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Pure sunshine makes almost all of the world’s energy. Let’s repeat that; Pure sunshine makes almost all the world’s energy! No matter how you look at it the sun works in mysterious ways, whether the energy is harvested from of a tree, plant and then used indirectly as wood, pellets, oil or coal(taking billions of years) the majority of energy we use is a product of the sun. Enough sun energy falls on the earth in a single day to supply us with energy for several years. This could also be through several man made sources including solar panels, solar heating and solar hot water panels.     The energy the sun supplies is free, all we need to do is put the equipment in place to harness the raw power going to waste every day. The energy we harness and use today will not deplete the energy we can harness and use tomorrow or the day after and best of all there will still be plenty for our children without the harmful effects on the environment. The drawback for many is the start up cost for purchasing and installing a system. You are paying for your electricity in a lump sum in advance before you even get to enjoy the clean energy. Our culture unfortunately is governed by “pay as you go” which makes all the utility companies very popular since they only charge us for what we use in a given period of time. Imagine paying up front for installation and never having to pay another electricity bill. Maintaining the system is well, basically maintenance free.     So what do you need to make solar energy—-Just the equipment – the sun does the rest! The equipment would be PV Panels, charge controller, batteries, system monitor, inverter and a circuit breaker panel. There are more and more manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of this equipment every day. If you do not believe me the go to the government site http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/solarphotv/solarpv.htmland see the information for yourself. Since 1997 this industry has grown exponentially each and every year.     To fulfill your energy requirements in any weather a good backup system to the solar would be a wind generator. Usually if it is cloudy a solar system will not generate the same output as it would on a sunny day. With the weather being unsettled usually there is wind and wind can also mean electricity backup. It takes and average wind speed of 9 miles per hour to keep a wind generator generating electricity. If wind power is not an option than additional energy storage batteries can also be a solution.     No matter how you look at it solar energy, green energy and wind energy is the only option for a socially responsible culture. We just need to adjust to the change now before the damage we do to the earth is irreversible. The government is offering tax credits for the installation of solar energy systems, up to 30% of the cost, you can see the tax form and instructions here http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5695.pdfany way you look at it, and it makes more and more sense to install a solar system to create energy.

Due to the rising costs of electricity now, solar and wind power systems are becoming more popular. A large amount of our earnings these days goes towards our electricity bills and this is why alot more people are choosing to use solar or wind power to power their homes.  Solar and Wind Power is very cost efficient and also generally easy to maintain, and even better environmentally friendly.

Imagine if you could construct your very own solar energy system or wind turbine to generate power to your home, this is not as hard as you might envisage it to be.

Lots of homes are using solar and wind power to save huge amounts of money off their electricity bills.  Global warming is also an issue for our future, choosing renewable sources of energy is going to have a way more positive effect on our environment.

If you were to install a solar panel or a wind generator and you produced more power than you need, which is possible, not only will you save on your electricity bill but there is a extremely good chance that you could sell the surplus energy to your local utility and earn additional money.

Both methods can be used to produce power, depending on your location and finances.  Obviously if you are residing where the wind is blowing most of the time then the best option for your home would be to install a wind generator, same goes with solar panels, if you are living where the sun is shining the majority of the year then choosing solar power is your best option.

If a solar energy method is your choice, positioning the solar panels at a 45 degree angle to the ground is recommended, For the greatest outcome also face half east and half west. The early morning sunrise will capture the rays of the sun and ofcourse the afternoon sunset will capture the west facing solar panels.

The speed of the wind is also greater the further from the ground a wind turbine is, so being positioned high will also work best too.  A windmill obviously requires wind to function, it also acts as the fuel, this system can produce considerable amounts of electricity.

Solar panels and windmills can be purchased, but this can be very costly.  Choosing to install them yourself can save you a fortune.  There are some great diy solar and wind power guides out there with fantastic step by step manuals that will illustrate to you how to construct either of these systems.

Bret Parker, leader in solar power and wind power generation systems for generating solar electricity and wind power for domestic home and small commercial industrial applications workshops.

Installation of a complete solar power system is a significant investment and one you want to trust to someone with a proven track record.

Bret has been active in renewable energy, solar power, and solar panels since 2000 with a comprehensive knowledge of all solar power installations solutions for the domestic and business applications.

Bret’s proven expertise in the renewable energy sector on a global scale with access to some of the most experienced installers and system designers ready to help and give advice on all solar power applications.

