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Solar Power Overview

Solar energy is actually the source of most all energy on earth. Other forms of energy are ultimately conversions from solar energy. 

Wind power for instance, is only available because of the differences in temperature across the earth's surfaces. Water power is only possible because of the process of evaporation creating rain on the earth. Plants get their energy from the sun, and both animals and humans get energy from eating plants and animals. Fossil fuels are believed to be the fossilized remains of plants and animals, exposed to heat and pressure. 

In the context of a renewable energy system, solar power is the harnessing of radiant heat and light from the sun directly, and converting it to electrical power or heat.

Solar energy is converted to electrical energy through crystalline or amorphous silicon photovoltaic panels. The most popular of the two are the crystalline silicon panels due to their higher output per square inch. They are the most common usage of solar power and are doubling in popularity every two years. 

Solar energy can also be used to heat water through solar thermal collectors that move water heated by the sun into a collection tank or an existing hot water heater. Some systems have a separate pump that moves fluid containing a type of antifreeze into a heat exchanger, which then transfers the heat into the household hot water supply. These are more suited to wintertime applications.

Solar lighting has become more popular of late--especially for walkways and entrances to buildings. The lights contain a solar panel on the top and a small battery to store the energy throughout the day. The lights, which usually contain LED bulbs, then activate at night to provide lighting well into the nighttime hours. This method saves energy and eliminates the need to turn outdoor lighting on and off. It also adds an attractive nighttime appearance to any house. 

Solar ovens or solar cookers use concentrated sunlight, heat trapping or light to heat conversion methods to cook food. All of us have seen how a magnifying glass can start a fire; why not put that energy to use and cook food with it? We've all heard the phrase during a hot summer day, "It's hot enough to fry an egg out there." Solar ovens and cookers make this a reality.

Solar shingles are shingles composed of photovoltaic cells, and are dark purplish in color to give them a similar appearance to regular roof shingles. They are installed by stapling them to the roofing cloth. They capture the sunlight and convert it into electrical energy. They can be installed alongside regular shingles or they can cover the entire roof. They are more expensive than regular solar panels, but are aesthetically more pleasing to the eye.  

Solar attic fans operate like regular attic fans except they are powered by a solar panel affixed to the top of the fan assembly. They work well because they work to remove heat from your attic on the days when the sun is most likely to be shining. Removing heat from the attic reduces the load on your air conditioning system and extends the life of your roof shingles. 

Coming soon: Sign up for our free six part mini-course on how to properly plan for adding solar and wind energy to your home.

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