Passive solar homes save energy in winter and can be cool also in summer

With the large window and skylights installed in the house, it’s definitely a great way to harvest solar energy. However, there’s a problem. You will also get the sun light in summer which can heat up the house like an oven. So the energy you saved during winters times are spent in the summer to cool off. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

All it takes is to block the sunlight in the summer. You can do so by using overhang and shutters. Interior and exterior window shutters can help reduce heat gain in your home. Window shutters also offer weather protection and add more security to your house.

Source: EERE

Use Solar water heaters to generate hot water for your home

If you think solar panels cost too much, there are other ways to harvest solar energy and save energy without the high cost. You can install solar water heaters, also called solar domestic hot water systems can to generate hot water for your home. The good news is that they can be used in any climate and for free.

How does a solar water heater work? Solar water heating systems come with storage tanks and solar collectors. The storage tank is well-insulated and has an additional outlet and inlet connected to/from the solar collector. In a 2 tank system, the heater preheats water before it enters the conventional water heater. In 1 tank system, the backup heater and the solar storage are in one tank. The cost of a solar water heater usually is around $1,100.

Feel the power of the sun’s heat and the light.

In a summer day, go outside and stay underneath the Sun for 5 minutes and you will feel the power the sun’ heat. The light the heat is solar energy. Most people know about active solar systems such as solar panels, solar power plants, but not the passive solar design.

You can use solar energy to do many things. Such as:

  • Heat up your home using passive solar designs
  • Generate your own electricity
  • Even heat up the water in your swimming pool

The simplest and easiest way to use solar energy today is to line dry your clothes in the yard on on the balcony. You don’t need to invest thousands of dollars to start harvesting solar energy. Start today by lining your wet clothes up.

Solar Water Heating System Freeze Protection

Solar water heating systems, which use liquids as heat-transfer fluids, need protection from freezing in climates where temperatures fall below 42ºF (6ºC).

Don’t rely on a collector’s and the piping’s (collector loop’s) insulation to keep them from freezing. The main purpose of the insulation is to reduce heat loss and increase performance. For protecting the collector and piping from damage due to freezing temperatures, you basically have two options:

  • Use an antifreeze solution as the heat-transfer fluid.
  • Drain the collector(s) and piping (collector loop), either manually or automatically, when there’s a chance the temperature might drop below the liquid’s freezing point.

Source: EERE, US Department of Energy

What is Concentrating Solar Power?

Concentrating Solar Power’s (CSP) relatively low cost and ability to deliver power during periods of peak demand—when and where we need it—means it can be a major contributor to the nation’s future needs for distributed sources of energy. Large-scale concentrating solar power technologies include parabolic troughs and power towers.
There are more than 350 megawatts of parabolic trough systems connected to the electricity grid in southern California. Photo credit: Warren Gretz. Illustration: open domain.
Parabolic troughs have a proven track record as a technology that can function effectively for large-scale power needs. They currently provide the least expensive way to produce solar electricity. Parabolic-trough systems concentrate the sun’s energy through long rectangular, curved (U-shaped) reflectors. The reflectors are tilted toward the sun, focusing the sun’s energy on a pipe that runs down the center (focal point) of the trough. The sun’s energy heats oil flowing through the pipe, and the hot oil then is used to boil water in a conventional steam generator to produce electricity.

Power towers have also shown their efficiency in demonstration projects and one is in commercial operation in Spain, but they are not yet in use commercially in the United States. A power tower system uses a large field of reflectors to concentrate the sun’s energy onto the top of a tower, where it heats a receiver filled with a heat-exchange fluid, such as oil. The heated fluid is then used to generate electricity in a conventional steam generator. Systems using molten salt as the heat-exchange fluid retain heat very efficiently, enabling them to produce electricity up to three hours after the sun has set.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy

Solar power is the new old technology to save energy

Solar power is the new old technology that people are using to help them save money. With the economy down and prices up, people are looking for new ways to save or even make money, which solar is a good option. With this, you can buy a pre build system that you piece together or you can make your own if you so inclined.

The savings on your electric bill can save you up to 100% of your bill if you get a large enough system. If you build a system that is bigger than you use, you can sell the power back to the electric company for a little bit of profit. This might vary state to state but most states are required to buy your power at market price.

The other plus of solar power is that you save the environment by using the natural power of the sun. If enough people use this way of power, we will all save a lot of money and cut down on carbon, and other emissions pumped into the air by power generation. So help yourself and the earth out and go green. Thank you and use solar power today.

Solar Heating and Cooling

Using passive solar design techniques to heat and cool your home can be both environmentally friendly and cost effective. Passive solar heating techniques include placing larger, insulated windows on south-facing walls and locating thermal mass, such as a concrete slab floor or a heat-absorbing wall, close to the windows. In many cases, your heating costs could be more than 50% lower than the cost of heating the same house that does not include passive solar design.

Passive solar design can also help reduce your cooling costs. Passive solar cooling techniques include carefully designed overhangs, windows with reflective coatings, and reflective coatings on exterior walls and the roof.

A passive solar house requires careful design and site orientation, which depend on the local climate. So, if you are considering passive solar design for new construction or a major remodeling, you should consult an architect familiar with passive solar techniques.

Solar Tips

  • Keep all south-facing glass clean.
  • Make sure that objects do not block the sunlight shining on concrete slab floors or heat-absorbing walls.

