How To Make Solar Panels

  

The first question to be answered is “why would I want to make a solar panel”, right? The answer is because you could create energy from the sun and save money on your energy bill and you would also be helping the environment at the same time.

Many people today are looking for ways to cut their energy bill due to the economy and they are turning to solar energy for help. Years ago it would have been far too costly to think about using solar power for energy savings, however the advancement of technology has made it much more affordable and it’s caused a flurry of do-it-yourselfers to make solar4-energy.com/EasySolar’;return true;” onmouseout=”self.status=””>solar panels themselves.

How hard is it to Make My Own Solar Panels?

Well, if you are handy at fixing things around your house then you should find it quite easy in fact and maybe even a little fun! There are lots of very good diy (do it yourself) guides available that can make it even easier. Most if not all of the items that you will need can be found at your local hardware store and you may even find complete kits for the project depending on which store you are shopping in.

What are the main components for solar panels?

The main component in a solar cell is called a photovoltaic cell. These are very light weight and easy to carry and are the primary building block of your solar panel. The remaining components are going to be some plywood, a roll of copper wire, solder, some silicone and some glass or plexiglass.

What are the tools needed for making solar panels?

You will need to have some basic tools that are most likely already in your tool box now. If you don’t already have a soldering iron then you will want to pick up a decent one.

How expensive will it be to make my own solar panels?

Depending on how big your house is and how much energy you would like to save from your power bill, you may want to build more than one panel, however It can be surprisingly inexpensive to make your own solar panels, in fact you can build several solar panels for under two hundred dollars.

What is the process for putting together the solar panels?

You will want to place a sheet of plywood onto a workbench and lay your solar cells (Photovoltic cell) in rows along the sheet, then drill some holes through the plywood so that you will be able to run the wires to connect all of the cells together in series. Solder the cells together and check to make sure all your connections are good before you do the next step. Ok, now you will cover the solar cells with either glass or plexiglass and you now have a solar panel!

The process should only take a few hours and you will now have the ability to reduce your electric bill and if you build enough possibly even eliminate your bill altogether.

Many people start out with the intention of building a solar panel as a back-up for their refridgerator or as a back up in case of a power outage and they get hooked on the feeling of being able to generate their own power and wind up building enough solar panels to cut their electric bill in half or more, some even eliminate their need for electricity from their local power company altogether!

EzineArticles.com

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: how to make solar panels, solar panels

Already spending hundreds month-by-month on these rising electricity-bills? It seems like a simple “Free solar panels House” Tool can easily save you all that trouble. It may be surprising, but this technique takes no more than just few days to be completed. Read the following article to learn more about this creative technology.

Some background

Assembling such “Free Solar Panels House” Tool doesn’t require any special technical skills – you simply need to follow a ‘proven-to-work’ guide that teaches how to create solar-Panels. Take your time when choosing a guide; verify that it is written in simple language and that others already reported that it worked for them. This way or another, here are some key-advantages and tips that may help you to know more about this subject.

Advantages

By now we clearly notice how it brings several key-benefits:

* Uses Wind-Power as a backup when having long periods of cloudy days.
* Helps the environment.
* No need to remember to switch off the lights each time we leave the room.
* Should you create more energy than needed; the power-company will actually pay you!
* No more power-interruptions.

Quick advice

For maximum efficiency – once in a while make sure to keep your paneling clean of dust and other dirt.

Quick summary

Thanks to “Free Solar Panels House” Tool we can dramatically ‘cut’ our monthly and annual elect. expenses to almost zero. It wouldn’t be that hard to find other great advantages provided by this remarkable idea, simply because it is highly-effective. Now is the time to take action – it is recommended to evaluate it so you could truly see how it can save your monthly budget.

Technorati Tags: free, House, invention, panels, solar, Stunning, Tool

February 16, 2009

Mr. Edwin A. Finn, Jr.

Editor and President

Barron’s

Dear Mr. Finn,

It was 1976 when I became a fan of your paper. The Dow Jones Industrials were below 1,000. Mr. Ableson’s wit made me laugh as he skewered the valuations that would justify a Dow above 1,000. In 1977, the 30-year treasury was trading at a yield around 7.75% on its way to just above 15% only four years later.

Rest assured that I will continue reading your august journal. However, when I read your front page editorial this weekend, I was deeply saddened. Barron’s magazine holds a special place among financial publications in the United States. The depth and breadth of your financial reporting is rarely matched. Your access to the best and brightest minds in business and investing gives Barron’s the ability to inform its readers, industry leaders and government, in a unique and thoughtful way. This weekend, you lost an opportunity to help your readers, our leaders, and the government, really understand the severity and complexity of the current crisis.

The Barron’s Plan presents some bold and seemingly radical ideas. You propose to take $200 billion of the TARP money and reset the principal balances of approximately $850 billion of sub prime mortgages by an estimate of 25%. I applaud your ideas, but I think they fall short of addressing and solving the difficult problems we face.

The Barron’s Plan approaches the problem from the top down. Fix the banks; make them modify mortgages; get cash flow moving; get lending restarted. The problem is that this is the old solution. It won’t work; it can’t work. The banks are no longerthe financial system, but are rather a part of the financial system. And they are an increasingly smaller part of the financial system. Like General Motors, the banks do not understand that the world changed while they were at the party. Now they have to deal with a whole array of institutions that are not banks, but lend; that are not investors, but invest. Increasingly these new entities are the financial system, and they are becoming a larger part of the system every day. They have other attributes compared to traditional banks; they are global, virtual and mostly unregulated. Let me refer you back to your own publication.

First, let’s look at the February 9th issue of Barron’s magazine. There are two articles in particular that warrant review. The first is by Senior Editor Jonathan R. Laing, titled “Advice to Geithner: Don’t Hold Back.” Mr. Laing is absolutely correct when he says, “Likewise, government purchases of banks loans won’t send nearly as powerful a signal as buying, say, asset backed securitizations comprised of hundreds of loans diversified by issuer and geographical locale.” The second article I wish to draw your attention to is Senior Editor Sandra Ward’s interview with Ray Dailo, chief investment officer, Bridgewater Associates, titled. “Recession? No, It’s a D-process, and It Will Be Long.” In this interview, Ms. Ward asks two very important questions. “So where do things stand in the process of restructuring?” and “Is a restructuring of the banks a starting point?”

The Barron’s Plan correctly identifies mortgage principal modifications as a critical first step, but you do not correctly identify, as does Mr. Laing, the entities that need to be effecting these modifications, the vast number of residential mortgage securitizations. Where your plan speaks to the need for government action, you do not address, as does Mr. Dailo, the massive global deleveraging and corresponding asset devaluation that is pounding domestic and global markets and credit. Perhaps a panel discussion with Secretary Geithner, Mr. Dailo, and Mr. Gross of Pimco, as well as some of your Round Table regulars, might be illuminating.

The Barron’s Plan comments on the need to get the economy “back on track” and the “financial system fixed.” Your plan takes a top down approach with a focus on existing banking institutions. Barron’s does not address which economy needs to get back on track? Are you referring to the economy of General Motors (GM) and the mid 20th century? Or are you talking about the economy of companies like GT solar International, Inc., (SOLR) and those of the early 21st century? This is a question about where Barron’s is focused. If Barron’s is looking forward, then they need to be focused on the small and emerging companies and entrepreneurs. These individuals and companies do not get bailouts. They cannot get credit and necessary financing to grow. They cannot come to Washington and ask for help. Consequently, when you refer to fixing the financial system, which system needs fixing? Is it the system of large global financial institutions and the large global clients they serve? Or is it the system of small local banks, finance companies, venture investors, and individuals? Check the data on which of these groups create the most new business and jobs.

Part of the difficulty with “fixing the financial system” is that there may be than one. There is a financial system and economy that is within the United States and governed exclusively by state and federal governments of the United States. There is another economy and financial system that is both within and without the United States, which is governed in part by the U.S. government, but also by other sovereign entities. There is a financial system of regulated entities and a financial system of mostly un-regulated entities. We American citizens and our government can fix the system and economy we regulate and control. We cannot fix the economy and financial system we do not regulate and control.

Addressing what we do control, let’s first be clear about the nature of mortgages and the related structural problems. Mortgage debt is a loan secured by title to an underlying asset. If a loan of $100,000 is made at 5% interest and the market rate goes to 10%, the loan is worth, in the market, $50,000. If the same loan is made to a AAA borrower and the borrower’s credit score falls, the market price of the loan falls to reflect that decline in credit quality. If the value of the asset that secures the loan falls, so does the market price of the loan. As house prices fall, the underlying security of a mortgage falls. As people lose their employment, their ability to pay their existing mortgages evaporates.

Until housing prices stop falling, and there is a floor on housing values, the economy will continue to decline in a deflationary spiral. Household wealth will continue to be destroyed; fear and desperation will rule the day. The government must enact a national moratorium on foreclosures. Instead of a bank holiday, call it a foreclosure holiday: No more foreclosures for at least 24 months.

Barron’s is right to identify mortgage principal modifications as a key step in healing our national economic wounds. But the modifications are closer to 50% of face value of the first mortgage and 100% of the second mortgage. If the problem were only with the banks, this might be relatively easy to do. However, the problem lies in the structure of the residential mortgage market and mortgage securitizations. Mr. Laing’s article clearly articulates this problem is in the “Shadow Banking System” not just at the banks. As most residential mortgage securitizations are structured, there is no legal way to fix troubled mortgages. The pool servicer does not have clear legal authority; the pool trustee does not have clear legal authority; the investors do not have the clear legal authority; and no one can act, unilaterally, without significant risk of legal action.

Only the federal government can break this log jam, and Americans must demand that their government act. Most mortgage backed securitizations, holding pools of mortgages on U.S. property, have U.S. domiciled trustees. This means they are subject to control by the U.S. government. I strongly suggest that the government mandate by law that the trustees of the securitized mortgage pools have the authority to modify, change and amend both principal amounts and interest charges on any loans in any of the pools. Further, the trustees must have the clear legal authority to sell, trade, and/or exchange any mortgage held in the pool. The federal government must then redraft the terms and conditions of all securitizations giving the trustee the power and authority to take any and all actions with respect to any and all assets in the pool.

In addition, all tranches of any and all securitizations of U.S. residential mortgages must have a CUSIP number. Market quotes, both bid and ask, must be made available through major services like Dow Jones in lot sizes of less than $20,000 to retail as well as wholesale buyers. Investors and homeowners should be able to see what is outstanding on the pool that holds their mortgages and bid on any of those securities. This will help provide liquidity to a market that is locked up, where the disparity between the bid and ask is extreme. If the market value of these securities is less than homeowners’ estimates of the value of their homes, then homeowners have a strong incentive to buy pieces of the pool and exchange face value of the certificates for face value of their mortgage. And thus will liquidity be provided to the market.

Now let me comment on the economy and financial system that we do not exclusively control. We are past the era of “too big to fail” and are now in the era of “too big to save.” The interview with Mr. Dailo of Bridgewater Associates makes the global problem quite clear—deleveraging, devaluation of assets and global deflation. The current global financial system is like a large housing development facing a wild fire racing up a canyon. In each country, its central bank and regulators are like firemen assigned to specific houses under their jurisdiction. Rather than collectively fighting the larger fire strategically, they focus on their individual houses, seemingly oblivious to the raging destruction about to engulf them.

The interconnectedness of global financial systems makes it necessary for global regulation. At the same time everyone must understand that locking down financial markets and innovation is deeply damaging to everyone, rich and poor alike. Commerce, both local and global, depends on well functioning financial markets, fund flows, trade financing, lending, and credit. As all humans have, by their nature, “the propensity to truck, barter and exchange one thing for another,” so must all people have a well functioning financial system. But how do we get there?

Our global financial system needs to work within a few guiding principals: transparency, free and open access, honest and fair dealing, and strong and effective global regulation. The market participants must have certainty that the playing field is level in all respects. No one likes to play in a rigged casino, unless it is with someone else’s money. The financial press has a responsibility to help shape the developing dialogue and debate about what the global financial system of the 21st century will look like. Barron’s magazine should lead that debate.