Solar Energy to Generate Solar Electricity

In a world where fossil fuel energy demands are becoming unsustainable Bret took the decision to offer customers a choice of do it yourself solar power panels and do it yourself wind power generator turbines in a package that contains comprehensive step by step guides on how to make your own solar electricity using solar power panels and wind generator turbines.

Bret gives advice on energy efficient equipment to use in a complete home solar system.

 Energy costs are rising

Home owners are starting to look at alternative energy sources for their homes and are becoming aware of the negative impact traditional fossil fuel energy have on the environment.

Simply, there are alternative energy sources that the home owner can use to power their home such as do it yourself solar power panel systems and wind generators that are much cheaper than the traditional sources.

Residential Home solar power panels can provide energy for a home that will dramatically reduce costs on the traditional monthly electric bill.

Of course, there are those that may be wondering if they could make or build solar panels or a wind generator turbine.

A complete novice or someone that has a background in home improvement or do it yourself experience could make or build solar panels by simply reading Bret’s instructional guides on how to and watching Bret’s several video presentations.

Bret Parker’s reliable and quality solar power package is all that is needed for success. The package guides will explain in detail how solar energy, solar electricity, home solar panels, wind generator turbine are make and how to use them in a complete home solar energy system.

Bret’s package is more than just lecture material, it includes hands on approach that will clearly help the skills you need to work as a do it yourselfer in solar power energy installations.

This package is designed by Bret and has a very professional approach but still understanding enough for the solar novice.  

Once again, the world is changing and people are becoming more and more independent and looking for cost effective ways to save money. This means they are looking for alternate energy sources.

MAKE Solar Power

Residential, Domestic, Home, DIY or Do It Yourself Solar Panels.

BUILD Wind Power

Wind Power Generator Turbine

In spite of the obvious importance of solar energy for our future energy reserves, and the huge amount of energy, that the sun provide us for free, I want’ to emphasize some of the draw-backs of solar energy, with the current technology, and share some of my worries about the problem that using solar energy still have.
I intend to drip some cool water on the entire hot “solar power” lobby, not to abolish it, but to speed them up, and causing them to think again about the problems.
Availability
Although solar energy is a great source of energy, it is still can be unavailable and unreliable some time. we need to remember that on our spherical earth, receiving different amount of light during the day and throughout the year, making it hard to retain constant energy supply. moreover, our current devices require a huge surfaces of panels in order to collect a small amount of energy, making it unachievable.
Price
solar energy, in our current situation is very expensive. Yes, sun is for free, but the current technology is very expensive, and in terms of surface needed relative to the production of electricity with fossil fuel, it is still very expensive. So prices have to be dramatically reduced , before it will become a good energy resource.
Efficiency
As I already said, our current technology is extremely inefficient. There are two main ways to produce electricity form solar energy: photovoltaic cells – which produce electricity directly from the sun, but are very inefficient and expensive, and heating fluids using the sun (like solar boiler), to drive turbines that produce energy. these two methods are still very ineffective, energetically speaking. There must be other ways to produce electricity efficiently from solar power.
Possible effect on the environment
Although it might sound strange, solar energy in its current form can be harmful to the environment. First, the materials used for the production of the panels, and the methods of production are very unfriendly to the environment. Second, these large surfaces, consume a huge space, and increasing the use of solar power will cost in many space wasted on solar panels. Third, increasing the reflecting surface of earth might cause a phenomenon of reflecting the sun light out, causing global cooling (this is not a joke!). Global cooling, looks good in first glance, might be horrific in the future. messing with earth climate was never a good idea. Not mention the effect that such a phenomenon might have on plants and photosynthesis, which are the basis for life.
effect on technology
Finally, since the current situation of solar energy in insufficiency and economically problematic, I think that the time to promote solar energy has not arrived yet, most of the concentration should be in increasing the investment in research and development, so the future generation will benefit from a good solar energy solutions.

