The same photovoltaic systems that convert solar energy into electricity are becoming available as portable systems that you can carry wherever you want. The fixed solar systems have already dramatically transformed the whole idea of power generation, compared to the conventional fossil fuel generators. We now have access to systems that are silent, ecologically friendly, free from pollution and also free from emission gases. Being able to take them wherever you want means we are entering into an era of liberty and freedom that is without precedent.

The possibilities for using portable solar system are limited only by our imagination. Whether it is a matter of a trip to the Amazon forest or an expedition to the desert, portable power systems bring creature comforts within reach at the end of each day. There is no longer any need to remain within connecting distance of the national electrical grid.

Convenience for the user as well as protection of the environment are both key characteristics of portable solar systems. They do not require fuel, pollute the air, need maintenance or make any noise. Large or small, they can be carried or transported using appropriate vehicles.

Portable solar power with storage batteries can therefore provide for all electrical requirements whether users are camping out in African game reserves or providing help to distant third world countries. Base camps can therefore be provided with all modern conveniences and information technology.

Portable solar power systems include all the components required for efficient power generation. Contemporary design and technology means that the panels, wiring, charge controllers and battery inverters are all packed into these compact units. At any time when the sun is shining, they can be switched on to generate instantly usable 120 volt A.C. power from solar radiation. With their battery backup systems, portable photovoltaic solar power systems have many benefits including of course electrical power in remote areas where there is no connection to the electrical grid.

Three major components for portable solar power systems mean that the design is both simple and effective. The photovoltaic panels generate electricity from the sun, and then run this through a charge controller into battery storage, to finally have the inverter use the power from the batteries to provide one hundred and twenty volts A.C. current in standard sign waveform whenever required. The batteries also store any surplus current that is produced so this can be used later for example when the sun is not shining or at night.

With advances in design technology, smaller or compact portable generators for solar power can be used in locations as diverse as recreational vehicles or boats, as well as on construction sites where electrical grid power has not yet been provided. They can be carried in small trucks or cars to remote locations, to farms or ranches where they can be used to power external equipment or internal appliances.

Protons from sunlight are absorbed by the solar cells in portable solar generators just as they are in fixed solar generators. This provides the energy to generate power. Thus apart from the fact that fixed power generators cannot be moved and portable power generators can accompany the user wherever they want to go, in terms of solar power generation the principle is identical.

The day may well come when traditional diesel or propane power generators are no longer used and the world at large will turn to portable solar power generators for both business and home use. The current trend shows that conventional, polluting power generators will soon be overtaken by cleaner, more efficient systems such as solar power generators.

Portable power systems have a number of important advantages. To make best use of these requires simply knowledge of how to set up the system, and where to acquire the parts inexpensively. In addition, it is possible to obtain batteries for free, as well as information for how to wire the system and which safety precautions must be observed. This knowledge can allow you to install your solar power system effectively and quickly so as to reap the benefits of clean, renewable and inexpensive power generation.

Solar power’s advantage over other renewable sources may not seem overwhelming at first glance, but with a little time to study you will soon see why more and more American’s are switching to solar power.

In nearly any neighborhood around the World, if you look closely enough you’re very likely to find someone supplementing their power with solar panels. Today, I’ll be sharing my research and experience with solar and why I’VE chosen to use it for my home’s “green” energy.

Why Solar Energy?

Solar energy is a renewable and inexhaustible source of powerful energy that is derived from the sun. Science tells us that the Sun isn’t in jeopardy of dying on us for at least a couple of billion years. Luckily, the complete lack of environmental pollution leaves us in a great position. With a little knowledge, solar power can leave literally ZERO impact on the ozone… Try that with “traditional” methods.

This power source is one of the only that is regarded the world over as being truly clean and safe. Another advantage of solar energy is its versatility. Batteries, cars, trams, satellites and more can easily be powered with it. It’s compatibility is what makes it so wonderful, you can easily replace, or supplement nearly any energy source. For example, with a wind generator and a few panels you can EASILY live completely off the grid.

A few other advantages of solar energy

Whether you install the panels on your roof, behind your home, or somewhere even more discreet, you immediately benefit from very long operational life spans. Most solar providers guarantee their panels will last all the wear and tear the environment can throw at ‘em for at LEAST twenty years. The electricity that solar home system will generate will be done silently and as a result you need not fear noise pollution.

During the long summer months, when you can enjoy abundant sunlight, the utility bills can get slashed by up to 90%. It can take a year or more to cross your “pay-off point” (the cost of the panels) but after that moment, you’ll know that you’re literally MAKING money every month instead of throwing it away. With the right planning, your solar energy farm can even make you money!

Power companies are required BY LAW to pay you for the excess energy you produce. Take the right steps, and start raking in the cash. You may not think of it at first, but your photovoltaic cells (solar panels) will actually keep your house safer by adding one more protective layer to your roof; reducing your heating and cooling costs, and extending the life of your home. And that’s a wrap! There are many other benefits to using solar energy, but that’s all I have off the top of my head for now.

WOW! We are almost all in agreement about at least one form of renewable energy; ninety per cent of Americans think that builders should be offering the option of solar power in new homes.

For those unsure of the term: solar power is the term used to describe the resulting energy from the conversion of sunlight into electricity. In order to do this, the sunlight must first be ‘captured’.

Because there is always (so far!) sunlight, this is called a renewable source of energy. This means once we have perfected the technique to turn the sunshine into electric power, we can always use that technique as there is always sunlight and it is always free.

