Off Grid Home Blog

Solar energy prices from last 10 to 15 years had declined an average of 4% per year. A lot of progress has been made for increasing the cell’s efficiency, and manufacturing economies of scale are the underlying drivers of this price decrease. The figures in the Solarbuzz Global Price survey clearly show that prices had declined consistently over the last two years.

A solar energy system for home usually cost around $8-10 per Watt. If the government incentive programs exist and coupled with lower prices, secured through volume purchases then installed costs for solar panels can become as low as $3-4 watt, means that 10-12 cents per kilowatt hour can be achieved. If there is no incentive programs then solar energy costs range between 22-40 cents/kWh for very large PV systems.

Other system that is used in large power stations is the concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. It’s a large collection of mirrors or lenses which are used to produce heat or directed towards PV systems. CSP technology costs $2-$4 per Watt. Some had estimated that these types of solar arrays can produce 25% of the world’s energy needs by 2050. It’s expected also that CSP costs will become as low as 6-7 cents per kWh, which is almost equal to conventional energy production. CSP industry is growing rapidly in Spain and United States.

Solar energy already have remarkable affect on world economy. According to the Department of Energy in United States, market for PV is expected to be around $ 27 billion dollars by 2020 and it will create 150,000 new jobs. As a matter of fact solar energy allows the countries without a grid infrastructure to power isolated areas, and no hurdle in receiving a free source of energy from sun. The distribution transmission lines are having life, which ends with passage of time. Even in United States those distribution transmission lines are becoming critical due to aging infrastructure and local emission errors. That’s why solar energy in a way is free from such troubles, and it provides energy independence, for example in Hawaii’s Mauna Lani Bay Hotel’s had installed PV cells on the roof top, which produce 75kW of energy and this solar panel array is expected to pay itself off in 5 years.

It is calculated that 25,000 square kilometers of solar panels can produce all of the US electricity needs for one year, and obviously this amount of land is available in the United States. If we see the figures then we’ll know that more land is being used to grow ethanol currently.

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Solar Panels is a great tool that effectively collect power from sun. Day by day, people are more concerned to buy solar panels for their personal use. Solar Panels or the PhotoVoltaic Cells are mostly purchased for home purposes, since it is better to generate electricity than to spend money on buying electricity from power company. Anyhow, solar panels have some pros and cons attached to it. It is briefly described below:

Pros of Solar Panel:

• Solar panels saves money, the money you spend on buying electricity from power company can be generated at home. It is observed that many solar panels owners save much money then its original costs with the use of solar panels.
• Solar panels lessen your dependence on power company. You get electricity as long as sun is out there.
• Solar energy is far better than coal or nuclear power. It is clean, renewable and cause no harm to environment.
• Solar systems are compatible. They can be designed according to one’s need and budget.
• Government cuts the taxes of those citizens who adopt the use of clean energy.
• Solar panels at first degrade to some extent, but then its efficiency stills for long time period.

Cons of Solar Panel:

• Cost of Solar Panel is highly expensive. At times it takes around 10 years to pay for solar panels and their installation. It is a long term investment.
• Solar Panels perform low in the cloudy regions or shady locations.
• Since Solar power technology is enhancing day by day, the system which is highly expensive today will be substituted by a cheaper and smaller option.
• Solar energy is clean, but production of photovoltaic cells do cause harm to the environment.
• If in case the solar system is incorrectly installed at your place, it will cost you more than its performance.

Though there are good and bad part of solar panels, people still believe it is worth paying the power company. More and more solar panels types are introduced, according to the requirement of customers and their utilities.

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These days, it is hard to find anyone who does not know about solar panels. Practically solar power is mostly used in remote areas away from national grid, but it is now becoming very popular in rural and sub-urban areas as well. Solar technology is progressing by leaps and bounds. It’s getting better and better each day.In following few paragraphs we have reviewed some latest advancement in this field:

1 – MIT Researchers Print a Solar Cell on Paper

The idea of clean and green fuel is great but it has certain disadvantages. First it’s so much expensive, second their power conversion rate is quite low. Final disadvantage is that you need storage space to save all the power, which is converted by a clean and green technology. The MIT researchers had developed solar cells printed on paper. This technology will take years to be in market for commercial use, but it is an interesting development.

