Solar Power When the Sun Goes Down?

The holy grail of renewable energy is a solar power plant that continues producing electricity after the sun goes down.
A Santa Monica, Calif., company called Solar Reserve has taken a step toward making that a reality, filing an application with California regulators to build a 150-megawatt solar farm that will store seven hours’ worth of the sun’s energy in the form of molten salt.
Heat from the salt can be released when it’s cloudy or at night to create steam that drives an electricity-generating turbine.
The Rice Solar Energy Project, to be built in the Sonoran Desert east of Palm Springs, will “generate steady and uninterrupted power during hours of peak electricity demand,” according to SolarReserve’s license application.
So-called dispatchable solar farms would in theory allow utilities to avoid spending billions of dollars building fossil fuel power plants that are fired up only a few times a year when electricity demand spikes, like on a hot day.
SolarReserve is literally run by rocket scientists, many of whom formerly worked at Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of the technology giant United Technologies. Rocketdyne developed the solar salt technology, which was proven viable at the 10-megawatt Solar Two demonstration project near Barstow, Calif., in the 1990s.
United Technologies has licensed the technology to SolarReserve and will guarantee its performance — a crucial advantage for the startup when it seeks financing from skittish bankers to build the Rice solar farm.
As many as 17,500 large mirrors — each one 24 feet by 28 feet — will be attached to 12-foot pedestals. The mirrors, called heliostats, will be arrayed in a circle around a 538-foot concrete tower.
Atop the tower will sit a 100-foot receiver filled with 4.4 million gallons of liquid salt. The heliostats will focus the sun on the receiver, heating the salt to 1,050 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquefied salt flows through a steam-generating system to drive the turbine and is returned to the receiver to be heated again.
SolarReserve isn’t the only developer planning to tap molten salt to store solar energy. Abengoa Solar, for instance, intends to use salt storage at its 280-megawatt Solana solar trhough plant outside Phoenix.
That project, however, will heat tubes filled with synthetic oil to create steam and transfer some of the heat to salt-filled storage tanks. By using salt for both steam and storage, SolarReserve can generate higher-temperature steam, which will allow the Rice power plant to operate much more efficiently, according to Kevin Smith, SolarReserve’s chief executive.
“Consequently, our system can capture three times the energy for the same pound of salt,” Mr. Smith wrote in an e-mail message. “Plus they have additional ‘bolt on’ equipment, plus multiple heat transfer steps to go from oil to salt to oil and then to steam for electricity generation.”
SolarReserve’s plant will be built on private land — the site of a former World War II-era Army airfield — near the desert ghost town of Rice. The company will air-cool the power plant, avoiding controversies over water use that have dogged other solar projects.
But the height of the solar tower — 653 feet when a maintenance crane is attached to the top — could generate resistance from conservationists worried about the impact of the project on desert vistas. A proposed SolarReserve power plant in Nevada ran into resisteance from Air Force officials concerned that the tower would interfere with radar at a nearby military base.
The company said it is negotiating with California utilities to buy the electricity generated from the Rice project and expects the solar farm to go online in October 2013, barring unforeseen delays.

Society moving towards era of 'personalized solar energy'

Washington, November 5 : An international expert on solar energy has determined in a new report that new scientific discoveries are moving society toward the era of 'personalized solar energy,' in which the focus of electricity production shifts from huge central generating stations to individuals in their own homes and communities.
The report, by scientist Daniel Nocera, describes a long-awaited, inexpensive method for solar energy storage.
that could help power homes and plug-in cars in the future while helping keep the environment clean.According to Nocera, the global energy need will double by mid-century and triple by 2100 due to rising standards of living world population growth. Personalized solar energy - the capture and storage of solar energy at the individual or home level - could meet that demand in a sustainable way, especially in poorer areas of the world.The report describes development of a practical, inexpensive storage system for achieving personalized solar energy. At its heart is an innovative catalyst that splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen that become fuel for producing electricity in a fuel cell.. The new oxygen-evolving catalyst works like photosynthesis, the method plants use to make energy, producing clean energy from sunlight and water. “Because energy use scales with wealth, point-of-use solar energy will put individuals, in the smallest village in the nonlegacy world and in the largest city of the legacy world, on a more level playing field,” according to the report.

