Thursday, March 15, 2012

Orange County Solar: The Different Solar Power Systems

You’ve probably seen and possibly used solar power systems without being aware of it. You’ve seen calculators powered by the sun. Well, that’s the integrated solar panel that’s built right into the object. You’ll find many other small electronic devices that powered by the sun, things like garden lights, fountains, flashlights and many others. They work great, and have continued to work throughout the years.

Then you’ll find the portability integrated solar power units that you can move easily and they don’t require power cords or fuel. They are maintenance free. They have an internal battery that lasts much longer than regular batteries. The problems with these they may not be practical with larger appliances. If the battery quits working, you will have to replace the entire unit because parts are difficult to replace.

Direct Solar feeds the energy to a pump or appliance without a battery. It consists of a small panel, a mounting mechanism, and the pump or appliance. The cost is usually not expensive because they don’t require batteries and are easy to install. They use them for water systems and well pumps. They only run during sunny days.

Solar Battery DC systems consist of the solar panel, mounting system, battery bank, charge controller and connection to the electronic device. The charge controller prevents the PV units from overcharging the battery. These systems store the sun’s energy even on cloudy days or at night and also have a remote capability. Businesses use them to light their signs, water features that use high efficiency pumps that they made especially for these systems.

One of the disadvantages is they produce DC direct current while many appliances require AC alternating current. Depending on how much storage you need, the cost can increase with the amount of batteries needed, and the batteries require regular maintenance.

These have been a few of the simple solar power systems for those who may not want to invest in the entire house systems that are available today. Regardless of the type system you may need, the variety has increased the popularity of solar power. It is the coming way we will supply the needed electricity to our homes and for those who want to be self-sufficient, solar panels are the way to go, from simple to complex.

Your best bet is to talk to a professional, a solar power company, and they will be able to help you in your search for all your solar power needs.

SolarGEM specializes in Los Angeles solar power, solar Los Angeles, and Los Angeles solar energy
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Monday, February 27, 2012

Orange County Solar Power: Choose the Correct Installer For Solar Power

Solar Power units are cropping up all over and you’re sure to have one in your own neighborhood. When you purchase any item that promises to last for a period of twenty years or longer, be sure to choose an installer who knows his business. You sure don’t want one who is all talk without any knowledge of the product.

The Better Business Bureau may be the first place to start, and if you’ve already decided on a couple of contractors, the BBB may have complaints on many of them. They keep tract of complaints filed by their customers. You could also investigate the company through Workers Compensation. Just enter their license number and the entire history of the company shows up. Things like the owner’s name, the date they opened the business, and complaints, if any. If you find complaints, see if the company dealt with them because not all complaints are legitimate.

The contractor you hire should have a place of business, licensed with satisfied customers. Don’t hire someone who works out of his car with a cell phone in his pocket, and a contract without a typed name and address. When someone asks for the entire amount up front, shy away from them fast.

Question your contractor and ask if he uses an independent system or a grid-tied system. The grid-tied system allows the customer to sell unused power back to the utility company. The off the grid independent system stores the power in batteries, and you may need a backup generator for emergencies. If the contractor doesn’t know the definition of those systems, tell him to take a hike.

You’ll want quality parts installed and quality and cheap don’t go hand in hand. Educate yourself so you’ll know one from the other. Insist on a printed contract that spells out the entire process including cost and payments. High prices don’t necessarily mean quality nor cheap doesn’t mean cheap products.
Do you live in an area where solar power will work to your advantage? If you live in the Northeast or Alaska they aren’t good reception areas.

Research the different types of solar power systems because they upgrade the systems regularly. Now you can buy solar shingles instead of the large ugly solar panels. One word of caution, whenever you install anything on the roof or your home, make sure your homeowner’s insurance covers the new addition. They may disqualify your claim if you don’t check it out first. Be cautious so you won’t be sorry.

SolarGem specializes in Orange County solar power, Riverside solar power, San Bernardino solar power.

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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Orange County Solar: Know the Solar Panel Components

Whether you’re doing the work yourself, or hiring a professional, you still need to know the components of the solar panels. Knowing what to look for and what is actually needed will be a tremendous help and will save you money in the process.

You don’t want to use parts that won’t work well together. Quality parts installed with inferior parts will cause your solar panels to work inefficiently. So before you decide educate yourself.
The basic part of solar power is the solar cell or photovoltaic. The cells are made of materials that will create a reaction when exposed to the sun. This harnesses electricity from this reaction. Compare the solar cell with a small hand held solar calculator that works on the same principle but on a much larger scale.

The most identifiable part of the solar power system is the solar panel. It will also be the most expensive and most important element of the entire system. They come in a variety of sizes and depend on the homeowner’s needs and budget. They have improved them so vastly that they mount directly onto the roof instead of shingles. The design only requires a ½ pound ballast without drilling or penetration of the surface of the roof.

