What is thermal energy

Why is this important? What can we possibly do with energy from heat? As it turns out, we wouldn’t even be here without thermal energy. The majority of the energy the Earth gets from the sun doesn’t come as light, but as heat. Thermal energy from the sun is responsible for the generally warm and hospitable climate we enjoy. It fuels weather patterns and changes in the atmosphere.

You can experience the effects of thermal energy in your everyday life as well. Turn on your stove and hold your hand a few inches above the flame or the electric burner. The heat you feel is thermal energy being transferred to the room at large.

About now you’re probably wondering how we can use thermal energy in an alternative energy system. The most common application is in cooking. Solar cookers collect heat from the sun and use it to bake or slow cook food such as breads and stews. Some of them get quite hot –several hundred degrees.

Another way to use thermal energy in cooking is to use a haybox cooker. This is a heavily insulated oven. They were so named because the first ones were boxes surrounded by bales of hay. Many farm families still utilize this form of cooker. The meal to be cooked is heated to a boil using some other fuel source and then immediately transferred into the haybox cooker. The insulation keeps it from cooling down, and the food continues to cook. Several hours later it is ready. Haybox cookers were the original Crockpot!

The second common application of thermal energy is in heating. Both conventional and alternative energy systems utilize thermal energy to help heat buildings. Radiant floor heating is a good example. Hot liquid is pumped through tubes installed under the floor of a building. The liquid heats the tubes and the floor, which then warms the building.

A better-known example is the woodstove. Woodstoves and fireplaces have been used for heating purposes for hundreds of years. Older models weren’t very energy efficient or clean, but newer models are much better. They are airtight and produce very little air pollution. In addition, wood is an infinitely renewable resource when it is managed right.

Thermal energy is one of the most important types of energy, and it is easy to utilize in alternative energy systems.

Flexible solar panels

The first solar panels were made of rigid, inflexible cells. They had to be mounted in place, usually on the roof of a house or business. Each panel was extremely expensive, bulky and quite heavy. These panels were primarily used for large-scale electrical production. It wasn’t practical to carry them around, especially given the fact that they had to be installed by specialists.

All solar panels are produced by applying a photovoltaic material to a solid material called a substrate. The substrate forms the shape of the panel and allows the solar cells to be stacked on top of each other. The first substrates were all made of rigid silicon, but researchers soon learned how to use amorphous and protocrystalline silicon, among other kinds, as substrates. These forms of silicon are much more flexible, and thus the flexible solar panel was born.

Today flexible solar panels are among the most versatile gadgets in the world. They are integrated into calculators, into backpacks and even into laptops. The military uses flexible solar panels to power remote communications equipment and to charge electronic devices. Outdoor enthusiasts attach flexible solar panels to boats, recreational vehicles, cars and even golf carts.

Some of these panels go beyond being merely flexible. Foldable panels can be folded for easy storage, as can rollable panels. Both were originally developed for military use but have migrated into the civilian market. Campers and backpackers can take sheets of these panels into the farthest reaches of the wilderness and still have power. When it’s time to move they simply roll or fold the sheet of solar panels, put them in a backpack and head off. Many of these panels are also waterproof!

The number of ways flexible solar panels are used is increasing all the time. They now come integrated into some roofing products, such as the new solar shingles. The roofing panels can even be walked upon! A European company has also found a way to integrate flexible solar cells into a special window glazing, where they both tint the windows and generate a portion of the building’s electricity.

Solar power is a rapidly changing field. New breakthroughs are being made all the time. The development of flexible solar panels was one of the most revolutionary advancements, but it certainly won’t be the last.

What are the main functions of the solar charger’s & inverter’s

The Charge Controller
A charge controller is necessary because it prevents the batteries from overcharging. Every solar panel converts the power of the sun into electricity. The more sunlight there is, the more power the solar panels produce. Batteries aren’t designed to take large power fluctuations, however, and they can only hold so much charge before they break down. The controller regulates the power flow that is sent to the batteries and keeps them fully charged, so they are ready to be used when they are needed.

All batteries have a three-stage charging process: Bulk, Absorption and Float. The batteries draw the most current during the Bulk stage. After the batteries reach a certain level of charge, usually 14.4-14.6 volts, the current tapers off but the voltage is maintained while the batteries charge. Once the batteries are charged, the voltage must be reduced to 13.4-13.7 volts and the batteries have to draw a small current to maintain the charge. A controller automates this cycle and makes certain the batteries are never damaged by being overcharged. It is installed between the solar panels and the batteries.

