QUESTION:
Solar power for hot water??
what do u need to set up hot water via solar power? ive seen so much on websites and im getting confussed! boilers, panels, pv's, im lost!!!! i dont want advice on installers it is for research, what would i need?

• ANSWER:
  There are 2 different systems used in solar thermal. 1st is having collectors on the roof and pumping glycol through the lines into a heat exchanger in the solar tank. The heat exchanger heats the water inside the solar tank, and then the existing hot water heater draws the hot water from the solar tank. The other way is with a strapon heat exchanger that is attached to the existing tank, utilizing a confined space. So if your just doing domestic hot water (water for shower, dishes etc...) you will need 2 thermal panels, a storage tank (80 gallon) copper pipe to pipe the glycol, pump, controller, expansion tank, ball valves, and a check valve. don't get to complicated, forget about boilers and pv. boilers are used in radiant floors only (residential of course). Some old houses may have old gas or oil boilers which you can tie the thermal panels into using the same method as a hot water heater. hope this helps.

QUESTION:
What happens to your energy/hot water if you are using solar power and it's cloudy for several days in a row?
I used to have a solar water heater 15-20 years ago and it worked OK when it was sunny (of course!). However, if it was cloudy/rainy for several days in a row, there was no hot water when it was needed the most.
Do modern systems work better, or is this still an issue?

• ANSWER:
  Most solar water heating systems are installed as a preheater to a backup water heater. The collectors heat the water in a super-insulated storage tank. The hot water output of that goes to the cold water input of a backup heater; electric, gas, oil, whatever. So on rainy days, the tank is insulated so it doesn't lose much of the heat that it made, but it may send 90 degree water to your backup heater instead of the 50 degrees you get from the city or well. That's 40 degrees less that the backup needs to heat, but still always provides hot water to the house. But on sunny days, your backup heater doesn't need to turn on at all. Many people actually turn the backup off in the summer.

QUESTION:
Could solar power, hot water and heating be combined in one system in a way that's cheaper then fossil fuels
for the same tasks in new or used homes no matter if there going to be or are powered by coal and oil or coal and natural gas etc...? Even if it used fossil fuels aslong as it was in only a night time and auxiliery role? Could this be done in a way that allows people to keep there existing power hot water and heating setup as that backup? Could it be bought on payment plans that garentee lower bills with no money down until there paid off so that companies that build them consumers that buy them and the environment that's saved a little bit with every purchase win?

• ANSWER:
  Unfortunately solar photovoltaic systems are very expensive ways to generate electricity. The cost is generally 5 to 10 times the cost of purchasing electricity from your local uitlity.

  Solar hot water is a little less expensive. In most parts of the country the cost to heat water using solar power is approximately 20 to 30 % more expensive than heating with natural gas.

  Unfortunately it is not cheaper, and in fact it is more expensive to use solar power than fossil fuels as your energy source.

QUESTION:
A hot-water heater is operated by solar power. If the solar collector has an area of 6.0 m2 and the power deli?
A hot-water heater is operated by solar power. If the solar collector has an area of 6.0 m2 and the power delivered by sunlight is 550 W/m2, how long will it take to increase the temperature of 1 m3 of water from 23°C to 61°C?

• ANSWER:
  Rate of heat supply = 550 J/s x 6.0m² = 3300 J/s

  Heat energy required H = m.s.∆θ
  H = (1000kg)(4200 J/kg.ºC)(38ºC) = 1.60^8 J

  t = 1.60^8 J / 3300 J/s .. .. ►t = 4.84^4 s .. (13.4 hr)

QUESTION:
Solar Powered Hot water heat?
I would like to power my hot water from solar power. I have the old base board hot water heated radiation heat in my home. How can i power 100% of my hot water heat bill by solar power alone? And what about tax credits?

• ANSWER:
  you should not do this period. im a solar tech, and we get customers who want to do 100% solar and its just not feasible. the panels simply cant keep up with the boiler, and you must pump some serious heat into those pipes in your baseboards to feel the heat. your better off getting a high eff. boiler to replace the (kerosene one?) old boiler. if you want to go solar, and you have enough space for storage, get a 2 collector system for you domestic hot water(2 col. based on 3-4 people). we install these systems for about 8 grand. remember, one collector is good to heat 50 gal of water per day. think about it, dont waste your money.

QUESTION:
Solar power for hot water use, worth installing?
I have radiant heat throughout my whole house. My whole house is run off propane gas by a wall hung gas boiler. The amount that I am spending in gas per year is about 00. I live in Maine where winters can be long and cold. My house has great exposure to the sun from sunrise to sunset. It just seems to make sense to have a solar system installed to run my hot water and my heat and have the gas as a back up. I know the cost is somewhere around ,000 for a system. My question on here is does anyone have a solar system like I am describing and if so what are the pros and cons associated with it?