The second, the power inverter, a critical component that takes the low voltage DC power generated and converts it to high voltage (110v) that you use in your home.  Make sure the inverter is high in quality components with large heat sinks. That will keep your equipment working at high capacity so you won’t lose energy while it transforms.

You need the right gauge of wiring with shielding that brings it up to code without potential fire hazards.

When you have a monitoring system you will be able to accurately check the system and it should give you a read out of the amount of power your system generates. Many panels come with an extended warranty of 20-25 years depending on the quality of the system.

If all of this sounds too difficult for a home handyman to tackle, then consider contacting a professional. The solar panel contractor will come to your home and tell you exactly what you will need to upgrade your power needs. Just be sure the contractor is licensed and will have a contract that will have everything spelled out including cost. When any contractor asks for the entire payment up front, beware, but be fair and give him a decent down payment and withhold the final payment until the job is done.

SolarGem specializes in Orange County solar power, Riverside solar power, San Bernardino solar power.

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Solar Power REC's: An Investment Into Yourself

There are numerous reasons for investing in and utilizing a solar powered energy system for your home. There are of course those individuals who purchase a system in order to become more eco-friendly and reduce their carbon footprint and then there are those homeowners who simply want to save money and drastically reduce their monthly electric bill. There is also the camp that adopts solar energy in order to help reduce energy consumption and strain on utility companies.

There is one group however that often flies under the radar when it comes to groups that utilize solar power in their homes. This group is concerned with "REC's" or Renewable Energy Credits. It's a little-known fact that homeowners utilizing solar power are eligible for REC's which are essentially credits homeowners can use to reduce their electric bill even further. Technically speaking REC's are property rights of the environmental and nonpower qualities of solar electricity generation. What it means is that homeowners who produce an excess of energy via their solar power system can sell it to their local utility company. Electric companies by excess solar energy and pay homeowners with REC's which often results in no electric bill for the homeowner.

Even better news for those who love the benefits of REC's and for those who might want to have a solar power system installed in their home is that utility companies are now beginning to pay cash for REC's. A single REC is created when 1000 kw's of renewable energy is produced by a solar energy system. Whenever this happens electric companies will seek to purchase these REC's in order to meet clean energy requirements that have been set forth by the California Energy Commission.

Again, solar power offers numerous advantages and no drawbacks. With the addition of the REC program solar power specialists and firms are expecting the technology to grow in popularity even faster in the coming years which will drive costs down even further allowing even more homeowners to introduce the technology to their homes. Investing in solar power used to be an investment solely into cleaner, greener, and more eco-friendly technology. Now it can also be called an investment to the self as well.

If you're homeowner who's interested in a solar energy system for any reason you can begin searching for a vendor online. While searching for a vendor it would also be appropriate to begin researching any existing local REC programs as well. Regulations regarding these programs may vary from county to county and even from state to state so it is highly advisable to have facts in hand before making any decisions, especially if REC's are your motivating factor for wanting to purchase a solar powered system for your home.

SolarGem specializes in Orange County solar power, Riverside solar power, San Bernardino solar power, and Los Angeles solar power.

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Monday, January 9, 2012

Solar Power Advantages

Advocates of living "green" and those that support/utilize solar power can offer plenty of reasons why this type of renewable energy should and will one day replace those energies that utilize fossil fuels. Solar energy along with hydropower, biomass, and even geothermal energy are all considered green energies meaning they produce no byproducts and carry no side effects in their usage.

These environmentally friendly energy sources do not emit any harmful carbon dioxide like fossil fuels do. For the next 5 billion years or so our sun will continue to stand as an unlimited energy source, the same of which can not be said for fossil fuels. As the technology surrounding solar power continues to advance rapidly, more homeowners and even owners of commercial and industrial buildings are adopting solar power and moving away from traditional power supplies. Not only is solar power far more efficient than traditional fossil fuel-based power but it saves people a ton of money and saves the Earth and its population from excessive pollution/dependency on fossil fuels.

For those people concerned more with the environment and saving money, solar power is an excellent alternative energy because it does not contribute to climate change, acid rains, and it emits no pollution of any kind. Energy is simply captured from our star and converted into usable electricity. Currently solar technology allows for the sun's energy to be converted in two different ways. The first being by converting the sun's energy into thermal energy and the second by utilizing photovoltaic cells. Expect even greater technologies as the years roll on.

Perhaps best of all with regards to solar energy is those that utilize it have an almost unlimited supply of power. No longer do people need to be as energy conscious as they once were nor need they worry about their elected bill being run up because of lights, television sets, and computers left on for extended periods of time. Solar power best serves large families, especially those with children, and large commercial structures. Utilizing solar power allows parents to stop worrying about their children leaving lights on or things running and allows business owners to stop worrying about excessively large electric bills due to a great number of computers and lights being used all the time.