The Inverter
Solar panels produce electricity in the form of low voltage direct current (DC). Most modern appliances operate using 120 volts of alternating current (AC). There are special appliances available that are designed to operate using the DC produced by solar panels, but any standard appliance will require the use of an inverter.

An inverter is an ingenious little device that changes direct current to alternating current. It also steps the voltage up to 120 volts. Three kinds of power inverters are normally used on solar power systems today: square wave, modified sine wave and true sine wave inverters. The names refer to the shape of the current ‘wave’ that is produced by the inverter; a sine wave is considered to be best.

Square wave inverters are the cheapest. They are limited to 500 W of power. They are also rough on equipment, because the wave shape is so far from the ideal. Modified sine wave inverters are slightly more expensive and produce a wave with a shape between that of a sine wave and a square wave. Most equipment and appliances will run on one, but computers and anything with a timer or a motor speed control mechanism will not.

True sine wave inverters are the ideal. They are also the most expensive of the three kinds. They will run any kind of equipment, and some are computer controlled.

Sun Power Your Life with Portable Solar Panels

While solar panels once had to be fixed in place, there are now a number of portable solar panels on the market. These panels come in a variety of sizes and power levels. Some of them come with their own power station; others are integrated into radios, backpacks or other devices.

Solar Charging Kits
These small, portable solar panels are designed to keep batteries topped off on boats, in RVs, or anywhere else you might go that happens to be off grid. Some only char

ge up 12V batteries, while others are designed to charge IPODs, cell phones and other small electronic devices.

Some of these kits are also designed for other uses. For instance, a portable solar panel setup is now on the market that is designed to keep an electric fence charged. The farmer can move the system from paddock to paddock, so only the ones that are holding livestock have to be charged. These panels allow farmers to rest easy, knowing that a power outage won’t result in coyotes getting some of their precious stock.

A solar charging kit will cost you between $100 and $300.

Solar Charging Stations
Like the charging kits, these panels can be used to charge batteries, but the range of potential applications is much greater. They come with a power station that has actual plugs, so tools and laptops can also be charged. The panels in these kits are larger and more powerful than those in the smaller kits.

A charging station will cost anywhere from $400 to $600.

Gadgets
No market is complete without a wide range of gadgets. The solar power industry may have developed more gadgets than any other industry in the world. Among them are the popular solar-powered radios that so many have stored away for emergencies. These radios come equipped with a small solar panel. Some of them can also charge cell phones.

The solar backpack is a recent and worthwhile introduction. These backpacks

have solar panels integrated into the back of the frame. They are also fully wired to support the charging of various electronic devices. Some are more powerful than others, and a few produce enough power to run a laptop and charge another device simultaneously.

This fall will see the introduction of the first solar-powered laptop. This computer, which is manufactured by Samsung, will have its own built-in solar panels. It will never need to be plugged into an outlet. No doubt many more will follow.

Disadvantages of Alternative Energy

The main disadvantages of alternative energy are that it is diffuse and intermittent, but it can also be costly and difficult to implement.

Diffuseness
The main disadvantage of alternative energy is that it is extremely diffuse, or spread out. This is because all forms of alternative energy rely on the sun in one fashion or another, and because sunlight is evenly spread out over the planet’s surface there aren’t “deposits” of renewable energy, such as there are with oil.

Another way to look at this problem is to compare alternative energy with oil. The EROEI (Energy Returned Over Energy Invested) of oil is as high as 100-1. This is the reason oil is useful for so many things. The EROEI of solar energy, however, is only about 12.5:1. Oil is the power of sunlight concentrated over long periods of time, while solar power or wind power is generated from the sunlight that strikes earth today.

None of this means that alternative energy sources aren’t helpful or viable, but they don’t provide the concentrated power that oil and natural gas do.

Intermittency
The second primary disadvantage of alternative energy is that it is intermittent. The sun dosn’t always shine, nor does the wind always blow. This means that electricity can only be generated when the conditions are right. Most alternative energy systems have battery backup systems that store excess power for the times when it’s not possible to generate electricity. These batteries can be expensive.

Cost
Alternative energy can be more costly than conventional sources. This is due to the large amount of capital utility companies have to invest in order to build massive solar and wind farms and string new lines from the facilities to existing infrastructure. It is also expensive for citizens to hire private firms to install their own wind and solar systems.

This disadvantage can be mitigated, however, by homeowners with a do-it-yourself bent who decide to install their own alternative energy systems. The cost has now come down to the point where most homeowners can afford to install at least a small system.

