Solar Energy to Generate Electricity at Home

There are many Renewable Energy Sources which are being used to generate electricity. Solar, wind, ocean, hydrogen are few forms of renewable energy sources which has high potential to generate electricity. Among all these alternative sources, Solar is among the most preferred form of renewable energy being used to produce electricity at home. The reason is quite simple, Earth receives abundant solar energy which can be converted into electricity by using solar panels which only requires one time installation.

We are seeing a tremendous growth in solar panel technology. Solar power panels are becoming more and more efficient, less costly and are coming with many incentives. Many countries have installed Solar Power Plants producing megawatts of power daily. Solar energy is very effective and green way of generating electricity.

Nowadays, cost of electricity and global warming is increasing while fossil fuels are decreasing. It's completely certain that cost of electricity is going to rise further as fossil fuel resources are diminishing. Many people are taking actions to become immune of any further electricity price hike. Their actions has also help them reduce their carbon footprint.

The best way to overcome your electricity problems is to generate your required electricity at home. We already have technologies that can produce electricity using renewable sources, you only need to take the decision. The most preferred and commonly used method to generate electricity at home is by employing solar panels on roof to harness solar energy. You can easily generate over 500 watts of electricity daily using solar power panels. This is over 50% of your electricity requirement for a day. More solar panels used, more electricity will be generated.

So here's what do you need to Generate Electricity at Home using Solar Panels?

1. Solar Panels

Buying solar panels can be sometimes tricky and will require you to do some math before buying them with certain ratings. Before moving on to math, you should have a clear understanding of types of solar power panel(s) you wish to use. You can either buy a solar power panel from a merchant, manufacturer which may cause you over $300 for 1 panel, or you can try DIY approach which might just cause you below $150.

Once you decide your approach for solar power panels, you should put your attention in analyzing the desired output from them. If your daily consumption is 1 KW and wish to generate 50% of electricity at home using solar panels, then you will require combination of 2-4 Solar power panels that can collectively produce 500 watts of power.

Thus buying solar power panels with suitable ratings is extremely important.

2. Installation guide

You will need a detailed installation guide that shows the exact installation steps both in pdf and video. Depending upon the approach for solar power panels you take, you will need the appropriate guide.

DIY guides may cost you around $50 while installation guides for manufactured solar power panels will cost around $20.

Solar energy is the best way to generate electricity at home. It only has initial cost of installation which will be recovered in a short time.

Let's Take a Look at How Electricity is Produced

Could you imagine life on earth without electricity. I think not, apart from our basic needs to survive such as food, water and air, life without electricity would be a nightmare. This article gives just a basic outline of electricity and how it can be produced.

We already know that lightning is electricity, also the friction between two materials produces what we call static electricity.

Kinetic energy is produced when we use a magnet with a piece of copper wire which then converts to electricity. Energy is produced in many kinds of ways by using, non-renewable sources of energy and renewable sources of energy, such as, wind power, solar energy, hydro-power, atomic and of course coal.

Coal

This is a non-renewable source of energy which is found in the mines. By heating the water using the coal this converts into a water vapor. Big pipelines transfer the water vapor into a turbine which will activate a magnet inside the generator, finally sending it off to huge power transmitters as high voltage. This transmitter will then convert this static current into direct current which is the energy we use in our homes. After this method has completed the vapors are cooled and then converted back to water which they reuse.

This form of electricity will one day be exhausted, as we know coal is a non-renewable source of energy which means that before too long we will be unable to depend on coal as a method to produce energy.

Atomic Power

Substances such as uranium are set off in huge atomic power stations where huge atomic reactions are caused. With incredibly high temperatures, radiation is created. This form of energy production in these power plants can be very dangerous. Atomic power is still used in many countries, such as France but for the majority of us this is certainly not the answer to grid power.

Hydro-Power

Since we have an unlimited supply of water this method is a renewable source of energy. Huge dams collect the water from canals, lakes and rivers. The water falls from the dam onto water turbines which starts the rotation. With the height and speed of the water falling, the turning of the turbine is what produces what we call a direct current. Which again can be used to supply energy for our homes, because of the huge amounts of water available this system is a very accepted way to produce electricity.

Solar Energy

Solar energy would have to be the ultimate way to produce electricity. The energy from the sun is also a renewable source of energy, we certainly don't have any worries about running out of it. Solar panels are usually the best way to convert this kind of energy, with smaller solar cells that absorb the sun's rays and then convert to electricity ready for use around the home. There a many homes today that are already using solar water panels to heat their water, including myself. I actually live on an island in the pacific where the majority of the homes here are all on solar hot water and currently in the process of changing over to solar energy. My god, we even have cars here that run on solar energy.

Wind Power

There are countries around the world that are using windmills to create electricity to power entire towns. When the force of the wind rotates the windmill (also referred to as wind turbine or wind generator) and with the power generated from this, it is then converted into ready to use energy.