Tuesday, 10 March 2009

Energy Conservation Tips: Components of a Homemade Solar Panel

By Energy Conservation

Is an energy-independent home a myth or reality? Many households are looking for opportunities to implement energy conservation tips, which decrease overall dependence on fossil fuels while trying to reduce the monthly cost of electricity. Solar panels can achieve these goals while providing a fun project for the Do-It-Yourselfer.

Solar panels harness the power of sunlight to generate electricity through the use of photovoltaic (PV) cells. If money is no object, a contractor can be hired to obtain and install a solar system for you. For those of us in the "other" category, there are other less expensive options. These include purchasing solar panel kits, refurbishing used solar panels, and the ultimate DIY of making panels from component parts. Solar panels can create a more self-sufficient household in which they meet your all or most of household electrical energy needs. The ideal scenario would have the electricity generated will exceed the needs permitting electricity to be sold back to the Grid.

There are for fundamental components of a homemade solar panel system: The solar panel; Charge controller/regulator; Battery; and Inverter.

Solar panel: The fundamental and essential component of a solar energy system is the solar panel, which consists of a series of PV cells. These cells are combined to generate an electrical current, which can be used in real time or stored in a battery. The total voltage is the sum of all of the photovoltaic cells connected in the system.

Charge controller or regulator: This unit controls the charging of the battery so as to prevent overcharging. It also tracks the battery discharge status during the evening. By doing this, the charge regulator maximizes the life of each battery, thereby maximizing the efficiency of your solar energy system.

The battery: Storing electricity is the job of the battery, but not all batteries are alike. The deep-cycle marine battery is superior the run of the mill automobile battery because it is able to store all of the electrical energy generated by the solar panel.

Inverter: Virtually all of our electrical appliances utilize AC or Alternating Current, whereas the electricity generated and stored in our solar powered system is DC or Direct Current. Therefore, the Inverter is the key to converting DC current into AC, making it useable by everything from the lights to the refrigerator.

More complex systems designed to sell back energy to the grid require a Kilowatt-per-Hour Indicator, which tracks the amount of electricity taken from the Grid and the amount sold back to it.

We should also not forget the obvious energy saving tips including the shutting off of lights in unused rooms and the use of Energy-saver fluorescent bulbs.

In summary, homemade solar panels can be an important part of a plan to implement energy conservation tips. Homemade solar panel systems for the DIY enthusiast and be obtained in kit form in which all of the components are readily available, or they can be obtained new or used from several sources from home improvement stores to eBay.

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