by: Anna Williams A solar power inverter forms an important part of any home solar energy system which supplies enough electricity to get you off the grid. The inverter converts direct current, which is produced by a solar panel, into alternating current. There is also a charge controller, which can use excess power to charge [...]
Homemade Solar Panels – How to Build Your Own Solar Panels & Save 80% on Utility Bills!
Making your own solar power panels helps you save money on your utility bills by ensuring your alternative energy source is renewable and sustainable over the lifespan of the panels. In addition, you are protecting the environment as solar power does not emit harmful gases into the air in the process. Contrary to general believe, [...]
Homemade Solar Panels – The Pros and Cons of DIY Solar Power For Homes
Solar energy is a technology which has been around for more than 20 years, and has recently taken the lead as an alternative fuel source, thanks to the high and fluctuating oil prices. This is especially so in these times of global economic crisis with shrinking household budgets and escalating utility bills. The benefits of [...]
Evaluating Your Site’s Solar Resource for Solar Water Heating
Before you buy and install a solar water heating system, you need to first consider your site’s solar resource. The efficiency and design of a solar water heating system depends on how much of the sun’s energy reaches your building site. Solar water heating systems use both direct and diffuse solar radiation. Even if you [...]
Diffuse and Direct Solar Radiation
As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, some of it is absorbed, scattered, and reflected by the following: * Air molecules * Water vapor * Clouds * Dust * Pollutants * Forest fires * Volcanoes. This is called diffuse solar radiation. The solar radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface without being diffused is called direct beam [...]
Solar Radiation Basics
Solar radiation is a general term for the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. We can capture and convert solar radiation into useful forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, using a variety of technologies. The technical feasibility and economical operation of these technologies at a specific location depends on the available solar radiation [...]
How to Evaluate Your Site’s Solar Resource for Solar Electricity
The solar resource across the U.S. is ample for solar electric systems—also known as photovoltaic (PV) systems—because they can use both direct and scattered sunlight. However, the amount of electricity generated at a particular site depends on how much of the sun’s energy reaches it. Thus, PV systems function most efficiently in the southwestern United [...]
Considering a Small Solar Electric System
To help evaluate whether a small solar electric system will work for you, you should consider the following: Your available solar resource—do you have clear and unobstructed access to sunlight for most or all of the day, throughout the year? The system size—do you have a roof or area large enough to accommodate it? The [...]
Energy Performance Testing, Certification and Labeling
The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) operates a voluntary program that tests, certifies, and labels windows, doors, and skylights based on their energy performance ratings. The NFRC label provides a reliable way to determine a window’s energy properties and to compare products. The NFRC label can be found on all ENERGY STAR® qualified window, door, [...]
A window’s, door’s, or skylight’s ability to transmit sunlight into a home can be measured
A window’s, door’s, or skylight’s ability to transmit sunlight into a home can be measured and rated according to the following energy performance characteristics: * Visible transmittance (VT) A fraction of the visible spectrum of sunlight (380 to 720 nanometers), weighted by the sensitivity of the human eye, that is transmitted through a window’s, door’s, [...]