SolarByTheWatt.com » alternative energy

Low prices of solar panels allow investors to build profitable power plants

SolarByTheWatt_com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:48:21 +0000

Low prices of solar photovoltaic panels fighting the $2 per watt range make it possible for investors to build economically efficient, profitable solar power plants and installations.

The prices of solar photovoltaic panels has fallen dramatically in recent months. News about manufactures starting to feel oversupply of production despite the growing activity in solar power plant construction has made many of them lower prices of modules that are commercially available.

While there are rumors and constant news reports about companies especially in the newest of the photovoltaic technologies trying to deal with the $1 per watt barrier the panels that are available commercially are still above $2 per watt peak. By commercially available we mean a purchaser fro a solar power project can pick up a phone a order them with at most a month to two months lead time for delivery, including possible production lead time for orders above a couple of tens of kilowatt (kW).

Recently SolarMaxDirect.com has lowered prices for large orders to $2.25 per watt peak.

With the 30% federal tax credit available for US projects the realistic cost in the project for panels is just $1.575. Having in mind the tax credit can be applied to all the costs for the project currently more than ever investing in solar power is economically efficient.

In addition to the federal tax credit many states offer a direct rebate on certain equipment up to a couple of dollar per watt and also many states offer special feed-in-tariffs (FITs) for the electricity produced by solar power installations.

Can Solar Energy Completely Replace Fossil Fuel and Other Sources?

SolarByTheWatt.com — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:12:48 +0000

Is solar energy capable of providing so much power that to offset the need for use of fossil fuels?

We want to look at the needs of energy of the United States and the world and compare with the practical size installations of solar power stations needed to replace that.

The question of completely replacing all fossil fuel or all other sources of electricity and other energy is much more complex than just looking at the numbers. Probably replacing the other sources in just electricity production is simpler but still in addition to simply adding capacity, changes of large scale are needed in the national grid configuration.

Replacing resources used to produce other energy, other than electricity, is even more complex. That will mean changing how energy is being transported and used. While electricity is a type of energy easy to transport what may need to be changed is the way it is utilized at the end consumer – industrial, residential or transportation. That will involve changes and costs again more than the ones related to replacing the source with solar power stations.

The current electricity generation capacity in the US is about 1TW (1,000,000 MW). About 395 GW (1GW = 1,000 MW) is from natural gas, 315 GW from coal, 100 GW from nuclear, 100 GW from hydroelectric 56GW from oil products, 30 GW from renewables other than hydro, and other small components.

We will look at these numbers separately to see what it will take to replace the more urgent ones of them – coal, oil etc.

The US total energy consumption, not just electricity is 3.5 TW. Most of the difference between just electricity and this number is made up of energy produced from oil so we are not going to try to break this down. We will look at this as one of our theoretical targets.

The world total energy consumption is at around 16 TW of which 4.5TW is electricity.

So, lets build a scale of the different stages that theoretically can be achieved in solar replacing other energy sources.

For our calculations we will assume installation / construction cost for one 1MW of $5m. This is a number ($5/Wp) we think smaller than the recent historic numbers for cost to install solar capacity. But we want to factor for future falling prices of solar modules and other components and overall improving efficiency in the industry. Anyone is free to factor the $ numbers we have if they believe $7/Wp or $10Wp is a better number.

For surface area needs we will assume 200 kW per acre. With different design and technology 800kW per acre is possible but we will go with the low number on this to be on the safe side. Since 1 sq mile is 640 acres, with our assumption we will have 128 MW per sq mile.

To Replace	We Need Solar Capacity, GW	That May Cost, $bn	Will Take Approximately Surface Area, sq miles	Approximately the area size of (examples)
Oil used for electricity production in the US	56	280 (notice this is less than the stimulus package!) like GDP of Ireland, 2% of GDP of USA	438	Guam, Cairo, half the size of Luxemburg or simply area 20×20 miles
Oil and coal used for electricity production in the US	371	1,855 like GDP of Spain or Italy, 13% of GDP of USA	2,900	Sao Paulo, Puerto Rico, Cyprus or Lebanon or simply area 55×55 miles
Oil, coal and natural gas used for electricity production in the US	766	3,830 like GDP of Germany or Japan, 28% of GDP of USA	6,000	Connecticut, less than New Jersey, New York City, Swaziland, Kuwait, Fiji, New Caledonia or simply area 80×80 miles
Total electric generation capacity of the US	1,000	5,000 like GDP of Japan, 36% of GDP of USA	7,800	Belize, Djibouti, Macedonia (Republic of), less than New Jersey, or simply area 90×90 miles
Total US Energy Consumption not just Electricity	3,500	17,500 like GDP of the European Union, 32% of GDP of the world	27,300	UAE, Austria, Serbia, less than South Carolina, 10% of Texas or simply area 165×165 miles
Total Electricity Generation Capacity in the World	4,500	22,500 1.3 times the GDP of the European Union, 41% of GDP of the world	35,000	Hungary, South Korea, Cuba, Bulgaria, Maine, 13% of Texas, 30% of Arizona or simply area 190×190 miles
Total Energy Consumption in the World not just Electricity	16,000	80,000 1.5 times the GDP of the world	125,000	Norway, Malaysia, Finland, Germany, a bit less than Japan, a bit more than New Mexico or simply area 350×350 miles

We tried to display this comparison between energy currently produced by different sources and capacity needed in solar in gigawatts (GW), cost of installation in billion dollars ($bn), land area needed in sq. miles, marks of different countries GDP, and land areas of different geographic locations (certain US states in this case).

