DIY Green Solar Energy

a short video showing the small solar water heater i designed a couple of days ago. it consists of 136 feet of 1/2″ black tubing. internal diameter is actually 3/5″ (cost approx .00), 4 connector pieces (to connect the various pieces together and to connect it to the house (cost approx. .00)), and finally the ‘y connector’ so i could have the garden hose hooked up at the same time (cost approx .00). all purchased from home depot. total cost was approx. .00. all i did was coil 100 feet of the hose and attach it to a piece of plywood. after 30 minutes of sun the water temperature is about 130-133 degrees and after 60 to 90 minutes it can reach 150 degrees. the tubing can hold about 2 gallons of water at a time. if you drain and refill several times throughout the day you could easity get 10-15 gallons of hot water a day. of note: they call the tubing 1/2″ but the actual internal diameter of the tubing is 3/5″ (.6 inches). 100 feet of tubing holds 1.47 gallons and 136 feet of tubing holds approx. 2 gallons. home depot sells a 500 foot roll for about .00. that would hold 7.36 gallons of water. For extra pics and info. – click on the website link from my youtube channel page.

This is part 2 of a tour with detailed explanation of a residential solar thermal/solar hot water heater system. Here I do into detail on various parts/components including the controller, temperature sensors, expansion tanks, flow meter, bypass valve assembly and stagnation control methods like vacation bypass valves, heat dump radiator, and covering the collector with a tarp. The system is the Enerworks one. It’s installed in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, so cold climate issues apply. The solar panels or collectors are flat plate type. The solar tank and the natural gas backup tank are shown, as well as the heat exchanger and all piping. How the solar energy from the sun heats the absorber in the collector and then the food grade propylene glycol (antifreeze) and water mix is also covered. For more on solar thermal/solar hot water heating systems, see: rimstar.org – rimstar.org

www.solarhotwaterstore.com – should you choose evacuated tube solar collectors or flat plate solar collectors for your DIY solar hot water or solar heating project? Discover the simple answer. And, to learn more, visit www.solarhotwaterstore.com

SolarBeam is installed a the government building in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada to provide solar hot water for the facilities heating system. When the sun is shining, the SolarBeam provides free solar hot water from morning to evening because it can track the sun throughout the day. There is no issue with snow collecting on the SolarBeam because when the system starts tracking the snow starts sliding off. The snow shown on the SolarBeam right now used to be almost a foot deep in the morning. The SolarBeam’s parabolic dish has a black backing, so as the sun reflects on its surface, it gets heated and slides off. The system provides an average of 10kW of thermal heat per hour. The SolarBeam is sold through distributors around the world and can be used in any application that uses hot water. For example: fire stations, schools, hospitals, beverage companies, pharmaceutical companies, wineries, government buildings etc. The SolarBeam can be installed in the ground or on a concrete flat roof. The SolarBeam ‘s parabolic dish is 15 feet wide and the post is 8 feet tall. It uses anodized aluminum as its reflective material, not glass. This makes it very safe to use in residential and commercial applications. For more information about the SolarBeam, check out the website at: www.solartronenergy.com

Solar power energy systems are not inexpensive. That said it’s important to compare them within context of other types of home improvement projects. Home buyers and realtors view a solar photovoltaic or solar hot water heating system as a significant value-added improvement – similar to adding a deck or remodeling your kitchen. Plus unlike a deck or kitchen remodel, you also gain one-up on your power bills. Here are some foolproof ways to estimate the cost of a solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system and to figure out if a solar energy system makes sense for you.

Six Easy Steps To Estimate Cost of a Solar Power System

Solar power energy systems are not inexpensive. That said it’s important to compare them within context of other types of home improvement projects. Home buyers and realtors view a solar photovoltaic or solar hot water heating system as a significant value-added improvement – similar to adding a deck or remodeling your kitchen. Plus unlike a deck or kitchen remodel, you also gain one-up on your power bills.

Solar power systems often get an additional financial boost as well: many jurisdictions and utilities across the USA offer attractive financial incentives to drive down the upfront capital costs associated with a solar power system.