Environmental campaigners have been trying to change the way we think for a long time. As yet I do not think they have really succeeded. Now there is another appeal to saving the planet, it might be cheaper than letting it all go to pot! The cost of energy has been increasing for a long time and we have all simply adjusted our mindset to accept this. But there is another way. Solar power.
Solar power used to be unobtainable for most people as it was expensive to install and no one really made it seem appealing. Now it is a different story. With a little bit of research you can find amazing ways of saving money using solar power.
Getting Solar Power Installed
All the investment in solar power is up front, or so it used to be. You used to have to buy all the equipment and then pay a company to come and install it and also pay for any maintenance it needed. Now you can go about this in a different way. Some companies will actually lease you the equipment. For this you pay a deposit and then you pay a monthly amount to the company. So as long as your monthly lease is less than your current energy bills you are saving money. Another option is a grant. You will need to check the availability of grants in your area. These are basically issued to help with the initial set up costs.
Where To Start
First you need to review your energy requirements. Some areas will be easy and obvious to change. For example, are you heating a swimming pool? This is very expensive to heat traditionally and is also very simple and cheap to change to solar. If you are looking to convert you whole home then it is worth consulting one of the companies who specialize in this. They will come and see your house and will be able to advise you how to change and they can even divide the project up so that you can do it over a period of time depending on grants and personal funding.
How Does Solar Power Work.
There are two ways in which we can use the sun to reduce our energy bills. Either the heat can be used to heat water and reduce the costs of heating your home, or your can use photovoltaic panels to convert the suns light into energy. This energy can then be stored in batteries, so your home will not stop functioning when the sun goes down. If you are looking at installing photovoltaic panels you must carefully consider their location as you want them to be as efficient as possible. The best location is on a pitched roof. This tilt means that they will be able to catch more sunlight than if they were on a flat roof. If you know the place where you want to place the panels then you can contact one of the companies who sell them and they will also be able to advise you how much energy you will be able to swap from traditional sources to solar power.
So Why Should You Be Swapping Over To Solar Power?
Well, before hand you may have thought it was all impractical, now you know that the advice, and in some cases the funding is waiting for you. With a possible global recession on its way, now it a good time to start reviewing your outgoings, and if a little investment is going to save a lot of money it has got to be worth researching. Secondly, it will only add to the value of your real estate, so your investment will be safe. Finally, you are doing your bit for the future generations.

Home solar power secrets can be discovered quite easily. It doesn’t matter if you are building a new home or remodeling, you can turn it into a residential solar power home by making a few simple changes to your plan, such as using solar power panels. If electric and gas become hard to manage you may want to think about heating your home with the sun.

Solar energy is known as the heat that comes from the sun down to the earth. When sun’s energy reaches the earth it spreads evenly but you may need it to go to a certain area like your home. Exactly how do you get that much sunlight to heat a home, it’s really easy to do and takes a few extra steps to help get it started.

For example, if you are building your home you have multiple choices to choose from regarding your solar power systems. If you choose to heat from the sun you will need to construct your home facing in the direction that the sun comes up. This allows your home to get the most sunlight during the heat of the day.

Buying solar powered glass windows allow the sunlight to come through and stay in the home without escaping back out. After the sun goes down, your home is kept warm by the sunlight that came into the home during the day,however you need to keep the door shut in order to keep the heat in and you also need to use insulated curtains on the windows at night so that the heat will not escape at night while you sleep.

Make sure you don’t let too many windows on the side of the house that faces the afternoon sun as it may cause the home to cool down quickly. Remodeling your home to use the sun’s energy as a natural heating source is fairly easy to do and is one of the advantages of solar power.

Although you can’t change the direction that your house is built in to face the early morning sun you can still trap the sunlight that shines through and reduce the amount of time that you use another source of heat.

You may want to consider constructing a sun room onto the side of your house that catches the morning sun allowing it to heat up naturally and then install ceiling fans that will circulate the air into the parts of the house.

During the day this may provide enough heat to maintain the warmth in your home but when remodeling your home, it will help to install solar power windows that are epecially designed to attract the sunlight and allow it to come into the house but not let it escape. This is a great and totally natural way to heat your home.Using natural sunlight to heat your home is an excellent way to save money on your heating bill and also to improve the environment. You can install a backup

heating source just in case the sunlight does not heat your home efficiently during the day because of too many clouds.

Your back up system can be used to assist the solar energy which will also cut down on the use of electric or gas which is simply a smart move.

New solar power design research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) could lead to higher powered, more affordable solar panels.

With the help of computer simulations and various advanced chip-manufacturing methods, a team of physicists and engineers at MIT have discovered new ways of getting greater efficiency from photovoltaic solar cells.