Difficulty of Implementation
The final disadvantage of alternative energy is that it can be difficult to implement, at least for large utility companies. Giant wind farms have to be built in areas with a high average wind speed. Likewise, solar farms must be placed where there is a lot of year-round sunlight. These places are often located far from population centers and conventional power plants, such as the Great Plains and the Desert Southwest. It is expensive to build plants in these locations and to connect them to transmission centers.

Once again, this disadvantage can be mitigated by homeowners who want to install their own systems.

How does Photovoltaic work?

It directly converts light into electricity and it’s all done at the Atomic level, WOW! Photovoltaic cells, also called Solar cells are made up of the same kinds of semiconductor materials, such as Silicon.

The Photovoltaic solar cells are made up of a thin semiconductor wafer that is specially treated to form a electric field with one side being positive and the other side negative. When the sun light strikes the solar cell, the electrons are knocked loose from the atoms in the semiconductor material.

WHOA! wait a minute! you may say that sounds complicated! well hopefully this helps.

The top layer of the semiconductor wafer has tiny amounts of phosphorus on it which creates free moving negative charges called ‘electrons’. The base semi-conducting layer, has tiny amounts of boron. This creates free moving positive charges called ‘holes’.

When the two layers are placed close together, as in a solar cell, the positively charged ‘holes’ and the negatively charged ‘electrons’ are attracted to each other. As they move into each others layers they cross their neighboring boundary line.

This movement of negative and positive charged particles generates a strong electrical field across the boundary line. When the sunlight hits the cell surface that’s coated with a thin layer of anti-reflective coating, it causes both the electron particles and hole particles to separate, which creates electrical current.

OK, Now that we got that out of the way!  So when electrical conductors (wire) are attached to both the positive and negative sides of the solar cell, they form an electrical circuit and the electrons can be captures in forming a electrical current, than can be connected to a Inverter and charger. That’s Photovoltaic Solar Cell Electricity!

Choosing and Using Solar Energy

With the rising cost of energy, and the absolute explosion of the solar energy industry, turning to alternative energy solutions for homes and businesses is a choice that an increasing number of People have decided to make.

Through government incentives, rebate programs and payment agreements, or some combination thereof, creating all or some portion of your energy needs with solar energy is cheaper, and easier, than ever.

If harnessing, converting, storing and eventually using the sun’s energy to power your own home or business sounds extraordinarily complex, do not despair, for while you are certainly not alone regarding solar power as an impossible dream, in truth it is a relatively simple process.

The basic equipment that a solar array requires are solar panels, one or multiple inverters, and a large amount of wiring. That’s (mostly) it.

The solar panels contain one of a variety of semiconductors now being used, which attract and combine with the sun’s energy to free electrons within the panel. When the solar energy strikes the photovoltaic cells, which usually contain silicon, it allows electrons to flow, while an electric field produced by the cells forces the electrons to flow in a particular direction.

The flowing electrons create a current, which is absorbed by metal in the solar panels and in turn dispersed to combiner boxes, where the energy is “combined”. The collected energy then flows to the inverter. The inverter has a very simple job: convert the energy produced and harnessed by the solar panels to a usable form. From there, the energy is either stored in solar batteries or put to use creating electricity.

The process is simple enough, but erecting a solar array will take much more than an understanding of how exactly the array will create electricity. In addition to procuring the necessary equipment and electricians and installers to set it all up, there is also a need to apply for permits from your local government office, which can be a project in itself.

The simplest and often cheapest means of equipping your home or business to use solar energy is by contacting a private solar integrator. In addition to taking care of just about everything on the design and construction end, many companies offer Power Purchase Agreements, or PPAs, which are a means for you to begin using solar energy to save extensive amounts of money on your power bills with no out of pocket cost. Basically, a PPA is an agreement between you and a solar integrator:

You agree to purchase all of the energy produced by the solar array, and the integrator agrees to survey your roof or lawn, determine how much energy can be produced, secure the necessary permitting, buy all the equipment, use in-house or third-party crews and electricians to install everything, and contact your local power company to tie your array in to the grid.

However you choose to do it, using solar is a choice you will not regret.

Harness The Wind (Wind Turbines And Generators For Your Home)

Creating your very own source of electricity using wind Turbines and Generator power does sound pretty exciting, and this alternative to the local power company has many wondering if it is indeed a viable option, And of course you may be attracted to the idea of actually building such a generating station yourself. There are a few things to consider before investing in wind power, mostly having to do with the initial costs and the eventual return on the investment.

How Much Wind?

For a wind turbine to be efficient in producing electricity you will have to set it up in a place where the average windspeed is at least 10-15 mph. The wind doesn’t have to be blowing all the time, but when it does it must be strong enough to keep the propellers in motion. And the higher off the ground, the better a wind turbine will operate because the windspeed increases starting about 30-40 feet above the surface. There are online maps that show the most feasible locations in every part of the world, so remember that not all places are equally likely to produce sufficient power for your home.

