Energy Matters asked:


 

Electric and gas hot water systems accounting for approximately 20% of a household’s greenhouse gas emissions,and by installing a solar water system you will reduce these emissions and also save up to 75% of your water heating costs! Table below is sourced from the Debartment of Environment and Climate Change NSW.

How does solar hot water work

There exist two types of collectors:



flat plate collectors (great for when tank must also be roof mounted)

evacuated tubes (great for frost prone areas)



Flat plate collectors work on copper pipes running through a glass covered collector, often connected to a water storage tank on the roof. The hot water can then thermo-syphon itself in and out of the tank, thus heating the water. The updated option of flat plate collectors are evacuated tubes.

Evacuated tubes use a glass tube with a vacuum inside it and copper pipes running through the centre. The copper pipes are all connected to a common manifold which is then connected to a slow flow circulation pump which pumps water to a storage tank below, thus heating the hot water during the day. The hot water can be used at night or the next day due to the insulation of the tank.

The evacuation tube system are superior as they can extract the heat out of the air on a humid day and don’t need direct sunlight. Due to the vacuum inside the glass tube, the total efficiency in all areas is higher.

Solar pool heating uses a similar technology to building / household solar hot water systems. Solar pool heating involves covering a roof with a black blanket of coils and pipes which also get heated by the sun combined with a slow flow pump which circulates the water through the panel and into the pool. Unfortunately Energy Matters only installs building / household solar water heating systems and does not perform installation of pool water heating systems.

About the Author:-

Energy Matters specializes in solar power & wind energy for your home. We offer products and services including batteries, deep cycle batteries, renewable power, solar hot water and heating, solar panels, wind generators etc.

http://www.energymatters.com.au/

Aleks Kos asked:


Solar power system is the process of using the light from sun and turning it into an energy source. It has become a reliable alternative to regular power sources in remote areas. It has even been used in outer space. Solar power system is used in homes, lighting, architectural projects, and cooking. It has become even more popular as the cost of fossil fuel continues to rise. Solar panels are designed to collect the power from the sun.

Once solar energy is collected by the solar panels it has to be converted into energy. This can be done by a process called solar thermal application. It involves using the energy from the sun to directly heat air or liquids. The process of photoelectric application involves the use of photovoltaic cells to change the energy into electricity.

Solar power poses no harm to the environment. However, other threats to the environment may affect the ability to use solar power system in the future. Global dimming is the result of pollution. It allows less sunlight to reach the surface of the Earth. A recent concern is global dimming, an effect of pollution that is allowing less sunlight to reach the Earth’s surface. Global dimming is caused by pollution particles and global warming.

The Solar Electric Power Association is an organization of electric utility companies and the solar industry. They joined together to find solutions to meet our energy needs. SEPA is a network of more than one hundred companies. Fifty are utility companies, twenty five are solar companies, and the rest are various types of businesses. They share experiences, knowledge, and information about solar programs, They also discuss policies and technology relating to their field.

Is solar energy right for you? There are advantages to using this as a safe alternative to fossil fuel. Solar energy is free. It can be used in areas where electricity can`t be set up easily. The sun is not a resource that is going to be depleted. Disadvantages are that it doesn’t work at night. The cost of creating solar power stations to store such energy is very expensive. In some area of the world, solar energy just isn’t an option because the climate does not receive enough sun light.

Energy from the Sun – Solar power system.

Tommy Johnson asked:


What about a solar power home system? Do you know you can save up a lot of money, once installed? If you are asking yourself how can sun drastically reduce your expenses, you can learn something new today. Learn how to produce your own energy.

In the United States, about 94% of the energy production is made out from petroleum, natural gas, coal, uranium and propane. These are all not renewable sources.

The rest 6% production, is made out from biomass, hydro power, geothermal sources, wind and sun. These are instead renewable forms of energy.

All this means you should start thinking about environment and your future. You should also think about how, a solar power home system, will make you more safe and make you spend much less.

1.4 Kilos of carbon dioxide, per person, per day, is produced when an electric water heater is used, 1.7 Kilos using methane. The use of solar panels, has zero emission of carbon dioxide, and zero emissions of other harmful substances.