2 – Solar Greenhouse to Produce Food and Electricity

It seems amazing that a greenhouse produce solar power and food. This unique has been done in Italy. Renewable energy companies Solar ReFeel, CeRSAA and solar panel manufacturer Solyndra are the companies are responsible for this project. This solar power greenhouse is being built at CeRSAA’s Albenga, Italy. Basic purpose of this project is to attain production of both food and electricity. The research team is also experimenting to validate the crop growth benefits of Solyndra’s technology by taking help of independent testing by a leading agricultural institution.

3 – Affordable Solar Power with Purple Pokeberries

Researchers at Wake Forest University’s Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials are experimenting to attain source of clean and green power through pokeberries because pokeberries can be helpful in making of affordable solar power. Scientists of Nanotech Center had extracted the red dye from pokeberries to paint their efficient and low-cost fiber-based solar cells. The dye had given the desirable results. The dye acted as an absorber and helped the cells minute fibers to capture more sunlight for converting it into power.

4 – Ontario Solar Power could match US Nuclear Power

Queen’s University Applied Sustainability Research Group located in Kingston, Canada had came out with two studies, which claim solar power in southeastern Ontario can be created in great quantity. It’s said that southeastern Ontario has the potential to produce almost as much power as all the nuclear reactors in the United States.

5 – Carbon – based Solar Cells

Solar panels are usually made of silicon. Silicon is not cheap that’s why it raise the costs which makes it expensive for the people who want to use solar energy. Scientists made solar panels with another substance ruthenium which is cheaper than silicon. But ruthenium is a rare metal and its same rare as platinum. So it can’t be used on a mass level production. While carbon is cheap and widely available also, the graphene a form of carbon is having ability to absorb wide range of light frequencies.

6 – World’s Largest Solar Boat

PlanetSolar is world’s largest solar boat and it’s prepared for a world tour. Features of this boat are:

• 60 ton weight
• 470 square meter are covered by 38,000 solar cells
• 103.Kw electricity it generates

18 million euro was spent to make this environment friendly boat. All 38,000 photovoltaic cells were provided by the SunPower Corporation. The solar panels installed on this boat are having pretty decent conversion rate of 22%.

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Solar power does not have to be restricted to new constructions only. Solar installation can be fitted in existing buildings to make the home run on solar power.

This means that a house that is connected to the power grid can take advantage of getting a back up too. On sunny days, the solar system can produce more energy than required, forcing your electric meter to run backwards. However, in order to do this, you must take into consideration the following points.

1. Consult a solar installer to discuss the various options of installing solar panels in your house. There is a great deal of technical work involved in fixing solar panels in houses that are already running on grid electricity.

2. Before adding a renewable energy system, get the compulsory building and electrical permits from your city or county building department. If you hire a contractor, you will be able to get most of this work done by him.

3. Sign a Net Meter Agreement. With this contract, the excess solar energy your house produces will be available through the grid for others to use. Also, this will allow your system to borrow energy according to your needs.

4. Remember to get the system inspected first. Make sure that all the wiring is set up safely and effectively. Together with a grid connected PV system, the utility company will probably want to inspect your system first before it is turned on.

5. In order to protect your investment, add the solar power system to the home owner’s insurance plan.

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Almost in every home there is a refrigerator. The refrigerators which we are having at homes are more cost effective, efficient and they are having long life also. But the refrigerators that we use in home run on electricity. That’s why those refrigerators don’t work if we live in area where there is no electricity or go for camping. For such type of conditions there are other types of refrigerators which are called gas powered refrigerators. Gas powered refrigerators works on the places where electricity is not available.

How Gas Refrigerators Work?

Gas powered refrigerator’s basic components are same like the electric refrigerators such as:

• Generator
• Separator
• Condenser
• Evaporator
• Absorber

These components work together, uses the gas as both fuel and coolant to make the refrigerator work when there is no electricity available. The whole process is effective, as its less energy efficient than the standard refrigerator. But it works effectively.

How Gas Powered Refrigerator Works?

The gas powered refrigerator process can be described in five steps:

1. Gas burns in the generator which helps to create the energy of the process; it raises the temperature of this combination of ammonia and water, and makes it boil.
2. When the ammonia starts boiling then the combination travels to a separator which moves the ammonia and the water separately through the rest of the system.
3. From here the gas powered refrigerator process becomes similar like traditional refrigerators. The ammonia gas moves through a condenser, where the pressure system moves it through coils. Ammonia is kept warm in these coils, but turns into a liquid.
4. Then the liquid ammonia collides with hydrogen gas. This collision creates evaporation that creates the colder temperatures, which helps to cool the refrigerator.
5. In final step, water combines back with the hydrogen and ammonia mixture. Then hydrogen leaves and collects elsewhere, and the remaining solution starts processing all over again.

