Solar energy is increasingly getting the world attention. The energy from sun is sufficient to address many of our problems and concerns regarding the rising energy bills. The solar power is available in even remote areas, where there is no other supply of alternate energy. The sun’s energy is so high that the amount of energy reaching the earth in one year is enough to satisfy the world energy demands for a year. Solar energy has been in use for a long time. Earlier it was used for heating purposes, now it is in use for conversion into electricity. The solar energy is used in various applications like battery chargers, hand-held calculators and solar powered garden lights. Its usage in generation of electricity has led to increased solar power investments. Solar energy can be converted into electricity using solar power plant or the photovoltaic cells. In the solar power plant, mirrors are used to reflect the heat energy from a large area onto a small space, such as a pipe filled with a fluid. This high temperature fluid is used to boil the water and produce steam, used in turning the generator. In a PV cell, silicon alloys are there to absorb photons emitted from the sun. When they do so, the silicon atoms in the PV cells are hit by the photons which transfer their energy and release the electrons from their orbit around the nucleus, thereby generating electricity.

Solar energy is increasingly getting the world attention. The energy from sun is sufficient to address many of our problems and concerns regarding the rising energy bills. The solar power is available in even remote areas, where there is no other supply of alternate energy. The sun’s energy is so high that the amount of energy reaching the earth in one year is enough to satisfy the world energy demands for a year. Solar energy has been in use for a long time. Earlier it was used for heating purposes, now it is in use for conversion into electricity. The solar energy is used in various applications like battery chargers, hand-held calculators and solar powered garden lights. Its usage in generation of electricity has led to increased solar power investments. Solar energy can be converted into electricity using solar power plant or the photovoltaic cells. In the solar power plant, mirrors are used to reflect the heat energy from a large area onto a small space, such as a pipe filled with a fluid. This high temperature fluid is used to boil the water and produce steam, used in turning the generator. In a PV cell, silicon alloys are there to absorb photons emitted from the sun. When they do so, the silicon atoms in the PV cells are hit by the photons which transfer their energy and release the electrons from their orbit around the nucleus, thereby generating electricity.

Well yes, solar panels have been around for years. We know they work its just hard for a lot of people to overcome the initial investment even with the tax credits available. There are also other options out there like wind technology that could be beneficial in the windier areas of the United States. In conjunction with solar panels these homes could possibly produce more power than they consume. However once again we come down to the initial investment cost and how to manage that. I am big fan of alternative energy but really think with the unemployment rate in this country we have larger problems to tackle first.

Come to northeastern Illinois/southeastern Wisconsin. You'll soon find that at times during the year we don't see the sun for days straight!!!! Just a couple years ago, we had a November that was the "least sunny" on record; or since records have been kept. Only 4 days of that month were classified as "mostly sunny" or better. Until the sun can power a whole house and the cost is not astronomical, it's not a viable option. Especially in areas of the country more known for overcast skies than here!!!!

That's part of the problem the price of the entire setup is huge... In my 4K Watt system I've got over $20,000 in inverter, batteries, solar controller, solar panels, pelton wheel, pelton wheel generator, gasoline generator, wiring, etc... I prodcue if I'm lucky 500-600w per hour on a sunny day and pelton wheel runing full tilt. I store enough power for 8-10 hours battery wise but with winter days coming I lose my pelton wheel because of the lines got to be drain out... Then when gets storm like Dorkweed it stay like that for days... So solar power isn't worth anything... So my summer power bill is about $30 a month but come winter time its about $150 to $180 ... That's with all wood heating! 8|

I always thought it would be neat to get a very efficient little diesel and hook it up to the grid and get any oil you can that is waste, filter it all nicely until you got maybe 50 gallons worth, then start the engine and let it run at the most efficient RPM until it runs out of fuel. Then you should have a nice paycheck from the electric company. But supposedly all the components required to send power to the grid is not cost effective at all. I can always dream though. Especially if I had a big Lister diesel :drool

Well if I upgraded my solar panels so I was creating more than 4K watts I could sell back directly to the power company now. The Interverter has a sell back feature and protection to prevent hazards. Like the city provides the 60 Hz clock cycle so if the cycle wanders off then the intervert shutdown sell mode. lets say the power line fell or broke... Well it impossible for the invert to feed the neighborhood so if fails rapidily and shuts down sell mode... It got to admit the few time I did do it... It was wild to see the wheel in the power meter running clockwise then as soon as sell mode starts its slows down and stops... Then start spinning counterclockwise... Then all the little pointers started moving backwards... I built a program to capture and then sell at the nd of the day well I our power bill was reduced... 8|

The older systems with batteries just had too much cost risk but the concept of using the power grid as your battery is more interesting. The initial cost vs pay back, I'd have to stay in this house 20 years to recover. With my disability, I'm not sure that's going to happen. Wouold someone pay out enough to revover the cost if I sold... I don't think so. So I didn't do it.Russ

i guess i would want to own a house before i invested into a good thing like solar power.lol here in OK we get enough sun to make it worth it, but we have softball size hail. what would that do to a solar panel? that beats up even some asphalt shingle roofs. does the gov subsidize wind turbines?

According to the shop we bought ours from a guy could shoot the panels with a 22 rifle and it should harm it as long as the wiring naver broke. But of course phyiscal damage from hail would be a PITA. Constantly fixing broken glass panes and repairing wiring...I don't think its a good idea for you... :confused: