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I am creating a project in which i have to prove that Electricity generated by solar panels is more greener (conserving the environment) then the normal electricity provided by electrical companies using Step generators and all that…

I need some advice of how i can prove that and the points i can mention?

Thanks alot for any kind of help !

You need to consider the energy required to manufacture the panels. They are only ‘green’ after they have generated more energy than the energy required to make them.

IF COPPER IS IN OR USED TO CONNECT SOLAR PANELS WILL HUNTINGTON BEACH BE WISE INSTALLING SAME ON FRONT LAWN.WOULD THIS BE EASY PRAY FOR COPPER THIEVES??? SORRY CAPS LOCK ERROR AS KEY BOARD IS MESSED UP.

Hey Eagle, Timothy is correct. Solar panels themselves are made entirely of silicone, aluminum and acrylic, no copper. Only the wiring from the panels will have copper in them. But let’s get outside of our tiny windowless box for a moment and look at the problem from across the street. First off, the panel alone is worth a ton more than any wiring, or possible copper inside. You can buy panels on ebay, so it stands to reason they can be sold there too. If you install them, take photographs of the dataplates on the back first, and save them. They can be used to research any second hand panels for sale should they be stolen, because you can prove they are use by use of the serial numbers. Second, in my experience, most theives do the work they do because they are stupid and can’t do anything else. We have a stick shift car here because the car thieves never know how to drive one. It’s like getting a job in the typing pool but you don’t know how to operate a word processor. I can leave the keys in my ignition if I want, it isn’t going anywhere without me. Most people I know are deathly afraid of electricity, and quite ignorant about it. If you install the panels, put large "High Voltage" stickers on everything, nobody is going to touch it, at least if they can read. We know panel voltage is less than 20 volts, they don’t.

Next, think about a bogus alarm system on your panel installation, some fake cameras, tamper switches that don’t connect to anything, and so forth. Don’t give up on this project because some idiots are stealing copper down the street, it would be like selling your car so nobody steals it. It might solve one problem, but create 20 others for you. If you want to add a label that says, "No copper substitutes" to your panels, consider another one that says "Highly Toxic" too. Good luck Eagle, and take care, Rudydoo

Please explain to me why solar panels should be used for energy

Thank you!

Mainly because it’ll help you save a lot on your electrical bills. Aside from that, it will help you not to cause pollution so yes, you have saved your environmental surroundings! They’re very convenient during power outages too.

Used solar panels can be effective, provided they are in good condition. Make sure to test them for effectiveness before paying though, so you don’t get ripped off.

Try reading here: http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Buy-Pre-Owned-Solar-Panels&id=4117857

My siblings and I all live in different parts of the country. Both or our parents are dead. they have a home in the country. To pay utility bills for this home as well as our own is expensive. If enough electricity could be generated to keep the pipes from freezing in the winter at little or no cost to us it would be great. I was wondering about solar. Can anyone give me any pointers?

The initial installation of a solar electric system is expensive. If it is a quality unit the regulator/converter unit will hold up for a long time with little or no maintenance. You will also have a bank of batteries which may require some maintenance depending on the type. The system will have to be matched to the expected load, in your case heat tape on the pipes. The panels on the roof will have to be cleaned and keep clear of snow and ice. For more specifics you should contact a solar contractor. The contractor will determine the system that best meets your needs and estimate the cost.

How would you do it?
And will it be enough to run a heater in the winter and a air conditioner in the summer?
How would you do it?
And will it be enough to run lights, refridgerator ect plus a heater in the winter and a air conditioner in the summer?

I’ve been investigating this for some time as part of planning for a home I’m building in a couple of years. First of all, solar panels are extremely expensive and at this point in time the return isn’t worth the investment. I know that isn’t what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. Also, you cannot use solar panels to run an air conditioner or heating system because the current draw is too great. I’d suggest you pick up a copy of "Home Power" magazine, you can get it at most bookstores (I know Borders carries it). They also have a website — www.homepower.com. Solar power is a lot of fun to get involved with, but it’s SO expensive that you’d have to almost consider it a hobby.

Now, about the generator thing. Generators run on two types of fuels: "wet" and "dry". Wet fuels are gasoline and diesel. Dry fuels are gases like propane. Generators that run on dry fuels have a shorter lifespan due to lack of lubrication. However, almost all generators for home use are not intended for full-time service — they’re engineered for occasional use in emergencies. My research shows whole-house generators to be not worth the investment. You’d be better off buying a smaller generator (5 kw, maybe) and just keep it around to power critical items, such as the refrigerator and a few lights, in the event of an extended outage.

If you want to save money on electricity, your best money is spent on energy-SAVING solutions, not energy-PRODUCING things. For example, install sola-tubes for lighting in darker areas of your home; consider a ground-source heat pump; install a solar water heater.