In the experiment, the team applied an anti-reflective coating to the front, and a innovative series of multi-layered reflective coatings and a defraction grating – a closely spaced array of lines – to the back of ultra-thin silicon films to increase the cells’ power by up to 50%.

With the help of the carefully designed layers on the back of each cell, light is bounced around longer inside the thin silicon film, allowing it more time to transfer its energy into an electric current.  Without those coatings the light would be reflected straight out of the cell.

One of the team members, Peter Bermel, a post-doctoral researcher in MIT’s physics department explained that it is critical that any light entering the layer should travel through a long path in the silicon.  But what they have not figured out yet is how long that path has to be to ensure maximum absorption of electrons to produce the electric current.

The test was started by running thousands of computer simulations, testing variations of the thickness of the silicon,  spacing of the lines, and the amount and thickness of reflective layers on the back. These simulations were then used to optimize efficiency and power output.

According to Lionel Kimerling, the project manager and Thomas Lord Professor of Materials Science and Engineering: “The simulated performance was remarkably better than any other structure, promising, for 2-micrometer-thick films, a 50 percent efficiency increase in conversion of sunlight to electricity.”

Once simulations were complete, they were confirmed by actual lab-scale tests, where graduate student Lirong Zeng was given required to refine the structure and make the silicon cell.  As predicted, the experiment was a success and sparked considerable industry interest.

The work done so far was just the first step toward manufacturing an affordable, improved solar cell. Now all that is needed is some fine-tuning through more simulations and lab tests, and more work on the materials and manufacturing process.

According to Kimberling, if the solar business stays strong, we can expect this new technology to be ready within the next three years. Bermel added that, “the potential for savings is great, since the high-quality silicon crystal substrates used in conventional solar cells represent about half the cost, and the thin films in this version use only about 1 percent as much silicon.”

To evaluate its business potential, the project was selected by the MIT Deshpande Center for an “i-team” study. Here it was concluded that this thin film solar cell technology could provide considerable benefits in both manufacturing and electricity production, for uses ranging from remote off-grid to dedicated clean energy.

While no single project is likely to minimize the cost of solar cells, this type of innovation takes us one step closer to making solar power design competitive with fossil fuel and nuclear grid electricity.

Anyone looking to live off the grid and start building solar panels is making one of the best decision nowadays is such tough economical times. The cost of buying a solar panel is through the roof therefore building one all by yourself is nearly ten times cheaper.

My house for example uses close to 400 watts on daily basis so if I were to go and purchase enough solar panels to cover up all the electricity my house needs I would have spent anywhere between six thousand to ten thousand dollars or even more depending on the solar panel’s manufacturer. Buying solar panels is not the best choice you could make, however building homemade solar panels is a lot cheaper these days and not only that but anyone can do it.

I though it would be great for everyone if I share the things you need to build solar panels on your own and how to avoid costly mistakes that any DIY novice would make. It only takes you two days to assemble your solar power system, but it’s quite easy and fun when following a solid guide.

Things that you need

A solid DIY guide will be vital. Even before you start you DIY project you need to know what components are necessary to build a fully functional solar panel and a proper guide should teach you step-by-step on where to purchase all the parts you need at the lowest cost.

You’ll have to work in a safe place that has a proper ventilation. There will be some soldering work so you will also need a pair of goggles and a pair of safety gloves. (Always wear safety equipment).

Make sure the guide has good feedback from customers that have already used it and it’s easy to follow. Some of the guides available online are simply incomplete and you might end up even more confused that you were at the beginning. The manual we’ve followed not only includes illustrated diagrams but it’s accompanied by simple-to-follow videos.

Building solar panels is not as tough as many people may think. You need a piece of durable plywood, solar cells, copper wire, glass and a soldering gun that heats up fast. All the components you need should be listed clearly in the DIY guide that you’re going to follow. You’ll also need a rechargeable battery if you’re going to store the unused energy for later use. (Some DIY guides even teach you how to sell the electricity back to power companies).

If you’re tired of high electricity bills discover how thousands of families worldwide benefit from homemade solar panels to power their homes.

For more information on how to build homemade solar panels read our Earth 4 Energy Review.

When thinking of solar power in the home, many people think of expensive solar panels and quickly shrug off the idea.  The truth is that there are many ways to harvest the power of the sun for little or no money, reducing environmental impact and saving significantly on energy usage and costs.  While solar panels and off-grid living should be an eventual goal for all people, the use of these simple solar energy tips is an excellent way to reduce costs in both the short and long term.