Here are some foolproof ways to estimate the cost of a solar photovoltaic or solar thermal system and to figure out if a solar energy system makes sense for you. Let’s start with a home photovoltaic (PV) system. Step 1: Estimate your home’s electricity needs

To get started, it’s good to have a sense of how much electricity you use. You’ll have a better point for comparison if you find out how many kilowatt hours (kWh) you use per day, per month, per year. Your utility bill should include that information.

Of course, the utility bill will also display your costs and many utilities include a graph that displays how your monthly energy use/cost varies throughout the year. That helps you estimate where your highest energy use is and at what time of year. New Home Construction

If you are constructing a new home, then you’ll need to estimate your demand based on the type of equipment you plan to install and your home’s square footage. The pross call this “your load”.

To figure out your anticipated load, create a table to record the watt use for each appliance. Each appliance – be it a water heater, electric light, computer, or refrigerator – should have a nameplate that lists its power rating in watts. Or you can get the information from the manufacturer’s website.

Some labels list amperage and voltage only; to obtain watts multiply the two together (amperage x voltage = watts). In another column, record the number of hours each appliance is expected to operate. Then multiple the watts and hours together to estimate watt-hours used per day. Since it’s hard to anticipate all electric loads (it may get tedious scouting out every toothbrush and mobile phone cell charger), you might want to add a multiplier of 1.5 to be safe. Step 2: Anticipate the future

In 2005, average residential electricity rates across the USA ranged from about 6 to nearly 16 cents per kilowatt hour depending on where you lived. Average retail and commercial electricity rates have increased roughly 30% since 1999 and the upward trend will likely continue especially as costs for the coal and hydropower used to generate that electricity rise as well. So think about your home electricity needs and present and future cost in relation to one another.Step 3: How much sun do you get?

The Florida Solar Energy Center has conducted a study to examine how a 2-kW photovoltaic system would perform if installed on a highly energy efficient home across the continental USA (http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/publications/html/FSEC-PF-380-04/).

The study accounted for all factors that impact a PV system’s performance such as the temperature effect on the photovoltaic cells, the amount of sun peak hours in various regions, and the efficiency of inverter to convert solar derived energy from DC to AC.

As the study implies, solar photovoltaic systems work just about anywhere in the US. Even in the Northeast or in “rainy Seattle”, a pv system can pencil out if designed and installed properly. In New York or New Jersey, a one kilowatt system should produce about 1270 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, in Seattle, a one kilowatt system should produce about 1200 kilowatt hours per year. In the Southwest, of course, those ratios will be much greater.

Solar contractors in your area can help determine the best size for your solar photovoltaic system. Step 4: Size your system

In general, solar photovoltaic systems sized between 1 to 5 kilowatts are usually sufficient to meet the electricity needs of most homes. One advantage of grid-tied systems is that you can use solar PV to supplement or offset some of your electricity needs; therefore you can size your system to match your budget and always add to the system later if needed.

Also as a side note, here’s a rule of thumb to remember to help you estimate the physical space your PV system might need: one square foot yields 10 watts. So in bright sunlight, a square foot of a conventional photovoltaic panel will produce 10 watts of power. A 1000 watt system, for example, may need 100 – 200 square feet of area, depending on the type of PV module used. Step 5: Know your rebates

Many states and local jurisdictions offer rebates, tax credits and other types of incentives to homeowners for installing residential photovoltaic and solar domestic water systems. To view a comprehensive database of the incentives available for renewable energy visit http://www.dsireusa.org.

At the Federal Level, you can take advantage of a 30% tax credit (of up to $2,000) for the purchase of a residential solar system at least until December 31, 2008. Step 6: Run the numbers

Although the cost for a solar PV system will depend on the size of the system you intend to install, your electricity rate, the amount of kilowatt hours you expect to generate, and the state/local rebates/tax credits that may be available, the formulas for calculating the returns are pretty much the same.

For those who appreciate having the formulas, use the ones listed below to do a quick ballpark estimate of how much a solar photovoltaic system might cost you.

