Thinking of going solar? Some HUGE news for you

Deserves a bump... it's not really a question of how... but when. Obviously technology dominates and I always asked myself...

Do you really need to cover your entire roof to get the benefits of solar energy? Why can't it be the size of an eraser? I mean really...

i really like these solar dishes. they are getting affordable.
8ft dish kit can heat 500 gallons of water a day and costs $3245


http://www.acrosolarlasers.com/dishkits.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanocrystal_solar_cell

im using the Monocrystalline cells

You're right about "when not how", but size of an eraser?

If an average size to power up one home would be a size of an eraser then covering up the whole roof would power up the whole village...
That would be more powerful and more efficient than nuclear energy...

Just imagine a car powered by the one roof panel size of an eraser...

Good stuff

would be nice if this one gets developed... over cost of solar panels is the lone reason people haven't bothered.

When we're talking about solar, anyone ever built one of these?
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...an+heater&aq=f

Seems like a fun project.

great stuff!

But what is the actual percentage of energy taken from the solar rays that hit the panel?

stupid question but what happens when its overcast and cloudy for a few days? does it store energy?

in other words, the billions now being wasted subsidizing the installation of solar panels will be repeated in a few more years?
yeay wasteful spending!

There are no alternative energies. Everything is fine. Do not read the article. Say, you seem low on gas. Better go get some. Why not upgrade to a coal fired boiler while you're out?

That's great, but as most new "non-oil based" energy innovations go....this is the last you'll ever hear of it.

im thinking you kick in the electric or gas. this wouldn't be a good system in a place like seattle in Arizona would be ok.

if I had the money, I would invest more into solar energy but its extremely expensive to get setup

Actually it is fairly easy and inexpensive to construct a decent sized hot water storage facility for residential use. The hot water can be used for heating in winter and provide for those days during which the Sun is not realy shining. A parabolic reflector of sufficent size will even work on overcast days but not at anything like maximum efficiency of course.

The biggest problem with solar electricity is the fact that DC (Direct Current) is produced and this DC must be stored in large cumbersome and envrionmentally nasty battery banks which are composed of lead/acid, nickel hydride, lithium or other kinds of batteries. The DC must then be run through expensive inverters which convert the DC of the selected storage voltage to 120/240 volt 60 Hz AC (Alternating Current) in order for it to operate our electrical devices and appliances.

The doped solar cells require the use of arsenic and other highly toxic chemicals to be manufactured and therefore have their own environmental downside, so it remains to be seen whether or not this technology will have any real application.

One of the best ways to use solar in gneration of electricity is through solar powered steam generators, the steam from which is used to spin turbines connected to generators or to run large-scale Stirling engines which power the generators.

The thing to be remembered about solar power is that it only works when the Sun is shining and is subject to efficieny reductions due to ambient weather conditions and that there are only som many BTUs that hit the ground in a given area per day and you can't change that factor. You cannot suck down sunlight. Parabolic collectors do concentrate that energy though, allowing the equivalent of hundreds of square feet of sunlight to be focussed into a very small area, producing lots of heat which can be then very efficently used to generate electricity.

When it comes to energy production though, there is no free lunch and all systems have downsides; some less than others.

Solar will be the wave of the future but it is also going to be some time shaking out.

I have in plan to buy for 5000$ water solar panel,saving money on gas for heating water it's great start.Second step would be deploy solar for electricity,but that could cost up to 50000$ which is kind a lot.

hmm ya you add battery storage and a hard-line to the local utility for failovers. in most places the local electric company will buy your excess energy, so the days you have to use their power could be free.

of course my long-term goal is to be off the grid to prepare for the eventual extinction of crude oil and the fall of mankind.

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It's overcast and cloudy here 11 months of the year...

But how will the utility companies charge for solar or wind on your own property? Will they fine you for leaving the grid? I'm sure they'll have a certain number of customers they need to make maintaining the grid profitable/viable.

Will this start a snowballing effect of more and more people leaving the grid, resulting in the grids getting shut down and the remaining buildings being forced to become power-self-sufficient? Just a thought.

And a transfer switch and a device which keeps your generated electricity in phase with that of the utility........................................... ........$50K roughly for a complete setup.

Forget about "selling power" back and concentrate on getting off the grid.

This place in Reno makes really cool wind generators, quite a bit different from normal wind turbines. Pretty good looking option if you have at least 10mph daily average winds.

http://windspireenergy.com/windspire/

that doesn't make any sense. if you build an alternative energy source on your property, the utils don't charge you for the energy.

utilities are non-profit and most governments are highly motivated to get more citizens using alternative energy. here are all the incentives in the US alone:

http://www.dsireusa.org/

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I agree! Just like the Interstates and Internet... no help to the Country at all, always having to be rebuilt, total waste of tax payer dollars.

50k? That's like a 10+ sq foot house...

Most people can get fully hooked, with a buy back, for $10-$15k, then with rebates and a payment plan, it can be less than $2k down and less than the electric bill monthly.

You don't need a battery, but if so they're only about $2k each for the top of the line ones, or add in a home hydrogen generator for $2k, the solar powers it and it powers the house.