Solar Panels Directory

Archive for November, 2009

Not a week goes by without some newspaper or magazine headline warning us about the rapid consumption of non-renewable energy sources in the face of an ever growing global demand for energy of all types. These warnings about our environment are telling us that it’s time to do something, but what? Well how about living “off the grid”?

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What this basically means is that you generate enough electricity from, for example, solar panels, so that you don’t need power from the grid. For example, a home solar system converts solar energy into electrical energy for your home. This is done via cells that are charged with solar energy that is then converted into electricity.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of using solar panels to generate your own electricity:

• Reduce your dependability on non-renewable energy resources: Who wants to depend on public utilities all the time? Living “off the grid” helps you rely only on your own resources and not the ones supplied by governments or corporations. How often have you cursed in the dark when faced with a power outage in the midst of some important work? Wouldn’t you rather take charge of your own resources? Well, with your own solar panel installation, you can.

• Enjoy the freedom of using naturally available resources: How would you feel when you don’t have to pay for the power you use? Wouldn’t it be great to use as much power as you want without worrying about the electricity meter? With solar panels you can make use of the abundant power available in nature to light up your home and cook your food.

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• Reduced power consumption saves you money: How would you feel if the electricity bills stopped arriving in your letter box? Alternate power solutions give you quite a rapid return on investment, thus eventually making the power supply to your home almost free.

• Create a healthier environment: By cutting down on the usage of non-renewable sources of energy you combat the increase of greenhouse gases and pollution.

If you’re anything like me you probably shy away from installing solar power solutions at home because you think they are expensive and difficult to install. However, you may be surprised to find out how easy and cheap it can be to install your own system. The idea is basically to start small and build up your own solar panel system on a modular basis. There are systems out there that start at the $200 to $300 level, which I found to be very affordable.

So, say for example, you start with a single 100 watt solar panel, you’re not going to be able to power your entire house. However, one panel will produce approximately 3500 Watt Hours per week. So, what can you do with this energy? Well, quite a lot actually. For example, you could power four 16 Watt compact fluorescent lights for 7 hours every night. Or you could watch a 19″ color TV for 7 hours every day. Or you could run your laptop for 12 hours per day. By increasing the number of solar panels as your budget permits you can eventually get to the point where you are able to live “off the grid”. I’d say that’s a pretty healthy goal to strive towards, wouldn’t you?

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