Click here or on the graph below to see it in full scale.

On the above diagram, since it uses a linear scale for the capacity, cost and land and the large values (world energy needs) are much larger than the smaller ones (oil and coal for electricity in the US), the small values are not given a good presentation. So here we put the same numbers on a logarithmic scale for the solar capacity, cost and land requirements. We have much better clarity on the comparisons now for the smaller values.

Click here or on the graph below to see it in full scale.

We think in general our study is much more important in reference to the smaller values. They deal with some levels of scale of capacity that are practically easier to achieve in terms of replacing with solar. We are talking about the unquestionably very polluting coal and oil burning for electricity. Again – look at the numbers to replace oil products used for electricity generation in the US we only need $280b and spending that will create jobs, help growth in technology and give all sorts of other economic and social benefits.

The numbers given in our study in reference to the higher levels – world electricity and total energy consumption are simply for getting a better view of the comparative size of all levels.

All You Ever Need To Install Solar Power for Homes

SolarByTheWatt.com — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:03:51 +0000

Are you thinking of installing solar power for homes? If so then here’s an inventory of all the parts you’ll need so as you can get a sense of the scale and general cost of the job.

Begin by establishing exactly how much of your home’s total energy usage you want to be run on solar power. Do you want solar power merely to heat the water and the water-heating system? Do you want to go completely off-grid and power the whole house by solar power? Either way, you’ll need to know how much energy your home is consuming per month on average.

Using your monthly utility bills, calculate your home’s average energy usage. Note any peak times when you use radically more energy. The Christmas period can cause surprisingly heavy energy demands. In essence, you need to design your solar power system to cope with your home’s maximum energy demand.

Once you have these figures, I recommend multiplying the amount by at least 1.5. This will give you a working leeway for any extra appliances you might add to your home over time. Now you know how much solar energy you need to pull in from the sun, you also have an idea of the amount of solar panels you will need to buy.

I would advise you to buy solar panels online. Go to Ebay and input the words “solar panel pallet”. You’ll probably get an amazing bargain there. Prices have dropped dramatically recently. For an average family house, you can probably buy enough panels to power your home for less than $15,000.

Get good quality skilled and experienced tradesmen to do the job. Again, look online or check your local phone book. Always get at least three quotations. Cost is central, but it is very important that they have previous experience in installing solar power for homes.

Once you have someone you can trust at a good price, discuss with them which inverter to get and how much that will cost. Solar panels harness the power from the sun and turn it into direct current (aka DC power). The inverter converts this DC current into alternating current, (aka AC power). Everyone who installs solar power for homes needs to buy an inverter. Just about everything in your home runs off AC so your inverter is essential.

A good inverter will cost about $2,000. Add another $500 or thereabouts for installation. Inverters have a lifespan of about 10 years, while solar panels, if looked after, will last 25-30 years. So you’ll probably need to replace your inverter over time.

If you want to go completely off-grid, you’ll need to store your excess energy in good quality batteries to store excess solar power harnessed on sunny days. That way, you’ll have a reserve of power to run your household appliances on darker days and at night-time. They cost about $50 – $100 each for the deep-cycle types. You’ll need about 10 of them. New batteries generally need replacing every 3-5 years.

Typically, your installation costs shouldn’t be much more than $10,000. However, installation costs depend on a variety of factors. How is your roof constructed? Steep roofs or Spanish tiles cost more to install as the panels need to be properly secured. Yet further cost goes into ensuring leak-proof seals in these roofing systems.

Installing solar power normally doesn’t need much electrical work to set up. Older houses may require additional rewiring, though this is rarely extensive. Nevertheless, have a qualified, experienced electrician check all the wiring.

Don’t forget to look for government support. Most local governments around the world are offering major tax credits. Your utility company might also have incentives to offer. These can all add up to as much as 50% of the total cost.

Final point – if you are investing in solar power for homes, it makes sense to protect your new asset. Ask your insurance advisor to add this to your homes and contents policy. Adding your new solar power system to your homeowner insurance policy won’t cost you more than $100 per annum. This will protect the investment you’ve made on your house. An additional $100 per year to cover your $40,000 solar system against any disaster really is an absolute bargain!

Look on your solar power system as a long-term investment. Each step of the installation process should be taken carefully. To remind yourself of the value of your investment, ask yourself, “What is the payback time?” Of course, after it’s all paid off, you have free electricity for years to come.

Consider if you were to take a loan to finance your solar power for homes system. Although it may seem like a hefty initial outlay, the monthly payments will probably be less than your current utility bill. So all ways up you’re saving money.

