Do it yourself solar panels|Renewable energy guide

FAQ

Question #1. What is renewable energy and how is it developed?

Answer #1. Renewable energy is the creation of energy from known sustainable sources that does not leave a carbon residue on earth. Fossil fuels such as coal and oil/gasoline leave a carbon pollution on our planet that we can no longer ignore. Environmentally, clean energy is the emerging choice for development of clean alternative energy in the form of thermal heat or electrical power (electricity). There are many types: Proximity to source matter and technology each play a big role in which forms are least costly and therefore emerge faster when consumers and markets demand. Presently, solar power (from the sun) and wind power (from the wind) are developing more rapidly world wide resulting from greater technological advances than the group. Solar power comes from photovoltaic's (PV), a process whereby the sun on solar cells wired together into solar panels generates dry cell electricity. Enough of these devices linked together will provide sufficient power for a required or calculated power requirement such as your home. Technology is also advanced significantly for wind turbines for those who choose to rely on strong and consistent wind. The various kinds of renewable energy are discussed at Question #6 Answers below.

Question #2. Isn't solar power and wind power expensive, and complicated?

Answer 2. When you “Do It Yourself”, you can cut your costs to a fraction of what “retail” would normally cost. It’s a fun project, and with this step-by-step guide, you can quickly and easily start producing your own electricity. Thousands of people are making their own power from solar and wind at a fraction of retail cost.

Question #3. How much money can you save by building your own Solar panels?

Answer #3. For too many years your only option was to buy retail solar panels at $1,125. With installation, that could total over $27,000 for your entire house!* *2007 Installed Costs from ScienceDaily.com ($7.50/watt)

Now, with the help of this detailed “DIY Solar Panel” guide you can join the revolution of Do-It-Yourselves who have figured out how to inexpensively create their own energy and enjoy doing it. This DIY Guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of constructing 60- to 120- watt Solar panels for under $200. You can easily do it for less than $100 if you do a little extra work in collecting materials. In fact, You Could Actually Build One For Less Than $27 if you took the time to rebuild and connect “broken solar cells” together (which isn’t that hard to do).

Question #4. What if I am not the "Handyman Type"?

Answer #4. Everything is broken down into Easy to Follow Step-by-Step Instructions, now including videos. . I’ve been told by numerous people that the guide was able to take even the most difficult solar panel construction methods and distill them down to simple and easy steps that even complete beginners can easily follow.

Do not worry if you don’t consider yourself “technically inclined,” this guide will show you how to do it step by step. And we won’t leave you alone! There is a list of resources and support to help you with your project all the way until it is completed. Technical assistance is available if you get stuck.

Question #5. What is the return policy for the Easy to Follow Step-by-Step Instructions?

Answer #5. If you are not 100% completely satisfied with your purchase, you will be given a 100% refund. No questions will be asked! You have 60 days to receive a full refund, no questions asked. Just send an email to refunds@greenDIYenergy.com to begin refund processing. You are completely secure in your decision to buy. Please also send an email copy to support@renewablenergydevelopment.com to ensure full customer service from this site.

Question #6. What are the various kinds of renewable energy and can you define or provide information on each of them.

Answer #6. Yes, the following information is defined or described by Wikipedia.

Biomass, a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms,^[1]such as wood, waste, (hydrogen) gas, and alcohol fuels. Biomass is commonly plant matter grown to generate electricity or produce heat. In this sense, living biomass can also be included, as plants can also generate electricity while still alive.^[2]The most conventional way on how biomass is used however, still relies on direct incineration. Forest residues for example (such as dead trees, branches and tree stumps), yard clippings, wood chips and garbage are often used for this. However, biomass also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibers or chemicals. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. It excludes organic materials such as fossil fuels which have been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum.

Geothermal power (from the Greek roots geo, meaning earth, and thermos, meaning heat) is power extracted from heat stored in the earth. This geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet, from radioactive decay of minerals, and from solar energy absorbed at the surface. It has been used for bathing since Paleolithic times and for space heating since ancient Roman times, but is now better known for generating electricity. Worldwide, about 10,715 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power is online in 24 countries.

This power is cost effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but has historically been limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Recent technological advances have dramatically expanded the range and size of viable resources, especially for applications such as home heating, opening a potential for widespread exploitation. Geothermal wells release greenhouse gases trapped deep within the earth, but these emissions are much lower per energy unit than those of fossil fuels. As a result, geothermal power has the potential to help mitigate global warming if widely deployed in place of fossil fuels.

The Earth's geothermal resources are theoretically more than adequate to supply humanity's energy needs, but only a very small fraction may be profitably exploited. Forecasts for the future depend on assumptions about technology, energy prices and subsidies for development. Photovoltaic's (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels comprised of a number of cells containing a photovoltaic material. Materials presently used for photovoltaics include monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium selenide/sulfide.^[1]Due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources, the manufacture of solar cells and photovoltaic arrays has advanced considerably in recent years.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Hydrogen (Fuel Cell) A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts a source fuel into an electrical current. It generates electricity inside a cell through reactions between a fuel and an oxidant, triggered in the presence of an electrolyte. The reactants flow into the cell, and the reaction products flow out of it, while the electrolyte remains within it. Fuel cells can operate continuously as long as the necessary reactant and oxidant flows are maintained.

