Photovoltaic Systems

Sam Deane answers:

Solar panels absorb energy from the sun and then converts it to energy that you can use. Its obviously a renewable source, so its very good for the enviorment! Unfortunately theyre expensive and there arent many of them.

Sam Deane answers:

This would be called a low end, non-skilled job. People who do this work for solar panel dealers, and are typically trained on the job. It’s not much above minimum wage, and the only decent career path is in someday owning your own business.

For that, a business degree would suit you better than any tech degree.

An AS in electronics would prepare you for the job you described.

Did I mention that it’s a low end, low paid job, with not much future?

Sam Deane answers:

You need to talk with people who are already knowledgable in the field, and in the business of designing systems for a specific set of location, conditions, applications, and goals. Government incentives make a big difference in evaluating choices. Those vary widely by country and even state within country.

Sam Deane answers:

I really disagree with the above poster. It’s always productive to search and try new methods to solving our problems. It’s how science works. We may invest a great deal of time and effort into a single promising approach only to have it fail in the end. But then we’d know more and can better prepare a new one.

My only complaint is that Obama seems determined for our renewable energy sources to be developed here. There are actually two very promising energy plans being done in the UK and Canada atm. One involves tides and the other man made tornadoes. It made not be made in America but good ideas are good ideas regardless of where they come from.

Fuels for cars do need to be reliable and rather set as they require massive amounts of infrastructure. But what the above poster fails at realizing is that what is needed is a better way to produce electricity. If we can do that in a cleaner fashion it’s much easier to make use of cars that can use existing and proven technology.

Sam Deane answers:

Normally it is not connected directly because the voltage and current output from the panel is fluctuating as it is entirely dependent on the sun’s rays.
So the solar panel is therefore connected via a “Charge Controller” to a 12V lead acid battery to charge it.
The battery is then connected to the inverter.

Sam Deane answers:

My dad made a solar heater the following way, maybe you can modify it for your needs?

You will need foam insulation, 2 junk glass patio doors, about three cases worth of empty soda cans, black spraypaint, epoxy, caulk, dryer hose, plywood the size of the patio doors, and a thermostat-controlled fan.

Cut a hole in the plywood the same diameter as the dryer hose. Spray one side of the plywood black. Cut tops off soda cans, epoxy to plywood. The cans should touch at the sides and completely cover the wood. Spray all cans black. Cut insulation to make “sides” of a box, a little taller than the soda cans on all four sides of the plywood. Seal patio doors to the insulation “sides” after installing thermostat on the patio doors. Run dryer hose inside.

Make sure you put this in direct sunlight. The way it works is that the sunlight heats up the sprayed metal through the glass. As soon as it gets as hot as you’ve set the thermostat, the fan kicks on and blows hot air into the house until it cools off again. I know it sounds sort of MacGuyver crazy, but it kept my basement bedroom warm when I was a teenager. Good luck!

Sam Deane answers:

Despite what many people say, you don’t need batteries for a solar system if you are going to also be connected to the electric company (grid). You just need the panels and an inverter (and mounting hardware and safety equipment like breakers and fuses).

Most people don’t generate all of the electricity they use. They offset some of their use with solar and buy the rest from the grid. You can get a very small grid-tied solar system for as little as $3000. However, it won’t generate much electricity at all. I’d say an average size system is around $10k – $20k. Here are some packages that show all of the components needed. Http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-and-Package-Deals/Grid-Tied-Systems/Alt-E-Designed-Grid-Tie-Packages/c1087/

If you want to see how much you need, look at your electric bill and see how many kwh you buy each month. Put that number into a calculator like this one, and see how big of a system you need. Http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/on_grid_calculator/. Installed cost is about $8 per watt of solar panel.

Sam Deane answers:

It is not that simple. You need panels, batteries to store the energy, an inverter. Your usage can be figured out by a professional who will ask you questions about your lifestyle to figure out your average usage, determining your panel/battery needs. You cannot run any high usage items such as electric dryers or electric stoves, or electric furnace (depending on where you live). There are a lot of variables. You will be looking at around $20-30000 per average 4 person household.

Sam Deane answers:

If you want to make solar panels and get an energy rebate, this link will show you how.

Http://solarpanels.infoworldhelp.com

good luck.

Chris Cordoba

Sam Deane answers:

They don’t really produce enough electricity to sell to the National grid. I assume you’re in the UK. A better bet is panels that heat water using the heat of the sun. In winter the water coming off the mains is close to freezing, warm it up before it goes in to your hot water tank and that will save energy and much cheaper than solar panels that produce electricity. I assume you are turning your computer off when not needed. Turning your TV off instead of leaving it on standby. Using low energy light bulbs. Wearing warm clothing in winter and turning the heating down a little. Driving only when you have to? Saving energy is usually better than producing it. I’m quite interested in these new “bright” LEDs – they are really efficient at producing light. I find “low energy” light bulbs are useless for many applications. Like I can’t see to read! Leds may replace them soon. I had LEDs for my Christmas lights and they were efficient and controllable.

Sam Deane answers:

My dad made a solar heater the following way, maybe you can modify it for your needs?

