Solar Power Electricity – Applications of Solar Energy

Home Improvement - Nov 09,2016 - No Comment

Governments, non-profits and many research agencies are all racing against time to find better ways to use solar energy and generate solar power electricity. Sun is the only resource that is universally available and can be used to power our entire homes by using solar panels.

Various applications for solar power electricity have been found and increasingly people are turning to these environment friendly options. So, it makes sense to exploit Solar energy.

Today, technology has made it possible to extract solar power electricity at a much lower cost than was possible earlier. Also, as the demand for more and more energy is steadily rising around the world the cost of these raw materials like coal, crude and gas are also proportionately going up. This has made the exploitation of solar energy a more attractive option for everyone.

There are many areas in a normal home that can benefit from solar power electricity and one in particular is the heating of water. Water heating is one area that consumes most energy in any household and this can cost you quite a lot of money.

Solar Water Heating

Solar water heating systems comprise of a water storage tank, heat transfer fluid (HTF), and solar thermal collectors. Solar heaters work by using a solar collector to heat up water directly or using a “working” fluid. The solar collector itself is filled with a conductive fluid that takes heat from the sun and warms the water. Depending on where you live and the amount of sunlight your collectors receive can provide up to 80% of your home’s annual water heating needs. This application does not exactly use solar power electricity but solar heat. Solar cookers are another application of this technology.

Solar Powered Refrigerator

Ever think that the sun can make things cold, and cut costs at the same time. Solar powered refrigerators are thermostat controlled which allows you to set the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. There is minimal noise as it runs because the power source to it is flowing naturally and constantly. They also come in a variety of sizes as well as colors in order to fit into any solar powered kitchen using solar power electricity. The same principle can be used with other appliances.

Solar power electricity can light up homes. You could use it to light up gardens, walkways, gazebos and driveways. Solar powered emergency lamps are another application. Solar electricity has also found many industrial applications. Large amounts of steam and heat are generated with heat collectors and used to generate heat and electricity which in turn are put to many uses.

We have paid the price for not using clean energies like sunlight and wind. Our uninhibited burning of fossil fuels for our energy needs has lead to a situation where if we don’t stop further exploitation of our planet we all stand to make irreversible damage to Earth which threatens our very survival. You must have read about climate change and global warming due the buildup of carbon-di-oxide in the upper atmosphere.

We have mentioned a few environment friendly solar options for your day-to-day use. There are a lot more available and a lot more are coming into the market everyday. It is left to us to make use of these to make difference to our world.

Solar Power : Save Money On Electricity Every Month

Home Improvement - Nov 07,2016 - No Comment

Do you want to invest in solar power in your home? Do you want to know the basics, before you invest? In this short article, you will discover the information you need, to be able to get started right with solar power in your home.

A solar electricity generation system is the solution, in order to cut those bills and use renewable power that’s all around you just merely waiting to be tapped anytime. Home solar power systems provide the best way to get the most complete financial freedom on household energy.

With just a small amount of sunlight, you are able to get far more electric power. With only a few solar electric panels, it is possible to produce the needed electrical energy for your home. Even should you live in a small house, it is possible to install a solar panel.

State and federal government also provides incentives for homeowners who choose to implement home solar power systems. It is possible to avail of loans or grants so that you can set up the solar electrical power system soon. Take advantage of these special programs so that you can begin benefiting from an effective and clean electrical technique.

It is predicted that the technological know-how development will take down the price significantly in the near future as well as make the solar electric panels smaller and more powerful. This can enable consumers to make use of these panels not just for their residential solar electrical systems but also for their cars, boats, gardens and so on.

Solar power is not a mystery; it is in fact a very straight forward function. The sunlight provides energy which is then converted into electricity. This electricity can be used to power our lights and appliances in our homes. Solar power is used in one appliance most of us use every day; our calculators.

The utility companies presently use solar power too. If you covert you home electricity to solar power you will receive free power directly from the sun. Imagine a freebie from Mother Nature.

Also, the more people who invest into solar energy, the more the prices for solar panels and solar cells will come down.

Already we have seen a steep decline in the prices for solar panels, and you can get solar energy in your home for cheap if you install it yourself – about $200. If you would like a professional to install the panels it will cost you a lot more. In fact it can cost you $20,000 dollars or more.

