Solar power can be used in both large-scale applications and in smaller systems for the home. Businesses and industry can diversify their energy sources, improve efficiency, and save money by choosing solar technologies for heating and cooling, industrial processes, electricity, and water heating.
Solar power is produced by using photovoltaic (PV) cells to capture the energy of the sun and convert it into electricity. The basic unit of the system is the solar cell, which are connected together into modules. Solar power works well for most items except large electric appliances that use an electric heat element such as a water heater, clothes dryer and electric stove - for example - or total electric home heating systems. It is not cost effective to use solar power for these items.
Utilizing environmentally-responsible building materials and strategies for new properties and renovations to reduce environmental impact. Retrofitting existing properties with energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, as well as water-saving devices.
Utilizing our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, we are able to provide our customers with quality solar products at highly competitive prices. At Solar Power Industries, we take pride in our commitment to a higher standard of quality and customer satisfaction.
Utilizing solar power has never been easier, and doing business has never been more reliable when you build your power system with us. We provide complete technical assistance and the finest equipment when utilizing solar power to insure a successful project.
Installing a solar power system in your residence or commercial facility is something you can do right now to save on energy costs while helping protect the planet. Let's make a difference together. Installed PV capacity has already tripled to 1,500 MW in under a year, should double again by 2010 to 3,000 MW, and more than triple to 10,000 MW by 2020. Spain also cut PV feed-in tariffs by about a third to around 33 eurocents per kilowatt hour.
If you want to learn more solar projects you can do for your own home, Earth4Energy offers step-by-step video tutorials any non-engineer can easily follow.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Earth4energy how to make homemade solar battery charger
Rechargeable batteries make good economic and environmental sense. In the same way that you wouldn’t throw away the glass every time you had a drink, so it doesn’t make sense to dispose of batteries when others are available that perform the same task many times over.
It gets even better than that when you realize that you don’t have to use any mains electricity at all to recharge your batteries—you can use the power of the sun! Solar battery chargers like this model are commercially available, which can be obtained from the Centre for Alternative Technology, U.K.
You will need:
AA battery holder
9 V battery clip (you might need this to connect to your battery holder)
8 × solar cells 0.5V, 20 to 50 mA in full sun
1N5818 Schottky diode
The circuit here will recharge a pair of AA batteries quite happily when left in the sun. This circuit is a very simple design which doesn’t provide any regulation, so you will need to make sure that you disconnect your batteries when they are recharged.
The Schottky diode prevents the batteries’ charge from flowing back through the solar cells when no charge is present. Schottky diodes have the advantage of not sapping too much of the power from our solar cells—maximizing the amount that is delivered to the batteries.
Construction is fairly simple. There are a wide array of cases available that are suitable for housing such a project. If you can get a housing with an integral battery holder you will find it will make neat work of housing the project.
House the cells in such a manner that they are shaded and protected from the sun. If the cells get too hot their electrolyte leaks—damaging the cell and making a mess.
If you want to learn more solar projects you can do for your own home, Earth4Energy offers step-by-step video tutorials any non-engineer can easily follow.
It gets even better than that when you realize that you don’t have to use any mains electricity at all to recharge your batteries—you can use the power of the sun! Solar battery chargers like this model are commercially available, which can be obtained from the Centre for Alternative Technology, U.K.
You will need:
AA battery holder
9 V battery clip (you might need this to connect to your battery holder)
8 × solar cells 0.5V, 20 to 50 mA in full sun
1N5818 Schottky diode
The circuit here will recharge a pair of AA batteries quite happily when left in the sun. This circuit is a very simple design which doesn’t provide any regulation, so you will need to make sure that you disconnect your batteries when they are recharged.
The Schottky diode prevents the batteries’ charge from flowing back through the solar cells when no charge is present. Schottky diodes have the advantage of not sapping too much of the power from our solar cells—maximizing the amount that is delivered to the batteries.
Construction is fairly simple. There are a wide array of cases available that are suitable for housing such a project. If you can get a housing with an integral battery holder you will find it will make neat work of housing the project.
House the cells in such a manner that they are shaded and protected from the sun. If the cells get too hot their electrolyte leaks—damaging the cell and making a mess.
If you want to learn more solar projects you can do for your own home, Earth4Energy offers step-by-step video tutorials any non-engineer can easily follow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)