Fuel cells are different from conventional electrochemical cell batteries in that they consume reactant from an external source, which must be replenished^[1]– a thermodynamically open system. By contrast, batteries store electrical energy chemically and hence represent a thermodynamically closed system.

Many combinations of fuels and oxidants are possible. A hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as its fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as its oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols. Other oxidants include chlorine and chlorine dioxide.^[2]

Nuclear Power is produced by controlled (i.e., non-explosive) nuclear reactions. Commercial and utility plants currently use nuclear fission reactions to heat water to produce steam, which is then used to generate electricity.

In 2009, 13-14% of the world's electricity came from nuclear power.^[1]Also, more than 150 naval vessels using nuclear propulsion have been built.

A Solar inverter or PV inverter is a type of electrical inverter that is made to change the direct current (DC) electricity from a photovoltaic array into alternating current (AC) for use with home appliances and possibly a utility grid.

Solar inverters may be classified into three broad types:

Stand-alone inverters, used in isolated systems where the inverter draws its DC energy from batteries charged by photovoltaic arrays and/or other sources, such as wind turbines, hydro turbines, or engine generators. Many stand-alone inverters also incorporate integral battery chargers to replenish the battery from an ACsource, when available. Normally these do not interface in any way with the utility grid, and as such, are not required to have anti-islanding protection.
Grid tie inverters, which match phase with a utility-supplied sine wave. Grid-tie inverters are designed to shut down automatically upon loss of utility supply, for safety reasons. They do not provide backup power during utility outages.
Battery backup inverters. These are special inverters which are designed to draw energy from a battery, manage the battery charge via an onboard charger, and export excess energy to the utility grid. These inverters are capable of supplying AC energy to selected loads during a utility outage, and are required to have anti-islanding protection.

Solar inverters use special procedures to deal with the PV array, including maximum power point tracking and anti-islanding protection.

Solar shingles, also called photovoltaic shingles, are solar cells designed to look like conventional asphalt shingles. There are several varieties of solar shingles, including shingle-sized solid panels that take the place of a number of conventional shingles in a strip, semi-rigid designs containing several silicon solar cells that are sized more like conventional shingles, and newer systems using various thin film solar cell technologies that match conventional shingles both in size and flexibility. Solar shingles are manufactured by companies including SunPower Corporation, Solar Components Corporation, Atlantis Energy Systems, and Dow Chemical.^[1]

Solar Power is the generation of electricity from sunlight. This can be direct as with photovoltaic’s (PV), or indirect as with concentrating solar power (CSP), where the sun's energy is focused to boil water which is then used to provide power.

Tidal power, also called tidal energy, is a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into electricity or other useful forms of power. The first large-scale tidal power plant (the Rance Tidal Power Station) started operation in 1966.

Although not yet widely used, tidal power has potential for future electricity generation. Tides are more predictable than wind energy and solar power. Among sources of renewable energy, tidal power has traditionally suffered from relatively high cost and limited availability of sites with sufficiently high tidal ranges or flow velocities, thus constricting its total availability.

Wave power refers to the energy of ocean surface waves and the capture of that energy to do useful work - including electricity generation, desalination, and the pumping of water (into reservoirs). Wave power is a form of renewable energy. Though often co-mingled, wave power is distinct from the diurnal flux of tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean currents. Wave power generation is not a widely employed technology, ..... Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_power

Wind Power is the conversion of wind into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, wind mills for mechanical power, wind pumps for pumping water or drainage, or sails to propel ships.

Question #7 What suggestions would you give to anyone building a solar home?

Answer #7 The two bigger questions you must first answer are: 1) to select a general contractor with the desired experience in solar energy, and 2) how to position the construction on the building site and select materials for maximum efficiency within the elements.

Positioning the home in the elements and selecting its materials and style involves the study of thermodynamics, i.e. the transference of heat from a hot object to a colder object, and transference of cold from a cold object to a warmer one until they are equalized. It is a fascinating study for a prospective green energy solar home builder to lower further the cost of heating and cooling: Higher and longer outside eves are important; the light color of roofing is important to summer temperatures in an attic or garage to include steel shingles or light colored solar shingles; using external sunscreens for shielding windows that face up, south or west in the summer is efficient;

Adam Dachi's article Thermodynamics at Work is a must read. The article is full of enlightened and logical advice for needed considerations. For example, position the house on your lot for maximum heat if you live in the polar regions and maximum cooling if you live nearer the equator. Best wishes on you home building project! After you place your order, please go to the following link to conclude this question's answer: http://lifehacker.com/5572468 Be sure to read the whole article.

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