How to use solar panels?

[jack,jackson]

The Basics of Solar Power for Producing Electricity
Learn the essential basics of using solar power so you can understand your project.
Planning your project begins with understanding the basics found in this section.

An excellent place to start for those just beginning.
Solar power works well for most items except large electric appliances that use an electric heat element such as a water heater, clothes dryer and electric stove - for example - or total electric home heating systems. It is not cost effective to use solar power for these items. Conversion to natural gas, propane or other alternatives is usually recommended. Solar power can be used to operate a gas clothes dryer (Maytag, etc) because the electrical requirement is limited to the drum-motor and/or ignito-lighter, but not a HEAT element for drying the clothes, for example>continued here

http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-basics.html



http://www.solarpanelstore.com/

[aslan]

Originally Posted by jack,jackson

The Basics of Solar Power for Producing Electricity
Learn the essential basics of using solar power so you can understand your project.
Planning your project begins with understanding the basics found in this section.

An excellent place to start for those just beginning.
Solar power works well for most items except large electric appliances that use an electric heat element such as a water heater, clothes dryer and electric stove - for example - or total electric home heating systems. It is not cost effective to use solar power for these items. Conversion to natural gas, propane or other alternatives is usually recommended. Solar power can be used to operate a gas clothes dryer (Maytag, etc) because the electrical requirement is limited to the drum-motor and/or ignito-lighter, but not a HEAT element for drying the clothes, for example>continued here

http://www.solar4power.com/solar-power-basics.html



http://www.solarpanelstore.com/

Since I plan to retire to the desert outside of Vegas and Death Valley, I am very interested in solar energy as well as wind power. As I understand it, the big breaktrough in solar would be batteies of smaller size yet able to efficiently hold great amounts of electricity. Also, smaller solar panels with the same collection power as larger ones would be progress. I don't think we're at the point that solar will run one's entire household, but I do think that day will come. But maybe combined with wind power, I could run my whole house. then the problem is the cost. How many years will it take just to get my financial investment back? I don't have that many left!

[jack,jackson]

Originally Posted by aslan

Since I plan to retire to the desert outside of Vegas and Death Valley, I am very interested in solar energy as well as wind power. As I understand it, the big breaktrough in solar would be batteies of smaller size yet able to efficiently hold great amounts of electricity. Also, smaller solar panels with the same collection power as larger ones would be progress. I don't think we're at the point that solar will run one's entire household, but I do think that day will come. But maybe combined with wind power, I could run my whole house. then the problem is the cost. How many years will it take just to get my financial investment back? I don't have that many left!

What inspired me, was seeing this guy on the news the other night who lived completely off Solar energy. He said certain States had incentives, where they would pay for half the costs. I guess he meant writing it off, on your taxes. He also said, he was nice and warm, when everybody else lost their power for 5 days during this years Ice storm.
They say, that the Suns light that hits the Earth in just 1 hour is enough energy to power the entire World for an whole year.
Im sure, depending on how many panels you had, you could power your entire house. Dryer, Electric stove...etc And the best part about is? You'll never have to pay and electric bill again.

I plan on learning more about it. As well as Gardening.

[sagefr0g]

Originally Posted by jack,jackson

What inspired me, was seeing this guy on the news the other night who lived completely off Solar energy. He said certain States had incentives, where they would pay for half the costs. I guess he meant writing it off, on your taxes. He also said, he was nice and warm, when everybody else lost their power for 5 days during this years Ice storm.
They say, that the Suns light that hits the Earth in just 1 hour is enough energy to power the entire World for an whole year.
Im sure, depending on how many panels you had, you could power your entire house. Dryer, Electric stove...etc And the best part about is? You'll never have to pay and electric bill again.

I plan on learning more about it. As well as Gardening.

hey jj you know if you put a rock out in the hot sun and wait a while you could fry an egg on it? just kidding lol.
how about heat pumps? are they anygood. i mean i've heard when it really gets cold they need to be helped along by an auxillary source of heat. just wondering what the most efficient heating supply would be now a days.

[jack,jackson]

Originally Posted by sagefr0g

hey jj you know if you put a rock out in the hot sun and wait a while you could fry an egg on it? just kidding lol.
how about heat pumps? are they anygood. i mean i've heard when it really gets cold they need to be helped along by an auxillary source of heat. just wondering what the most efficient heating supply would be now a days.

Yep. I knew that. Of course it depends on how hot it is and how dense the rock is. The denser it is, the hotter it will get, opposed to a sediment type of rock.

Dont know much about heat-pumps. Of course, Im sure it all depends on the efficiency of the paticular unit(BTUS) on how cold the current temp was. While some would be sufficient for some conditions, other would not.

It kinda makes me think about aslan moving to the desert. Now im thinking, since the deserts are so hot during the day and so cold at night, that if you built a house out of steel or iron you would never need a Air-conditioner or Heater; because the Steel(if thick enough) would absorb the suns heat all day, in effect taking all night to cool off. Like-wise the steel would absorb the coldness all night, keeping the house cool during the daytime, all the while making its transformation between cool and warm, somewhere during the middle of the day and night. Meaning, since the steel is so thick, its temperature would be opposite of the present air temperature.

[aslan]

Originally Posted by sagefr0g

hey jj you know if you put a rock out in the hot sun and wait a while you could fry an egg on it? just kidding lol.
how about heat pumps? are they anygood. i mean i've heard when it really gets cold they need to be helped along by an auxillary source of heat. just wondering what the most efficient heating supply would be now a days.

I have two heat pumps. They are fine in moderate climates. Yes, auxiliary heat in the form of electric heating elements are needed when it gets too cold.

One thing I've heard is that building a home underground makes it a lot easier heat and cool, but I wonder about the practicality and practicability of building underground in the desert where they don't even build basements in most homes and where flash flooding is common?

In the desert valley where I may build, the wind is fairly constant, so I understand, making windmill power a consideration. But the cost can be prohibitive. Same for solar panels. I noticed that the home builders I visited in the area never mention the idea of solar or wind energy. I suppose that's because it is cost prohibitive. I'll ask next week when I'm out there.

[N&B]

Solar Power is fine in certain regions of the country, but impractical elsewhere. The North East, North West, and Great Lakes region (Toledo OH is the worst) won't see practical usage. Again due to seasonal climate changes, and population density, wind power is off the books in the BosNYWash, and rust-belt areas: the regions where its needed most.