Homemade Solar Panel

Today, it is easier than ever to build your own Solar Panel, with all the kits and methods available, your own homemade solar panel can be an effective way to produce your own power and save on future power bills. All the components required for creating your own solar panel are made available in most kits. These components typically include: solar cells, a soldering iron, flux and tabbing. Kits typically include detailed instructions on how to make a solar panel. Constructing a solar panel at home does not require professional expertise. All you need is a kit, guideline, clear idea and a logical mind. You can simply follow the step-by-step instructions available with the kit and create you very own homemade solar panels.
Homemade solar panel can be made from a collection of solar cells. Each solar cell produces a small amount of electricity, but collectively they can produce enough electricity to fulfill your household power needs. It is important for the panels to keep facing the sun to receive direct sunrays. It’s the crucial requirement for its working because again our logical mind says that the sun is the source of energy for our solar panels so it should not be barrier by shade or not-so-ample sunlight. There must be no hurdle between sun and solar panels, the way should be clear and direct.
You can choose from a number of tracking solar mounts available. The single-axis tracker is fixed at a vertical angle. The angel is manually maneuvered to follow the path of the sun, which is based on seasonal changes. For summer, the rule of thumb is to set the panels at your latitude minus 15, and for winter, you can set the panels at your latitude plus 15. The dual-axis tracker adjusts the vertical angle automatically. So you don’t need to worry about that either. It works easily and efficiently without any extra care and maintenance.
Biggest advantage of building and installing solar panel is that they are eco-friendly. They produce green energy to use the latest terminology. Other forms of electricity emit certain harmful elements that contribute to smog, and other pollution, while solar power is free from such perilous emissions. If you find you entail more energy output, you may add more solar panels to generate more power. At the end of the day it all depends on your own requirement of energy so you can adjust your solar panels accordingly. There is no hard and fast rule in the amount of panels, they more you want you can add to your roof with proportion to the space available.

Build Solar Panel-how to Make a Small Solar Panel

In This article you will find out how to build solar panel! Solar and wind energy is becoming very popular as the costs of power rise and the green house gasses increase in the atmosphere pushing towards a global warming! More and more people are searching for ways how to build solar panel or a wind generator to help you save money on the energy bills and generate extra energy to be able to sell back to the energy stations and government! This works the same in all countries!
If you are looking for a great and easiest way how to build solar panel or how to build a wind generator then you found the right article to point you in the right direction . Whether you want to know how to build solar panel or wind generator, you can do it all yourself ten times cheaper than buying already built small solar panel and miniature wind generator that you can put on your roof top... The wind and solar energy generators that you will set up with this guide will actually generate more energy than the ones you can buy and they have being proven to generate too much energy and the unused energy will actually be automatically sold to the power stations. When you are not home and not using any energy, your home made generator will be generating power that will be unused and sold to the governments! Isn't that nice to have government actually paying you for something+ giving you a full rebate for the materials and guides you buy... Simply because you are generating your own energy and helping save the environment!
Generating own energy has never being easier and now is the time to contribute to the battle against the global warming and saving our earth + saving money on power bills, Another Bill Illuminated!

80 Watt Solar Panel - You’ll Be Surprised !

If you're searching for websites on 80 watt solar panel, well, you've come to the right place. this short article will surely greatly increase what you've learned about incorporating solar electricity into your life. If you heard that you could get your hands on state-of-the-art solution which makes it possible to transform the vast power of the sun into useable electric power for an extremely low cost - you'd be curious, wouldn't you? Keep reading the following article.
For many years, taking the leap into solar-generated power for your home electricity was seen as an undertaking that was out of the reach of most people, but some saw it as the ideal solution. It's now a common occurrence to seek information on 80 watt solar panel, which demonstrates the fact that there is an increasing number of people who want to educate themselves on this electrifying new area.
News flash: with all the recent interest in green energy, the latest technology is now available and inexpensive enough for everyone to be able to take advantage of unlimited power at no-charge (unless someone finds a way to charge for sunshine)! Consumers have long had the option of this green energy, but few people had the money to invest in getting set up with it; the only real option was to continue our unhappy association with the power company, wasting hard-earned money on a basic need.
Before going on with your search for information on 80 watt sola panel, You should hear about the latest progress in this field: a respected professional in the field of green technology wants to expand the use of green energy by showing you how to create an entire system to harness and use the sun's energy, by using low cost materials found at any average hardware store. I discovered that there are in fact a large number of people in the u.s. and globally who already enjoy the benefits of solar power, to generate their own supply of clean, green energy, and even generate extra income by selling unused power they've generated to the power company. As it has now become the common-sense solution, personal clean energy is surely going to revitalize the field of energy and electricity.

