Solar Power
Solar power is often on of the first stopping points when considering other forms of renewable energy, or EARTH ENERGY.
Solar power uses the light from the sun to create electricity, usually by using solar panels or a solar collector. Solar collectors generally focus the sun's ray using mirrors, to heat water into steam and drive steam turbines to produce electricity.
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The most commonly used method of using solar energy however is the Photovoltaic modules, which when combined give us a 'solar cell'. The electricity produced by the solar cell is then fed to a bank of batteries where it is stored for future use.
Depending on whether the electricity is required to be supplied as DC or AC current and the voltage required, a battery to mains inverter may be required, with all the associated wiring, controls and switchgear.
Despite drastic reductions in the price of photovoltaic cells since the 1960's, one of the principle problems with solar power is still the cost of the equipment.
Whilst it is now relatively cheap to purchase solar powere LED lighting, purchasing enough photovoltaic cells to power a household can cost thousands of dollars.
But what if there was another, more affordable way?
There is now a great deal of information available to enable anyone with a reasonable DIY ability to construct their own solar energy power system, from simple water heating systems through to larger electrical generation and storage.
Quite a lot of it is a bit scratchy in nature, but one of the best sources for all types of earth energy is the Home Made Energy site.
I thoroughly recommend that you check out this link to see how much information is available, and how you could drastically reduce your electricity costs for far less than you ever imagined.
Regards
Derek
