Solar Energy

need some simple information about solar energy and power. Do solar panels absorb the suns rays? what are the benefits of solar energy? and other basic information

10 points for best answer

The panels absorb light from the sun, and convert directly into electricity. They are used in outer space, and remote locations on earth to generate power over long periods of time without maintenance. Anyplace else they are used, they are not cost effective.

To supply a small house with 3600 watts (when the weather is good and the sun shines) costs over $30,000. This isn’t enough power to air condition a home or do much of anything else. (It will power 36 100 watt incandescent light bulbs … when the sun is shining and the weather good.)

If you lived up north where no a/c was needed, used propane to heat and run a refrigerator (yes you can refrigerate just using propane as the energy source), used LED lighting, had some deep discharge storage batteries, a back-up propane generator, notebook computer, etc. you might possibly be able to sort of get by with solar cells.

But cost effective? No. And being an engineering to tie it all together and keep running would be helpful.

Picture of solar Panel.What is Solar Cooker?Advantages of Solar Energy.Disadvantages of Solar Energy.Uses of Solar Energy.

A photovoltaic module or photovoltaic panel is a packaged interconnected assembly of photovoltaic cells, also known as solar cells. The photovoltaic module, known more commonly as the solar panel, is then used as a component in a larger photovoltaic system to offer electricity for commercial and residential applications.

Because a single photovoltaic module can only produce a limited amount of power, many installations contain several modules or panels and this is known as a photovoltaic array. A photovoltaic installation typically includes an array of photovoltaic modules or panels, an inverter, batteries and interconnection wiring.

Solar Energy Advantages :
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Saves you money :
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After the initial investment has been recovered, the energy from the sun is practically FREE.
The recovery/ payback period for this investment can be very short depending on how much electricity your household uses.
Financial incentives are available form the government that will reduce your cost. (visit www.dsireusa.org to find out about incentives available in the state you live in!).
If your system produces more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a credit on your account! This nifty little scheme is called "net-metering".

It will save you money on your electricity bill if you have one at all.
Solar energy does not require any fuel.
It’s not affected by the supply and demand of fuel and is therefore not subjected to the ever-increasing price of gasoline.
The savings are immediate and for many years to come.
The use of solar energy indirectly reduces health costs.

Environmentally friendly:
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Solar Energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil and coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment.
It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere like many traditional forms of electrical generation does.
Therefore Solar Energy does not contribute to global warming, acid rain or smog.
It actively contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions.
It’s generated where it is needed.
By not using any fuel, Solar Energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of radioactive waste.

Independent/ semi-independent:
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Solar Energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied energy consumption. It does not only reduce your electricity bill, but will also continue to supply your home/ business with electricity in the event of a power outage.
A Solar Energy system can operate entirely independently, not requiring a connection to a power or gas grid at all. Systems can therefore be installed in remote locations (like holiday log cabins), making it more practical and cost-effective than the supply of utility electricity to a new site.
The use of Solar Energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or international events and so contributes to a sustainable future.
Solar Energy supports local job and wealth creation, fuelling local economies.

Low/ no maintenance:
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Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.
Once installed, there are no recurring costs.
They operate silently, have no moving parts, do not release offensive smells and do not require you to add any fuel.
More solar panels can easily be added in the future when your family’s needs grow.

Solar Energy Disadvantages:
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The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one.
The cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-competitive.
Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a good level of efficiency.

The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
The production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the air.
Similarly, no solar energy will be produced during nighttime although a battery backup system and/or net metering will solve this problem. See www.dsireusa.org for details on how net metering allows you to save electricity and money.
As far as solar powered cars go – their slower speed might not appeal to everyone caught up in today’s rat race.

i need a solar panel (or panels together) that’s no bigger than 16" by 10". the panel(s) need to produce a combined total of at least 7 volts and roughly 50 amps (50000 MA) and higher preferably 8 volts 70 amps. i need the panel(s) to be under $200 if possible. now with the wind generator i need something small like salt shaker size or smaller than i can rig to a fan or something

If this is not a troll or a joke, then to answer seriously, what you want is not possible on earth. The incoming solar flux (light from the sun) has only about 1/3 of what you are requesting, even outside earth’s atmosphere.

