Build Solar Panels

solar charge controller

2013-03-30T02:31:00.000-07:00

Solar batteries are crucial for storing power for cloudy days when solar panels cannot produce electricity. But to keep the battery life it is important to use a charge controller or voltage regulator which block reverse current and prevent battery overcharge. Some charge controllers also stop battery under charge, protect it from electrical overload, and show battery status & power flow. A new trend among builders and buyers is to make a house which is not only architecturally sound but also eco-friendly. People are now realising and adapting ways through which they can utilize the renewable resources. One of the most growing ways is solar power system installation; through this they can hold on the solar energy and use it as an alternative to their standard electricity connection.There are several benefits of having solar system set up in your house. Like this, you are paying less on your utility bill as well as constantly contributing your share towards mother Earth. However, just mounting a solar system is not sufficient, you need to make sure that the energy is properly consumed and stored safely. Solar batteries are an integral part of a solar power system. You cannot totally rely on sunny days or generators; you need a solar battery to store the solar energy to use it whenever required even on a cloudy day.
Solar battery can certainly be considered as the energy tank or storage house of a solar power system. It is explicitly designed with a chemical composition making them perfect for a solar powered system. But solar batteries too require proper maintenance or they can fail prematurely or shut the complete system down. Continuous over charging of batteries can affect them adversely. Here comes the role of a voltage regulator which protects batteries from being overcharged.
Are charge controllers really necessary?
A charge controller is an important part of almost all power systems that charge batteries, whether the energy source is solar, hydro, wind, fuel, etc. Its purpose is to maintain the batteries appropriately charged and safe.
solar charge controllers regulate the voltage and current flowing from the solar panels to the solar batteries. The battery life will certainly be compromised, if a non-self-regulating solar range is attached to lead acid batteries with no overcharge safeguard.
Simple voltage regulators consist of a transistor that shunt the PV charging circuit, closing the charge at a pre-set high voltage and, once a pre-set reconnect position is touched, opens the shunt, allowing charging to resume. A sophisticated controller uses the PWM (pulse width modulation) or MPPT (maximum power point tracking) in order to ensure that the battery is totally charged. The first 70%-80% of the battery capacity is simply switched, but the last 20%-30% is more complication and therefore needs more attention.
How do Solar Charge Controllers Work?
A solar charge controller maintains the solar energy system batteries by preventing them from being over or under charged hence ensuring maximum battery life. High quality and reliable voltage regulators are manufactured by many top brands like Morningstar, Blue Sky, Outback, Xantrex, etc.
The solar voltage regulators controls the 16-20 volt output of a 12 volt solar panel by lowering it to minimum possible voltage essential to keep the battery at maximum operating level. This voltage will normally range from 10.5 to 14.6 volts, subject to the battery type, battery temperature and battery's charge state at any certain point.
There are various types of charge controllers coming in all shapes and sizes; ranging from 4.5 amp units to 60 amp programmable units with computer interface. A simple LED or digital display is supported in most of the charge controllers. However, some latest voltage regulators come up with an inbuilt computer interface to display and control.

pool solar panels - best way for your swimming pool

2012-09-27T04:05:00.000-07:00

Pool solar panels heating units are special opportunities for everyone who has to preserve the swimming pool. These heating units will help control temps so your water will not be as susceptible to exterior elements and heat shifts. Having to pay a modern quantity of your earned cash to warmth a huge mess in your back backyard is practical but idiotic -- especially when you have a limitless provide of warmth just waiting around to be utilized.

Solar panels for heating system your yard oasis are the most cost-effective software in solar power. With unglazed enthusiasts (solar panels), which are the easiest and least costly of all enthusiasts, are used everywhere for heating system outside swimming pools and health spas, these easy solar energy panels can be set up by yourself even if you have very little construction encounter. There are many assets out there to teach yourself on the procedure of solar panels; you are now on the right monitor as we talk.

Pool solar panel heating systems are at the very low preliminary price and they do last for quite a long time with good care and dealing with. Take the remain towards your electricity self-reliance and get on panel with the long term of electric power by trading in your own swimming pool heating system. Just think about the cash you would keep by a little, one period expense into water solar panels.

These systems are incorporated into the regular pump/filter system and function by intercepting the water circulation after it comes out of the normal filtration system, and pointing it through the photo voltaic enthusiasts before it is came back to the water. It really is very easy. Through the same method of the warmth exchanger, this system exchanges warmth from the solar panels to the moving water directly from your water.