Though the procedure of refrigeration in gas powered refrigerator is little complicated, but its so much effective in those areas where electricity is not available. It’s not a long lasting system, and not meant to be used for long periods.

How Long a Gas Tank Last in a Refrigerator?

It depends on the type of the gas which they use. For example, ¾ tank is used by an average propane refrigerator. Consumption of gas depends on models also; the old ones are less efficient. So it’s always better to stock up on propane tank before you leave for a trip. Because on your trip, you can afford to run short of propane gas, if that happened then the most of food in your refrigerator will be spoiled.

Anyhow gas powered refrigerators are effective for long camping, RV trailers and other places that don’t have electricity.

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Solar cells can be used to directly convert sunlight into electricity, making the home owners more energy independent. Most commonly, solar cells in homes are used through the installation of solar panels.

Solar panels can collect sunlight during the day and transform it into energy. The stored energy can be used to supply power to the home by heating water and producing electricity. Although installing the solar panels can be simple, but it can be physically demanding.

1. First of all, you need to purchase a solar panel mounting kit. Usually, kits contain the same types of materials, such as solar panels, mounts, hardware, an inverter, and a voltage gauge. You can purchase the kits at any home improvement store.

2. Using a stud finder, locate all the roof rafters. Make a straight line over the rafter locations using a chalk box. This will help you to make a nicely designed array of panels.

3. Pre-drill the solar panel mounts to make sure that the rafters do not break up while you are the installing them.

4. Using the stainless steel lag bolts included in the mounting kit, fasten the mounts to the roof.

5. Using 3/8″ stainless steel bolts and brackets included in the mounting kit, attach the solar panels to the mounts. Keep in mind that the bolt size may vary depending on the brand of solar panel.

6. Attach the panels to an inverter using an electrical tool.

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Nine years of intense lobbying by Greens has finally paid off. It was tough, it was hard. There were intense debates and politics was done on the issue. Finally very first offshore wind farm to generate electricity has been approved. As announced in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Mr. Ken Salazar who is Secretary of Interior.

Mr. Salazar revealed that a 130 turbine wind farm will be built with estimated cost of $900 million. It would generate 450 Megawatt of electricity out of thin air!

This is great news for environmentalists across the nation. Europe already has hundreds of offshore farms generating thousands of megawatts from air.

Studies have shown that US has enough potential to full fill all it electricity demand if it allows offshore wind farms to be installed without restrictions.

Wind Farms are being apposed on grounds that they would ruin the aesthetic beauty of beaches. such a lame excuse lobbied by Oil interest. But with approval of this wind farm, gateway is opened for other wind projects on eastern seaboard.

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Number of people installing solar panels at their homes is increasing everyday. There are many factors fueling this hot trend. Increasing price of oil and electricity are among them. Decrease in cost of solar panels and subsequent decline in per watt rate of electricity produced by them has encouraged small scale solar energy generation.

Cost is no more a Factor

Gone are those times when people who cared about environment were unable to switch to solar because the cost of solar panels. But these days, this excuse is no more. Everyone can now afford solar energy system for their home provided they get enough sunshine during the day. Cost is no more a factor.

3 Problems to Solve before you Install Solar Panels

Thanks to DIY Solar Kits, Installing solar panels is a no brainer. Still, little planning would not do any harm. If you got to do it, do it professionally. A typical plan to fit solar panels at your home should take care of following problems.

1. Selecting a suitable place to install solar panels.
2. Buying Solar panels that are right for your needs.
3. Hiring an electrician to do the wiring.

Let’s discuss these problems and try to solve them one by one

Where to Install Solar panels

Where you will install your solar panels will depend largely upon location of your home. Mostly it should be the sunniest unused place in your house. your roof.

What kind of solar panels will I need

Location and amount of sunlight will determine the kind of solar panels you will need. Expensive solar panels are most of the time most efficient ones. They are priced higher but in fact they are very cheap as you will need less of these and they are more reliable and weather resistant. You can search for websites that will help you workout exactly the kind and number of solar panels you will need.

