Many people these days are looking for alternative energy solutions to combat rising electricity prices and to reduce their impact on the environment.
To buy a complete alternative energy system and have it installed could cost you $15,000 to $20,000. The great news is that there are now excellent do-it-yourself guides like Green Power Easy, that make it simple to convert your home to solar or wind power for as little as $200 to $300.
Being passionate about sustainable living practices, I have been looking for alternative energy guides for some time . I have purchased two guides in the past, but as a female do-it-your-selfer, I found them to be a little too technical at times and found it difficult to understand some of the instructions. I didn't feel confident enough to get started on the solar conversion I had planned.
Having recently purchased the Green Power Easy series of guides, I must say they are the most comprehensive and easy to understand guides I have ever come across. Most importantly it's the first time I've seen a guide that teaches you how to convert your whole home, easily, to solar or wind power.
The authors Peter and Jen Lowe, provide well written step-by-step instructions on how to build solar panels and wind turbines, and how to connect them to other components to complete your home conversion. Professionally designed illustrations also help to show you how to complete each step. There is nothing too challenging here for the average DIYer, but if you are not that confident about doing things like soldering, sawing, drilling and wiring, you may have to enlist the help of a handyman friend.
Green Power Easy comes as a series of ebooks and videos comprising of:
1 The EASY DIY Guide to Solar and Wind Power
This is the main ebook of 140 pages that teaches you:
What alternative energy is all about.
How to choose which alternative energy solution is best for your home.
How to design and build your own solar panels.
How to design and build your own wind turbine.
5 ways to wire your energy system into your home.
2 The EASY IMPLEMENTATION Guide
This is your guide to designing an alternative energy system that will reduce or eliminate your power bills.
You will learn:
How to calculate your current energy needs.
How to use those calculations to design your alternative energy system.
6 steps to take to ensure your system works for your needs.
How to calculate your energy storage needs.
How to design an energy storage system.
3 The EASY REBATES Guide
This shows you how to take advantage of green rebates of up to 75 %, available from federal, state, and local governments.
It includes information on:
US federal, state and local rebates.
Canadian federal and provincial rebates.
Information for UK and Australian members, and information for other countries.
4 The EASY PARTS ORDERING Guide
Learn where to source parts that you can afford.
You will learn:
How to find solar cells to build a panel for less than $25.
How to get a turbine generator for less than $40.
Where to get batteries for $5 and much more.
5 Supplementary VIDEOS
Easy to follow videos that build upon what the e books cover.
6 Optional Green Power EASY TV SERIES
A monthly video series that includes further instruction, new DIY ideas, and ideas on how to start your own alternative energy business.
You can purchase all of this for under $50 ( look for the special offer), which in my opinion is unbeatable value for money.
I believe this is the top product in this market at present, and would recommend it to everyone who wants to build their own solar or wind power system.
The authors offer a 60 day money back guarantee to give you ample time to look through all the material.
If you are still undecided, take a look at their Free Alternative Energy Report, which tells you more about the product and shows real case studies of systems that have been built. They also offer 2 free samples from the Green Power Easy TV series.
For a second opinion, take a look at alternative energy engineer, Miller Britzke's, reviews of the top five guides for DIY Alternative Energy.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Solar Roof Shingles vs. Asphalt Shingles And Solar Panels
If you are a big advocate for green life, you must have been excited about the innovation of the solar roof shingles. Compared to the conventional asphalt shingles, this new solar system can deliver obvious advantages and benefits to those green-oriented families.
Visual Appeal
This new type of shingles resemble the traditional asphalt shingles in size and finish, but are covered with thin film solar cells that are responsible for converting sunlight into electricity. Despite their thinness, these solar cells are able to produce the same amount of solar energy as that produced by the large array of solar panels. In fact, the solar shingle systems were exactly designed to substitute for the visually intrusive solar panel arrays.
Higher Acceptance
In some areas, the homeowner associations do not allow installation of solar panel arrays either on your roof or backyard. But, don"t you think that the solar shingles will be more acceptable to them, as your roof will not look much different from their own roofs?
More Flexibility
There are two types of solar shingle systems available. The off-grid system is a self-contained one, while the on-grid one is attached to the public utility. The working mechanism behind the shingle solar system is the same as the old (though still being widely used at the moment) solar panel arrays - it collect sunlight and convert it into electricity through photovoltaic cells. The only difference is that the shingle systems use materials that are much smaller in size, but, with the newest solar technology, they are able to produce just the same amount of solar energy.
Easy Replacement
This new shingle system does not just look like the traditional asphalt shingles, it can also be replaced easily just as the asphalt shingles. Having said that, there is no need to worry about maintenance or replacement as yet. Almost all shingle systems in the market will last for at least 20 years, and they are able to sustain even the harsh weather like storm and high winds.