• ANSWER:
  There is some confusion when we refer to "Solar panels" and even some who operate commercial installations may not be aware that "Solar panels" can be Photovoltaic panels that produce electricity and Solar thermal panels used to capture heat. While photovoltaic panels are more costly they are at best around 24% installed. Solar thermal panels are cheaper and may be up to 80% efficient. It makes no sense to use photovoltaic panels to heat your home.

  The numbers you give suggests a potential 2 to 21/2 year payback period on your investment. Most would consider this very worthwhile.

  Solar thermal panels are part of an active system and can be designed to produce hot air or hot water. In general the hotter your base operating system is the more likely is loss due to outside temperatures. Solar thermal flat panels are cheaper but radiate some heat back into the environment which lessons efficiency but gives an advantage in environments with a heavy frost or snow load. Solar thermal vacuum tube collectors are better suited to higher system temperatures, cloudy days, and higher extremes in ambient temperatures. Some systems will mix both types of collectors with the vacuum tube collectors in series after the flat panels.1

  I envy your choices. Radiant heating is the ideal distribution system for a solar heated system. It is ideal because it uses a lower distribution heat which may not be much hotter than your standard domestic hot water temperatures of about 120 deg F. As a good portion of any heating system is the distribution system you will have some savings in money there. If you had access to a pond or stream I would encourage you to examine geothermal heating as this is another system that works well with radiant heating and the water source makes it very economical.

  The main difference between your present system and a solar heated system is the type of energy storage. Propane is a fuel that stores energy. A solar heated system requires some energy storage and this is usually in the form of an insulated tank of hot water. Sizing the tank and the panels relatively to your heating demands is very important. The tank can be reduced in size using a slurry of phase change materials but this is generally considered more trouble than it is worth. The tank is normally pressurized to equal your domestic water pressures but it would also essentially be an atmospheric pressure insulated "pond."

  Systems that attempt to provide more than about 80% of the demand might include a ground loop. This is a loop in the Earth used to keep the solar panels from getting too hot in the summer. It may also be possible to generate electricity with excess thermal energy.2

  It is possible to air condition using solar thermal panels but the system is an absorption system not the typical electrical/compressor/refrigerant system that is common elsewhere today. It is not practical to simply cool the house using the same radiant distribution system as condensation can be an issue so some form of separate air handling is generally required. I have provided a sampling of material to digest below.

QUESTION:
Do people have solar powered hot water systems in China or is it all electric?

• ANSWER:
  It depends on where you live, in Shanghai where I live my water is heated by gas, but if you got a little outside the city you will see solar heated systems on houses everywhere, I have never experienced them first hand but I have Chinese friends telling me that they are great and envirofriendly, I also know that there is a lot of electric water heating and it is not good at all, if you are "lucky" your hot shower will last 15 minutes

QUESTION:
Can I build my own Hot Water Solar Panels?
I'm looking for some advice on hot water solar panels. I'm trying to save some money on electricity. A neighbor has been suggesting solar powered equipment for some time now, and I think he's right. It does save quite a bit of money in the long run. They're kind of expensive though, so I'm looking for cheaper alternatives.

• ANSWER:
  Solar Power is great. I installed it myself about 2 years ago, and you really do notice the change within the first couple months. Building it yourself is actually pretty tricky without the right resources. Some of the guides don't have enough detailed information that you need when you start putting the project together.

  I was having a lot of trouble until I stumbled upon a site that was offering some great resources for solar DIY projects. I went ahead and added it to the sources section below. It's great and has everything you would need for putting your own solar projects together, including hot water solar panels. Hope this helps!

QUESTION:
why dont the people in dominican republic use solar power for hot water...?

they have all kinds of sun. they more ways to use the sun for heating water than buying those expensive solar panels.

• ANSWER:
  I think that we dominicans don't use solar power as much as we really should because of the costs involved.

  I recognize that in the long run it is less expensive than being connected to the electrical grid, but the up-front expense is just too much for the typical dominican to afford. There are usually much more important things to do with the money that trickes in, such as buying food and medicine for themselves and their families.

QUESTION:
Would having a Solar PV, Solar Hot Water & Heat or Small Wind Turbine, SUCK or be GOOD?
Do you think you can't afford this? Ever look at youtube videos about Solar Photovoltaic Electricity and how easy it is to get it installed. Have you gotten any local estimates? Small wind turbines on roofs. Just another simple, maintenance free appliance, live a TV roof satellite TV dish, but Solar are panels on your roof. Patches right into you electric company and the Electric company buys excess power during the date. Rebates make it very affordable. Get 3 quotes in your area. Investigate Solar Power, Solar Hot water, Small Wind turbines, Solar PV panels are warranted 25 Years. It's a long-term saving, but as prices rise so do you saving and payback. You don't know if it SUCKS or is GOOD unless you've looked into it. Many are surprise voltage goes up in colder temperatures. So you don't have to be in CA to benefit big time. Creates Jobs too for installers and manufacturers, etc. Give the question a try though, what do you think?