Good luck!

I’m doing a project for school, and we have to create an Eco Bach. For my power, I decided to use Solar Panels. My Eco Bach is 6.58m in Length, and 2.40 in Width. What is the measurement of an average Solar Panel, and how much would it cost? I would really love some info on these things!

Thanks!

Hi Kate,

As I am from the states it took me a bit to figure out just what is a "Bach." I have had some embarrassing difficulty with other words when I was in New Zealand so I am not surprised. We might call it a "trailer home" or a "mobil home" but I like your word better.1

At the risk of giving you more information than you wanted: "Solar panels" can come in many different dimensions and sizes. But first you should know that there are solar photovoltaic panels that are used to produce electricity and while experimentally they have achieved efficiencies around 40% what you can buy will be around 14% efficient. Because of the reduced efficiency you have to use more of them. This site gives you some information about sizes and prices. 2

I have a small one (about 25cm by 35cm) that was shipped with a car to keep it’s battery charged from the factory to the dealership. It produces a "trickle charge" of just over 12 volts DC and is meant to plug into the cigarette lighter. If your Bach were only going to use 12 volt DC power with batteries for night time use then the connections would be simpler but if you needed the standard New Zealand voltage of 230 volts at 50 cycles AC you would have to use an inverter to change the power from 12volt DC.

But there is also another kind of "solar panel" and that is the Solar thermal panel. This is a much older technology. Because it is used to gather heat from the sun it is much more efficient. Around 60 to 80% efficiency is possible. It is a good idea to take a lot of the load off any photovoltaic requirements by first installing solar thermal panels. This is a way to keep the cost at a minimum. Solar thermal applications can be used for heating hot water, space heating, and even air conditioning and producing electricity. The panels available can be used on colder and cloudy days as well. (vacuum tube collectors)

Good luck with your project.

I need this information for my project so please make the numbers as recent as you can get, 2007-2010 the best.
Even a percentage will work because I need this for a project.

NREL just released that data for the US on the website below. You will have to enter all the zip codes for San Jose and add up the numbers. I typed in 95101 and there were 19 installations.

Hey Everyone,
I need some HOMEWORK HELP. I am doing a science, 1 page essay on the subject (its the title)
I need to a little bit of informattion for I can put it together into one essay. Thanks for the help!

Okay… this seems familiar…

Well then. Solar Panels harvest energy from the sun. Sometimes, panels are used to create electricity via photons from the Sun’s rays. Other times, the panels are simply deflectors that are used to boil water in a tube where the sunlight is concentrated.

Pro: The Sun won’t run out of energy (hopefully) so this is renewable.
Con: The Sun won’t shine every day! When it rains, the system is unusable, or when its cloudy, and this process only works during the daytime.

Wind Energy: Wind farms "harvest" the power of the wind by using the wind to blow on propellers that are attached to a generator to create energy.

Pro: Wind energy won’t hurt the environment. Its reusable.
Con: Wind won’t blow all the time, and you must have a good, strong, steady wind for this to work, or even be profitable. The wind is very random, and constructing "wind farms" takes up lots of space and time and resources, and usually can’t produce much energy.

Dams
Hehe, fun word. Dams are used to block rivers and use the force of the water in order to turn turbines, like the wind energy.

Pro: Dams are efficient sources of energy, and there are multiple rivers in the world where one could build such a dam. Also, dams generate decent quantities of electricity.
Con: Everyone thinks that dams are clean. Well they’re wrong. Dams create resovoirs behind them, blocking the natural flow of water, and pretty much creating a big fat lake. This may seem good, but too much water may make the soil over hydrated. If this is the case, then the plants around the resovoir die out, releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere; the very thing that we tried to avoid by building such a dam. Also, dams block the natural flow of water from the river. While they provide decent energy, the fish and various aquarius life are stuck. For example, you may have heard many examples of salmon blocked from their feeding ground and mating ground all because of a dam that blocked their way. This creates a major imbalance in our ecosystem.

My knowledge is very limited, so try researching your topic.

Hope this helps

i have 2 use solar panels in my building so i want 2 know the techniques and according to the load of my building how many panels have to be installed?means is it according to the area of the building or is it according to the power usage ,,, also provide me with other necessary details about solar panels or any links associated to it .. or the person whom i can contact

check ths out….

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&resnum=0&q=how+to+use+solar+panels+for+generating+electricity+according+to+the+requirements+of+the+building&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw

hey frnds
pls pls pls pls
keep asking quations abt the environment
we’ve to save it
so pls pls pls keep doin’ ths kind work
may be somebody will atrract nd will save da world
(actually i was influenced by ths Q’s..)