Source: EERE, US Department of Energy

Homemade Solar Power – Save Money by Making Your Own Solar Power System

Article by Jon Osbourne

There are many positives that come with building a solar power system. These positives include, but are not limited to, saving a lot of money on your power bills and helping out the environment. It’s therefore not a big surprise to discover more and more people are starting to produce their own Do it yourself (DIY) Solar Power Systems.

Building your own DIY Solar Power system is a simple and straight forward process, you don’t need to be an expert or have an expert help you out, you just need a clear, easy to follow blueprint and you will have your own system built and producing energy in no time.

The following three steps are crucial in ensuring your homemade solar power project is a success:

  1. Get a good guide: as mentioned above, putting together a diy solar power system is not the hardest tasks in the world, but you do need to make sure you have a good guide, set of plans, to work from. There are a large number of these guides, some not as impressive as others, I highly recommend that you choose one that comes with video as well as written instructions.
  2. Materials: Once you have got a guide to work from you need to assemble all the materials listed in the guide. All of these materials will be readily available at most local hardware stores.
  3. Follow the instructions: Probably the biggest mistake a lot of people make with diy projects is rushing the process and not paying enough attention to the instructions, take the time to read through and study your guide at least once before starting, it will make the whole process that much easier.

As I’ve emphasized in this article, making your own homemade solar power is a relatively easy process, best of all you get to enjoy the substantial financial benefits that come with saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars (depending on your usual consumption) annually of your power bill. In our household we estimate a 70% reduction off our traditional power bill, those sort of savings are substantial and I’m sure you would agree in any times, let alone the current economic ones we find ourselves in, this is a welcome and much needed relief.

So if you are interested in building your own diy solar power project and saving some money, what are you waiting for? Visit the following link for more information on homemade solar power.

As mentioned above there are some great homemade solar power guides and some not so great ones, to read a review of a side by side comparison of the best three available online, take a look at the following link DIY Solar Power kits Reviewed.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Solar Water Heating System Maintenance and Repair

Solar energy systems require periodic inspections and routine maintenance to keep them operating efficiently. Also, from time to time, components may need repair or replacement.

You might be able to handle some of the inspections and maintenance tasks on your own, but others may require a qualified technician.

For help finding a qualified technician, see the Learn More resources listed on the right side of this page (or below if you’ve printed out this page). Ask for a cost estimate in writing before having any work done. For some systems, it may be more cost effective to replace, shut off, or remove the solar system than to have it repaired.

Periodic Inspection List

Here are some suggested inspections of solar system components. Also read your owner’s manual for a suggested maintenance schedule.

  • Collector shading

    Visually check for shading of the collectors during the day (mid-morning, noon, and mid-afternoon) on an annual basis. Shading can greatly affect the performance of solar collectors. Vegetation growth over time or new construction on your house or your neighbor’s property may produce shading that wasn’t there when the collectors were installed.

  • Collector soiling

    Dusty or soiled collectors will perform poorly. Periodic cleaning may be necessary in dry, dusty climates.

  • Collector glazing and seals

    Look for cracks in the collector glazing, and check to see if seals are in good condition. Plastic glazing, if excessively yellowed, may need to be replaced.

  • Plumbing, ductwork, and wiring connections

    Look for fluid leaks at pipe connections. Check duct connections and seals. Ducts should be sealed with a mastic compound. All wiring connections should be tight.

  • Piping, duct, and wiring insulation

    Look for damage or degradation of insulation covering pipes, ducts, and wiring.

  • Roof penetrations

    Flashing and sealant around roof penetrations should be in good condition.

  • Support structures

    Check all nuts and bolts attaching the collectors to any support structures for tightness.

  • Pressure relief valve (on liquid solar heating collectors)

    Make sure the valve is not stuck open or closed.

  • Dampers (in solar air heating systems)

    If possible, make sure the dampers open and close properly.

  • Pumps or blowers

    Verify that distribution pumps or blowers (fans) are operating. Listen to see if they come on when the sun is shining on the collectors after mid-morning. If you can’t hear a pump or blower operating, then either the controller has malfunctioned or the pump or blower has.

  • Heat transfer fluids

    Antifreeze solutions in liquid (hydronic) solar heating collectors need to be replaced periodically. It’s a task best left to a qualified technician. If water with a high mineral content (i.e., hard water) is circulated in the collectors, mineral buildup in the piping may need to be removed by adding a de-scaling or mild acidic solution to the water every few years.

  • Storage systems

    Check storage tanks, etc., for cracks, leaks, rust, or other signs of corrosion.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy

The Economics of a Solar Water Heater

Solar water heating systems usually cost more to purchase and install than conventional water heating systems. However, a solar water heater can usually save you money in the long run.

How much money you save depends on the following:

* The amount of hot water you use
* Your system’s performance
* Your geographic location and solar resource
* Available financing and incentives
* The cost of conventional fuels (natural gas, oil, and electricity)
* The cost of the fuel you use for your backup water heating system, if you have one.

On average, if you install a solar water heater, your water heating bills should drop 50%–80%. Also, because the sun is free, you’re protected from future fuel shortages and price hikes.

If you’re building a new home or refinancing, the economics are even more attractive. Including the price of a solar water heater in a new 30-year mortgage usually amounts to between $13 and $20 per month. The federal income tax deduction for mortgage interest attributable to the solar system reduces that by about $3–$5 per month. So if your fuel savings are more than $15 per month, the solar investment is profitable immediately. On a monthly basis, you’re saving more than you’re paying.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy