Solar Panels: Alternative Energy for Your Home
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The BP Oil Spill was a grim reminder of the disadvantages of using fossil fuels such as oil and coal as an energy source. Fossil fuels take eons to form, and are considered non-renewable – once their sources are depleted, we'll have to wait millions of years before they can be replenished, a prospect none of us would be willing to wait for . Fossil fuels emit fumes into our atmosphere that are considered as a major cause of greenhouse gases that are considered the harbinger of global warming and climate change. For these two reasons, people are looking for sources of alternative energy – sources that are renewable, and has minimal or does not deal any damage to our environment .
Wind, geothermal, biomass, biofuels, hydro, and solar energies are considered to be renewable sources of energy, virtually limitless and also less polluting. The renewable sources of energy are not without disadvantages. All are currently still more expensive than fossil fuels. Research and development are however poured in to make these more efficient and less expensive. While wind, geothermal, biomass, and biofuels are large-scale implementations with all the constraints connected with large scale projects, solar energy harnessed through solar panels can be used piece-meal, and can be used even in households .
Solar, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells are usually made of silicon that transform the sun's light into direct current electricity. An inverter is then used to convert direct current into the alternating current available in our power outlets. A solar panel is made up of these tiny cells. When taken together, solar panels connected together form a solar array and implemented on a large scale such as the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) in the Mojave Desert, producing more than 300 MW of electricity. For a few solar panels though, only a small amount of electricity can be had which is enough to light up a few bulbs in your garden or garage. To make solar energy power up an entire household would entail a lot of solar panels and take up much space.
An alternative energy for homes is to replace common roof tiles with solar or PV tiles. This would be able to supply and store more electricity than a few solar panels without using up any additional space. Granted that this would be more costly as you would have to pay for the installation as well, since installation should have to be done by professionals and it is discouraged to do it on your own unlike one or two solar panels that come in an easy to install kit from a home improvement shop. The payback would be realized though the years as you can save 75% to 100% of your electricity bills. However, this would in a small way diminish usage of electricity from the power grid that uses non-renewable forms of energy. While it would take years or even decades to make non-renewable energy sources as a minority in the power industry, it is now a good time to start contributing by installing solar panels in our homes. |
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Author Resource:-
Nick Morgan is an expert if you want more information on solar panels. To discover all the stuff relevant to solar panels, head to the web presence available at >>> http://www.thegreenelectrician.co.uk
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By :
Jessie Stone
Submitted
2010-10-19 20:38:16 |
Article From Article Mayhem
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