Energize Your Savings With Solar Power Systems
Interestingly enough, solar power is far from being a new concept. In fact it’s been around for longer than we would care to imagine, but it’s in more recent years that home owners have begun to show an interest in installing solar panels in order to reduce electricity bills.
What Exactly Is Solar Power
By utilizing photovoltaic cells it is possible to capture the radiation which comes from our sun. Essentially, the sun’s radiation causes electrons within the cells to be knocked loose which are then in turn collected and electricity is created.
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Getting Started
Essential components of a solar power system:
1. Solar Panels
2. Backup Battery (depending on which system you use)
3. Electrical Wiring
4. Charge Controller
5. Electric meter
6. DC Inverter
7. DC Disconnect/Breaker (allows maintenance to be carried out on the system)
The most important, and also the most expensive thing you require for a solar power system, are the solar panels which are made up of the photovoltaic cells we mentioned earlier. To offset some of the cost many home owners either make their own panels or they buy ones which are damaged and then simply repair them.
A backup battery, also known as a deep cycle battery, enables electricity which has been created to be stored and of course, the charge controller mentioned above will prevent the battery from being over-loaded. In systems where power is fed directly into the house no battery is required, but remember a qualified electrician will need to be hired for wiring the system in.
Making Your Own Solar Panels
Making your own solar panels has become increasingly popular simply because new panels can be extremely expensive. The best way to start is by finding a cheap supply of photovoltaic cells and you’ll more than likely find Ebay is the best place to look.
Once you’ve bought cells you’ll need to glue them together to form a panel which you’ll need to stick on a large piece of board. Furthermore, you’ll have to make a wooden frame for your panels so that you’ll be able to mount them once you’re ready.
Using regular copper wire, all the cells will have to be connected up to each other but before you actually start soldering the wires you need to ensure you have it all configured properly.
After you’ve completed wiring all the cells together you can start gluing your cells onto the board. Once you’ve finished your panel needs to be covered with a piece of non-reflective glass and then finally you can fit on the frame. Because silicon is extremely durable you may want to consider using silicon not only for gluing the cells to the board but also for mounting the frame.
Of course, the amount of power you require for your home will dictate just how large your panels need to be. A comprehensive solar power plan which offers full details relating to panel size and the number of panels required is available online.
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With fossil fuels heading towards depletion solar energy looks set to be around for a very long time and with technology always advancing, maybe the whole world will be using it shortly. However, for the time being the choice to go green and save some money at the same time lies in your hands.