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Submitted by: Simone James
Solar power is used for both heating and generating electricity for homes. Find out the various uses of Solar Panels including heating water, and how they are work in off-grid and grid-tied systems.
Solar power is renewable, available in unlimited amount and it is clean. The potential of solar energy can be understood from the fact that more energy is received from sunlight in 1 hour than the total energy used in the world in 1 year. The Solar Panels used for harnessing this unlimited energy are improving every year in terms of their efficiency so as to get a better share of this infinite amount of energy received every hour. When you switch to solar power, you would be:
Increasing your home s energy efficiency
Reducing the impact on environment
Receiving annual savings over your energy bills
Uses of Passive Solar Design
You can build your home or change your home design to harness solar energy passively to both light and heat your home.
If you have large windows facing south, they can provide significant amount of heating and eliminate the need for any heat source.
In such a home, the flooring and wall materials get heated during daytime and release this stored heat at nighttime.
A thermal chimney is an important design element that is based upon basic thermodynamics.
Passive solar design is increasingly used around the world and it has been demonstrated to help make buildings having lower energy costs, lower maintenance and greater comfort.
Features of Photovoltaics
When it comes to photovoltaics or Solar Panels, they convert sun s energy directly into electricity. There are two methods of installing PV panels:
Roof mounting the panels that face in the south direction
Tracking panels that follow the sun
The solar PV systems can be either off-grid or grid-connected. The off-grid system would be free from the power grid and has a battery backup that keeps getting charged by the solar electricity generated by the panels. These batteries provide power during nighttime and also during cloudy conditions when there is not sufficient production of solar electricity.
Grid-connected PV systems are connected with the power grid and they cut down the cost of your electricity bills. Even though off-grid systems are yet not as widespread as grid-tied systems, but with increase in the efficiency and reduction in the cost of Solar Panels, more and more homes are turning to this free-electricity alternative.
Solar Thermal Systems
Solar thermal systems collect the heat energy from the sun and use it for heating water. Usually, this system would have roof-mounted Solar Panels along with a water storage tank. The panels are basically solar heat collectors through which tiny tubes run with the fluid that needs to be heated. These systems are also used for heating pool water. Since the heat collected by the collectors would keep varying round the year, these systems would you re your home s 70% of the hot water requirement in a year.
About the Author: Today,
Solar Panels
have become much more sophisticated, efficient and affordable. Find out the almost unlimited number of applications where solar PV systems are used by visiting this link.
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