Right now, the solar roof shingles are still fair new in the market, and it is for your best interest that you purchase from reputable manufacturers that also provide professional installation. You can always do your research on the internet, find the best supplier, get the high-tech shingles properly installed, and start to experience the change to your life!
Click here for an excellent resource about using alternative energy for home power supply. Don"t worry if you are technically-challenged, all topics are explained in simple plain English.
Interested in solar panel kits? Check out what sort of planning you need to carry out before making your investment.
For more information click here
Visual Appeal
This new type of shingles resemble the traditional asphalt shingles in size and finish, but are covered with thin film solar cells that are responsible for converting sunlight into electricity. Despite their thinness, these solar cells are able to produce the same amount of solar energy as that produced by the large array of solar panels. In fact, the solar shingle systems were exactly designed to substitute for the visually intrusive solar panel arrays.
Higher Acceptance
In some areas, the homeowner associations do not allow installation of solar panel arrays either on your roof or backyard. But, don"t you think that the solar shingles will be more acceptable to them, as your roof will not look much different from their own roofs?
More Flexibility
There are two types of solar shingle systems available. The off-grid system is a self-contained one, while the on-grid one is attached to the public utility. The working mechanism behind the shingle solar system is the same as the old (though still being widely used at the moment) solar panel arrays - it collect sunlight and convert it into electricity through photovoltaic cells. The only difference is that the shingle systems use materials that are much smaller in size, but, with the newest solar technology, they are able to produce just the same amount of solar energy.
Easy Replacement
This new shingle system does not just look like the traditional asphalt shingles, it can also be replaced easily just as the asphalt shingles. Having said that, there is no need to worry about maintenance or replacement as yet. Almost all shingle systems in the market will last for at least 20 years, and they are able to sustain even the harsh weather like storm and high winds.
Right now, the solar roof shingles are still fair new in the market, and it is for your best interest that you purchase from reputable manufacturers that also provide professional installation. You can always do your research on the internet, find the best supplier, get the high-tech shingles properly installed, and start to experience the change to your life!
Click here for an excellent resource about using alternative energy for home power supply. Don"t worry if you are technically-challenged, all topics are explained in simple plain English.
Interested in solar panel kits? Check out what sort of planning you need to carry out before making your investment.
For more information click here
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
How to Build a Solar Heater - Make Homemade DIY Solar Heaters
Solar heating systems are quickly invading the market. People continuously appreciate the benefits of having solar powered heaters: from hot water heaters, pool heaters, and air heaters. Moreover, a lot of people have taken to explore the ways of learning how to build a solar heater. Their familiarity with how solar panels work have given them impetus to take a stab at crafting a solar powered heater that will serve their purposes.
For more information click here
For more information click here
For more information click here
For more information click here
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Solar Pathfinder -- Using It To Find The Best Position To Install Your Solar Panels
The Solar Pathfinder is a standard shade analysis tool. You can use it to find out exactly where the shadows will be at particular times of the day or year. The data is in graphical form, so you can make sense of it at one glance.
With a Solar Pathfinder, you can instantly locate the best position to install your solar panel. Experts recommend that solar panels should be exposed to unobstructed sunshine during the crucial period (from 9am to 3pm) so they can be fully utilized to generate electricity for the household. This can be done by placing your solar panels in a spot where there is little or no shading during this crucial period. The easiest way to do this is to use a Solar Pathfinder.
Another popular tool is the Solmetric Suneye. This instrument is rather user friendly, but is much more expensive than the Solar Pathfinder. This will set you back by at least $1,500...yet there is a cheaper option.
Why Do We Need To Use A Solar Pathfinder?
A proper instrument like a Solar Pathfinder can save you lots of time and guesswork. Moreover it is reasonably easy to use and is affordable.
If we do not use any instrument to determine shadow positions, we'll need to observe their movement from dawn to dusk -- this is certainly not an efficient use of time. This is a waste of time! Moreover, these positions shift (slightly) through different seasons because of how the earth rotates around the sun.
But why do we care so much about the extent of shading? You may not realize this, but the effect of shading is devastating to solar energy production. Even if your solar panel is slightly covered under a shadow, the power output can drop drastically.
Consider this...if you shade only one solar cell out of the entire solar panel, your energy production is likely to drop by a third. If you'll only cover a row of photovoltaic cells, your electricity output reduces by a huge 90%. This means your solar panels have virtually stopped working!
Therefore when installing your solar panels, shading is your first and most important concern.
But is it worthwhile to use a solar pathfinder? Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we could determine shadow positions without the use of a scientific instrument... In fact, the additional electricity you'll be able to generate quickly covers the cost of the Solar Pathfinder. This is especially true for large systems.
