Basic Pv (photovoltaic) Panel Components
June 12, 2010 by Go Green Tips · Leave a Comment
From the operators of www.GreenLivingRocks.com — providing education regarding how to make a solar panel, solar panel cost, and solar panels prices.
One of the reasons that building your own pv (photovoltaic panels has become so popular is that there are really very few parts involved. A regular solar panel consists of just a few basic parts, namely an enclosure, solar cells, a substrate and wiring. Here’s an outline of what’s involved.
Solar panel container or enclosure
This is what most people see when they think of a solar panel. It’s the clear glass top, the frame and the backing that the pv (photovoltaic cells are mounted on. The case can be hefty enough to need a custom built metal rack for mounting on a rooftop, or small enough to be a plastic box that can be placed almost invisibly near an outdoor floodlight. It needs to be resistant to ultra violet (UV) rays so that it does not deteriorate with constant exposure to sunlight. And the glass (usually Plexiglas) needs to be durable enough to withstand harsh weather, including hail and wind storms that could crash tree branches and other debris into it.
Substrate
This is the piece of wood, peg board or other material that the solar cells are mounted on inside of the enclosure. It also needs to be UV-resistant to survive prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Solar cells
The pv (photovoltaic cells are comparable to the silicon chips that power nearly all computers. They combine the silicon, metals and other materials in a way that captures direct sunlight and converts it into electricity. The electricity can either be immediately used by direct current devices (DC) like LED lights, or stored in DC batteries and changed into alternating current (AC) to power conventional appliances like refrigerators, TVs and other electrical equipment in homes and businesses.
Tabbed and untabbed solar cells
When constructing your own solar powered panels, you can save money by buying untabbed solar cells and soldering the tabs on top of the cells yourself. This can be a good choice if you have more time than money, but it’s a tedious job. You can save time by buying tabbed solar cells which will cut your soldering time by one-half to two-thirds.
Photovoltaic cell wiring
Once the solar cells are mounted on the substrate, they are wired to each other in a series so that they can generate electricity. Copper wire is added to connect the solar cells to storage batteries for using the electricity later, or to connect directly to the device that the photovoltaic panel is powering like an attic fan or a solar powered toy.
Blocking diode
The blocking diode is a tiny component that prevents electricity that is stored in a battery from draining backward into the solar panel. Bigger photovoltaic systems use a charge controller for the same effect.
Must You Assemble Your Own Solar Swimming Pool Heater?
June 8, 2010 by Go Green Tips · Leave a Comment
From the operators of www.GreenLivingRocks.com — providing education regarding how to make a homemade solar panel, solar panel, and solar systems.
Building your own solar swimming pool heater is a fantastic do-it-yourself project if you want to add solar to your home. You will not need to get a lot of costly equipment or tools. And you will not need highly specialized skills. Here is a basic explanation of the procedure and benefits so you can determine if you want to tackle it.
The project payback time can be as short as 2 years in terms of energy savings. This is since you will be saving the cost of gas to heat your pool. And the cost of materials for constructing a solar pool heater is lower than with most other solar projects. You will also be saving the cost of installation if you decide to go ahead and do that yourself.
You will need to buy only a few simple components: solar collectors, piping, a controller and a diverter valve. You will not need to build or buy a storage container, since your pool already stores the water. And you will not need to buy, build or install a circulating pump, since your solar pool heater will use your pool’s circulating pump.
Here’s a simple explanation of how the system works. The water from the pool gets pumped into the solar collector, gets heated by the sun and gets pumped back into the pool. This is called an open loop design. The controller allows you to select the warmest temperature you want the pool to reach. And the diverter valve either sends water back to the pool if it is already warm enough, or over to the collector to be heated as required.
The solar collector is a straightforward system of black polypropylene UV-resistant tubing. The choice of materials is important so that the tubing doesn’t break down from exposure to the sun or from exposure from the chlorine in the pool. The correct materials will last up to 20 years.
Although it is attractive to think of doing it all yourself, including making the solar collector, it is really easier and more cost effective to buy ready made collectors for your project. The reason is that adhesives will not stick to polypropylene, and the equipment you would need to thermal weld it would cost more than buying the ready-made collectors. As well, experts advise against using a cheaper rubber or plastic tubing that will break down too quickly because of exposure to the sun and chlorine.
If you decide that you really want to install your solar pool heating system yourself, the easiest method is to buy a kit. You will still need to design measure and install your system. And you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your efforts for years afterwards.
Solar PV - Generate Your Personal Energy Source For The Destiny Of The World
June 5, 2010 by Go Green Tips · Leave a Comment
Solar PV are a series of cells that contain inside of them components that may convert photo voltaic radiation into household power power. Additional specifically it is that technology that will convert sunlight into electricity. The sun’s rays can provide as much as a thousand volts involving electricity for every square meter from the earth’s work surface on a inviting day. If most of in which electric power could possibly be makes use of most people would be able to energy some of our homes at no cost.
The use of solar power is wide. You can use it to create electrical energy in the home, to power the electrical vehicles, and block lighting to name just a few. Photovoltaic are used dating back to 1958, even so; these application was primarily with space. These are most widely utilized these days with solar energy systems calculators which in turn require simply daylight to perform.
Photo voltaic cells possess materials also known as semiconductors which can be silicon and are most commonly made use of. As soon as daylight strikes the particular cell a small piece with that light is engrossed inside the semiconductor material. Electricity as light can be used in this semiconductor which will loosens electrons which in turn amount readily in a specified path. This particular flow with electrons is actually a current which you can use as electrical power when metal contacts are usually positioned at the top and bottom from the Pv cell. This current and the cell’s current show the amount of wattage the solar cell can generate.
The use of solar power isn’t yet prevalent enough to get everyone utilizing it but there are a few people who feel they could support the environment while using sun Photovoltaic. Together with the cost of electrical power on the rise and also this economy spiraling downward, people are curious about saving on their utility bills or totally getting rid of them while using solar power. Photovoltaic is usually an alternative power generating resource that may save money along with do its part in preserving earth. There is certainly much talk about global warming as well as the greenhouse effect and also the use of solar PV, as an alternative power source, can make us feel good about ourselves once we do our part.
Now we have noticed in the very last years stuff such as the costs of the petrol crud oil barrel which have been hitting new highs, the catastrophic effects of climatic change a result of the emission of carbon dioxide causing excessive warmth as well as frosty waves combined with some other unbelievable catastrophes, and more recently the terrible leak inside the Mexico bay doing damage to the life of so many people and impacting all the faun in the area, it’s the time for taking action and stop depending on fossil energy. Considering additional ways is really a chance. For example if perhaps something like 20 per cent on the Sahara desert ended up being coated with solar PV then it could possibly supply 100% of the entire world electric powered usage. Solar technology is really a source that will not stop anytime soon, eternal and also totally free to utilize by everyone. Now there is definitely a interest to make a worldwide change of mindset and get conscious that it could preserve our kids world.