Retail Price for Solar Photovoltaic System

+ Building Permits

- $2,000 Federal Tax Credit

- State or Local Tax Credit or Rebate

- Utility Rebate or Other Incentive

= Net Investment

Kilowatts of electricity generated from PV per year

x Kilowatt hours used per year

= Annual Kilowatt energy from the PV system

Annual Kilowatt energy from the PV system

x Current Residential Electricity Rate

= Annual $$ Saved

Yearly Excess PV Energy Produced

x $$ credit applied per watt

= Annual Value from Net Metering

Of course, a more accurate assessment can be made by a pro. Work with a solar power contractor to size and price the right system for you. As is true with any major purchase, don’t hesitate to ask for several bids from different contractors.

Many solar power providers will provide you with a comprehensive estimate. Helpful information to know includes:

- Total cost to make the system operational (labor cost for design and installation and equipment costs)

- Equipment (Make and Model)

- Warranty info

- Permit costs, if needed

- Tax, where applicable

- Federal tax credits

- State or local jurisdiction tax credits or rebates

- Utility rebates

- Expected Renewable Energy Certificates or Net metering credits

- Expected operation and maintenance costs

- Projected savings Solar Thermal (also called Solar Hot Water)

Solar thermal systems capture the sun’s energy to heat water and are one of the most cost-effective renewable energy systems. They are used to heat hot water tanks and/or a heating system. A solar pool heating system is another type of solar thermal system designed specifically to heat a pool or hot tub.

Generally it’s worth investigating the economic viability of installing a solar hot water system if you have an electric water heater with utility rates of at least 5 cents per kilowatt hour and have tax credits or rebates available. (It may even be worth changing out a gas-powered water heater if your costs are at least $8/million BTU).

The formulas for costing out a solar water heater system are similar to estimating the cost for installing solar PV system. Many solar energy professionals can help you determine what system might work best for you. Heating Your Swimming Pool with Solar Power

Although few jurisdictions provide financial incentives for using solar energy to heat a swimming pool or hot tub, in general, using solar power to heat your pool is a “no-brainer” from a return on investment standpoint.

The electricity used to heat a pool during the swimming season often amounts to the same amount of energy that homes-without-pools consume over a year. Combining a solar thermal system to generate heat for the pool with a solar thermal pool cover to retain the heat generated can further maximize efficiencies and extend your swimming season.

Most installers recommend that a solar collector used to heat a pool is sized at roughly half the square footage of your pool surface area. Solar thermal panels typically last 10 – 20 years and come with a 10-year warranty.

How long it takes to break even on the cost of your solar power pool system depends on where you live. In California or other parts of the Southwest, you’ll break even in 1 to 3 years but places as “far north” as Canada, a solar pool heating system pencils out over a slightly longer period of time.

These days we are experiencing a growing awareness to the fact that our energy resources, as they have been used in the last few years, are probably not going to last for long and that the energy markets are exposed to more and more rapid changes, some due to political reasons and others because of the changing climate of the planet.
Solar energy is a renewable free source of energy which is sustainable as it is not inexhaustible, unlike fossil fuels which are finite. It is also a non-polluting source of energy and it does not emit any greenhouse gases when producing electricity. The solar electricity that is produced can supplement your entire or partial energy consumption. Using solar energy means reducing your energy bills and saving money. Also having solar PV panels adds value to your home, they are low maintenance and unobtrusive. Germany is the global leader for solar-generated electricity.
Why choose solar energy?
Australia is the luckiest country in the world. Our geography gives us the opportunity to use the most natural, sustainable and clean energy in our homes – the energy from the sun.
Solar thermal applications are the most widely used category of solar energy technology. These technologies use heat from the sun for water and space heating, ventilation, and many other applications.Solar energy is not a new concept, it has been properly introduced to the global public many years ago and successfully implemented in different parts of the world in different ways, so we can say that solar energy is known to most people, but it is still not as popular as it should be, as a cheap replacement for other sources of energy. The energy of the sun, from its direct sun rays that are projected directly at the earth or by giant wind turbines are free fro us to use, to manipulate for our needs, and this can be done by almost anyone in any place, it just needs to technology and the know-how.