Household Fixes

As the cost of energy rises, more and more people are becoming aware of alternative energy sources such as homemade solar panel. The people continuously think of ways to lower down their electricity bills and make life easier for them. After all, it is not only an effective way of saving a few bucks from your budget; it is also a noble act of helping save the environment.

Back in 1970?s, people had already gained interest in the use of solar energy. It was then that the first oil crisis happened and the people realized just how much their oil dependence had caused them major problems. They tried to come up with projects that concentrate on the use of solar energy. However, all these plans had been kept hanging and did not materialized because the oil cost soon went down.

Fast forward to the present time, it is reasonable to say that if only the projects about solar energy were implemented and developed back then; things could have been different now. People are aware about the increasing oil cost and it is fast becoming a major burden. Considering this present scenario, solar panels that are homemade can somehow provide a practical solution.

How do solar panels work? Solar panels function by taking the most renewable energy source and then convert it for use in the homes. If you are familiar with a hand-held solar calculator, then you would somehow have an idea about the principle of solar energy. This similar principle can be applied in bigger applications.

A solar panel which is homemade is a cheaper and a more practical alternative to an expensive basic solar panel system. The reason why a lot of people do not consider using a solar panel for their homes is because there are worried about the cost. A basic solar panel system can cost around $40,000 ? this is what most people choose to believe in. However, there are far better alternatives which do not cause much but can serve its purpose.

Professional solar panel systems are indeed costly but why would you invest on these if you have other options. You can opt for a home-built solar panel and you will spend only around $200. If you are interested on this project, you can search online for a complete set of instructions as well as the materials you need. There are many reliable websites that discuss this topic and offer help for those who are interested.

With your very own homemade solar panel, you can save money from heating and cooling bills caused by the big oil companies. Moreover, you will be doing the planet a huge favour. Remember that the leading cause of pollution is fossil fuels and 90% of the electricity comes from burning fossil fuels.

Solar panels can help address this problem through energy conservation. To learn more about homemade solar panels, take the time to visit my blog site.

Tags: electricity, Home, Home Improvement, solar power, wind power
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Solar lights have become popular and are lights for today and the future. We have been using energy from the sun for years, but it has only been recently that we can use this power in an efficient way. With solar lights, we are able to take another big step towards keeping the earth cleaner and safer.

Not only are solar lights able to be used in many ways, but they are earth friendly too. The sun is a source of energy that is renewable and we can use the energy from it without causing more pollution to occur. Using solar lights allows us to light up our world without having to increase negative effects on the earth.

It’s a good idea to take a look at how solar lights actually work. The light fixtures actually have a little solar power on top of them. They are a lot like the panels you see on roofs for homes, but much smaller. During the time that the sun is out, the panel collects energy from the sun, which is transferred to a battery that can be recharged again and again. When the sun is out, the battery charges up, and then when it gets dark, that energy is taken and used on the LED light, which provides light through the dark hours.

For the most part, solar lights are used for backyards, pool lights, lights around doors, and for lighting up the gardens as well. You can find various types of solar lights, and some of them are merely functional, while others are beautiful and decorative in nature. Solar lights can be hung from trees, put up on buildings, or even mounted on posts to provide even more light. Various lantern style lights are available, and they can be put near the ground to help you safely be able to walk down a sidewalk or path. There are even floating lights available, which look great on pools or in ponds, and add a bit of decorative charm.

Installation of solar lights is quite easy. There are no trenches to dig for the lights and no complicated wiring to deal with either. It’s very simple to press these lights into the ground or to hang them up somewhere. These lights are independent from each other, and only need to be placed in an area where they get plenty of sunlight.

LEDs are much longer lasting than regular light bulbs and use very little power to keep going. More often than not the LED will last as long as the solar light fixture itself, years. Because LEDs are dimmer than regular bulbs, fixtures are manufactured using reflective surfaces and are available with numerous LED to increase brightness.

Solar lights are going to vary in costs. Some home improvement stores offer great prices, while a boutique with garden enhancing lights may charge a bit more for the lights. No matter what you pay for them, you won’t have to keep paying for electricity to use the lights, since sun light doesn’t cost a thing. If you replace other lighting fixtures that use electricity with these solar lights, you will probably notice that you save some money on your electric bill.

There are so many benefits to using solar lights. Even during the winter when the days are gloomy, the battery will still get enough sun to charge them. The lights will go on and off on their own as long as the sun rises and sets. There is no heat coming from the LED’s either, which means your kids and pets are totally safe. If the power goes off, you can go outdoors and enjoy the light from your solar lights. They also benefit the earth, and they make great choices for your outdoor lighting needs.

Tags: e, energy, g, gardening, global warning, green homes, green living, h, home & family, home and garden, home;improvement, l, o, organic living, r, renewable energy, s, solar energy, solar power, t, technology
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Going green and already building your own solar panels? Good for you! You might be tempted now to build your own solar cells as well.

But you need to consider carefully whether you *really* need to do it. It’s nice to say, “I built my own solar cells!” but it’s quite time-consuming and these days they can be purchased very cheaply off of eBay.

The time involvement necessary to create one single solar cell is extensive, and it pays to remember that just one solar panel can have in the neighborhood of hundreds, if not of thousands of cells, depending on the size. So, think hard ” do you really want to commit the time and effort when it might be cheaper and most probably easier, to purchase them ready-made?

But if I haven’t convinced you to just buy your own solar cells, here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

1) Copper sheet – half a square foot should do. 2) Two clip leads. 3) Micro-ammeter measuring between 10 and 50 microamperes. 4) Either an electric stove, or some type of heating plate to put on your gas stove. 5) A large jar or plastic bottle. 6) A few tablespoons of salt. 7) A bucket of water. Sandpaper. 9) To cut the copper, you’ll need metal shears.

First, clean the copper sheet with the sandpaper and wash both it and your hands before proceeding. Then, cut the sheet using the metal shears to the approximate size of your heating plate or stove.

Once you have your copper piece, put it on your heating plate and turn the heat to “high.” It should take 30 minutes to produce a blackened sheet, and then another 20 minutes for it to cool so you can handle it.

You’ll see black and red spots all over, after the oxide disappears.

Then, cut another copper sheet that’s approximately the same size as your first one and make sure that they can both fit into your plastic bottle or jar without touching.

Now, connect the positive terminal of your micro-ammeter to your “uncooked” copper, and connect the negative terminal to the copper piece that you heated up.

Combine the salt and heated tap water and pour it into the bottle to fill it just below the top of the sheets ” that should leave about a quarter of an inch of copper sticking out at the top.

Finally, test your new solar cell to see if it produces current in the sunlight. You should be able to see at least 10-50 microamperes of current if you did it properly.

Since copper is so inefficient compared to silicon, you’d need 80,000 square meters of these cells to power a single 100-watt light bulb. So I’d highly recommend eBay for buying cheap, manufactured silicon solar cells.

Tags: alternative energy, diy solar cells, energy, environment, Home, Home Improvement, home repair, residential solar power, solar cells, solar power
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