efficiency is 50%. Now, in reality, most conventional solar panels have efficiencies ranging from 12% up to over 21%. In this case, you can choose to buy a solar panel with an energy efficiency of about 15% and above.

You should understand that the more the efficiency of the panels, the more the watts you get. Although high-efficiency solar panels are costly they are worth the money. If you want to install a solar energy system as an alternative to the grid energy, then you can invest in low-efficiency panels. However, for those who want to install a solar energy system as the sole source of electricity, it is vital to invest in a high-efficiency solar panel.

Top 5 Most Common Residential Uses Of Solar Energy

Top 5 Most Common Residential Uses Of Solar Energy

These days, there are many practical ways to make use of solar power in your house. Going solar doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to spend a lot of money to install solar panels. Instead, you can choose from a variety of solar-powered units to serve essential purposes in your daily life.

1. Solar-powered ventilation fan

Having ventilation fans in your home can be a great solution to reduce the cooling expenses by removing hot air from your attic and other spaces. These units are traditionally wired into electrical currents, which can defeat the energy-saving purposes. However, you can now purchase independent roof-vented fans which have small photo-electric panel cells to operate the motor without household electrical currents. These models are great for keeping a doghouse, shed, or garage cool during the summer.

2. Solar heating in the swimming pool

Immerging in swimming pools is one of the greatest activities in the summer for parents and kids alike. Everyone gets excited when the pool opens, except when it is too cold to swim. To resolve this issue, you could have a solar blanket which helps to warm up the water. This is a passive heating unit that simply works by absorbing the sunlight and transmitting it to water. For a more high-tech option, you could set up a full-fledged heating system. It can make use of solar panels and increase the temperatures in the pool.

3. Solar-powered pumps

Many hot-water heating systems need a pump to transmit water to a holding tank. These units are often powered by electrical services, which might consume a lot of energy. To maximize energy saving, you would run these pumps with solar power with the application of photo-electric panels. They can produce the necessary power to operate DC motors for circulating pumps.

4. Charging batteries by solar power

Nearly all devices which run on batteries could be charged with solar energy through some types of photo-electric panel systems. These units can produce DC currents, which have the same form in most batteries. Many inexpensive and basic solar panels also have connections which enable you to connect with laptops, pad devices, and cell phones for direct charging. By adding am inverter which helps convert DC to AC currents, you could also connect the chargers for batteries. On a larger scale, a large area of solar panels could charge the entire area of storage batteries which could power almost all 120V AC devices.

5. Cooking with solar energy

You could also use solar power to cook your daily meals. Even though it might be a new method, cooking with power from the sun is much simpler than you might think. With a pan, box, cooking bag, aluminium foil, thermometer, Styrofoam, and duct tape, you could cook in no time. The most important thing about a solar cooker is creating a container which is lined with foil or shiny substances to focus the sunlight into a chamber.

What to Look out for in the Best Solar Panel Installers

What to Look out for in the Best Solar Panel Installers

If you have decided that you are going to tap solar energy, then you have made the right decision. Solar energy is not only cost-effective but also a super way of taking care of the environment. So if you are among the few people who are keen to protect the environment, then you will find it wise to install solar panels in your home.

However, you should understand that installing the solar panels require a well-qualified company to handle the task. Here, is where many people get problems. The fact that there are many solar installers in the business makes it hard for many people to identify the right installer. However, if you spend a lot of time doing your research, it becomes easy for you to choose the best services provider. The following are essential things that you look out for in a good solar energy installer.

Expertise

The first thing is to look at expertise. Does the company that you want to hire have expertise in installing solar panels? If yes, do they have a professional portfolio that they can use to convince you that indeed you are looking for people like them? These are some of the questions that will guide you in making an informed decision. Apart from that, you need to ensure that the installer that you are dealing with is fully certified.

Track Record

Before choosing a solar installer company, you need to ensure that your critical look at the work that they have done in the past. This is important because it gives you a hint on what to expect if you choose to work with such a company. If the solar installer is known for doing a good job, then you can trust them to do the same for you. The online reviews will give you all the information that you need to know about the reputation of the installer.

Quality of the Equipment

Another essential factor that you should always pay special attention to is the quality of the solar panels that the company uses. A good solar installer should always focus on giving you quality services that will not leave you regretting. Perhaps you are wondering how you can ascertain the quality of the solar panels and equipment offered by the installer. Well, it is easy, first, you need to do your homework and also, the price of the products can tell you more about their value.