Homemade Solar power system is a good solution to save money and green our environment

With just about every country in the world looking for creative ways to power our homes and businesses, it’s no wonder that the issue of producing solar power would come up often . While most people understand the basics of how solar module panels work and what can be done with storing the energy, there are still many people who do not understand some of the intricacies of how solar energy is harvested, stored and used.

The following is some information that will help to correct some of the myths about what can and cannot be accomplished when it comes to the production and use of solar energy.

Perhaps one of the most admired myths about the use of solar power is that on days when the weather conditions are unsettled or sunshine is at a minimum, anyone who relies exclusively on solar power will just have to shut down operations and make the best of it.. At this time, this is not the case for several reasons.

With the use of up to date solar module panels, they can still collect a certain amount of energy, even on an overcast day.

While it is true that the amount of energy that can be collected is less than the amount that can be harvested on a sunny day, the process of gathering goes on any time there is any amount of sunlight at all. In addition, the energy is stored in batteries that are commonly referred to as deep cycle batteries. These batteries are kept charged and ready to release power when required, through the use of either a separate charge controller, or one included with an off grid power inverter. The stored energy in these batteries are called upon to take care of power needs during the night as well as supplement what is gathered on a cloudy day should the need arise.

Next, most countries experience sufficient sunlight on an average day to use solar energy as a practical source of electricity for powering their homes. As an example, the United Kingdom experiences 2.5 hours of energy producing sunlight per day during the course of a year. This average is more than enough with current technology to handle the power demands of the average household without draining the deep cycle batteries down to nothing.

As the technology advances, the solar panel module will be able to collect enough energy from the sun’s rays on both overcast days and even night time to be able to handle an even greater demand.

At this time, solar module panels panels can collect in the range of fifteen to twenty percent of the useful energy collected as compared to that of a cloudy day. Through the use of solar array tracking devices, this low percentage range is enough to run the home by itself, without the need to rely on any of the battery stored power that would be available. Even now, with our current technology, solar power systems are not only a realistic way for meeting individual demands on a small scale, but also provides us with the capability to create a large resource of stored energy for future use, simply by expanding our current array of solar modules and deep cycle battery banks.

Even though harnessing the Sun’s energy was first looked at in the late 1950′s, it has only been the last few decades that the work done has made decent progress. While the concept of solar power has made some great strides in the past thirty years or so, proponents say that the next decade will see a number of technological advancements. These new discoveries will make harnessing the sun’s rays even more viable as a means of not only safe and clean power to for our homes but also for businesses and public utilities as well.

Using solar power to supply your home or business is one of the most cost effective and environmentally friendly ways of generating power. Although the idea of carrying out a DIY Solar Energy project may seem daunting, it can save you money and there is plenty of help out there to assist you.

There are 7 main components that you will require for converting your home, less if you are only building a portable power system:

1: SOLAR PANELS: In a DIY application these will be built by yourselves. You’ll need photovoltaic cells (PV’s) which can be assembled into 50W, 75W or 100W panels. Don’t be put off by the long words. Solar Photovoltaics are simply an array of individual cells which contain a material that converts solar radiation into DC electricity. You should have little problem in sourcing these as due to the mounting demand for renewable energy the production of cells has increased substantially over recent years. There are mono and poly that you can choose based on the time you need to use every day.

2: ARRAY DC DISCONNECT: This is basically a switch which allows you to cut the DC power from your solar panels should maintenance be required. In the majority of systems the power would revert back to your main energy supplier.

3: CHARGE CONTROLLER:Most home systems will have a battery backup. This item ensures that a consistent amount of power is sent to the batteries, and that they don’t discharge at nights.

4: DEEP CYCLE BATTERIES; These store the power from your solar cells. A deep cycle battery is designed to deliver a consistent voltage as the battery discharges. The number of batteries that you would require in your system is dependent on the level of power that you are using in your home.

5: SYSTEM METER:This component is optional but will let you know how much power is being fed into your home from the solar panels. It will enable you to monitor the incoming power and ensure that you have built sufficient homemade solar cells to cover your energy needs.

6: CONVERTER:Your solar panels will be producing DC power, while your home will be using AC power. The converter enables the solar energy to be used by your home.

7: BACKUP POWER; Most systems will require some form of backup power, in most instances this will be provided by your current power supply. If you reside in an ‘off-grid’ location, or if you are planning a system to supply your total energy needs, you should have a generator to hand should your main supply fail for whatever reason.

You now have an idea of what elements are required to get your home running on renewable energy using homemade solar cells. If you haven’t done so yet, you should seriously consider downloading a reputable guide to installing solar power. This will ensure that you have all the information you need to complete a successful conversion.

Let’s shine together!