Thursday, May 21, 2015

Solar Power Is Being Utilized More Often

By Parker Kenny


The usage of alternative power sources has increased greatly over the last ten years. Now a great many more homeowners can afford it. In a moderate to hot climate, the photovoltaic panels on the roof can collect enough solar energy to supply all the electricity needs of the household.

In a warm climate it can provide enough power to run all the appliances including heat and air conditioning in the home. After initial installations solar energy is a free product supplied by the sun.

The energy generated by photovoltaic panels functions the same as that generated by oil, for example. Each installation remains functional for twenty five years on average. The initial investment pays off over time.

The cost is being reduced and will continue to go down. Therefore solar energy boston ma and other locations has a sunny future. The photovoltaic panels produce electricity in a direct way. The maintenance costs are low.

Wind power is also free. However, it is sometimes noisy. Solar energy is quiet and suitable for crowded city neighborhoods where the homes are close together. It never wakes anyone up during the night as windmills can do.

Some installations of the photovoltaic panels are eligible for a government subsidy. It could be a tax credit or a cash rebate on the total cost. Since everyone likes to save money, this makes investing in this alternative power a very appealing choice.

In the city of boston solar energy may be collected on panels installed on the roof or sometimes on the ground. The installation does not detract from the beauty of the homes exterior. There are no moving parts.

The only problem that can occur with electricity from the sun is a cloudy day. On that kind of day the home will have to be powered by another source. The homeowner will want to be connected to a grid. That way the home will always have sufficient electrical power.

Inverters are needed if you want to be prepared to use both sun power and power from a grid. For a continuous supply you must also have storage batteries. There may be a need for additional homeowners insurance.

When solar power, sunlight, reaches the Earth, only about 50 percent is absorbed. The amount that is reflected back into space is approximately 30 percent. Any amount of power from the sun is that much less that must be produced using fossil fuels.

Each 10 kw solar panel will generate 17,000 kwh every year. That will save the planet from 11.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide being emitted into the air. It is the equivalent of the emissions of 2.3 cars in a year.

There are other comparisons to help clarify the issue of how much the environment benefits by using solar energy. The 17,000 kw are the equivalent of CO2 emissions that would be released by using fossil fuel to produce the same effect. It is equal to an amount that would result if 27.7 barrels of oil were burned.

The rays of the sun can also be stored and used as thermal energy. For example, it can be used in some heating systems. One of them is the under-floor heating elements. Another is for air conditioning systems.

Saving the environment and specifically the air quality is going to benefit future generations. Fossil fuels will be conserved and will not pollute the air. The future of your children and grandchildren will be better thanks to this burgeoning technology that uses solar power.




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