• ANSWER:
  You are correct Peace . There are many ways to have small systems and even multiple small systems . There is nothing better than selling power back to the system ...

QUESTION:
Could I power my water heater with solar power instead of gas?
I live in a house with A LOT of roommates, and we use a lot of hot water. Could we install a solar panel just for the water heater? We would like to install solar panels all over at one point but need to start on a smaller scale.

• ANSWER:
  ABSOLUTELY! That is the best way to save money with solar. You won't be making electricity with the solar panel, it's a different kind of panel. You run fluid through the panels and it directly heats the fluid. That fluid then heats your water tank. You can heat up to 75% of your water for free!

  Take a look at this free video teaching you about solar water heating, http://www.altestore.com/store/Books-Classes-Educational-Videos/Educational-Videos/Educational-Video-Solar-Water-Heating-Basics/p6726/.

QUESTION:
I want to install a solar powered heating element in my hot water tank?
I want to install a solar powered heating element in my hot water tank. I want a very simple system with out batteries or thermostat control. Basically convert solar power to electricity & send directly to the heating element which is fitted to my water tank.

1] Has anyone any experience of such a set-up?
2] Any advice on this system- what to do & what not to do?

• ANSWER:
  The technology to convert solar power to electricity to heat water is very inefficient. Solar photovoltaic panels are expensive. You should think about using solar panels to heat water then circulate that through your hot water heater. There are dozens of firms in your town who can install a solar water system for you. If you are good at plumbing you can probably do this yourself.

  This might give you some information:
  http://www.solarexpert.com/Heatdhw.html

QUESTION:
what savings can i expect from solar powered hot water?

• ANSWER:
  Depending on the current source of hot water and the season, your savings can be up to 70% of your bill. For example, if you currently use oil to heat your water, you will save about 25% of your bill.

  For more information on Residential Solar Technology, be sure to check out our easy-to-read white paper: http://www.moonworkshome.com/home-improvement-resources/Residential-Solar-Technology-Made-Simple/

QUESTION:
need to relocate solar hot water panels?
i want to get solar power installed but ive been told that the installers have put my hot water panels in a really bad spot and that i would need to relocate them to another part of my roof. Is anyone out there able to give me a rough quote on what i am looking at to get it moved and who do i call for the job?

• ANSWER:
  Probably the original installers put your hot water panels in a very *good* spot, that is, the spot that gets the most sun, and your new solar electric installer wants to put their panels in the same spot.

  Try looking in an ordinary phone book under "solar" and there should be a solar water heating company that can give you a quote on moving the existing panels. If you find a company that does both water and electric, they can give a quote on a full solution that is best all-around.

QUESTION:
For tropical countries around the world,would be possible to generate electricity by using solar power?
Actually it's not the question I want to ask, I know it's possible, I'm using this to propose my idea on how to generate steam instead of hot water, using solar powered cells, and then using the steam in turbines to generate electricity for all countries, that could be enough for all Europe on a large scale. Is anyone interested?

• ANSWER:
  There is a project in planning as we speak over in Australia. This guy plans to build a tower 2000ft tall.The base will be surrounded by mirrors elevated about 3 feet. At the base of the tower under the mirrors there will be wind generators The mirrors will trap hot air and since hot air rises it will rush up the inside of the tower pushing turbine motors at the top and produce enough electricity for about 100,000 homes.There are already projects in operation where they point mirrors at a tower that stores water up top. this produces steam to generate electricity.

QUESTION:
Solar Hot Water System?
Would it be possible to have a solar panel drive a DC motor that drives an AC generator via a ratio gearbox to produce electricity to power a hot water system??

• ANSWER:
  Yes, but it would be terribly inefficient.

  You can get hot water from solar energy in one step, skipping the motor-generator entirely.

QUESTION:
Are solar power water heaters obsolete? Some repairman said we should just replace it with a normal one.well?
Our water boiler broke. It was a solar powered or heat powered one. It looked like there was some leaking in our garage. We called a repair man. He said that the pipe was leaking and so he replaced it. We still don't have hot water, so he said that we should replace ours with a regular boiler because he's been all around replacing solar powered water heaters all throughout the county.