Solar energy in a primitive form has been used for centuries by various civilizations. Nowadays with technology at such a sophisticated level, solar power can be used to provide heating, lighting and electricity.

Water heating is easy to install in new homes as the panels for it are usually placed right in the roof. Believe it or not, America first had solar water heaters as early as 1890! In many climates the sun can provide up to 75% of domestic water usage, so it makes sense to build these units into new homes.

The more people that request the option of solar power in their homes, the more mainstream it will become. A builder can often just install the pre-wire kit during construction, so that it is easy for the owner to add on the panels later, if desired.

Solar power also saves the home owner from paying large electricity bills, as the domestic electric power will only kick in when the solar power has been used up. Increasing energy costs make solar power look attractive – apart from the fact that it contributes to a healthier planet.

Due to the steadily gaining popularity of solar power, the price of panels is predicted to be halving within the next five years. Many states offer generous subsidies and rebates to assist the American home owner in making the right choices about energy and there are also federal incentives to look into.

Designs are becoming more and more attractive as the market expands. Whereas once solar power gave a home the look of having something stuck on your roof, nowadays designs can actually enhance the look of a home.

Israel leads the world for total percentage of domestic use, with 90% of its homes using solar power. China, with its large population deploys 80 % of the market share of solar hot water systems. In USA solar power is most popularly used for heating swimming pools.

Internationally, the use of solar power in swimming pools and low temperature applications such as domestic hot water and space heaters, is the most common usage, this is because the power is most naturally converted into heating.

In fact, solar power has been used to power a car that ran for over 3,000 kilometers (in Australia) and a boat that crossed the Atlantic (in UK). Solar energy has also been used to cool houses and to cook with. However, by far the most acceptable method of using it at the moment is solar water heating.

There are many American companies listed on the Internet if you wish to find out how your home would convert to solar power.

When it comes to solar power systems, you need to have two basic components which are a PV panel and a storage system. The function of the PV is to generate electricity and the storage systems are used when you aren’t using all the solar energy generated. In other words, the system stores the electricity for later use.

The storage system will consist of batteries which are placed in a vented room such as a basement. You don’t need to have batteries but they’re recommended for those who want to be completely independent in terms of energy production. Batteries will allow you to do this and they’re the most common way of storing solar energy.

Although batteries are typically used for solar energy storage, there are also two main types to choose from. These are lead acid and nickel cadmium.

Due to their low cost, you will find that lead acid batteries are the most common when storing solar energy. They’re very similar to the type of battery you have in a car. The terminals are positive and negative and they have leads attached to them which contain metal plates that in turn connect to terminals. These plates sit in a solution of sulphuric acid. When there is a reaction between the lead plates and the sulphuric acid you will find that this is how electricity is produced.

This is pretty much how a nickel cadmium battery work too however these batteries are a lot more expensive. The benefit of paying more for these batteries is that they function much better. Not only to the discharge more electric current before they require recharging but they also last a lot longer than lead acid batteries.

Because of the way solar panels work the battery will charge up when the solar panels are not getting any light. This is why they’re so important so that you can still run electrical devices in your home no matter what amount of light is currently hitting the solar panels.

The problem with batteries is that they can become drained or can be overcharged too many times. This why charge controllers are used as they stop this from happening. If the batteries become fully charged the controller prevents any more charging from happening. You will find that lead acid batteries are meant to be discharged at about 50% of their capacity allowing you to extend its life.

Solar panels normally last for about 20 years but batteries only last for about half that time. This is why it’s so important that you understand you need to factor this into the cost of your solar system. Replacing your batteries can be fairly costly and shouldn’t be ignored when making your solar purchase.

When you step into any of these places that have been in the sunlight for a while you soon become overpowered by the amount and the intensity of the heat. This kind of heat can be taken and converted into heat that can heat your home, your water, an outbuilding, or any other building you would like to have heat in.

Heating by solar power is a free way of heating. When you heat using solar power you use a source that will direct the heat from the sunlight during the daytime to your solar source. A solar source is a device that you use to attract and trap the heat from the sun. Just like a car out in the parking lot gets hot when it faces the midday sun and the windows are rolled up. The seats can become very hot, too hot to sit on. These seats are a solar source because they trapped the heat inside and didn’t want to let them go. When this happens the seats will still be warm long after the sun quits shining directly on that car.

Creating a solar source can be easy to do with a little thought put into it. With a solar source you need to think about all the things that attract the sun, such as metal, the color black, glass that is tinted or clear, mirrors and more. There is an endless supply of idea to signal the heat your way and trap it for your use. To get the heat to benefit your water system or even your heat, you need to come up with a way that you can circulate a liquid that when it passes by your solar source it will heat the water naturally because of the concentrated amount of heat that was trapped inside your solar source that day.

When the liquid carries through the solar source and travels into the home it can go directly to the water source where it can be kept warm, like a hot water tank, but naturally without using gas and electricity to keep it warm. This solar source can be a great challenge to create but you will enjoy the rewards for years to come. You can also find solar sources in stores as well as online. Shopping for solar power items has never been easier and it is not expensive.

Coming up with a solution that will carry the heat into the home is simple and practical. If your idea is successful you will have heat during the winter and warm water all year around. The main goal is not only to preserve the natural resources and the environment but it is cost effective when you can use something that is natural that you need to use.