Sun is the source of all energy, you can take advantage of this incredible power by starting to use solar panels, a good choice for your house.

Wind also offers a very good resource to use, costs are little and works fine in energy production. Wind turbines, convert the kinetic energy of the wind, into other forms of power.

Fortunately, energy saving habits has started in families; people start buying energy saving products like lamp bulbs, low power devices, home appliances, etc. These habits should be took as an example, if we still love our planet.

If you still think, you do not need a solar power home system, you will lose all the potential of nature and the way it could work for you.

Start now to help global climate stability. Think of energy in a different way.

CLICK HERE for more info

Mark Hostetler asked:


Living in Nevada, the sun is an almost constant companion. This gives Nevadans a unique opportunity to use solar radiation powers for good. In April, a tour of southern Nevada homes shed some light on the subject of solar powered homes. Hosted by the American Solar Energy Society, this Nevada branch of the National Solar Tour explored homes that used both passive and active solar power, thermal hot water systems, and other environmentally features. However, unless you’re a green technologies expert, or took the tour, you may not know the difference between passive and active solar, or how thermal hot water is different than average. Let me help you understand!

Active solar technology is the one that most people may be familiar with. It involves having a solar panel that collects the sun’s energy and converts it into electricity. These have a battery where energy is stored, so electricity can still be used at night, and, to a certain extent, on cloudy days. Solar panels are an excellent way to make electricity, especially in remote areas. While they are moderately costly to set up, and do require some maintenance, they provide reliable and free electricity, even in climates far less sunny than Nevada’s.

Passive solar technologies are far older than active ones, and involve utilizing the natural heat and light the sun creates, without converting it in any other way. Have you ever noticed that after a long, hot day, south-facing rocks, pavement or brick and adobe buildings will radiate warmth? They have spent the day passively collecting solar energy, and are releasing it. Some materials are better at absorbing and storing that heat energy than others. For example, wood insulates, meaning it will block temperatures, whereas stone will absorb and release temperatures. Homes that are built to take advantage of passive solar are often constructed of brick, adobe or concrete. Cob is another passive-solar-friendly and ancient building material that is going through a revival of sorts. It is made of sand, clay and straw, similar ingredients as adobe, but adobe is baked into bricks and stacked, whereas cob structures are free-formed while the material is wet. Passive solar homes usually have a lot of windows lining their south walls, and less so their east and west walls, with little to no windows on the colder north sides. These windows do two things. First, they provide natural light inside the home, one aspect of passive solar. Second, they allow heat to come into the home. If the home has a stone tile floor and even walls, that tile will absorb the heat, releasing it later when the outside temperature drops.

Passive solar homes can be designed to be cool in summer while using the sun to warm them in winter. For example, if shutters are closed during summer months, the home will remain much cooler. Also, the height and angle of overhang can be considered to maximize the windows exposure to low winter sun, but minimize exposure to the high summer sun. Alternatively, I saw an interesting example of someone planting deciduous trees on the south side of their home. In the winter, the trees had no leaves and so let in a lot of light and heat. In the summer, their thick greenery provided shade that kept the house cool.

So that is the major difference between active and passive solar technologies. Since passive solar is essentially free, it would be wise for any architect or home designer to take it into consideration when building new homes. Well designed passive solar homes can greatly reduce their electrical energy needs. And while active solar is brilliant technology, it still takes many resources to create. Plus, it may be superfluous in an area with an existing electrical source.

As for thermal water heating, it too is a very simple concept. Home made thermal water heaters can be as simple as an outdoor water tank painted black, but that’s a little crude for most tastes. However, there are a variety of styles out there. Some have panels that are metal painted black and enclosed with glass, with copper pipes filled with water running through them. This water will heat, and is then pushed by gravity into an insulated storage tank. Some solar water heaters use a similar set-up but with tubes filled with anti-freeze that are then hooked up to a heat transfer loop, where water in a storage tank is heated. Whatever system you use, thermal water heating is surprisingly affective.

There are a lot of ways to take advantage of the sun and use less electricity. Check out next year’s National Solar Tour to see them for yourself.