Once you have the estimates you can ask your contractor what he would charge to install the unit if you purchased all the equipment and furnished the materials. Keep in mind in most cases your contractor should receive some sort of discount for either buying in bulk or simply just for being licensed.

Get 3 or more bids from different contractors. Then decide on the best bid based on your requirements. Also, get an estimate from contractors for the materials and equipment. If they are able to get it at a lower price then you may want to give the whole contract to them.

With Solar energy system installed and working in your home you can get free energy to run your home and all the appliances in it for free for the rest of your life. You don’t have to pay another electricity bill in your life.

What Is The Symbolism Behind Japanese Sand Gardens And How You Can Create You Own?

Home Remodeling - Nov 05,2016 - No Comment

Japanese sand gardens have a unique nature to them, which might seem quite surprising and bewildering to the rest of the world. The unique quality that we are talking about is the near absence of greenery in these sand gardens. There is very little plant life and no garden ornaments, it’s almost like a desert landscape.

You might wonder how can they be called gardens if there neither plants nor flowers. To understand the concept of sand gardens you need to understand a deeper concept that comes from the ancient Japanese culture where things are more in the abstract than in the actual. These gardens were designed and created by monks of in their temples and shrines to help them to meditate. These gardens are associated with Zen Buddhism – where a great deal of emphasis is put on meditation.

Surrounded by walls the monks are cut-off from the outside world. Using the sand gardens the monks conceptualized nature using sand, rocks and gravel. The gravel is raked in order to create the illusion of water rippling and flowing. The rocks and stones are arranged artistically to represent hills and mountains beyond. The rocks, stones and gravel used to represent the various facets of nature are chosen with great care by the creator or designer to accurately depict what he wants to represent. These sand gardens are waterless, pondless creations devoid of plants and yet appealing in many ways.

The sand and gravel are raked in different patterns to show water as either placid, flowing fast or swirling or direction of flow. You to use a paver to pave the paths and clean and rake your Japanese sand garden every day. Maintenance is an important aspect of any garden.

Similarly the stones are used to convey different meanings. In some they may represent hills and in another it may represent a battle scene or a story from the ancient past. The arrangement of the stones can tell you myriad tales. The tallest rock in the arrangement will be for Buddha. The smaller stones can represent followers, animals or his children.

As these are meditative gardens the traditional Japanese will not enter a formal sand garden and instead observe the whole effect from outside. They would not want to disturb the delicate composition by entering the picture. Some gardens have a bench or chair place in such a way that a visitor can sit down and observe the whole tableaux and meditate on it.

Once the concept behind a Japanese sand garden many people have wholeheartedly adopted it as measured by its popularity. Some use it to practice meditation others love the beauty and extraordinary nature of these gardens, which is not found in the western culture or landscape. Creating Japanese sand gardens can be calming and satisfying experience for the body and soul. These gardens can be created to occupy your entire back yard or occupy a tiny corner on your desk or even as a center piece of your outdoor patio. What is important is creating a landscape that is appealing to the eye with clean and neat flowing lines and artistically places objects representing nature or scene from the past.

To create this small tabletop Zen garden all you need is a container or four wooden retaining walls to enclose the sand garden and arrange your different decorative pieces in it.

Japanese Garden Design Ideas

Home Remodeling - Oct 26,2016 - No Comment

This article will help you with some fascinating Japanese garden design ideas. You can use them to incorporate the Japanese impact in big or small ways when you plan your own garden. Anyone who has been to a Japanese garden would probably have experienced the serenity and peace it brings to the visitors. The traditional Japanese gardens were started as religious ones where the monks could go for meditation, and experience some spiritual awakening through nature.

The gardens were recreated as a symbolic form of an ideal landscape, with perfect form and harmony. When you would have visited any of the Japanese gardens, you would have always experienced calmness and peace of mind. No wonder, with the hectic and fast paced lifestyle of the modern world, these gardens have become very popular.

Key design concepts

The basic principles behind designing a Japanese garden are grace, simplicity, elegance and use of natural elements to create a space which offers tranquility and peace. The rocks and plants are placed in such a way that they look natural. When you have a look at pictures of Japanese gardens, you will notice the absence of bright colors, which is purposeful so that one is not distracted from meditation.

