DIY » solar energy

Handmade Energy: Can it Work for You?

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:03:00 +0000

With the cost of energy rapidly on the rise, many people are wondering if it’s possible to find an alternative, homemade source of electrical power. The answer is yes. With a few simple household items and a single trip to your local hardware store, it is indeed possible to save money on your electrical bills by constructing your own solar powered cells. The most important item is the sheets that will be used for the panels themselves. For this, you’ll need to purchase large sheets of copper, so if you can find a local source for these, you can start your project. There are a variety of guides available online that detail the process to convert a standard piece of copper into a solar receptor using a household stove. While these panels won’t be capable of powering your entire house, they can be a fun project to construct in order to power outdoor lighting, or even illuminate that old pitch black shed in the backyard.

It is possible to use either a conventional rechargeable battery cell, but some innovative folks have designed and built their own cells as well, using nothing more than household items, such as a table salt, tap water, and a plastic jug. Don’t expect to power your A/C in the middle of summer from these homemade devices, but you can help do your part by moving towards alternative energy sources with a fun weekend project.

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Technorati Tags: alternative energy, build your own energy, handmade energy, handmade solar energy, save money on your electric bills, solar energy

Can Solar Energy Save You Money?

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:40:00 +0000

For decades, solar energy advocates have been promising that inexpensive and clean energy from the sun is just around the corner. They have been promising it for so long that many no longer believe it. But new technological breakthroughs and a growing climate of emissions regulation are making the promise of solar energy become a reality.

Environmental awareness and the fear of climate change are pushing governments away from supporting other forms of energy production and subsidizing solar. Unfortunately, government policy changes too often for solar energy companies to feel secure about continued funding.

But technological changes are allowing some solar companies to be competitive in some parts of the United States with natural gas. It is mostly in the software that uses inexpensive video cameras to keep the reflecting mirrors pointing the sunlight where it can provide the most energy to the generator. Combined with the use of off-the-shelf components instead of expensive, custom pieces, these new generators are more efficient and less expensive than their predecessors.

And that is good news for consumers. Not only is more energy available, which should drop the price, but the technology used in these generators will probably percolate down into the consumer market, where you can get your own high-powered solar generator, or even build one yourself!

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Technorati Tags: clean energy, save money using solar energy, solar energy

Save Big, Save Now… with Solar Roof Panels.

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:24:00 +0000

One of the major domestic expenses is electricity and bills for it come with monotonous regularity and often at the worst of times. How good would it be to reduce or dispense with this expenditure without a resultant discomfort for our families? Well the thing is that solar roof panels could easily make that a reality.

In recent times renewable energy generation technology has been made available to anybody who wants to exploit it. This may not be known to everybody but the fact remains that the planet’s natural power is being utilized all over the world for private homes

This phenomenon has occurred simply because excellent do-it-yourself guides dealing with the building of solar energy panels have become readily available. This has made it feasible for ordinary folk to build solar panels using materials and components that they can purchase from their local hardware store

Building solar roof panels which was once the preserve of commercial enterprises has now been reduced to being provided with a list of required materials to purchase and a well documented step-by-step process of putting it all together.

Building solar roof panels can now be a family enjoyment as well as being very cost effective.

The careful planning of material purchase should result in paying no more than $100 for the components; and that is a minute investment relative to the cost of the commercial product. Not to mention the result in savings in electricity bills. Also, solar roof panels made in this way are as efficient and effective as the more expensive commercial product. Additionally, homemaker can ensure that the panels blend with their home.

Probably the most important advantage in the long term is the contribution that these do-it-yourself solar energy panels make towards the reduction of atmospheric CO2 and the greenhouse effect.

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Technorati Tags: greenhouse effect, renewable energy, solar, solar energy, Solar roof panels