Floating around will be an enormous advantage to you whether you use your swimming pool for entertainment, rest or for your wellness. The comfortable swimming pool provides to your comfort and ease, which is elevated even further understanding the power, is free of charge and the only price you incur is the price to electricity an easy pump motor. You can now have a warmed swimming pool and go swimming lengthier by cropping natural bountiful solar power!

the pool not warmed by solar energy makes use of water sends and heating units that are driven by electricity; the need for electricity to warmth the house's swimming pool is removed or significantly decreased (based upon the particular solar panel system that's used) when the unaggressive photo voltaic heating system is set up. Unaggressive systems are ruling the electricity business. Get ahead of the online game these days and get on the golf ball to power self-reliance.

A trusted solar panel system warms the water successfully, including few more several weeks to the floating around period, regardless of your location's environment. Not only will this conserve you cash you are tossing away, but being so easy to install it is the no brainer to put into action. With so many assets on the internet to manual your task

2 tips to know before to make your solar panels

2012-09-24T07:50:00.003-07:00

2 tips to know before to make your solar panels

Mary sat down at his computer and hit in "How to make solar panels for power." With energy prices growing everyday and the RRSP checks barely making ends meet Mary was searching for a way to cut down on his electricity bill and maybe even learn a new ability while he was at it.

Are you like Mary? Looking for a method to save some money on electricity? Or, maybe just want to see if you can really make a working solar panel on your own? You've tried every new energy saving set and all your results seem to be minimal better. Well, let me show you 2 things that you will need to get started with making your own solar power and get started on the right foot.

1. Find Good Solar Cells - The most essential component of your Solar Power system is, surely, the solar panel. So the first things that you should consider is some good solar cells.

You should consider Solar cells that measure 3" x 6" and are rated for about 3 amps each. In order to get these for a nice price you may need to do a little shopping around but you must buy around 36 cells (the amt you will need for one panel) for under $70 on E-Bay. News cells will cost you much more than that!

2. Plywood/Acrylic - This will be used to sustain all of the cells as a backing for the solar panel. You don't need to go out and buy any expensive wood as this will be protected anyway.

Although use plywood.This cheaper Acrylic is recommended as it will be more durable and long lasting.

Building your own solar panels for energy can be very setasfying especially when you know what you do. So go ahead,start it today!

why to build solar panels?

2012-09-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

why to build solar panels?

Ever since electricity has been invented, we have used every effort to hunt all the fossils hidden underneath the earth to sustain the ever growing demand of electric power. We have always thought that the black gold will never drain and will forever give us the power that we need. But up until the recent years that we finally realized that it will soon be gone and we have to search for other alternatives that will be renewable and abundant. It was not long until we found that the biggest yielding energy that we know has been staring down at us and just waiting to utilize. We can harvest and store the energy that the sun emits when we make-up solar panels and expose it directly under the sun.

At present, other renewable energy that are explored extensively which is also renewable is the power that can be generated from wind. Its downside however is, not all areas in the world are blessed with the abundance of wind. Unlike when you choose to get the solar energy and build solar panels, it will always be available day after day anywhere. The steady flow of water through dams has been with us since the early 20th century and it had wonderfully worked well for us, but it would need oil to help it go in a bigger scale.

The rising cost of electricity in the world had brought out the ingenuity of mankind. It had spawned the best design on how to build solar panels that are less costly. In the internet, solar panel designs are readily available and you can actually do it yourself. This renewable energy generating device has also tickled the concern of every science high school and has been doing a yearly fest on what is the best design. It has always been known that it order to bring out the best, they have to rival with each other. And so far, a lot of promising designs that was born out of this fest are now undergoing massive research on how to bring it in a larger scale.

In Europe and in the United States, a lot of homes have already been constructed and is powered solely by solar energy. The design of the house is not like the typical home that we are so used to. These houses were specifically built to adapt and be compatible with the power that will be coming from the sun. Contractors build solar panels at the roof, windows, doors and any adjacent empty lot where the sun is plentiful. The cost of building these houses is expectedly higher but in the long run, it will turn out to be more useful because no electric bill will come your way each month.

So in these times of uncertainty and rising cost of electricity, it is fundamental for everyone to look at the option of utilizing the energy coming from the sun. Government as well must be looking for ways to promote ways on how to build solar panels right at their constituents backyard. It is only through getting power from renewable resources that we can give solution to our impending energy crisis in the future.