SOLAR PRODUCTS

THE ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF RENEWABLE POWER

In case you haven’t been keeping up with latest developments in the solar power industry, there have been lots of advances. Now more than ever you have many choices of solar energy products to help you reduce your consumption of traditional fossil fuels. Solar power is a great way to cut your electrical costs and help to protect our world from harmful fossil fuel use.
Solar energy is a very reliable and low maintenance power source. Solar panels create solar systems that provide reliable residential, commercial, and power plant applications. No matter what you need to power in your home, most likely there are electricity, to solar power kits available to supply your needs. You can also purchase solar attic vents and solar fans to help with cooling costs of your home.

The most well known solar energy products are used for generating electricity and heating water. The technologies for these systems are becoming much smaller and better looking than when they were first created. Now there are even photovoltaic shingles available for your roof, that look just like tiles, yet they can provide the electricity needed for your home.

Solar heaters and solar coolers are being used significantly in commercial applications. They are also being used to heat swimming pools. There are also solar pool covers available for you pool that will heat the pool water.
Solar fountains, solar birdbaths, solar garden accents, and outdoor solar lights are readily available for consumer use. Just visit your local home and garden center and you’ll find several solar lighting products available for decks, walks, and more.
Solar clothing, solar toys, as well as solar ovens, and solar cookers are also available for use. Still in the research and development phase are solar cars and solar planes. So no matter what your energy needs, there is most likely a solar product to match your demands.

HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE SUN TO PROVIDE HEAT

A solar heating (SH)system saves energy, produces clean energy, and reduces utility costs. Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels is a primary target for everyone. Using the power of the sun via SH is a viable alternative to traditional heating methods. Solar energy and the use of solar panels are in use as solar water heaters (SWH), solar pool heating, solar space heating, and even for solar cooling.
Solar water heating systems have increased in reliability and efficiency. They are now viable options for your home or business use. Research and development in solar technology is still ongoing to make these systems even more accessible to the average consumer. This helps reduce your utility bills and eliminate the use of environmentally hazardous fossil fuels.
Solar water heaters and solar space heating use solar collectors to collect the sun’s energy. The heat from this collection is then transferred directly to a building, water, or pool.
Solar water heating is one of the most cost-effective ways to use this renewable energy source. Typically a residential solar water heating system reduces the need for conventional heating by about two thirds.

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE WATER SOLAR HEATING

Active solar water heaters use pumps, and controllers to circulate water or other heat-transfer fluids through solar collectors. Passive solar water heating relies on gravity and water’s natural tendency to circulate as it is heated. Passive systems contain no electrical components and are generally more reliable and easier to maintain.

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SPACE SOLAR HEATING

Passive solar space heating uses warmth from the sun via design features, such as large south-facing windows, and materials on the floors and wall to absorb warmth during the day and release at night when the heat is needed the most.
Active solar space heating systems use collectors to collect and absorb solar radiation. Fans or pumps transfer that solar heat to the necessary locations. Energy storage systems are also included to provide heat when the sun is not shining. The basic types of active solar space heating systems use either liquid or air to collect and transfer the solar radiation.
Solar energy is also used for space cooling. Thermally activated cooling systems powered by solar energy can provide year-round utilization of collected solar heat. In general these systems are sized to provide thirty to sixty percent of total building cooling requirements.