Of course saving money is not the only reason it makes good sense to install solar power for homes. It’s good to know that you are reducing your carbon footprint. Thereby your children and their children can inherit a planet worth living in. That’s the very least you can do for them, don’t you agree?

——

As a travel magazine editor and publisher, a life coach and trainer, Sam Deane has seen the world. Nowadays, he dedicates most of his free time to maintaining the well-being of this precious, miraculous planet on which we live. Sam runs an important and lively blog about solar power. http://www.gosolarpowerforhomes.com

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_766371_27.html

Author: samdeane author www.articlealley.com

Stop Paying For Electricity

SolarByTheWatt.com — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 09:02:36 +0000

By TJ Greene. In this day and age with the ever-increasing cost of everything from gas to groceries, we’re all searching for for ways to cut back on the outflow of money.

One of the areas with the biggest jumps in costs is home energy. Who looks forward to that monthly electric bill? Not me, not you or anyone else because that bill gets bigger every single month. And it’s not going to get any better.

And yes there are ways to conserve some of your money as you help the environment also. And yes it’s the “green method”, which doesn’t bring up thoughts of communal living or mother earth nuts that it used to. More and more people just like you and I are looking for ways to save money and one of those ways is to stop paying for electricity by generating our own.

By constructing your own wind turbine to create all the electrical power you need..renewable wind energy is now the fastest growing source of energy around the globe. And stop what you’re thinking…it’s not that difficult to build your own…and really a lot easier than many wind generator companies would like you to believe!

To put it simply…it’s cheaper to build a electricity-generating wind turbine of your own and get the rewards for doing so YEARS before you’d get the benefits from a over-priced wind generator that you bought from a company.. And the technology is very basic! You can build your own renwable energy source for under $500. That’s something utility companies and most renewable energy companies that “offer” you renewable solutions for thousands of dollars, don’t want you to know.

The materials you need to construct a wind generator: the DC motor, batteries, towers and hub, are very inexpensive – you can build your own wind generator for under $500 and there are programs to sell back the excess energy you create to your power company. A professional installation from a energy generating construction company can run into the thousands of dollars, making it years before your system can pay for itself. Not the case when you’re doing it yourself.

There are also federal government programs that can help you pay for these energy-saving additions for your home or business.

Other governments and smart people in the United States are putting together their own wind-generated turbine systems everyday. And more are constructed daily which means more people are finally realizing what a very smart investment it is, and how it PAYS to do it!

The main problem I’ve seen across the internet to building your wind turbine is that these people who are doing it themselves are making it more difficult than it has to be, and they are spending too much money building their own electricity-generating wind turbine system.

So…don’t you think it’s about the time YOU became more aware of the future of renewable energy and started planning your OWN wind-generating turbine? And what about solar panels laid out on your home or property to collect the energy from the sun, which again takes you off the meter of the power company?

Come on…it’s time all of us begin taking care of our futures by removing ourselves from fossil-burning energy consumption. You only have to take that first step!

About the Author

By TJ Greene. TJ asks: How would you like to unplug your house from your electrical company, knowing that you are “100% Powered By Nature” with renewable energy? Take few minutes a look at these tips to “stop paying for electricity”! You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to change over and you’ll breathe a little easier at night knowing you’re doing your part to stop the consumption of fossil fuels!

Get Started With Solar – Cheap and Easy!

SolarByTheWatt.com — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:00:57 +0000

By Tina Metcalf

One of the easiest ways to get into solar power, is to use it where there isn’t any electricity. That may sound obvious and perhaps a bit skewed, but really, here are some ideas that will get you into using solar without a huge cash expenditure, and you’ll be able to take it from there.For all of you sportsmen out there, your hunting cabin will never be the same if you put up a solar panel or two, invest in a couple of batteries, add a heater and then some light bulbs. Depending on how many panels you want to put up, or how many batteries you care to add to the system, you could have a pretty deluxe solar powered hunting lodge in the middle of no where.

Think about this: When the fire goes out in the fireplace, the 12 volt electric heaters kick on and make sure you are warm all night long. Instead of fumbling with flashlights in the middle of the night, just pull a chain on an overhead fixture, and you have instant light. You could even run a wire to the outhouse and make sure you don’t miss a page of Outdoor Magazine.

Ice fishing shacks work the same way. With all that open lake around, it’s the perfect place for a solar panel, a battery and a heater. No more messing around with lighters and kerosene or gas, just flip the switch on the 12 volt heater, and you are warm and comfy with no hassle at all.

Backyard sheds can be easily wired to a solar cell battery combo for light. Your roof can be turned into a solar cell collection grid to power multiple lights, heaters and anything else 12 volts, to give you a workshop, heated storage, or just a place to hang out.

These are great ideas to get started with solar, and your alternative energy aspirations will be able to grow from here!

About the Author

Cooler Planet serves as a resource for individuals and corporations looking to get connected with verified local solar professionals. Users can view our solar energy resource pages and daily news section to learn more about the benefits of going solar. Try our solar calculator to see how solar can benefit you.