I honestly don't believe this guy. But is there some truth to what he said? Should I spend a thousand bucks for a new regular boiler because mine's obsolete? Or what

• ANSWER:
  Ok
  Repair men are salesmen as well.
  we need to make money.
  but some take it to far
  this guy may not know how to install solar hot water
  so he will try to sell you anything he knows how to install. so he goes home with some money.

  (tip 1)
  I have never repaired a leak and the hot water stopped working

  (tip 2)
  solar hot water is available

  (Tip 3)
  look on top of your hot water tank and one side says cold
  turn the valve on because he may have shut it off to make the repair to the pipe and never turned it back on.

  (Tip 4) check all valves you can find (turn them on and off see what they do) so you know in the event you get another leak.

  well you have the internet
  and I have your back

QUESTION:
How much should solar hot water and radiant heat cost in Maryland, USA?
I'm getting quotes for a replacement for our hot water heater. So far I've gotten 22K for materials and installation of a solar hot water heater (3-4 collector panels) with heat rejection and single zone open direct radiant heating to one floor (accessible through drop ceiling underneath). Both quotes include a backup hot water heating system; the expensive one would involve installing a new backup high efficiency heater by converting our propane tank to use for heating. This would be either the Polaris or 2 Takagi Jrs, one for the solar hot water and another to power the radiant heat.

Another quote is for 12K for only the solar hot water and heat rejection using the Velux system.

Are these really high? I've already contacted 3 companies but it doesn't look like too many people are installing them in Maryland yet. I'm still waiting on a quote from one final company. Thanks!

• ANSWER:
  Without information of how big the footprint of the house is, and how many people the domestic hot water (DHW) is for, it is hard to say.

  You said you got a quote for 3 -4 collectors, so I'm going to make some assumptions based on that. Four 4'x8' collectors = 128 sq ft of collector. A general rule of thumb for space heating with solar is 1 sq ft of collector for every 5 -10 sq ft of house footprint (depends on heat storage, heat loss in the house, climate, etc). So, if we say 1200 sq ft house, 1200 / 10 = 120; 128 sq ft of collectors could work (again, depending on above variables). Depending on the brand, each flat plate collector could cost about 00, so 00 for the four collectors (evacuated tubes cost more). You then need a controller, storage tank, pumps, heat exchanger, plus all of the copper pipes and fixtures. Then a couple of days for a plumber to install. ,000 installed seems about right without the backup heater. Here's a heating system that costs that just for the equipment http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Water-Heaters/Climate-freezes-Closed-Loop-Systems/Combined-Solar-Hot-Water-Space-Heating/Heliodyne-Solar-Hot-Water-Space-Heat-1500-sqft/p6731/.

  Note, gas on-demand water heaters like the Bosch Aquastar make great backup heaters for solar http://www.houseneeds.com/shop/HeatingProducts/WaterHeating/AquaStar1/aquastar1600psmain.asp. I don't know what size you'd need.

QUESTION:
Is there a smart controller for a solar hot water electric booster?
I've just had a solar HWS installed with a manual electric boost switch. I know you can get timer switches, but I'm looking for a "smart" switch.
I've had it for a month without having to boost at all. A timer would have been wasting power.
If there is such an animal as a "smart" controller, it would be a combination of timer and weather station.
Any ideas?

• ANSWER:
  My system has it built in. When it isn't sunny enough to heat, the electric comes on in time for the daily use. The "smart" isn't in the controller, it is in the use of a standard timer from your local hardware store, and the the element in the tank...

QUESTION:
Solar hot water panels.?
Need digram or info on how to build a solar hot water panel without the use of electric power. Plenty water but no power here!.

• ANSWER:
  All you have to do is search "solar hot water" on any search engine.
  With passive solar hot water you are in luck with your wish of no electricity being used, because a vertical looped system will naturally circulate when water is heated at one end. Also as long as you have cold water coming in under pressure, moving up threw the PASSIVE (means no electricity - thermomass absorption of UV radiation) hot water panels - then to a storage (insulated) tank and or back up to the hot water panel, unless you call for it to wash dishes or shower. No electricity needed.
  Building your own is easy and cheap enough, but the new manufactured vacuum tubes (no electricity either) are far more efficient at obtaining hot water from limited UV sources, plus the return on the investment is very short and pays for itself generally in less than 5 years, with an estimated life cycle of around 30 years, so it pays for itself 5 times over.

QUESTION:
When should 'new build' residential & industrial roofs have solar power? By legislation if necessary?
Solar hot water or photovoltaic.
Lots of homes have solar power to assist what is already there. It doesn't take a lot to have water hot enough to do a bowl of washing-up / have a bath.
Technology for photovoltaic is going to improve in the next 5 years.
Thirty or forty years ago, who would have thought mobile phones would have been possible or as common.