3 things before to start

2012-09-06T06:10:00.001-07:00

build solar panels - 3 things before to start

You can easily make-up your own solar panels at home and it is a fun task but there are some things that you should know before starting a project as this will determine the success of the task.

1. First of all you should know what you will be using your panels for that is the appliances that you want to run with solar electricity. Then record the wattage of each appliance which is generally written somewhere on the appliance or can be found out by searching online. Then you need to know how many hours you will be using each appliance every day. Calculate the total wattage that you calculated and divide it by the peak sun hours that you get every day. This way you have a very rough estimate of the number of solar panels and the wattage that you will need. This will also help you determine the total cost of the system and if you buy a good polycrystalline or mono crystalline cells and the cost will be around $2-$3 per watt.

2. You will need to find a favorable place where you can install your them. The best place for the panels is simply the place where is the most sunlight for the longest durations during the day. Choose a place where the solar panels do not come under the shade of trees or any other objects. Generally the best place for installing them is the roof. Solar panels can be installed very easy on the roof using flush mounts. You can also install them in your garden using pole mounts or the not so aesthetically pleasing universal(roof- ground) mounts. Although the flush mounts are the cheapest part they offer no flexibility in the orientation of the panels and cannot sport large photovoltaic units.

3. Before you start to build solar panels at home you must know if you want to use the appliances directly or you want to store the generated electricity in batteries for later use. If you want to use the appliances directly from the panels than you will need and AC/DC inverter which converts the DC obtained from solar panels to AC which is used by appliances. You can even use a grid tie system and supply electricity back to the power company when you're not using it. If you want to store the electricity in batteries for later use them you must have power trackers which make the charging of the batteries efficient.

These are some of the many basic steps that you will need to consider when you want to build solar panels at home. There are many other things that you can do to make your homemade panels more efficient and durable.

build solar panels - no more electricity bills

2012-09-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

build solar panels - no more electricity bills

Many people are looking for ways to eliminate their electricity bill and with all the information at hand and all the technology advances nowadays it is very easy to make-up your own solar panels than it was a few years back. A few homemade solar panels can produce enough electricity for your house even in the winter time.

Solar panels have proven to save huge on your electric bills and some people can live completely off-grid by making-up their own solar panel systems at home. Basically what this means is that you no longer have to depend on your local power company, you won't pay thousands of dollars a year for your electricity consumption and not that but do your part to start living green and protect the environment for other generations to come.

Solar power systems are indeed some of the most eco-friendly sources of energy and this is another good reason to start making-up your own solar panels today. There are a lot of "How To Build Solar Panels" guides available that will show you exactly how to harvest the sun's energy and transform it into electricity which in fact isn't a very hard goal to accomplish; All you need is to build a solar panel and install it correctly. If you want to start living off-grid you will need more than one solar panel to supply enough electricity for all your home appliances including the high energy consumption during the cold seasons.

If you're a novice in this field don't worry, get yourself a solid DIY solar power guide and you're ready to build solar panels right in your own backyard. The materials and tools needed to make-up your own solar panels are inexpensive and easy to find. A good reference guide on how to build a solar panel will guide you through the steps to build a fully functional solar power system for your home and not only but it should teach you how to find all the components and tools at the lowest cost.

Eco-friendly solar panels and wind turbines are the wave of the future for domestic use and business owners. Even large institutions are switching to green energy these days. However, some guides out there can make you even more confused about building a solar panel and sometimes it can be a frustrating experience, so you need to have the best set of information at your fingertips even before you start your DIY project.

Building solar panels or wind turbines for your home should be a very fun and rewarding experience, and you can be on your way to live green and off-grid in no time, however, be very careful when you choose a DIY solar guide to follow since your success of failure on your project will fully depend on the information you have to reach your goal.

solar islands

2012-09-06T05:21:00.000-07:00

5 times lower cost per kWh than competing systems, because:

extremely simple low-cost EFC type panels can be used
alignment achieved by simply turning the platform (no costly precision mechanics), the active area of panels can be more than 95% of the available area
very low sensitivity to wind, so that high up times are feasible
the platforms are hovering, therefore very large platforms can be build
the thermal principle allows to store energy, so energy can also be supplied at night
the active area of panels can be more than 95% of the available area

The sun drenches the world with about 120,000 terawatts of energy every year .Less than one hour of sunshine can fulfill all of our planet’s energy needs for a whole year. South Pacific Islands are blessed with abundant, democratic, and free sunshine year round. The question is: how do we convert that sunshine into usable energy? There are several solar technologies that work for different applications and context.