You will need foam insulation, 2 junk glass patio doors, about three cases worth of empty soda cans, black spraypaint, epoxy, caulk, dryer hose, plywood the size of the patio doors, and a thermostat-controlled fan.

Cut a hole in the plywood the same diameter as the dryer hose. Spray one side of the plywood black. Cut tops off soda cans, epoxy to plywood. The cans should touch at the sides and completely cover the wood. Spray all cans black. Cut insulation to make “sides” of a box, a little taller than the soda cans on all four sides of the plywood. Seal patio doors to the insulation “sides” after installing thermostat on the patio doors. Run dryer hose inside.

Make sure you put this in direct sunlight. The way it works is that the sunlight heats up the sprayed metal through the glass. As soon as it gets as hot as you’ve set the thermostat, the fan kicks on and blows hot air into the house until it cools off again. I know it sounds sort of MacGuyver crazy, but it kept my basement bedroom warm when I was a teenager. Good luck!

Sam Deane answers:

Despite what many people say, you don’t need batteries for a solar system if you are going to also be connected to the electric company (grid). You just need the panels and an inverter (and mounting hardware and safety equipment like breakers and fuses).

Most people don’t generate all of the electricity they use. They offset some of their use with solar and buy the rest from the grid. You can get a very small grid-tied solar system for as little as $3000. However, it won’t generate much electricity at all. I’d say an average size system is around $10k – $20k. Here are some packages that show all of the components needed. Http://www.altestore.com/store/Kits-and-Package-Deals/Grid-Tied-Systems/Alt-E-Designed-Grid-Tie-Packages/c1087/

If you want to see how much you need, look at your electric bill and see how many kwh you buy each month. Put that number into a calculator like this one, and see how big of a system you need. Http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/on_grid_calculator/. Installed cost is about $8 per watt of solar panel.

Sam Deane answers:

It is not that simple. You need panels, batteries to store the energy, an inverter. Your usage can be figured out by a professional who will ask you questions about your lifestyle to figure out your average usage, determining your panel/battery needs. You cannot run any high usage items such as electric dryers or electric stoves, or electric furnace (depending on where you live). There are a lot of variables. You will be looking at around $20-30000 per average 4 person household.

Sam Deane answers:

If you want to make solar panels and get an energy rebate, this link will show you how.

Http://solarpanels.infoworldhelp.com

good luck.

Chris Cordoba

Sam Deane answers:

They don’t really produce enough electricity to sell to the National grid. I assume you’re in the UK. A better bet is panels that heat water using the heat of the sun. In winter the water coming off the mains is close to freezing, warm it up before it goes in to your hot water tank and that will save energy and much cheaper than solar panels that produce electricity. I assume you are turning your computer off when not needed. Turning your TV off instead of leaving it on standby. Using low energy light bulbs. Wearing warm clothing in winter and turning the heating down a little. Driving only when you have to? Saving energy is usually better than producing it. I’m quite interested in these new “bright” LEDs – they are really efficient at producing light. I find “low energy” light bulbs are useless for many applications. Like I can’t see to read! Leds may replace them soon. I had LEDs for my Christmas lights and they were efficient and controllable.

Sam Deane answers:

They are coming down and more states are helping with rebates. My break even time frame is about 6 years for my system, it would have been closer to 10 without the rebates. If you consider my system is guaranteed for 25 years, I’ll be getting 19 years of free energy and the electric rates go up at least 5% annually.

There is anothe way to make it more affordable. Several solar companies are offering lease options. Most lease rates are based on your current electric rate. With no up front costs you lock in your electric rate for 20 years.

Sam Deane answers:

A single solar panel with 12V electric output costs between $100-250 to buy or build. Most of these are the portable variety (which cost less) and is a good way to reduce dependence on your utility company and generate your own electricity.

A residential solar panel mounted on rooftops costs more — like the 185-watt Mitsubishi panel which costs $1020. But with states like CA, MA, IL, AZ (and a lot others) giving you tax incentives up to 30% the installation cost, the reasons for going green are becoming more and more better.

Sam Deane answers:

Here ya go, http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?category=&q=solar+panel

Sam Deane answers:

Evergreen solar panels cost between $750 for the 170 W panel and $892 for the 195 W panel.

These are some typical prices for the Evergreen brand:
* ES-170 SL (170 W / 25.3 V) ==> $750
* ES-180 RL (180 W / 25.9 V) ==> $820
* ES-190 RL (190 W / 26.7 V) ==> $870
* ES-195 SL (195 W / 27.1 V) ==> $892

The difference between the RL and SL models is that the RL panels are made in Europe while the SL panels are made in the USA. Both are maintenance free and power efficient.

Sam Deane answers:

You need in average 30 years to recover the investment of a solar energy system, this makes it economical unfeasible in most cases.The solar system will not probably last that either.

The only case where solar energy is economical feasible is where you do not have access to the grid, e.g. Remote location.

In some countries where government wants to promote a green politics, the hardware is provided a low cost (green benefit), this makes it economical feasible for the final user.

Another way to make it economical feasible is to start from scratch thinking solar e.g. Before building your house. If you buy and build everything; appliances, walls, heat systems and so on, thinking in how to do the best use of solar energy, thus you can get a nearly economical feasible system.