• ANSWER:
  Solar only makes sense when the solar output can be reclaimed on a constant basis. In the US, even, this is only possible in the most Southern and Western states. Too much cloud cover does not enable the current solar voltaic converters to produce enough energy in the majority of the population centers of America.

  While it is true that some spectrum's of solar energy can penetrate cloud cover, todays cells are not currently efficient enough to warrant their cost. It is true that great strides have been made recently in the efficiency of these collectors/converter cells, and in a few years there may be a system efficient enough to recover and convert cloud penetrating radiation into viable amounts of electricity. Just don't hold your breath waiting for this to hit the market.

  Legislation can't convert blocked sunshine into electricity.

QUESTION:
looking for a comp in Rajinder place, geyser heating water without electricity gas or solar power, pls help?
this unique water heating geyser was showcassed in India International Trade Fair two years back, they were located at Rajinder place, New Delhi. It heats water without using electricity, gas or solar power has magnesium rod (I think) in this cold water comes in and hot water comes out instantly when it comes in contact with the rod. Easy to handle just has a nozle which can be just attached to a tap. if anyone has any information regarding this company please email me.
Thanks and regards
Johnsn_j
I need to gift it to some people who are migrants from a different state, who dont have access to hot water and they are taking bath in cold water, i am worried they may contact pneumonia or be sick and i want to help them.
I really want to help them and the sites are not of any help.

• ANSWER:
  http://www.eindiabusiness.com/indian-exporters/heaters-heating-equipment.html
  That should be able to get you there.

  http://www.eindiabusiness.com/search.html or that.

QUESTION:
Is it best to turn a hot water system on and off or leave it on continually?
We are running a 125 litre hot water heater for only two people. Its 15amp and single element I think. When we had solar heating, we got into the habit of turning the booster on and off accordingly. I'm wondering now, if we are energy saving by turning the current system off during the day and only flicking it on at night for a time? Or would it work out less expensive to let the thermostat regulate a permanent hot water temperature and in so doing, be using less energy overall? Its a balancing or juggling act I know but over a period of time, which approach makes more sense as far as costing less in power? Hot water usage is generally fairly conservative too and we don't really need the scalding temps when its on all the time, even in the middle of winter. (Thermostat not adjustable)

• ANSWER:
  I think its best to leave it on, because if you turn it off, the water will get cold again and then take more energy to heat it up again... just a thought.

QUESTION:
Using solar and wind to produce power from steam as needed?
How practical would it be to store near boiling hot water - kept hot from solar and wind - and use small amounts of grid electricity to produce steam from this on demand .
This steam could drive a steam turbine to produce green power for the grid- and supply power at high demand periods - at a profit!
This would simplify linking multiple wind turbines and solar panels- and the hot water could still be utilised for showers and hydrothermal home heating.

• ANSWER:
  Collecting solar energy and producing steam to drive turbine generators is a good idea. There have been many experimental plants doing this over the years. There have also been many experiments done on the best medium to use for storing the heat during the night. My understanding is that the most favorable system at this point in time is using a large array of parabolic mirrors focused on a collector which has a salt slurry or other solution which circulates to a boiler to produce the steam. I followed one test plant in the 70's, and it worked, but finding a good heat absorbing medium that would not corrode the pipes and boiler was the biggest problem. Maybe they have resolved that now. I also understand there are some large scale plants now in service and more planned.

  Wind turbines are another matter. They are passive in that they (the wind generator) just turns when the wind blows over about 8MPH and produce electricity directly.

  Both are great sources of power, but also both depend on nature and weather cycles. Sometimes the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine. Many areas of the world are not well suited for these forms of power, and there is a limit to how far you can transport power over wires, so other more reliable sources will also be required for the 24/7 reliability we require.

QUESTION:
How do I make home made power?
How do I make home made electricity with solar power or a wind generator? I've been looking into using wind and solar energy to power my home, reduce electricity consumption and lower my carbon footprint. I've looked into solar hot water systems and home wind generators, but what's the most efficient way to reduce my energy consumption?

• ANSWER:
  Wind generators and solar panels can be expensive, and can take years before they pay for themselves. Often it uses so much CO2 to make a solar panel or wind generator that they can actually increase your carbon foot print, not reduce it. I've found that the best way to create home made power is from home made equipment, it's actually surprisingly straight forward and a fraction of the cost. I used this guide: http://tinyurl.com/ljyok7 to create a simple wind generator which has seen my energy costs drastically reduced.

QUESTION:
Is it possible to use hot asphalt parking lots to generate solar power?
I once heard that some companies were doing research on using hot asphalt to generate electricity (by having underground water pipes that move a turbine). As of now, has any company successfully made such a system?

Could you please list a reliable academic source?

