Weather The Storm

If you’re building a new home , or just adding to an already made one, if you calculate your system correctly , you can gain kilowatts of free energy that is otherwise neglected every year anyway, shining in all around you from the sun.

According to an article at about solar energy systems, correct setup of the home , including well positioned walls, windows and other basic furnishings and trim can provide a huge difference in the amount of passive heat a home can absorb. If you’re ready to accquire a much bigger chunk of this free energy, you might be thinking of utilizing active solar heating. 

Solar energy systems collect the sun’s energy, making heat that is then pushed through some form of heat exchange medium .  This is usually referred to as the “transfer fluid”.  It then is pumped to solar water heaters and other storgage devices , where it is then taken advantage of for hot drinking and shower water as well as for heating, which is very handy during the cold winter.

 

Here’s an economical tip: In the case that you are actually ON the grid, take this into account:  It benefits you more when you find ways to conserve, and make your home more energy efficient than to find ways to generate more electricity.

 

The power that comes from utilities is actually much cheaper than the power you will be able to generate yourself at first, when you account for the cost of the new equipment.This obviously doesn’t affect the price tag of incoming power so much to a system that is totally off-grid, since they can’t use a utility’s power anyway, but all systems gain from better efficiency.

   

This means that simple steps, like using insulation, if you do it properly, can save you a truckload that will likely be more valuable in the long run than buying specialized equipment and systems that will only be dumping their valuable by-products (hot water and air) out the window…and under the doors …and through electrical sockets.

  

Here is a brief overview of the most common solar energy systems today:    

 

Solar Water Heaters

Heating water from the sun is one of the oldest and best methods to further your quest for renewable energy.  Just taking advantage of this tactic alone can easily save you 50% of your energy bill.  Some methods include:  

 

• Flat panel collectors – these are simply boxes with windows to the sun that let a heat transfer fluid flow through them.  They have been around the longest, and have improved immensely since their beginnings.

 

• Evacuated tube collectors - these are more efficient thanks to a vacuum and alcohol heat exchange liquid rather than regular water, the tubes are quite an advancement in solar collector technology.

 

Photovoltaic (“PV”) panels

• There are the blue panels you see on every one’s roof these days.  Getting more efficient and less costly by the day, these panels can help you produce the power needed to run the pumps in your solar water heater, as well as power to convert to AC from the PV’s DC, that can run your household appliances.

 

You can get a lot more information on the subject at : this website, which covers solar energy systems, as well as other renewable energy topics in depth.

Tags: renewable energy systems, solar energy systems, solar hot water, solar water heater

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 • Shelter