For centuries we have used the sun's natural energy to our advantage. For example, it has been used in ancient times to provide natural lighting in temples, for photosynthesis and natural heating for growing crops, to desalinize and purify water, and it has been magnified and intensified to heat thermal power plants.
So, how can solar power be used on a smaller scale at home as clean source of energy?
Basically, there are four main ways how to solar power your home:
Solar Cooking:
A solar cooker is an extremely healthy, inexpensive and clean alternative to cooking your food. Though solar cookers have been used a lot to desalinize water in poor arid countries, many 1st world countries are adopting them in summer for cooking their food.
With solar cooking, the oven has a number of reflective panels arranged in a parabola, where they focus the sun on a single pot, in which the food is placed. Depending on the design, the cooker can make a variety of dishes from bread to steamed vegetables to fried eggs to a roast beef, and it typically caters for up to 5 people.
The one problem with a solar oven is that it takes rather long to cook the food - up to 4 times longer. But if you are prepared to wait for a healthy, wholesome, energy saving meal to be ready, then a solar cooker is a good idea.
Solar Water Heater:
Thanks to extensive research and development, a solar water geyser is an affordable and clean alternative to using the typical gas or electric powered boiler to heat your water.
How it works is water passes through solar panels that convert the sun's energy into heat, that is then used to heat the water. This water is then stored in a cylinder for use in the home. With the larger solar water heater, the water can get extremely hot and has to combined with cold water to cool it down.
Natural Heating and Lighting:
What people do not realize is how much power they consume just to heat and light their homes. And if they could just see the benefit of using natural lighting and heating from the sun, they could save a lot of power and money.
With passive solar living, a household is design to effectively use the sun's rays for natural heating and lighting. This would include being built on a sun-facing slope, with the length of the house facing the sun and having a number of large Low-E windows. And as a result staying naturally warmer in the colder months.
With the right placement of windows and mirrors and even white walls in your home, sunlight can be effectively used to light your home, instead of you having to resort to electric lights.
To help regulate the temperature in your home, you could plant deciduous trees outside to shade your home from hot sunlight in summer and let sunshine through in winter.
For free ventilation, you could make use of a solar chimney or solar attic fan, where hot, stale air is sucked out of the home and replaced with cool, fresh air from outside.
Electric Solar Energy:
More accurately called photovoltaic power, this is the most commonly known way to solar power your home. For this system to work properly, a number solar panels need to be facing the sun to produce electricity.
How the system works is as sun hits the panels, the solar cells absorb the light and convert it to electricity, which is then stored in special batteries. For you to be able to use solar power in your home, it first needs to be converted from direct current into alternating current with the help of an inverter.
What's great about this form of solar power is that it is relatively affordable, clean, and easy to implement at home. Furthermore, many diy fanatics have discovered how to build their own solar power systems for a fraction of what it would cost to get a commercial system installed.
With these four ways on how to solar power your home, there is no need for you to rely on the utility companies or the government for heating and lighting at home. Right now it is very possible for us to use solar power at home. It is just a matter of everyone having the determination, energy consciousness and environmental awareness to take action and harness the sun's free, natural power.
So, how can solar power be used on a smaller scale at home as clean source of energy?
Basically, there are four main ways how to solar power your home:
Solar Cooking:
A solar cooker is an extremely healthy, inexpensive and clean alternative to cooking your food. Though solar cookers have been used a lot to desalinize water in poor arid countries, many 1st world countries are adopting them in summer for cooking their food.
With solar cooking, the oven has a number of reflective panels arranged in a parabola, where they focus the sun on a single pot, in which the food is placed. Depending on the design, the cooker can make a variety of dishes from bread to steamed vegetables to fried eggs to a roast beef, and it typically caters for up to 5 people.
The one problem with a solar oven is that it takes rather long to cook the food - up to 4 times longer. But if you are prepared to wait for a healthy, wholesome, energy saving meal to be ready, then a solar cooker is a good idea.
Solar Water Heater:
Thanks to extensive research and development, a solar water geyser is an affordable and clean alternative to using the typical gas or electric powered boiler to heat your water.
How it works is water passes through solar panels that convert the sun's energy into heat, that is then used to heat the water. This water is then stored in a cylinder for use in the home. With the larger solar water heater, the water can get extremely hot and has to combined with cold water to cool it down.
Natural Heating and Lighting:
What people do not realize is how much power they consume just to heat and light their homes. And if they could just see the benefit of using natural lighting and heating from the sun, they could save a lot of power and money.
With passive solar living, a household is design to effectively use the sun's rays for natural heating and lighting. This would include being built on a sun-facing slope, with the length of the house facing the sun and having a number of large Low-E windows. And as a result staying naturally warmer in the colder months.
With the right placement of windows and mirrors and even white walls in your home, sunlight can be effectively used to light your home, instead of you having to resort to electric lights.
To help regulate the temperature in your home, you could plant deciduous trees outside to shade your home from hot sunlight in summer and let sunshine through in winter.
For free ventilation, you could make use of a solar chimney or solar attic fan, where hot, stale air is sucked out of the home and replaced with cool, fresh air from outside.
Electric Solar Energy:
More accurately called photovoltaic power, this is the most commonly known way to solar power your home. For this system to work properly, a number solar panels need to be facing the sun to produce electricity.
How the system works is as sun hits the panels, the solar cells absorb the light and convert it to electricity, which is then stored in special batteries. For you to be able to use solar power in your home, it first needs to be converted from direct current into alternating current with the help of an inverter.
What's great about this form of solar power is that it is relatively affordable, clean, and easy to implement at home. Furthermore, many diy fanatics have discovered how to build their own solar power systems for a fraction of what it would cost to get a commercial system installed.
With these four ways on how to solar power your home, there is no need for you to rely on the utility companies or the government for heating and lighting at home. Right now it is very possible for us to use solar power at home. It is just a matter of everyone having the determination, energy consciousness and environmental awareness to take action and harness the sun's free, natural power.
About the Author:
If you are ready to build your own renewable energy for under $200 and reduce your energy costs, then forget about the Home Made Power Plant and rather get a free look inside the Earth4Energy Ebook Today!
0 comments:
Post a Comment