Lastly, while this shock to our economic system has been generated by financial excess, the next shock may come from elsewhere. Could Western Europe save Iceland or the United Kingdom? How would commerce, industry and finance react to a pandemic, a devastating drought in China or India, or some other “exogenous event?”

The Barron’s Plan takes a needed step forward. It does not stand up and remind everyone; citizens, banks, and government, that we really know next to nothing about identifying and managing risk. And as a long time reader of Barron’s magazine, I think it is fair to say that your lesson to your readers over the years is, “If you do not understand the risk, you cannot understand the return.”

Sincerely,

Francis Goldwyn

Managing Director

Quorum Associates LLC

Technorati Tags: Barrons, Editor, Edwin, Finn, Letter, Open, Plan, President, Response

Many people often wonder how to install solar panels. The thing is, it is very easy to do and can save you hundreds of dollars on your home energy bills. Who wouldn’t want to save money? Solar panels can easily be installed, are low cost to build, and don’t require much technical knowledge. Before you know it, your home will have renewable energy for life!

Solar panels work by gathering energy from the sun’s rays and converting that into electricity to power your home. The panels are made up of photovoltaic cells (PV). The panels, on average, measure between 1 and 3 feet, and the energy can either be transmitted directly to a device, or stored in a battery bank for future use. Before installing the solar panels on your home, make sure to get the necessary building permits. Check with your city guidlines for details on these permits.

When first learning how to install solar panels, it is important to remember that you must make a vital decision on where to place the solar panels on your roof. If the solar panels are in a mostly shaded area, you will lose much access to the sun’s rays. Make sure to place it in the sunniest spot available on your roof.

Make sure the solar panel is secure by drilling a mount into your roof. Next, tilt the solar panel between 10-15 degrees, and figure out which angle receives the most sun exposure.

That’s some information to know about how to install solar panels.

Technorati Tags: create, energy, free, home, Install, panels, solar

Energy is not as cheap as many of the power companies like to tell you, especially if you’re in the habit of leaving a light switched on or leaving the air conditioner running over night. We’re all guilty of such things from time to time, but how can we ensure that when the bill arrives our eyes don’t pop from their sockets?

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

The simple answer to that query is to seek out alternative power sources and solar power systems that can satisfy, easily and affordably, our energy needs is the obvious answer.

In recent decades, solar power has become increasingly popular but off-grid solar power systems specifically designed for homes and businesses, have taken off in popularity. There are two types available: Solar Thermal Panel systems and Photovoltaic Panel systems.

Thermal panel systems use the power of sunlight to heat water (or air or another liquid) to serve such household or business systems as heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Liquid is heated by solar ‘collectors’ and then circulates the building though the piping system.

There are a number of collectors ideal for your home or business, but the two most commonly used are Flat Plate and Evacuated Tube collectors.

In Flat Plate collectors, sunlight heats an absorber sheet which in turn heats the liquid in the pipes, and through thermosphyon (natural convection) it circulates through the system. The liquid is usually passed to a storage tank located above the collector. It is possible to get ‘freeze tolerant’ collectors for use in areas where extremely cold weather is common.

Evacuated Tube collectors differ greatly in design. They consist of a number of glass tubes, each of which has an inner glass tube through which the liquid passes. A vacuum between the tubes ensure little heat is lost, meaning they can use the sun’s heat more effectively that Flat Plate collectors, and since outside air temperature does not influence the system, they can be used in colder climates.

Photovoltaic panel systems can convert sunlight into electricity directly. Each solar cell uses the light of the sun to create a voltage. The cells are delicate, and susceptible to the elements of natures – not least moisture. They are made of two designs usually; wafer-based crystalline silicon cells and thin-film cells, which have the material pressed on sheets of plastic.

Photovoltaic solar panels offer one of the most cost-efficient solutions to the problems of meeting home and business power needs. While there has been a surge in the number of photovoltaic power stations constructed around the world, the availability of on-grid solar power depends heavily on where you live. Spain is the most developed nation with regards on-grid solar power, with 17 of the 20 biggest photovoltaic power stations in the world to be found there.

