As solar panels become smaller and cheaper, they are becoming more popular for landscape outdoor lighting applications. The main benefit is that solar powered lights do not need any wiring and are therefore simple to install and can be easily moved around to different spots.
The major downside is that they are dependent upon sunshine to work. If you have a series of cloudy days, the lights will only work for a short period, or perhaps not at all, before the battery runs out
How solar energy panels work
A solar energy panel collects energy from the sunlight and converts it into direct current (DC) electricity. Two oppositely charged slices of silicon are placed together below a piece of glass and as the protons in the sunlight knock the negatively charged neutrons away from the silicon the electric field created by the two adjoining pieces of silicon attract the neutron. Small pieces of wire catch the neutrons and when they connect they create direct current electricity. The wires connect to an inverter that changes the direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) that we use in our homes.
Solar panels, known as photovoltaic (literally meaning ?electricity from sunlight?) are placed on the roof of your house, the roof of your garage or even as stand alone panels in your garden. Government grants are freely available to help pay for the panels and installation so do a little research and find out what you?re entitled to.
Domestic uses for solar panels.
A quick glance around your local gardening or home improvement store will show you that the amount and quality of solar powered goods are increasing. Garden lighting, water features and much more are now readily available powered by the sun but there really is so much more that solar power and solar panels can offer. If you?ve got a swimming pool you can heat that, or you can heat your hot water boiler with only a couple of solar panels or, alternatively, you may be considering powering your entire house with the rays of the sun.
PV roof tiles are not only available but also much more affordable than you probably think. If it?s time to replace your roof or you?re considering having it retiled for any reason then PV tiles are a much more viable alternative and after a year or two they will have undoubtedly made up the slight increase in cost you may face for the initial purchase and fitting. You need very little room in your house and fitting a grid tie system means you can sell surplus energy to the grid; all in all if you have full roof solar panels you can expect to reduce your annual energy cost by 75% to 100%. That?s a big saving, especially if you were only considering solar in order to try and do your bit to save the environment.
Can I buy solar panels anywhere?
Most electronics stores and garden or home improvement stores or will stock solar powered goods at the very least; find the right store and they will sell everything you need. If you don?t know what you?re doing with electronics it is highly advisable that you seek professional guidance, and a quick search on the Internet or a flick through your phone book will find several distributors and fitters of PV tiles and grid tie systems.
–About–
For more more information about solar energy panels please visit http://www.alternative-solar-energy.com
Source: ArticleTrader.com
Related Posts
Solar Powered Building & LightingThe new Ohlone College campus in Newark CA is nearing completion with the campus is scheduled to open for classes in January 2008. The site will be the first “green” campus in the nation, designed to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) [Note 1] Gold or Platinum level certification when the building opens for classes in 2008. The building has been built to the highest standards of environmental sustainability using best practices of energy conservation. Interestingly, only around 50 buildings in the world have achieved Platinum certification todate. We suggest that solar electricity is a sensible choice for outdor lighting and Ohlone has gone to town
Solar Landscape Lighting Installation - Part 1Two objectives when designing a landscape outdoor lighting system are to enhance the utility and security of your property. Solar landscape lighting has the utility benefit that the lighting can be set up to be independent of the grid supply. Some design objectives for landscape outdoor lighting: Organizing and developing an outdoor area for maximum use and pleasure Creating a visual relationship between the house/buildings and the outdoor area Minimizing maintenance Planning landscape outdoor lighting that blends with and enhances the landscape You can design the system so that each light fitting has its own mini solar panel and battery, or you can centralize the power
Guidelines for Installing and Using Low Voltage and Solar Landscape LightingGeneral Principles of Low Voltage Lighting The issues to consider when plaaning the installation of low voltage landscape lighting include factors such as: - How close the light is to the area to be lit (low voltage and solar light5s are not as bright as mains lights) - The color of the walls and other structures close by (light, shiny colors reflect light, but dull or dark colors absorb it) - The use of diffusers and shades over the light - The use of reflectors to direct the light It can be worthwhile to purchase a few different low voltage lights to which ones best suit
IKEA Solar Outdoor LightsIkea now offers a range of solar lights - "Solvinden" for outdoor applications and "Sunnan" for indoor use. The range includes outdoor posts, strings of paper lanterns, accent lighting, pathway globes, a solar powered desk lamp and table lanterns. See http://www.ikea.com/aa/en/search/?query=solar+lights All the lights work on the same principle — they use LEDs and store solar power in replaceable and rechargeable batteries, so they're simple to install and no external wiring is required, just place them on the ground and let them soak up the energy. The LEDs consume 70% less energy and last up to 4 times as long as regular bulbs.
Save Power With Solar Garden LightingYou can choose from many different types of landscape lighting. If you are interested in conserving energy, low voltage landscape lighting is one option. However, for conserving energy solar landscape lighting is the best because the energy comes for free. Solar lighting is powered from sunlight and it stores energy during the day while the sun is shining. Once it gets dark enough, the lights come on automatically using this stored energy. They give out a gentle glow that is best for ambient lighting of lighting up a small area (they're not so good for large areas). Solar landscape lighting is a fun and cost effective way to light your yard. Find out more about outdoor lighting at www.landscapeoutdoorlighting.com
Leave a Reply