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Solar Panels: Power Homes and Helping the Environment

SOLAR PANELS Powering Homes & Helping the Environment Solar power remains, after hydro and wind, the 3rd most important renewable energy source in terms of globally installed capacity. DID YOU hour of Energy from the Sun Year of Power for the %3D Global Population. KNOW? A cloudy location (like Hamburg, Germany) receives 2.5 hours per day of sunlight each year. A sunny location (fike Los Angeles, California, US) receives an average of 5.5 hours of sunlight per day each year. A kilowatt peak solar system generates around: 750 kilowatt hours per year in a cloudy climate. 1,600 kilowatt hours per year in a sunny climate. *One kilowatt-hour (kWh) = the amount of electricity needed to burn a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours. Solar modules produce electricity even on cloudy days, usually around 10-20% of the amount produced on sunny days. A solar energy system can provide electricity 24 hours a day when the solar electric modules are combined with batteries in one integrated energy system. SOLAR ENERGY HOW DOES IT WORK Photons from the sun hit the solar panels. This generates direct current (DC). Any excess electricity is then exported to the grid. The inverter converts DC to alternating current. (AC), which is ready to be used by household appliances. This current then goes through the main switchboard of the building and is used to supply electricity to the building. Conversely, electricity is imported from the grid whenever there isn't enough solar-generated electricity for the building's load. WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE POTENTIAL OF SOLAR ENERGY THE GREATEST? Yearly sum in kWh/m? 2500 O 2000 1500 1000 500 *The solar radiation (insolation) map is based on values from Meteonorm. Warmer colors indicate higher solar energy density (insolation, solar radiation, sunlight). As you can see from the map insolation tends to be higher the closer we get to the equator. TOP 5 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST INSTALLED CAPACITY OF SOLAR P POWER Ranking Country Installed PV [MW] 1 Germany 32,411 Italy 16,361 3 China 8,300 4 USA 7,777 Japan 6,914 Germany has by far the highest capacity of solar photovoltaic power (PV) in the world at 32,4 GW (31%) at the end of 2012. Germany is not a country with incredible amounts of solar energy what they do have is an excellent subsidizing framework, which ensures that solar power can compete on the market. With a Well-developed feed-in tariff scheme, small and large-scale solar PV systems can send excess electricity production to the utility grid for profit. SHOULD I GO SOLAR? Installing PV cells means that, after However Solar Panel installation is a recouping your initial outlay, you will be able to gain free electricity from sunlight. major decision which needs to be carefully considered. T0101310 COUNT THE COSTS Remember that, although the panels themselves should last for 25 years, the inverter will need replacing more quickly. UTAMEN You also need to be aware that SOme maintenance may be necessary, such as having your PV panels cleaned occasionally. LACE PROTECTING YOUR ROOF v If you have an older roof which is not in good condition, then a Solar Panel installation may be a bad move, as it will make it harder to carry out repairs. It is vital to choose an experienced firm with the expertise to install panels correctly. HOUSE MOVES It is also possible that the panels may make a home less attractive to some buyers, by reducing "curb appeal". On the other hand, a survey carried out by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US found homes with panels selling for more across California. TOP 10 BENEFITS OF GOING SOLAR Solar Panel Installation has many advantages in most cases. Save Thousands of Dollars Solar is Easy Start Saving from Day 1 Create Energy Independence Low Payback Period Increase Your Home Value Save the Environment Take Advantage of Incentives Guaranteed Performance Solar is a Secure Investment A look at how much Solar Panels can Save Over Time in The U.S. What would you do with an extra $20K? That's how much the average solar system will save you over 20 years. Residents in some states with high electricity prices can expect to save much more than that - consider Hawaii, where residents save on average $64,000 after 20 years. $18,223 $17,101 $21,754 $21,626 - $23,992 $8, 699 $20,084 -$13,719 $21,870 $29,701 $18,697 $18,148 $18,140 $31,166 $13,620 $19,215 $13,521 $21,658 $17,527 $14,023 $17,377 $19,094 $11,334 $16,051 $34,761 $15,426 $9,653 $13,018 $20,901 $11,745 $24,575 $8,453 $14,551 $14,672 $21,248 $34,260 $18,168 $27,353 $32,979 $10,497 $14,076 $32,898 $18,076 $21,256 $14,575 $20,960 $15,315 $33,284 $15,521 $64,769 Washington , DC $14,771 TOTA; SAVING (AFTER 20 YEARS) National Average $20,080 $10,000- $19,999 < $9,999 $20,000- $29,999 $30,000- $29,999 $40,000+ * Results of over 45,000 solar estimates created by real U.S. homeowners in 2011 The Experts' View "I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that." THOMAS EDISON, American inventor and businessman, in a conversation with his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone in 1931, not long before he died. "Clearly, we need more incentives to quickly increase the use of wind and solar power; they will cut costs, increase our energy independence and our national security and reduce the consequences of global warming." SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, Speech at Cleantech Venture Forum VIII, 2005 "Solar energy is a clean alternative energy source. It's clear, given the current energy crisis, that we need to embrace new sources of renewable energy that are good for our planet. I believe very strongly in using technology to provide affordablÄ— options that all consumers can put into practice." YANG YANG, UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Engineering Professor "There are some very-fast-growing renewable energy options, and there are also some that are well-established. But if I had to put my money on one option that will likely command a much larger share of energy production in the future, it would be solar PV." ROBERT RAPIER, a chemical engineer with 20 years of international engineering experience in the energy business, in response to the Wall Street Journal's question: What Renewable Energy Source Has the Most Promise? REFERENCES energyinformative.org/benefits-of-solar-panels/ energyinformative.org/ShouldlinstallSolarPanels cleantechnica.com/2014/02/03/much-can-solar-panels-save/ 1st. HOME IN PLACE INSPECTIONS INC. www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03wwln-essay-t.html?_r=0 energyinformative.org/where-is-solar-power-used-the-most/ www.dowcorning.com/content/publishedlit/06-10028_solar-energy-the-basics.pdf solarenergyusages.com/tag/solar-energy-how/ www.solarbuzz.com/going-solar/using/quick-facts theenergycollective.com/users/robertrapier www.solarbc.ca/blog/nitya-harris/2011/04/05/famous-quotes-solar-energy online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324485004578424624254723536 www.1st-inplace.com

Solar Panels: Power Homes and Helping the Environment

shared by 1stinplacecalgary on Jan 26
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Its fascinating learning about all the benefits of solar energy. It is amazing how 1 hour of power from the sun is equivalent to 1 year of power for the global population! This infographic is all abou...

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