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

However, for the home and business owner it may be better to invest in an off-grid system with photovoltaic panels (or modules) winning hands down in that regards also. It can be constructed into a the roof or wall of a building, or mounted on the roof, ensuring a fast and disruption-free installation, regardless of whether your in an urban or rural area.

Its cost-effectiveness is clearly illustrated with the fact that 30,000 small (up to 100W) solar panels are sold in Kenya, a third-world nation, every year. It is also calculated to be 85 times more efficient than ethanol, a fuel manufactured from sugar cane and which represents 18 percent of Brazil’s energy production. Ethanol from one hectare of cane can fuel one car for 30,000 miles; or in photovoltaic terms, 2.5 million miles!

According to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA), photovoltaic panels have an estimated panel lifespan of 25-40 years and a return-on-investment period of just 8 to 12 years.

There are other factors to consider regarding solar energy systems. Most governments offer a grant system to those who switch to alternative power. In the USA, the incentives can differ from state to state, with one of California’s many incentives offering a property tax exemption to those who install solar panels in their home.

But some governments even recognize the extent of the energy revolution with residents in Ontario, Canada, for example, able to sell their own energy to the grid system at a price of USD0.42 per kWh.

So not only can you save money, you can also make money.

Making your own solar and wind power for less than $200

Technorati Tags: home, money, panels, save, solar

Frustrated about increasing electricity-bills? “How To: Solar Panels Installation” System is probably what you need. Many users already found out that this technique provides quick results almost instantly. By reading this quick article you’ll be able to learn more about how it works.

Getting some basics

The concept behind this “How To: solar‘;return true;” onmouseout=”self.status=””>solar panels Installation” System is quite simple – there are few excellent guides on the Net that demonstrate how to assemble professional Solar-Cells by using materials that can be found at any local hardware store. It is important then to choose the right guide; check for real customers case studies, make sure it provides descriptive illustrations, photos, and tech support. This way or another, here are just a few advantage & advices to help you better understand this topic.

What is in it for us?

By now we clearly notice how it brings several key-benefits:

* Requires no more than a weekend to be installed.
* Can work for anyone, no matter where he/she lives on the globe.
* Leaves us almost unaffected by any possible energy crisis.
* Cuts down on the usage of non-renewable enr. resources.
* Uses natural and clean resources.

Advice

In order to optimize it, make sure to place the solar-paneling unit in a spot that gets the most sun at all times of the year.

Summarizing this article

It isn’t just about saving thousands each year; this powerful “How To: Solar Panels Installation” System enables us to preserve our planet. Without any question – there are plenty other benefits provided by this unique idea, simply because it brings a real change to this industry. The best advice would be to try it as in most cases it will take you no more than a single weekend to have it working.

Technorati Tags: Dont, installation, Miss, panels, solar, system, This

Owning your own pool is beyond the wildest dreams of most people. Many rumours exist about the cost of installing and running a swimming pool. In practice most people don’t really have much idea about what’s involved in setting up and running a swimming pool until they actually own one. In recent years, the introduction of a large range of PVC based above ground pools has brought the ownership of a swimming pool within reach of many more consumers.

These pools, generally referred to as above ground pools, are now offered in a range of sizes from several major global brands. Two of the most well known are Bestway and Intex. They have a selection of pools which range from the shallow 8ft diameter pool right up to deep pools over 20ft long. Shapes are slightly limited but are on the increase. Currently round, oval, square and rectangular pools are the norm. Most of these shapes can be found in both of the two most popular styles of above ground pool. These are the metal framed pools where the pool is situated in a metal frame. These pools can often be left up all year round and are the more robust type of pool. The other style has an inflatable ring around the top of the pool. This is inflated prior to filling. It acts as a float on the water and ensures that the top pf the pool stays above the water line. Both of the brands mentioned above also offer a hybrid of the two types of pool. Usually this hybrid can be found in the oval shaped pools. The larger pools are effectively as big as the in ground equivalents that many people would install if they could afford them.