• ANSWER:
  In Death Valley, the ground can get hot enough to boil water, but in general, to get steam temperatures, you need insulation and something to cut off airflow. Concentrated sunlight doesn't hurt, either.

  That's a clever idea, using asphalt that's going to get hot, anyway. It might make an economical water heater in a place like Hawaii or Florida. The downside in other places is that the asphalt won't get very hot all year round, whereas a water heating panel with glass could function even with freezing air temperatures.

QUESTION:
What temperature can a typical solar panel for producing hot water heater reach?
I know that concentrating mirrors can produce extreme temperatures for power plants but what is the expected maximum temperature achievable without concentration by mirrors?

• ANSWER:
  I think the following article has provided the typical solar panel for producing hot (boiling point) at the temperature of 130-350 C through the heat transfer and exchange process.
  http://www.pasolar.ncat.org/lesson02.php
  It can help to advance your knowledge in solar panel system by visiting the following website with good pieces of articles.
  http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=solar%20systems%20for%20domestic%20boilings

QUESTION:
Is your hot water heater electric, natural gas, oil, propane, or solar powered?
if it is natural gas, oil or propane powered does it vent through a wall roof or chimney

• ANSWER:
  I have electic, gas and some propane. most vent through the roof, but some are wall.

QUESTION:
which dishwashers work best on solar power and gravity fed rain tank water?
Hello everyone,
I am curious if you have any experience of energy and water efficient
dishwashers?
I am buying a dishwasher to work with my own solar power and gravity
fed rain tanks. Bosch, LG and Fisher & Paykal all tell me they no
longer make any dishwashers with hot and cold inlets - because it made
their energy ratings worse!!??! However, a technician told me to plumb
the hot water into the only inlet, have it at a minimum of 65 degrees
Celsius, and that it needs water pressure of at least 35 kpa, which
equates to 3 meters of head when only gravity fed. So this may work,
but I am keen to hear of anyone else's experience around this.
All the best, Andy
Thanks J,
I assume my septic tank can handle the load as I wash up quite a few times a day already with kids at home, so I think one load of a dishwasher will be economical on water.
I hope the 65 degree water inlet means the machine does not need to use electricity to heat the water more; and I hope to disable the drying cycle and just open the door and let the dishes dry as they would normally on a rack.
my solar system generates 3.5 kw; the house is wired for 240 Volts from 24 V batteries. I can monitor the power levels by a meter.
I appreciate any other advice. There must be others who have done this?
yours, Andy

• ANSWER:
  I'm not sure how you are producing your hot water, but the output pressure in that system is probably going to be different than the input pressure you are assuming from the rain-tank height.

  The reason that having a cold-water input ruins manufacturer's efficiency ratings is germane to your usage. Dishwashers have a heating element that assures proper water temperature. Cold water input would need to be heated. Even with proper inlet temperature, the heat needed to bring the dishes up to good cleaning temperatures needs to come from somewhere - and that somewhere is an electrical heater. You do pay a price in energy usage for this, but hot water does a LOT better job of cleaning and sanitizing your dishes. Unless your other electrical usage brings you within about 10% of your battery storage limits, don't sweat the system load.

QUESTION:
Is not having hot water in the apartment a health code violation?
My landlord uses solar powered water heater to provide hot water for the apartment. When I signed the lease, he mentioned that some days I just can't take long hot showers but other wise it's fine. But after I moved in, I found out when the weather is cloudy, or just any early morning, there isn't any hot water at all. So during the storm season, there is no hot water period. My neighbor and I have both talked to the landlord about the issue but he keeps giving us excuses and that he's working on it but it's been two months and nothing has happened. Is this against some health code we can hold him against? There are other problems with this apartment. I would love to find something that can get me out of my lease.
I live in a house converted to 2 rental units. I live in Hawaii, so when it's sunny there is no problem at all, but when there is no sun it's just room temperature cold water. And it's not that hot here right now, if it's the summer I can stand cold showers.

• ANSWER:
  well i think it would be ilegal in some way but i dont think it would be a health volition. i think it would be only if ur getting sick from being forced to take freezing cold showers but if u say its no problem that good

QUESTION:
Do all dishwashers use a heat element, or can some be connected to hot water?
I would like to purchase a dishwasher, but all the dishwashers i have found use a heat element. I am currently running on solar power, and the dishwashers i have found use too much power. So i was wondering if there was a dishwasher that could be connected directly to a hot water system? If you do not know what I am talking about please tell me. Thank you!

• ANSWER:
  The temperature needs to be at a particular temperature (140 minimum) in order for the detergent to activate and properly clean the dishes. Otherwise you could end up with white film or granules everywhere. If you simply use the hot water from the tap it will not be hot enough since most people do not keep their hot water tanks on that high! I think you're best bet would be to handwash if there is no way to connect the dishwasher to a generator.