Solar Technologies
When most people think about solar energy generation, they think of photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of a house or building. There are other ways to convert the sun into usable energy such as Concentrating Solar Power (CSP).

build solar panels

2012-09-06T02:54:00.003-07:00

Build Solar Panels - 3 Types of Solar Panels

To build solar panels, you will need to know the type of solar panels you actually want to power your home. As the technology is persistently improving and many new types of solar cells are made-up, it is crucial to understand the main difference between them.

1. Mono crystalline (Single Crystalline)

Mono crystalline solar panels are basically considered as the most productive ones. The main difference from other solar panels is that these are made from one large chunk of silicon crystal. They are among the oldest and most secure silicon cell technologies.

The process of making these large silicon crystals is a very energy demanding process, which adds up to the final solar system cost. Certainly, they are regarded the most efficient, able to produce electricity at 15-18% efficiency, but not the best opportunity for home owners.

One of the arguments, why people should buye mono crystalline solar panels is because there is not a large or, in fact, a small space on the roof to place them. With mono crystalline solar panels you can be sure, that you use the available space on the roof in the most productive way possible.

The main difference in appearance is that they are black in color and they are rounded in form (cells).

Also these panels can resist from 25 to 50 years on maximum, so they are a good long-term investment.

However, they are also fragile, so that some care is necessary.

In short, mono crystalline panels are recommended for efficiency, performance and longevity. The negative - more costly than other types of solar panels.

2. Polycrystalline

Polycrystalline solar cells, as the name indicates, are produced of multiple silicon crystals, not like mono crystalline cells. Usually, they are similar to a mosaic. In color, they are dark ocean blue.

In general, polycrystalline solar panels are low-priced and most widely found panels on the market today.

At slightly lower efficiency rates than mono crystalline solar panels, they still are able to generate electricity at about 12-14% efficiency. Moreover, they are produced with less energy wasted. That's why this technology is constantly evolving today.

Polycrystalline cells are a great choice to mono crystalline cells, because they offer a slightly better cost-per-watt efficiency. Thus, many people prefer this type of solar technology today.

One thing must be remembered though - they are designed to work best at relatively cooler temperatures. It is beneficial to know that temperatures starting from 60C and up can decrease the sunlight-electricity conversion ratio by more than 20 percent at these temperatures.

Ever wondered, why sand in the beach feels warmer than air on sunny days? Well, that is because sand is a better conductor than air. And the same principles inflict to silicon cells, as sand contains silicon. So you need to watch the temperatures and control them for maximum electricity generation.

Nevertheless, polycrystalline solar cells are usually the best opportunity for a DIY home solar panels project.

3. Amorphous (thin-film)

Amorphous solar cells are one of the newest types of solar cells. These are very multilateral, as they can be used to generate electricity in ways crystalline technology wouldn't be able to. Basically, the silicon atoms are not ordered in a crystal lattice like in crystalline cells.

With this technology, they are not growing; crystals, but the silicon is deposited in a very thin layer onto a backing substrate. Although the production process is complicated, they manage to produce amorphous cells with less energy. These panels are less time-consuming and expensive to make, so that they can be produced with better efficiency.

Another great advantage for amorphous cells is the ability to be flexible. This is possible because of the thin layers of silicon, that are applied. Today, there are already many creative uses of flexible amorphous cells available for a lot of uses. For example, attachable to handbags, e-readers, clothes, etc.

However, amorphous panels have many drawbacks, especially in efficiency. They are only 5-6% efficient, which isn't much for a potential solar system installation for your home. Likewise, the high impurity levels can cause drops in sunlight-electricity conversion ratio, when the solar panels start to generate electricity.

Remember, these are the most common types of solar cell technologies, which have proven their reliability along the way, so they are a very good start to look into more depth, when considering to build your own solar panels. There are a lot of other emerging solar cell technologies, but have to be developed and put to test.

To name a few, there are group III-V technologies (used in aerospace) which are very expensive; string ribbon photovoltaic cells, which are evolving, offering, in some instances, higher efficiency levels than poly silicon and are also cheaper to make; BIVP - serving as both an electricity producing and building construction material; concentrator systems, which use lenses to gather sunlight into a concentrated form to increase solar cell efficiency; multijunction devices and others.