Compared with installing a pool as a permanent feature buying and installing a flexible substrate pool can yield significant savings. Looked after, these pools will last for many years, although probably not as long as a permanent pool. Installation of these pools is usually a DIY job and requires little more than a level piece of land and the time to do it. Usually the assembly of the pool is quick and easy and within the space of a day you can go from empty garden to fully installed pool – although depending on your pool size and water supply it may take more than a day to fill the pool.

Once full the pool is usually ready to be used immediately. A mistake which is often made by many people is to use the pool in the same way as they have used children’s paddling pools. These pools are designed to be swimming pools. As such they are not designed to be emptied and refilled on a regular basis. Many are supplied with pumps and filtration equipment. This is designed to be used with conventional pool chemicals to keep the water clean thus eliminating the need to continuously empty and refill the pool just as one wouldn’t empty and refill an inground pool on a regular basis.

Treatment with chemicals normally follows the same sorts of routine that a permanently installed swimming pool would require. This can be time consuming and expensive but is essential to keep the water fit for bathing in. Without treatment pool water will become unsuitable for bathing in within a couple of days, often with algae appearing within 5-10 days. However, as with many products, as owning a swimming pool becomes more popular then technology on pool treatments moves on. For example several companies now offer method of treating swimming pools using salt as a sanitiser. Although the salt is cheap the units required to do this are not and the electric bill to run them can sometimes be significant. Others such as Chemipool in the UK are working with the chemical industry to formulate multifunctional liquids which are just added in the required dose once a week. This makes treating one of these pools both cheap, quick and easy.

Another area of development is in heating these pools. Again, as with their permanent counterparts, flexible above ground pools can often be heated with similar equipment to the traditional pools. Exactly what is required to heat the pool depends on the pool volume. If you require a heated pool it is worth spending the time and money to buy a heater which is sized for your pool. To small a heater will have almost no effect on heating you pool. Spending money on to small a heater is wasting your money. Some companies have developed solar‘;return true;” onmouseout=”self.status=””>solar panels to heat the water. The effect of these can be quite good for heating the water but they can be expensive to install. Some owners have made their own solar panels by placing a longer pipe on the return to the pool from the pump and weaving this backwards and forwards behind a plate of glass. Some very effective results have been informally reported.

Technorati Tags: FROM, Paddling, pool, Swimming

Technorati Tags: energy, free, GENERATOR, invention, panel, Power, solar

Solar lights are really easy to install in your garden.

All you have to do is to decide on the site you want to lit and stick the fixture in the ground.

Best of all they don’t need electricity.

Some will come with a small built in solar panel on the top; other will have a removable panel that you can place at a sunny and convenient location.

During the day the solar panel linked to an electronic circuit, charges the batteries. When night begins to falls a photocell detects the changes in luminosity and switch on the light.

At sunrise the light switches off and the charging cycle starts again.

Assuming the batteries are fully charged, good quality solar lights will provide illumination all night long without any problem.

NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Batteries are often used in solar lighting applications. They will last 2 or 3 years and are easily replaceable.

Most modern solar lights use LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology.

Contrary to usual light bulbs, LED’s power consumption is very low, thus providing more lighting time.

In addition, LED’s are very reliable and can last a very long time.

Maintenance wise, the only thing required is to clean the solar panel once in a while.

Regularly removing the build up dust with a soft clothe, will guarantee optimum performance.

Do not expect solar garden lights to deliver an extremely bright luminosity.

Their main purpose is to create a pleasant atmosphere at night.

Very nice accent lighting can be obtained when the lights are well located.

Solar garden lights can be found in a multitude of designs and for many purposes.

In addition to the simple and common fixture, you can find for example floating solar lights for swimming pools or ponds, solar deck lights, solar pathway lights.

Solar lights are not limited to gardens; in my next article I will give you an idea about some other interesting solar lighting applications.

Technorati Tags: Garden, Lights, solar

 Mail this post

Technorati Tags: Cons, DoItYourself, Homes, installation, panels, Pros, solar