What Do these Things Cost?

You can procure a build-it-yourself kit that can produce enough electrical power to run many of the appliances in your home. These kits cost about $700-$1,000 for the smaller sizes, but this price increases if the turbine is pre-built. And the cost of the turbine does not include the price of materials and labor for constructing the tower, which must be erected in an open area and firmly anchored in the ground. Certain legal restrictions are in place to prevent these towers from being built where they can be seen from neighboring properties, so it is vital to check with the local authorities before making a decision. Also there are mini models available that are fastened directly to the top of a home or other building.

Connecting It All Together

The turbine unit contains a propeller and shaft, a generating unit that is either in the main body of the turbine itself or located just beneath, and a set of step-up gears that produce about 1,500 rpm or greater. The generator must be wired to the batteries, which are generally stored indoors, so there is underground wiring to be placed. And the breaker panel installed must have a converter unit so that the direct current is turned into AC for the home. There is going to be some tricky rewiring necessary to connect this new power source into the main breaker panel, sometimes requiring a permit to bring everything up to code.

Will It Pay For Itself?

Some of the larger units can actually produce enough electricity to charge a half dozen automobile type batteries. The idea is not to completely disconnect the main power source, but instead switch over to the battery-stored power supply much of the time. The initial investment may take ten years or more to recoup, but then again, the joy of building one of these units may be the main inspiration, as well as doing your part to decrease reliance on an already overworked and antiquated energy grid.

Multi-purpose Voltaic System, Charge your small electronic devices anywhere you go!

Charger comes with a 2 watt solar panel on each side of the case to provide a total of 4 watts of charging power. This has great potential whether your hiking, camping, boating or just away from a power source, you can just unzip the pack and plug-in! It’s that simple as long as you have sunlight. It’s light weight, and easy to carry! Total package including battery is just 1.1 lbs (480 grams)

A charging time of 1 hour will provide  about 3 hours of talk time for a cell phone and 4-5 hours of of full sunlight will provide a full charge. The Solar Portable Amp comes with a micro and mini USB tip for smart phones, 9 different cell phone and other various device tips, caring case with built-in photovoltaic solar panels, universal USB battery pack.

I think one of the coolest things about this is the green factor, it’s completely off the grid and get this! the fabric shell is made with recycled PET (no not as in animal pet) but as in recycled soda bottles which are lightweight, waterproof, and UV resistant which in my mind makes this solar carrying case the best all around because it’s made environmentely friendly.

This Solar Portable Amp comes with a 2 year warranty on the case and panels, and a 1 year warranty on the battery.

Just think of the possibilities, sitting on the beach and my iphone battery never runs out, WOW!

Solar Panel Do-It-Yourself Kits

There are a number of different kits on the market, and all come in different sizes and configurations, but there are three main types: standard kits, plug and play kits and grid-tied kits. Each has its own features and drawbacks.

Standard Kits
A standard solar kit can be used to do anything, from powering tools in a remote location to running a household. The kit is limited only by its size; for instance, it takes a lot more power, and therefore a larger setup, to power a household than it does to run a water pump.

Most kits come with a panel or panels, a charge controller and an inverter. Some also come with batteries, sockets and output cables. A lot of kits are expandable, which allows you to start with only one or two solar panels and gradually add more until you have enough to generate the amount of power you require. The smallest mini-kits start at less than a hundred dollars, and the prices climb into the thousands.

These kits are easy to put together. Even an inexperienced handyman (or woman) should be able to have one up and running in a couple of hours. The main thing to remember is to be careful –you are dealing with electricity, after all, and you don’t want to end up looking like Einstein!

Plug and Play Kits
These small kits are used mostly for emergencies and recreation. Most of them are smaller kits that can be used to power lights, laptops and radios and to charge cell phones. They come with a solar panel, a charge controller, an inverter and a power station that contains a battery and sockets. All the necessary cables are also included. You plug everything together and you’re in business. It can take less than five minutes to set one up. These kits range from $200 to $1000 dollars.

Grid-Tied Kits
Grid-tied kits are designed to produce serious power, and to feed it back into the grid. These kits usually produce at least 200 W of power. The kits come with the panel(s), the inverter, a wiring kit and a mounting kit. These kits have no batteries. A new breaker box will also be required. Grid-tied kits are the most expensive. They start at around $1000 and go up from there.

WARNING: There is a serious risk of electrocution when you install a grid-tied system. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you need to call someone who does!