How to Install Solar Panels

In a typical solar panel installation, panels are installed at the rooftop. Mounts for solar panels are bolted after drilling holes. It is very important to make sure that holes that are drilled are properly aligned and mounts should be tightened with stainless steel lag bolts and then cover them with metal flashing for protection against water and dust damage.

After installing the mounts you will have to attach metal rails(again with steel bolts). Solar panels are installed on those metal rails.

How to Do Wiring for Solar Panels

Your decision to buy and install solar panels shows that you are knowledgeable enough to install solar panels and do the wiring required all by yourself. But I would recommend that you let the professionals do the work. Hiring an electrician or contractor from very start is a very good idea. It is better than calling them in the middle of the installation and explaining them what you have done and what needs to be done yet.

Although normal round the corner electrician will be able to do the installation but this is such delicate matter and it should not be left at the mercy of armatures. Take some time, bear that little extra expense, find a contractor specialized in solar panel installation. Typing the name of your town and ‘solar panel installation’ in Google search box below will give you a list of electricians who are qualified and experienced in installing solar panels at home.

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With only a limited supply of oil and gas available on Earth, it is extremely important to find alternative sources of energy or else with the depletion of these natural resources, humans will be unable to fulfill a number of basic requirements.

Renewable energy can be defined as any form of power that is derived from a source that cannot be depleted. Wind, solar, geothermal and tidal are examples of renewable energy.

There are several benefits of using renewable energy. It has some dominant environmental, economic and societal advantages. Renewable energy sources do not need any fossil fuels to generate power, which makes them environment friendly. Following are the main sources of renewable energy.

1. Wind

Wind energy commonly used to generate clean power, through the use of wind turbines that harness the power of offshore or land-based wind and convert it to electricity.

2. Solar

Solar energy can be utilized with the use of solar panels that allow us to use the enormous power of the sun to heat and lighten up our homes. Being made of photovoltaic cells, solar panels can easily be applied to roofs and even cars, to transfer sunlight to electricity.

3. Geothermal

The Earth’s core is the home to huge amount of heat. With geothermal power, the heat generated by the Earth can be used to by pulling it up to the surface using pumps.

4. Tidal

As the Earth comprised up to 70 percent of water, tidal energy presents a great source of renewable energy. Imagine the amount of power that many waves can produce. Tidal power uses the natural ebb and flow of the waves to generate electricity.

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Installation of solar panels at home assists you in two ways; one is that you get cheapest energy for your home and second it increases your home value. Modern solar systems are more accurate, efficient and easy to install. Though initially installation of solar panels cost you much, but on long term you really know that your investment won’t go in vain. When the solar panel will be installed, the costs depreciate over time. The system itself adds value to your home. Overall, you get inner satisfaction that you are using clean and non-polluting systems.

Six Things That Makes Solar Energy a Better Choice:

1. Unlike other energy sources like oil, coal, or natural gas, solar energy is a free source.
2. If you sell back the extra electricity to the electric company made by your solar panel, you can have no electric company bill.
3. You can share the costs and benefits along with your neighbors but that also under certain circumstances. For this check the local laws and restrictions if its possible in your area.
4. Solar energy is a clean power and haves very low environment effect. It have no emissions, no maintenance costs and no unstable fuel costs.
5. You can have government sponsored rebates, financial incentives and tax credits also.
6. Most important factor is that solar power peak production time is same when the electric company is having peak usage time and highest rates. This benefits you because at that time you do not need to use the most expensive type of power company electricity.

Some Important Facts about Solar Energy:

Apart from other facts, first you must know how solar energy works, what is the lifetime of your solar panels and how can you improve the value of your home and reduce costs?

Here are some facts about solar energy:

Solar Energy is not so complicated:

Solar panels get the sunlight on solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, which then activate electrons. Then the electrons jump from atom to atom and make a chain of electricity that runs through a charge controller in the form of a DC charge. That charge can be stored in a battery which you can use as 12 volt DC current or transform it by using an inverter to 110 volt AC current. AC current is used mostly in home appliances.

Durability of Solar Panels:

Though the full sun is best for your solar panel for producing the energy, but it is operational also in other conditions. The life of solar panels can be from 3 to 25 years. Most of solar panels are having warranty of 10 to twenty years.

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