One thing that many homeowners do not consider is opening the curtains during the day.  On sides of the house that are facing the sun, this produces enough light to adequately illuminate most rooms, eliminating the need to use electricity to light them.  When windows are properly insulated, opening the blinds in winter months also allows heat to come in from the sunlight without letting in cold drafts.  The simple act of opening the blinds can provide significant savings on heat and light usage, reducing energy bills as well as your carbon footprint.  An excellent idea for homeowners is to install skylights onto the roof of the home, which do not affect privacy but can allow in enough light during daytime hours to eliminate the need for electric lights in all rooms where a skylight is installed.

For people who use outdoor pools or Jacuzzis, converting the systems used to heat the water from electricity to solar panels can also result in significant savings.  All outdoor lights can be inexpensively replaced with lights that absorb sunlight during the day and glow at night, giving off equivalent light to an electric light but with no energy cost whatsoever.  These simple alternatives can greatly decrease your dependence on electricity.

The last method of utilizing solar power at home is to purchase and use a solar hot water heater.  While the costs of some systems are rather pricey, there are inexpensive systems as well as ways to upgrade your current water heater to utilize solar power rather that fuel or electricity.  When considering that heating water accounts for a significant portion of the electricity used in any home, the savings to be gained from installing a solar water heater are immediately apparent.  From washing dishes and laundry to bathing and showering, we utilize hot water in large amounts.  Hot water heaters work almost constantly in order to maintain a specific amount of hot water, meaning that we are heating the water even when we are not using it.  By heating the water using solar power, we stop the waste of fossil fuel and electricity that accompanies this process.

Altogether, there are a number of ways to utilize solar energy at little to no cost.  These methods are quite easy to employ and have significant impact on both the environment and finances.  With the state of both the environment and the global economy, there has never been a better time to implement such methods to reduce our dependence on the fossil fuels that are in many ways at the center of our economic turbulence.

With summer coming, you know you can expect sky-high electric bills. Want to lower your electric bills by tens of hundreds of dollars this summer? You can build your own solar power system and wind power system for your home and see your electric bills drop dramatically. There is no better way to show respect for your environment than by using alternative forms of electricity, and many of these alternate energy products also come with an added tax credit for purchasing them.
Using solar power or wind power is the wave of the future. By capturing these natural resources, you can not only cool and heat your home cheaply; you are also conserving the earth’s resources. A solar power system is non-polluting and its main source of energy, the sun, is plentiful and readily available – for free! Wind is another resource that can generate energy that is like solar power – free and non-polluting. Green energy can help you protect both the environment and your wallet.
Because there are so many benefits to solar power and wind power, a contractor or installer will want to charge you hundreds of thousands of dollars to get the benefits of a solar powers system or wind power system for the home. But you can easily and for less money install a solar and wind power system for your home. It’s not hard to set up your own solar and wind system, and whether you want to move off grid entirely, or only supplement your power, it’s quite easy to set up a system that works for you.
First, you have to make or purchase solar panels. There are different types of solar panels available to deliver solar power to your home. For example, there are different wattages based on how much power you need. Solar panels are the most expensive part of the your solar power system. But there are ways that you can make them cheaply. Additionally, they are essentially the only expense. After you get your solar panels and install them, you will have a complete solar power system and will begin to save money for the life of the panels, which can be many years. The sun doesn’t cost you a dime, but it will certainly save you plenty of them.
Other expenses related to your solar power system are minimal. You will also need to build a box to hold the solar panels. This can be done with inexpensive wood, particle board or other type of durable substance. Additionally, you will want to secure your solar panels to protect them from the elements. They are the most expensive part of your solar power system.
Wind power systems will operate in a similar manner. By capturing the wind, you can also harness mother nature to lower your bills. With wind power, you will need a wind turbine or windmill. While wind is a great source of energy, often people find that a combination of solar power and wind power is optimal to deliver electricity to your home all year long.
Everyone is watching their bills in these economic times. With a small amount of money and a little hard work, you can save thousands on your electric bills by installing a solar power system or a wind power system. By utilizing what mother nature has to offer, you can not only save money, but contribute to the green energy revolution. Instead of being concerned about the planet when you turn on the lights in your home, start feeling good about your electrical source. With wind energy and solar energy you can feel confident that you are protecting the earth.