However, a lead-acid battery could fit within the dimensions you specify, and provide that kind of power, at that cost. If you’re serious, then post another question with details of your end application, instead of just power specs. People can help you out.

You can hook up fan blades to a small hobby motor, and get something about the size of a salt shaker. It might be enough to recharge a cell phone, in steady wind. Again, if you post details, people can help you.

My husband is interested in buying solar panels for the roof and i dont know where to find them.

Buying solar panels can be very expensive, especially for installation.

If your average daily usage is 6.6 kilowatt per hour, then you would need a 2 kilowatt system that could generate ten kilowatts per hour in a day. This system could cost between $10,000 to $20,000. Of course, the higher wattage, the higher the cost.

There are some alternatives to spending thousands of dollars on solar panels.

1) Buy several solar panel kits and link them together yourself.
2) Combine solar with wind power to decrease the number of panels you will need.
3) Build your own solar panels for around $200 each.

If you are handy with some basic soldering, then you can make your own solar panels.

http://www.cat.org.uk/information/info_content.tmpl

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=diy+wind+solar+alternative+build&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Can any one tell the available place for solar panel in Chennai and the cost of the panel..

Sree Nandhee’s Technologies Pvt. Ltd.,
No.99/208, 3rd Street, 8th Main Road,
AH Block, Annanagar,
Chennai – 600 040.
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
Phone : +91 44 – 4343 6969
Mobile : +91 9840070046

Contact the above address.

I would like to know if different types of light (That is, UV, X-ray, gamma, and infra-red lights) change the data in any way at all.

Presently yes !!
Different wavelength of light (UV, Xray….etc) are not captured by the PV cells that are used in the solar panel.
Current status of efficiency might be somewhere around 20-25% only

But I believe research is improving the efficiency of conversion. One of the prototype designed by the lead specialist in Renewable energy foundation has somehow managed to achieve a 50% higher capturing & converting methodology. For more details, kindly look into the sources section below.

Depends on the panel.

http://www.solarhome.org/solarpanelscenter.html#type

I’m doing a project for school and I’m a little confused about energy and solar panels. I’m looking to propose installation of solar panels to power the computer lab at my school. From what I’ve read a computer and monitor use roughly 350 watts per hour. I was looking at solar panels and it says they produce various wattage. For example, I was looking at one rated at 200 watts. Does that mean 200 watts in a day? Or per hour? Please help.

The rating of a solar panel is a maximum continuous rating. A 200 Watt panel will give a maximum of 200 watts under ideal conditions.
A computer and monitor use about 400 Watts. not per hour – watts is Volts * Amps and a measure of Power. In 1 hour a computer and monitor uses 400 Watt hours (Wh). Wh is a measure of Energy.

To power a lab of 10 computers you will need 10* 400 = 4000 Watts.
To run this from solar panels through the day only you would need a 4000 Watt panel.
Except – its cloudy, the sun is in the wrong place – many factors reduce the output.

To be reasonably safe you would need about a 12000 Watt panel.
Then you would need
batteries to store power through dull periods AND
a voltage converter to change from low voltage DC from the solar panels to the mains voltage for your computers.

Wouldn’t a solar tube be more suited to provide solar energy than a panel? As I understand it the panels must be pointed at the light source in order to harness energy from the sun, wouldn’t a tube always have a surface pointed towards the sun, thus eliminating the need to constantly rotate the panel?

what you want, is the most surface area, exposed to the most sun, possible.
the way to do that, in the northern hemisphere, is to have a flat panel, tilted south, sort of toward the equator.
but not all the way south.
around here, the energy is calculated over a year, so you want to optimize the generation in the summer, when more energy is available.

it’s not a good idea to make an accordion.
the materials to make the solar panels are expensive, so folding them wastes material.

panels don’t care much whether electricity strikes them vertically, or at an angle, other than, vertically concentrates the available energy more, and generates more electricity.