The Japanese gardens are designed in such a way that you can sit, think and dream without any sort of disruption caused by bright spots. Unlike the western gardens, the Japanese gardens will have furnishings blended into the landscape. The western gardens instead have strong contrasts of colors in flowers, and their furnishings stand out against the background of the gardens.

Elements of a Japanese garden

The chief elements of a Japanese garden are water, plants and rocks. The Japanese garden design is very symbolic- water represents life and rocks often imitate the mountains in the landscape or gravel river. To symbolize ocean water and mountains, the Japanese gardens often design white gravel and rocks.

Another design element is the island. It symbolizes life. The island could be a real island in a water body, but rocks, smooth low mounds of plants or moss can also be used to represent an island.

Everything in the garden should have a natural touch, instead of having geometric forms of lines and shapes. The positioning of plants should look natural, and every placement should be given a thought. Japanese gardens have no symmetry, and therefore the focal point is off to one side rather than being the center. Japanese gardens are designed to represent nature, and they reveal it to the visitors as they walk by.

Colors are used very carefully in Japanese gardens. The main color is green. White may pop up here and there on the green background, but there are limited flowers or blooming shrubs in a traditional Asian garden.

Japanese gardens often make use of waterfalls and ponds. When there is absence of real water, water is shown by a stone basin or by white gravel. An oozing bamboo water feature is also interesting. The sound made by trickling water is soothing to ears, and relaxes you at the same time.

Japanese Landscaping Ideas To Green Your Garden

Home Remodeling - Oct 19,2016 - No Comment

Here are some Japanese landscaping ideas for your backyard that’ll add a touch of cool greenery to the home and enhance your sense of well-being and calm when you walk in your garden.

Water gardens in Japan are popularly known as koi ponds. Before you build one of them, it is necessary to ponder on the materials used for the garden. Bamboo screens, weathered wood, high stone walls are some of the building materials which you could use to give your garden a pleasant look. Apart from these, you can go for miniature gardening which includes water elements like ponds and bonsai trees.

Foliage Garden

A flowerless garden is said to be a foliage garden. Have you ever realized that it is not just the flowers that bring color to a backyard? People always keep talking about the rose garden, the wildflower meadow, the dahlia bed when they think about a garden, but they don’t ever seem to talk about the leaves. But, in summers, if you take a look at the woodland garden, you won’t find any flowers. All you find is heuchera and ferns and other leafy things. In fact, a foliage garden can be an alternative to a garden which has flowers.

Asian, Japanese and Oriental gardens have several design elements which include borrowed scenery, reduced scale, enclosure and symbolism. Japanese gardens build the whole world in small areas. Oriental and Japanese gardens try to represent nature in miniature, and symmetry is not given much attention as in the western gardens. That’s a uniquely Japanese landscaping idea.

Freedom of Imagination

Design elements like stones, plants, water and other structural pieces are implanted in such a way that a Japanese garden communicates a meaning. There is freedom, and a monochromatic scheme is followed with browns, blacks and greens. In a Japanese garden, rocks are always present, but while choosing them much care is taken, like dark tones are generally preferred to add an air of mystery. The stones are buried deeply.

Asymmetry

Japanese gardens are so planned that they are asymmetrical. The different elements are arranged in odd numbers of three, seven or five. There is also a contrast between the large and the small, between the vertical and the horizontal and between the rough and the smooth. This cautious imbalance is to generate inspiration for the mind so as to find its own way to perfection.

Simplicity

Japanese gardens are simple as the people assign a high level of sensitivity to simple elements. The simplicity of Japanese landscaping ideas is attained by spending a lot of time in creating an ultimate atmosphere which gives you the feeling of tranquility and naturalness. For example, a bamboo fence is not just a bamboo fence, but it is combined with twine to build an attractive and strong geometric grid. When a stone lantern is used, it is placed deliberately in such fashion that it illuminates two branches of a path.

Sentinel Stone

Japanese gardens often make use of sentinel stones in their landscape. The sentinel stone is a standing one, which symbolizes heroes, guardians, deities and warriors. This stone is usually placed at the garden’s entrance or at some other principal point in the landscape. The presence of the stone enhances the atmosphere of the garden.

Home Solar Panels Cost – How To Integrate Residential Solar Panels With Home Electricity To Save Hundreds Of Dollars On Your Bills?

Roof Shingles - Oct 17,2016 - No Comment

Integrating home solar panels with your electricity supply will save you money. Let’s discuss how to take advantage of the electricity generated by your home solar system by linking it with your main electrical system.

Home Solar Panels Advantages

Solar energy is free and is limitless.

With home solar panel kits you can power a small part of the home like the driveway or the whole home. It is green energy. Excess energy generated at home can be sold back to the power company if you system is hooked to the mains.

Points To Consider Before You Buy Solar Panels:

The cost of home solar panels will range from a few dollars to a few thousand depending on how much electricity you want to generate and the appliances you want to power.

Before you start you’ll want to know exactly the amount of power you want to generate and to what purpose. The home solar energy project may be used to power your home, farm or garden.

Next, thing to consider is where best locate it. Naturally, you’ll want a location close enough to your house to be MOST effective. You’ll need a space large enough to fit your home solar panels.

And, of course, the area should be abundant with sunlight for a significant part of the day.

Understand that one solar panel alone is not enough to power all the gadgets in your home. You can, however, dramatically reduce your electric bill by hooking up the residential solar panels to certain specific power-draining appliances. By gradually shifting over to the home solar systems you could be using zero electricity from the main grid in no time!

The home solar panels cost is high if you want to buy the branded off the shelf systems. Building it yourself reduces the cost to a fraction of that amount.

Home Solar Panels – A Word of Caution

One word of caution for the all the DIY guys out there. The final step of integrating the solar panels wiring with the main electrical system of your home needs to be performed by an experienced electrician. Don’t try doing it yourself. You might mess up your whole electrical system and might even do some serious injury to yourself if you meddle with the mains.

Connecting the home solar panels directly to a junction box or direct home wiring should be left to a trained and licensed electrician.

But, before you do this final step determine how integrated do you want your home solar panels system to be with the rest of your household. This can range from powering a couple of lights in a shed to integrating your entire array to power all the appliances in your home or business.

Next, decide whether you want to connect the wires carrying the charge to a Jones plug. Wire the mating plug to the next piece of equipment. This wire can then be connected to a DC array disconnect. The reason why you would want these components is that it will make it easier to disconnect for yearly maintenance.

If you are going to purchase the whole system off the shelf then make sure you choose a good provider. A good provider is one who has a licensed electrical contractor, they should have years of experience and be able to compete with other firms effectively. Ensure that you provider is familiar with your utility’s regulations on interconnection requirements.

So, the above important points need to be remembered before you proceed towards integrating home solar panels with regular electricity supply from the power companies.

Green Energy Companies – A Few Superstars Of The Future

Home Remodeling - Oct 16,2016 - No Comment

A host of green energy companies are making their presence felt. In the past few decades a number of them have shot into prominence because of their innovative and unique approach to solving our energy needs. Here are some companies that are into green energy technologies.

Bridgelux, Sunnyvale California

This green energy company is into LED lighting. They make small chips that are embedded with diodes. These diodes emit light and can be used to light up homes and businesses. These lights are comparable to 60 watt incandescent lights. For a fraction of the energy consumed by the incandescent bulbs these Light Emitting Diodes can light up whole rooms. What is even more interesting is that these diodes last for several years. Bridgelux is at the forefront of this technology and is one of most promising green energy companies around.

AltaRock, Sausalito, California

Geothermal energy is the use of the heat at earth’s core to superheat water and draw energy from it. Altarock is making it possible to derive energy just about anywhere in the U.S. This technology was first demonstrated successfully in Italy about 100 years ago. It has not taken off in a big way as yet. But, the demand for sustainable energy sources is helping green energy companies like Altarock attract investors and venture capitalists.

BrightSource Energy, California

This company uses sophisticated mirrors to concentrate the heat from the sun and convert it to usable energy. This green energy company has imported one of the more sophisticated solar power technologies from Israel a world leader in advanced ways to tap into solar and water power. This company has attracted such companies like Google as backers for their project.

MiaSole, California

This green energy company is the world leader in making thin film photovoltaic cells. These flexible films can be embedded into the roofs or used as roof tiles of homes to generate power economically. It is expected to become commercially viable in a couple of years.

Solarcity, California

This company wants to take out the headache that homes and businesses face in installing and maintaining solar panels. The company will handle all aspects of installing, generating electricity and also get the tax incentives and breaks from state and federal governments. They do all the leg work and paper work and you enjoy the benefits. They also plan and design the solar panels power systems for your needs. You have to sign a 15-year lease with the company.

