Build Own Solar Panel

Going green may not be as simple as we’d like it to be but now thanks to companies such as British Gas, the race to go green by suppliers has suddenly picked up pace and make it a whole lot easier.

Unfortunately whilst more options are becoming available, cheap gas and cheap electricity still remain to be seen.

Back in the 2007 Budget, we heard how Gordon Brown is making changes that will help us meet the government’s target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050.

This announcement included the introduction of green mortgages, helping families make energy efficiency improvements to their homes via their banks and building societies, for which Mr Brown is still in discussions.

The timing of these proposals falls well, with news of a mandatory energy efficiency assessment and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) needing to be issued before you are able to sell your home after May 2007.

Many local authorities are starting to team up the likes of the new British Gas Green Energy company, providing easy access to companies specialising in supply and installation of energy efficiency and then reducing the price of your council tax by upto £500, depending on your area and what you’ve had installed.

So how does this work in your favour, come 1st June 2007?

If you take advantage of the new energy efficiency loans being offered and make your home more energy efficiency with solar panels, new efficient boilers, etc. you’re bound to receive an excellent rating on your EPC.

Not only would you receive an excellent rating but also your house suddenly becomes a lot more desirable to any potential buyer due to the lower stamp duty it will attract, providing your house does not exceed £500,000.

Gary Parsons
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/are-you-living-in-a-green-house-138577.html

I’m planning on installing both solar panels and wind turbines at my house over the next few years hoping to be more energy efficient. But, being the high cost of it I’m planning on doing it gradually as the money comes available to me. I use on average over a 12 month period about 800 kWh of electricity a month. I also live in Michigan where the average amount of sun is only about 3.5 hours a day year long and that’s my reasoning for using both solar and wind. A grid tie inverter seems like it would be the most beneficial because it would eliminate the use of battery’s and I think it would maximize the efficiency of the system over its life time. I’m an industrial electrician so I think I can figure out most of the installation my self. Can anyone give me some advice on what would be a good starting off point because this is all new to me? I don’t have a problem working hard or doing more work to save some money as long as it wouldn’t effect the efficiency of the project.

Thank you for your time.

If you’re looking to install your own renewable energy system, I would recommend taking some design and Installation classes. There are quite a few out there, but the ones that come to my head right away are….

AltE University
http://workshops.altestore.com/

Solar Energy International
http://solarenergy.org/

Midwest Renewable Energy Association
http://www.the-mrea.org/course_workshops…

If you do a web search for Wind Turbine or Solar Panel Installation classes it should pull up plenty more options.

Also, check out Homepower magazine. It is a fantastic resource.
www.homepower.com

-Dave

how does the type of paper affect the function on a solar panel?
construction paper,carboard or loose leaf, wich car (solar powered will work the best)

how does the temperature affect the function of a solar car?
low or high temp

i like the second question best,

i think the hi-temp will be better , u know that should mean more sun shining

I was wondering if you could…because i want to cut down on my energy use. If i cant do this, then what else can i do?

Heh, that is a very sweet question!

Solar panels can be used to generate electricity, so anything that runs on electricity (such as a popcorn maker) can be powered by solar panels.

You might also be able to do it using a solar oven (a curved solar panel which concentrates all the sunlight on one point, causing it to get very hot).

Enjoy your popcorn

Michael

I’m interested in making a solar panel. I’m from the Philippines and I’m wondering if there are dealer of the materials needed to make a solar panel here in the Philippines? Anyone can give info in how can I obtain this product pls. E-mail me at Milesnature@yahoo.com
I’m in need of this Product MULTICRYSTALLINE, SOLAR CELLS, TABBING WIRE, BUS WIRE, FLUX PEN and power Inverter?
THX and have a good day to all.

I found this site to purchase on-line. It’s under $50 & may be worth a try.
http://www.homeenergyreviews.com/

EDIT: Wrong link. This one shows Do it Yourself from hardward store supplies. Scroll to 1/2 way mark on page to square labeled "System #1: Solar Power System"
http://www.homemadeenergy.org/indexyt.php?hop=chrislee

Note this panel will provide you with electric energy & is not a panel that requires outside energy source to power a pump. It’s also portable to remove & take camping & still power up a lap top PC

and will they have to relocate?

The only energy industry that operates without subsidies is the nuclear industry.

They are good paying jobs and it would take a couple of years to train at least to the technician level to work there.

Wind mills, aren’t the saviors. They break, sometimes explode, they are dangerous and destroy ecosystems. Solar is too inefficient to be used large scale.

This imaginary energy source the Dems keep touting is a hoax.

I’ve been doing a lot of research on places to live when I finish school, and I really think Oregon is the perfect place for me. Me and my boyfriend want to build an off-the-grid house. The thing is, he says we can’t live in Oregon because it’s not sunny enough, and if we relied on solar panels it wouldn’t work out. Is there some other off-grid solution besides solar panels we could use as backup? I don’t know much about wind turbines and how much they would cost. Does anyone living in a rainy, cloudy climate make much use of solar panels? Or should I move to a state that has more days of sunshine (I’ve been considering Colorado)? Suggestions? Thanks.

There are a lot of off-grid houses in Oregon, and many sell their power back during the sunny days to balance the rest of the time. Just do a search on green houses in Oregon to find some of the projects listed. There are also cob houses in Coquille that are quite interesting. But at present. it costs more to get these off grid houses built than they recover. Most folks just starting out can’t afford to do it.

I’m looking for ways and colaborators to take an existing house and pull it off the grid - affordably. Have lots of ideas, but little free time to play with doing them. Would love to share ideas.

I am making a solar hot water heater as the project for my Engineering Science class. My question pertains to the gas in the panel. Which gas would give the highest temperature inside the panel? And also, If i pressurize the panel chamber would it effect the temperature inside the panel?

Thermal mass (also called heat capacity) is the capacity of a body to store heat. There are two varieties of the heat capacity Cp and Cv where Cp is ate constant pressure and Cv is at constant volume, the higher the heat capacity the more heat the substance may retain, Hydrogen has a very high heat capacity 10.16 kJ/kg*K, though it may be a bit dangerous, the next could be Nitrogen tetroxide at 4.6 kJ/kg*K, the heat capacity is a function of temperature, and will vary as the temperature changes.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/spesific-heat-capacity-gases-d_159.html

These links should get you the basics then some:

http://www.sunraysolar.com/waterheatinginstallation.php

http://www.realgoodssolar.com/

http://solarenergylive.com/solar_panel_installation.php

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1192549

http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/831328.html

http://www.hacknmod.com/hack/screw-electricity-bills-build-it-solar/

http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/4596411-solar-panel-installation-guide-a-beginners-guide

http://www.greenchipstocks.com/videos/solar-panel-installation/42

http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Panel-Installation—How-to-Do-It&id=1577039

Good luck…

would be the better choice? I have to consider how much each costs and which would offer the better savings to my electric bill. I live in Texas, my home is about 1200 sq. ft. of air conditioned space and is all electric. Any help would be appreciated.

Solar panels would be effective in Texas. Unless you’re on the Gulf, I wouldn’t depend on wind as the sole source for a small-scale home project, but it can be an effective complement to solar energy. Here’s a site that has a lot of information on both solar and wind power: http://www.otherpower.com/otherpower_wind.shtml