Saturday, November 28, 2009

Can You Use Solar Power?

By Jeff Dempsey

The earth receives more energy from the sun in one hour than the power requirement of the world for the whole year. Solar energy is free, renewable, clean and sustainable. We know how to harness it and we know where to use it best. Below are the different uses of solar energy.

Grid-Tied Residential Homes

You can use solar power along with your existing energy provider. This would be great for those of you who live in areas that receive less sunlight, where the sun does not shine all year around, or where electricity is cheap and also those who just want to use solar power as a backup source. The concept is this: you can install grid tied solar panels, then receive uninterrupted power at all times, and save money on your bills. You can then just add more panels as you have money to invest in your project.

One of the benefits of having a grid-tied solar energy system at home is that you can turn your electric meter backwards. This happens when you produce more energy than you use. The excess power that your system generates is sent out to the grid, which will be used by other households. As a result, your electric meter turns backwards and your electric provider will pay you for the amount of energy your system has produced.

When you've set up your solar energy system, you can produce power for lights around the perimeter of your home, since these lights will often consume as much as 5 times more energy than your household's daily energy requirement. Using solar power to offset these costs makes a lot of sense.

Solar power system may not be used to answer the entire power requirement of the household. Sometimes it is used to power particular equipment such as lighting, water pumping, cooking and water heating or other equipments that consume the most amount of energy.

Corporate Solar Power Setup

Many companies today, are switching to solar power to save on electric costs. PV panels can be installed on large building rooftops, on atria, or even on the sides of buildings. The initial costs may be high, but the long term savings will often out way the overall costs of installing a large system.

Using Solar Power For Off Grid Homes

If you have a cabin house or a farm house located far from the power grids, a solar power system can be your best source of electricity. Also, it is ideal if you need to power stand-alone sensing equipment and remote telemetry. Holiday homes that receive a substantial amount of sunlight can also benefit on this system.

Outbuildings such as workshops, sheds, and barns, that are not connected to any power lines can also use solar power generators as well.

City Uses for Solar Power

Energy used to power our streetlights can cost a huge amount of money to taxpayers and it is often using dirty power sources to do this job. Signs and streetlamps can be installed with solar power systems to reduce demand for this unsustainable energy source. Many cities have already begun the process of switching to a more sensible energy plan, utilizing solar and other types of alternative energy modalities.

Using green energy is becoming more sensible with each passing day, and is the key to learning to live in harmony with our home, planet earth.

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