Anyone interested in solar power these days has a distinct advantage over individuals who invested in the technology in years and decades past. This advantage comes by way of cost as the technology has advanced to the point where it is relatively affordable to just about anyone. While it's true the initial setup cost can equal several thousand dollars, a solar powered system for both homes and businesses pays for itself in a relatively short amount of time.

SolarGem specializes in Orange County solar power, Riverside solar power, San Bernardino solar power, Los Angeles solar power, Orange County solar panels, Riverside solar panels, San Bernardino solar panels, and Los Angeles solar panels.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Saving Money on Energy Star Appliances

Saving money today is a common topic. We hear about ‘going green’ using energy wisely, and it goes on and on and is even in politics. Many simply don’t have the time, money, or inclination to junk their current appliances just to buy Energy Star appliances. How is that going to save money? By spending more? It just doesn’t make sense, and not until it hits them in their pocket books will they sit up and take notice.

It is hitting all of us in our pocket books, and we need to strive to get our families educated in saving energy on the appliances we have. But when the appliances need to be replaced we should definitely strive to replace them with the Energy Star promise.

Before we trade our appliances in there are ways to save money on our utilities, and the most prominent one is to use them less. That’s not always possible, but we should at least try. Things like washing only full loads of dishes or clothing can help. Washing your clothing in cold water also saves on hot water that is expensive. Not heating or cooling rooms that are rarely used is another way to save including setting your thermostat at couple of degrees below the comfortable temperature. Lower in winter, and higher in summer.

In the past when we got cold we put on a sweater, but today keeping the temperature set higher or lower is so easy to do that we don’t think about it. We like our creature comfort no matter the cost.

So how much can we expect to save by purchasing Energy Star Appliances? Let’s take a look at the figures. Energy Star washing machines can save between 18-25 gallons of water per load. The normal washer uses approximately 40 gallons to wash just one load. Energy

Star dishwashers save about 3 gallons, a 25% savings every time you use them. The average dishwasher uses approximately 12 gallons of hot water.

Energy Star heaters and air conditioners save approximately 20% and possibly more depending on the extreme weather. It is also estimated that your heater and air conditioner will cost approximately 40% of your entire energy bill.

So it simply makes sense to get your energy costs down one way or another.  Too often we make no conscious effort to control the energy we use, and maybe we all need to at least be aware of the things that will save us money. Money we can use on more important things that are necessary in life. 

SolarGem specializes in Orange County solar power, Riverside solar power, San Bernardino solar power, Los Angeles solar power, Orange County solar panels, Riverside solar panels, San Bernardino solar panels, and Los Angeles solar panels.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Solar Panels on a Cloudy

Will solar panels still collect energy on a cloudy day? Does the sun still shine on a cloudy day? Of course it does, however the cloudier the day, the less energy your solar panel will collect. There are those who claim that when there are a few clouds that allow the sun to peak through, the solar panels actually collect more energy.

Why is that, you ask? They say the panels collect the direct sunlight when it peaks through the clouds, but they also collect their power from the sun’s reflection on the clouds. Areas across the United States that work best are the ones where they get the most sunlight throughout the year.

What types of solar panels are there? Actually two: the grid-tied system that will allow you to use the current and the unused power goes into the utility grid; Independent system meaning ‘off the grid’ provides almost all of your electricity, these use batteries to store the power. The second type, sometimes have generators that are used as backup in an emergency.

Who would best benefit from solar panels? Those where electricity is at its peak and costs over $125 per month. Also those in rural areas where electricity is very expensive and may not even be available.

Many states offer incentive programs and if the programs are still in effect after all the recent problems, they claim they will be there through the year of 2016, but check them out as you consider solar panels.

How long will they last? Many are under warranties for twenty years, and do-it-yourselfers solar panels should last as long if they are installed correctly.

How much do they cost? Depends of course on the size of your panels. Some claim they can be paid for in two to three years. Others claim it takes around seventeen years to pay them off.

Who will benefit the most? Where electricity is very expensive (and they’re going up every month). Where the sun shines year round and the southwest gets the most. Those who plan to sell their home in a couple of years because the panels will raise their home’s value.

Aren’t they ugly? You should install them where you get the most sunshine on your property, even on a backyard shed.

Where can you find more information? To have your questions answered, go online, there are numerous web sites that will answer most questions. And there are many questions, and they all need answers, so find those answers as you do your own research.

SolarGem specializes in Orange County solar power, Riverside solar power, San Bernardino solar power, Los Angeles solar power, Orange County solar panels, Riverside solar panels, San Bernardino solar panels, and Los Angeles solar panels.