WHAT ARE SOLAR PANELS? HOW DO THEY WORK? LEARN THE TECHNOLOGY

Solar panels (SP) or sometimes called photovoltaic (PV) panels are made from materials that can allow it to convert the sun’s rays into electrical energy. This energy is used for many purposes. As the use of fossil fuel becomes more and more expensive and harmful to our environment, using solar energy is a viable alternative power source.
Several products today are solar powered. If you’ve ever used a calculator that needs to be in light to run, then you’ve used a solar powered device. Going on there are flexible solar panels that are portable. These can be use to supply electricity to small electronics and appliances. Thing like computers, cell phone, ipods, radios, and cd players can all be operated with a portable solar powered panel.
RV systems are becoming a favorite among RV users to provide energy without having to worry about being close to a hookup or having a generator for power.
Many homes and business use solar panels to produce a portion or even all of their electrical needs. Solar energy panels are used to produce this electricity.
A SP is composed of solar cells. Solar cells are manufactured from specific semi-conductors that can transform the sun’s rays into electricity. The electricity produced is direct current. Depending on the type of electricity that’s needed there may be an inverter installed to convert this direct current to alternating current. Alternating current is the type of electrical current required in most homes.
Solar energy systems can operate stand-alone or they can be tied into a local utility grid. By tying into a local utility grid, the owner of the solar power system can use the utility as a backup source of power. In some cases, they can even sell extra electricity back to the utility.
Solar panels are used to provide only a small portion of energy worldwide. The use of solar power is still in its infancy even though it was used centuries ago. As technology continues to develop the use of solar power is destined to compete and grow to hopefully out weigh traditional power sources.

Photovoltaic Solar Cells

Promising Solar Energy Use Worldwide. Discover promising benefits of Photovoltaic Solar Cells.

Of the many solar energy technologies, Photovoltaics (PV) show the most promise for worldwide acceptance and applications. PV or solar cells have no moving parts, are simple in design, are environmentally friendly, need very little maintenance, and silently produce electricity when they are exposed to light.
Solar cells operate in accordance with the photovoltaic effect, (“photo-light, voltaic- -electricity). Solar cells are usually made of silicon. When a photon (particles of sunlight) strikes a molecule within the silicon cell, an electron is knocked free. An electrical field causes this free electron to move to one side of the cell. The accumulated effect of millions of this interaction generates electricity.

Photovoltaic cells can be made from different semiconductor materials. The entire cell is encapsulated in a transparent cover providing environmental protection. The cover contains an anti-reflective coating to ensure as little light as possible is reflected away from the cells.

Solar modules or solar panels are series of solar cells that are wired together into strings. These strings are enclosed in self-contained glass unites to protect from harsh weather. Modules are connected by cables that link them to the inverter. The inverter converts the direct current DC into alternating current (AC).
In order to measure the level of efficiency of a solar panel, the panel’s ability to transform sunlight into electricity must be measured. Not all sunlight works efficiently to create electricity. Sunlight of certain energies perform the best, and much is reflected or absorbed by the material of the cell. A typical commercial solar cell has an average efficiency of fifteen percent.
The efficiency level dictates the size of modules needed to produce the desired amount of electricity. Low efficiencies mean larger arrays of solar panels are needed. In order to reduce the initial cost of using solar modules this area of photovoltaics solar energy needs improvement.
Improving solar cell (photovoltaics) efficiencies while keeping costs down per cell is a primary goal of the PV industry. Research and development continues to address this important aspect of using photovoltaic solar power.