GreatPoint Energy, Massachusetts

Green energy companies don’t have to dabble only with solar or wind power. Companies that make better and efficient use of fossil fuels without ill effects of pollution are also considered green. Take for instance GreatPoint Energy that uses a proprietary catalyst to convert coal into high-grade natural gas by using very little energy. All carbon-di-oxide is also locked up underground. It’s first plant is to be soon set up in China for commericial exploitation.

SouthWest WindPower, Arizona

This is one of more the innovative green energy companies that makes micro-wind mills. These can be installed anywhere in your parking lot, on the roof top or even your backyard. Homeowners and small businesses find this highly attractive for their needs. Over half a million of these units have been shipped till date pointing to their popularity. They have broken the mold of bigger is better when it comes to wind mills and have found success with ultra small wind mills.

Solar Panels Prices – Is It Worth Switching Over To Solar Power

Home Improvement - Oct 15,2016 - No Comment

Solar panels prices make home owners wonder if it is worth switching over to solar power. As they want to know the time frame involved before they can break even on their investment in a solar energy system for their home.

It is well-known that by building solar panels for your home you will be saving energy, money and valuable resources of the earth. The main advantage is that solar energy is free and can be easily generated at home. Solar panels prices can range in from very inexpensive systems to light your driveway to thousands of dollars to power your whole home. But the solar panels installation prices we are talking about is for systems manufactured and installed by professionals.

Are High Solar Panels Prices Intimidating?

If powering your entire home with solar power is not an option then use it for small parts of your home like the driveway, the garage, the porch or use it for outside lighting. If you have a farm or garden then use creative ways to use solar power to water the plants, use farm machinery and lighting.

The solar panels prices are largely dependent on the size and design of the system you want to build. Naturally, bigger panels will require more materials to make them. Roof top panels will take more resources to install than simple backyard solar panels. Either way, the cost of building your own solar energy panels will be only a fraction of the money it would take to buy them.

Solar Panel Prices – DIY Panels Beats Ready made Panels

When you build solar panels for your home using kits or by buying the easily available materials from the hardware store, the costs work out to fraction of what it would cost to buy them. It’s worth building them as a solar panels price comparison between the two will show. Building solar panels will cost about $200 dollars for a average sized home buying and installing the same sized unit will cost around $20000 dollars.

When looking at home solar panels, you will find that they have certain differences. Each panel will produce a small amount of voltage. Different panels have different voltage ratings. A panel that generates more voltage is generally more expensive than a panel that produces less voltage. If you are looking at cutting costs than buy more of the low voltage panels as it is not important in this case, as the inverter will convert that right up to the voltage used in our homes.

Up to 90% of the the installation cost and solar panels prices can be recouped in the reduction of monthly electrical expense. Going completely off the grid can be made possible with the installation of multiple DIY solar panels. A noticeable reduction in electrical consumption can been seen on your monthly bill, starting the first week of installation. Moving to solar power is worth it as the solar energy prices are nearly nil once the initial installation is done.

Solar Power Electricity – Applications of Solar Energy

Related Posts:

Solar Power : Save Money On Electricity Every Month

Related Posts:

What Is The Symbolism Behind Japanese Sand Gardens And How You Can Create You Own?

Related Posts:

Japanese Garden Design Ideas

Related Posts:

Japanese Landscaping Ideas To Green Your Garden

Related Posts:

Home Solar Panels Cost – How To Integrate Residential Solar Panels With Home Electricity To Save Hundreds Of Dollars On Your Bills?

Home Solar Panels Advantages

Points To Consider Before You Buy Solar Panels:

Home Solar Panels – A Word of Caution

Related Posts:

Green Energy Companies – A Few Superstars Of The Future

Bridgelux, Sunnyvale California

AltaRock, Sausalito, California

BrightSource Energy, California

MiaSole, California

Solarcity, California

GreatPoint Energy, Massachusetts

SouthWest WindPower, Arizona

Related Posts:

Solar Panels Prices – Is It Worth Switching Over To Solar Power

Are High Solar Panels Prices Intimidating?

Solar Panel Prices – DIY Panels Beats Ready made Panels

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