Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Important Things About Solar Power

By Sophia Coates


The use of solar powered energy is actually more common, than it previously has been before. There are more manufacturing businesses of solar panels and inverters than there previously was before. The value of solar panels has reduced by approximately seventy per-cent in the last couple of years. Government agencies are adjusting legal guidelines to encourage the use of renewable energy. Local councils are integrating renewable energy into their construction codes. Banking institutions are offering 'green' mortgages specifically concentrating on the purchase of eco friendly hot water systems, solar panel products, water tanks etc. Solar collectors are increasingly becoming a part of the regular landscape in suburbs across the world. It seems so many people are getting on the solar train. But just what is the benefit of solar power to the ordinary household consumer? Is solar power worth it?

The answer to this issue may be addressed in a number of different ways - many ways in fact. I will answer this issue from three perspectives: practicality, monetary and also environmental friendliness.

Most people will likely be wondering about the benefit of solar energy from a financial perspective. Will solar pay off? The solution to this question largely depends on a number of different factors. The greatest element influencing this answer is where you live in the world. Where you reside decides the amount of sunlight your solar collectors will be exposed to during the year. The closer you live in the direction of the poles, the less the quantity of sunlight hours you will be exposed to when compared to your counterparts near the equator. This equates to less electricity generation in comparison to your counterparts. Which country you reside in, also determines whether or not you can receive government financial incentives to install a photovoltaic system. Consider what your numerous levels of government are providing. Additionally, make sure you research and find out what the cost is to install a system. When determining the time it will take to pay back the initial cost of the install, consider your electricity usage, as well as the forecasted increasing cost of electricity into the future. Based on these factors, you will definitely get much more of an idea if solar power can pay itself off for the short term, in the long run, or if perhaps even at all.

You may be asking this question about the benefits of solar power from an environmental point of view. That is, does solar power when compared with other forms of generation (natural gas for example), reduce the quantity of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere per kilowatt of electrical power produced? My quick search around Google suggests that solar PV generates CO2 pollutants significantly less when compared with electrical power generated by natural gas turbines, Diesel, coal and oil generators, by a factor of 10! In recent times, there has been a speedy technological improvement in the production of PV cells and solar panels, such that the environmental benefits of setting up solar power are increasingly becoming more and more apparent.

Thirdly, consumers are wondering about the effect that solar will have on them from a practical point of view. For example, you may have a need to get electrical power to an isolated area. The significant decrease in price to set up solar has now made it a real, practical alternative when compared to other alternatives. Certainly in Australia, consumers are putting in stand-alone systems as the cost to set up electrical power infrastructure such as power poles and a transformer is considerable. You may well be wondering what the routine maintenance expense is once you own a system. The majority of PV systems are grid connected. These types of systems require little if any routine maintenance. When ever the sun is shining and the PV system is creating sufficient electricity, surplus electric power is fed back to the grid. At times whenever the household requires more electricity than the system can output, the power grid supplies what is required. The inverter and meter take care of all this. Absolutely no interaction by the owner is required. Although, isolated stand-alone systems require a little more attention. This can consist of the intermittent operation of a diesel generator when ever the batteries of an isolated system have been depleted due to an extended period of cloud cover.

When considering the overall advantages of solar, many factors need to be taken on board. This article has only begun to skim the surface, looking at several wide-ranging elements.




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