SOLAR POWER OR SOLAR ENERGY

Solar power is used hand in hand with solar energy. It is the conversion of sunlight into electricity or solar energy. Solar energy is directly from the Sun.
The sun is 150 million kilometers away, and is over one million degrees Celsius at the core; if we could harness the energy at its core we would have enough energy to cover our needs 10,000 times over.
We have always used energy from the sun dating back as far as 5,000 years ago. Whether it is to start fire or to dry clay to be used as building material. When early homes were built the placement and design were carefully considered so in the winter the home would be heated by the sun and in the summer it would be shaded from the sun.
In 1954 solar energy was truly harnessed when scientists in the United States produced electricity from the sun used to power satellites in space, this new technology was photoelectric also known as photovoltaic panels or cells, which capture the suns energy and turn it into electricity. Photovoltaic tiles work by converting energy from the sunlight into clean electricity that can be used in our home.
The photovoltaic cells consist of a positive and a negative slice of silicon placed under a thin piece of glass. As the protons of the sun’s rays beat down on the photovoltaic cells they knock the neutrons off the silicon.
Now the negatively charged free neutrons are attracted to the silicon but are trapped by the magnetic field that is formed from the opposing fields. Small wires on the silicon catch these neutrons and when the wires are connected to a circuit an electric current is formed.
This reaction gives direct current electricity also known as D/C; it must be passed through an inverter to be converted into an alternating current A/C which is used in our homes. During this conversion some power is lost, which is approximately 5%.
To use solar power in your home is simple; there are numerous ways to do so. Solar energy can be used to heat your hot water, your pool or your central heating system.
With a reasonable amount of sun you can use a grid tie system to collect solar power; these are typically placed on top of your home.
A grid tie system can power your entire house as well as possibly selling some power back to the electric company.
Solar power can also be used in the garden, with lights, house number plates or fountains. As the need increases for renewable energy the more items you will find to be solar powered.

WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?

Solar energy (SE) is being used more and more to replace traditional forms of energy. The sun burns hydrogen at its core, thus releasing huge amounts of energy. This energy radiates to the Earth in the form of heat and light. It is the sun’s radiation (rays) that reaches the Earth.
Technically most of the forms of energy we use today are indirectly derived form the sun. Even fossil fuels are the products of photosynthesis ancient plants used to grow and then became fossilized. The sun is the Earth’s most powerful source of energy… both directly and indirectly.
The invention and development of solar energy technologies used today began only about foty or fifty years ago.
Today more and more research is directed at finding efficient ways to use the SE to generate electricity, heat homes and buildings, for cooking, and to heat water and air.
As a result, we are now able to diversify our energy sources to include a variety of solar power systems to improve efficiency and save money on energy.
Solar power is now used for heating and cooling, air and water as well as to provide electricity. Research and development continues and it is anticipated that within the decade solar power will be more accessible to everyone.

How is it used?

There are several technologies in use to take advantage of SE. Concentrating solar power systems, passive solar heating and daylighting, photovoltaic systems and solar cells are just a few of the methods used to provide solar energy.
These active and passive solar systems are used for solar cooking, solar heating, and cooling, as well as several products that provide solar power for home and business use.
The advantages of using it are many. Even using a small solar energy panel for your home use can save you hundreds of dollars and help preserve our environment. It is almost certain that solar power is the choice of the future. Get involved today. Help promote solar energy.

WELCOME TO SOLAR ENERGY - SOLAR POWER !

Solar Energy - Solar Power… the all-in-one solar energy site is providing all the information and products you need to start your own solar power project.The demand for information and resources for renewable energy increases daily. More and more people are looking for information on how to implement and use the sun’s power to provide much needed energy at an affordable price.
Solar power products are more accessible than ever before. Almost everyone is looking for ways to save on energy costs. Solar power could well provide the solution to this extreme need.
This site is focused to provide you with every thing relating to capturing the sun’s power and putting it to use in our daily lives.
No matter what type of solar project you are considering we can provide you with answers. As a fan of renewable energy I have re-done my home to a solar house. I know what is involved in every step of the process.
From making up your mind to go solar, choosing the systems and finding just the right solution for your home’s specific needs, I have experienced it all.
I have spent a lot of time visiting renewable energy fairs, researching, reading, viewing different websites and comparing prices and obtaining quotes.
The purpose of this site is to help you get the information you need without all the trouble I had finding & researching.
You’ll find updated news about solar power, easy to read info about solar energy, solar panels, solar power systems and many other solar powered products and solar projects. From simple solar panels to solar heating to a complete solar system for home use, the information is here.
There are also links to calculators, estimators, and in-depth technical sites. You will also find info about grants, tax rebate and different education courses relating to solar power. I’m constantly updating the site to make sure it is a current all-in-one solar site. If you have a new topic you would like to see or if you have your own story to share don’t hesitate to contact me.