After all, you've invested money and effort on your solar cells, batteries and inverters... Are you going to sacrifice a potentially significant part of its energy output just to save a few bucks? I hope not!
In case you are thinking of installing solar panels without a Solar Pathfinder, drop the idea as soon as possible. Because guesswork will eventually cost you dearly! You may be concerned about the cost...or you may be worried about the complexity of the instrument. The fact is this instrument only costs $249 and you'll probably take only 15 minutes to learn how to use it.
Whatever it is, if you're without a Solar Pathfinder, I'm confident of this -- you cannot even begin your installation... Without this instrument, you'll be lost!
To use a Solar Pathfinder, you simply have to bring it to the spot you feel is most suitable for installation. Then you will have to level the instrument and point it in the right direction using an in-built compass. The plastic dome will show you a paranomic view of the entire area together with the regions affected by shading over different times of the day or year.
You can record your readings by using a wax pencil (or grease pen) to outline the shape formed by the shadow. You can also use your digital camera to take a snap shot. (I prefer the second approach - it's instantaneous!)
The effects of shading are exceedingly damaging to solar energy production. Therefore you have to eliminate the guesswork -- which can be very costly -- and use a scientific approach to put up your solar panels. Among all known techniques, the easiest and cheapest way is to use a Solar Pathfinder.
------
John Greenspan is an expert in do-it-yourself solar panels and has build several solar power generators over the years. Are you interested in building DIY Solar panels? Pick up your FREE "How To Build Solar Panels" eBook at => http://www.diysolarpanelsworld.com
For more information click here
For more information click here
With a Solar Pathfinder, you can instantly locate the best position to install your solar panel. Experts recommend that solar panels should be exposed to unobstructed sunshine during the crucial period (from 9am to 3pm) so they can be fully utilized to generate electricity for the household. This can be done by placing your solar panels in a spot where there is little or no shading during this crucial period. The easiest way to do this is to use a Solar Pathfinder.
Another popular tool is the Solmetric Suneye. This instrument is rather user friendly, but is much more expensive than the Solar Pathfinder. This will set you back by at least $1,500...yet there is a cheaper option.
Why Do We Need To Use A Solar Pathfinder?
A proper instrument like a Solar Pathfinder can save you lots of time and guesswork. Moreover it is reasonably easy to use and is affordable.
If we do not use any instrument to determine shadow positions, we'll need to observe their movement from dawn to dusk -- this is certainly not an efficient use of time. This is a waste of time! Moreover, these positions shift (slightly) through different seasons because of how the earth rotates around the sun.
But why do we care so much about the extent of shading? You may not realize this, but the effect of shading is devastating to solar energy production. Even if your solar panel is slightly covered under a shadow, the power output can drop drastically.
Consider this...if you shade only one solar cell out of the entire solar panel, your energy production is likely to drop by a third. If you'll only cover a row of photovoltaic cells, your electricity output reduces by a huge 90%. This means your solar panels have virtually stopped working!
Therefore when installing your solar panels, shading is your first and most important concern.
But is it worthwhile to use a solar pathfinder? Perhaps we should ask ourselves if we could determine shadow positions without the use of a scientific instrument... In fact, the additional electricity you'll be able to generate quickly covers the cost of the Solar Pathfinder. This is especially true for large systems.
After all, you've invested money and effort on your solar cells, batteries and inverters... Are you going to sacrifice a potentially significant part of its energy output just to save a few bucks? I hope not!
In case you are thinking of installing solar panels without a Solar Pathfinder, drop the idea as soon as possible. Because guesswork will eventually cost you dearly! You may be concerned about the cost...or you may be worried about the complexity of the instrument. The fact is this instrument only costs $249 and you'll probably take only 15 minutes to learn how to use it.
Whatever it is, if you're without a Solar Pathfinder, I'm confident of this -- you cannot even begin your installation... Without this instrument, you'll be lost!
To use a Solar Pathfinder, you simply have to bring it to the spot you feel is most suitable for installation. Then you will have to level the instrument and point it in the right direction using an in-built compass. The plastic dome will show you a paranomic view of the entire area together with the regions affected by shading over different times of the day or year.
You can record your readings by using a wax pencil (or grease pen) to outline the shape formed by the shadow. You can also use your digital camera to take a snap shot. (I prefer the second approach - it's instantaneous!)
The effects of shading are exceedingly damaging to solar energy production. Therefore you have to eliminate the guesswork -- which can be very costly -- and use a scientific approach to put up your solar panels. Among all known techniques, the easiest and cheapest way is to use a Solar Pathfinder.
------
John Greenspan is an expert in do-it-yourself solar panels and has build several solar power generators over the years. Are you interested in building DIY Solar panels? Pick up your FREE "How To Build Solar Panels" eBook at => http://www.diysolarpanelsworld.com
For more information click here
For more information click here
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