QUESTION:
RE: Why won't the solar-powered hot tub come on?
We have a solar-powered hot tub that seats four people. We have not used it as often lately as we did during the winter, more because of time constraints than anything else. We have had the water tested regularly, adjusted chemicals as needed, etc., but all of a sudden the motor that filters the water will not turn on. The jets will not work either. We have flipped the breaker, unplugged it and plugged it back in, and pressed the reset button on the power cord. Any suggestions? The previous homeowners put the hot tub in and are not available to ask anything right now. I'd love to avoid a service call.

• ANSWER:
  If you have a volt meter, check to see if you have power going to the motor. Sounds like it may be froze up. If you don't have a voltage meter, go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a "Non-Contact Voltage Detector". It costs about 10 bucks, looks like an ink pen, and all you have to do it hold it next to where the wires go into the pump and it will let you know if you have voltage there. If you do, then the motor is bad. If not, then check for voltage at the outlet the same way. If you don't have voltage there, then go to the breaker, turn it on, and put the voltage detector on the breaker. By doing this, you'll be able to figure out what is bad and then you'll know rather or not you can fix it yourself. Good Luck!!!

QUESTION:
pensioners having their welfare payments docked if they make money from selling solar power,?
A spokeswoman for Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin on Monday said Labor's rebates for the cost of installing solar panels and hot water systems were not counted as income for social security purposes.But if a pensioner sells off their excess power and receives cash payments or a rebate on their power bill, that is counted as income and their welfare benefits could be reduced.HOW SILLY IS LABOUR BECOMING ON PENSION REPORTING ?

• ANSWER:
  If you are on welfare, that means the tax payers are paying for you to not work and do nothing. why should you make money? People on Social Security worked and paid into the system until they retired.

QUESTION:
built in water heater in washing machine?
My previous washing machine has no heating element so I have asked the plumber to re-route my solar powered water heater so that my washing machine can get hot water supply.
Now I am planning to buy a frontload washing machine and I've notice all of the models come with built-in heating element.
My question is there any way I can use my hot water without using the built-in heat element?

• ANSWER:
  Leave it as is and allow the internal heating element to do it's job. It will only act as a "booster" to your solar heated water. You will still reap the savings of your solar heat and only pay for the added boost in water temperature, if there is any. You will still be able to get clean clothes on cloudy days.

QUESTION:
Solar power question?
We have a solar hot water system, as well as a 'booster switch' in our laundry, which allows us to heat the water by electricity. I'm wondering whether by turning the booster switch on, the water will be heated by electricity all the time it is on, or if it only 'kicks in' if there is insufficient sun to heat the water? At present I leave the switch on all the time, but I don't want to waste money on electricity or add to greenhouse emissions or whatever unnecessarily, but also don't want surprise cold showers!! Can someone help me with this?

• ANSWER:
  yes it is on all the time, heating your water up to what is set by the thermostat, to cover what the solar panel can't do.

  I have heard of many people having it switched off all year around,
  So the booster only kicks in if there is insufficent sun to heat the water, or the sun isnt bringing it to required temperature. If you switch it off, it just means if you use up all your hot water tank, say at night, it wont heat up until the next day when the sun is shining again.(The tank is pretty well insulated so it will stay hot at night time)
  Also it may not cover or heat up enough during winter usage.

  I would recommend doing it though, as a lot of people have told me they have it switched off their back up years ago.

  With almost every solar hot water system sold it is a requirement of law for them to be installed with a booster.
  Depending if it is flat panel or solar evacuated tubes, I would switch on booster for hot water if its flat panel during winter and it should run all year around with evacuated tubes.

  This is also why many people use instant gas boosters with their systems as it provides hot water on demand and they are the most environmentall friendly way to heat your hot water if anyone has the option to have a gas connection.

QUESTION:
Can I have a 100% fully solar power home without making any compromises on energy usage?
If I build a house or convert an existing house, even if i have to fill the whole roof with solar panels, is this possible? I mean, heating, hot water, TV, appliances, Washer, Dryer, PC and all the electricity I need, even floor heating, absolutely zero compromises and zero usage of any other source but solar panels, even if I want to put floor heating in the whole house, is this possibly or is it just me dreaming?

• ANSWER:
  In theory, yes - on a clear day we get around 1000W per square metre in the UK so a large enough array of solar panels for both electricity and heat, plus a massive storage battery system, could run a house.

  In practise, the cost would be astronomical as you have to guarantee sufficient storage capacity to run the house for days at a time during bad weather, and have enough generation capacity to recharge the system quickly as well as running everything.

  Most energy efficient buildings use mains electricity and use the grid as the 'storage' system; you are paid for power you produce when there is excess, which offsets the cost of electricity when your (small) storage system is depleted.

  Re. the underfloor heating: The best system is an integrated air conditioning/heating system using a reversible heat pump setup with an underground 'heatsink'. You dump excess heat several metres underground from the air conditioning, then pull it back for heating.

  You get roughly 3KW of heat transfer for 1KW of power to the heat pump.

QUESTION:
How much Solar power could I get with 00?
I want to put my 00 first-time homebuyer refund toward taking some of my house off the grid. How many KWh will I be able to generate and use with -10K?

I think I would spend maybe K on panels and the other k on inverters and wiring. I'll probably do solar hot water at a later date.

Has anyone out there spent this much on solar lately? How many KWh did you get?

Thanks!
BTW, I am NOT interested in doing this to save money (or even to be cost effective). My preference is to work toward living sustainably, no matter the initial cost.

I also plan on new appliances, once I sell the existing ones.

In my view, supporting solar panel manufacturers now allows them to develop better products for the future.

• ANSWER:
  A "grid tied" system is much cheaper and cleaner. You don't have to buy batteries full of lead and acid and then dispose of them in 5 years after they wear out. You sell power back to the power company when you make more than you use and run off the grid at night or cloudy days. If your system makes enough power you can use 10 KWh every 24 hours and make 11 KWh during daylight so that you end up giving back more power than you use in a day.

  The source has some prices.

QUESTION:
Is solar power an answer to my high electric bill?
I live in the state with the highest electricity cost (.24 per kWh). Last month I turned the electric hot water heater temperature down down, bought a new energy efficient clothes washer, I didn't use my clothes dryer, I have a gas stove, I don't have air conditioning, and I didn't run any fans in the house. I just received my bill. It is over 0.00 again! Could a solar electric system really help save me money?

• ANSWER:
  the initial hit to the pocket book is still staggering but is going down. eventually it will pay for itself. tv's computers use alot of electric if left on all the time. as well as all the lights on in the house hope this info helps you :0)

QUESTION:
What Are Benefits of Green Solar Energy?
You must understand the way to harness solar energy in order to rightly understand the benefits of green solar energy. Solar power is divided into two types. It is thermal energy and light energy. Thermal energy is known as passive solar. This type of solar energy is harnessed through the design and materials used to build a construction. With integrating south facing windows and heat-retained materials like brick and stone, you can reduce your energy needs and make an efficiency energy structure. Also, the thermal energy is used to make water heat for solar hot water systems. The rays of the sun also create radiation and light which is captured by solar panels to produce electricity.see more www.greenflexter.com

• ANSWER:
  The benefits are; clean and conservative. The start-up costs are out of reach for most but if one is "handy", much money can be saved by labor costs and even assembly costs. As time goes on the costs will decrease for start-up because the present costs are out of reach for most home owners. New technology like "The Bloom Box" is a good example of developing clean energy and more inventions will come.

QUESTION:
What type of energy does Hot Topic use?
Energy like solar power, or water power, or other things. The Hot Topic i am refering to is the Hot Topic store in the malls and stuff that sell punk nnd goth and other types of clothing.

• ANSWER:
  Dark energy! Mwahahaha! Honestly, They probably use the same kind of energy as the stores around them (I assume this Hot Topic is in a mall).

QUESTION:
metal or fiber glass roofing meteral. witch would be the best & why?
solar power hot water. yes or no? why? cost?
also solar for electricty. yes or no? & why? cost?
i live in alabama.

• ANSWER:
  Metal roofing is more expensive (much more), but lasts a lot longer. Fiberglass shingles are the standard option & come in 20 yr, 25 yr & 40 yr. The difference is the thickness & supposed durability. In Alabama you are in the tornado/hail belt, so your roof wil NOT last as long as the names would imply! The metal would be resistant to the hail, so that would solve one problem.

  I'm not as familiar with the solar options, but from what I have heard, they drastically reduce your ongoing energy costs.

QUESTION:
How do I set my cabin up for running hot water?
I have a cabin where there is no electricity, however, I do have it wired for a 3000 watt generator. We have a well, which brings the water about one foot below ground level under the cabin. I'm trying to find the best way to set it up. Should I have a regular water pump/tank and hot water boiler, would the generator handle this with other things on? I heard about rigging it up with a 12 volt water pump with solar power as well. Also, what about winter months where freezing could be a problem as I have no electricity and will be away from there for periods of time. Any suggestions would be much appericeated!

• ANSWER:
  3000 watts is about 30 amps on 110 volts or 15 amps on 220 volts. Your not going to run a pump and tankless hot water heater on that. Best off looking into a propane hot water heater.

  As for freezing, you will have to drain back the water when you done and fill the toilet with antifreeze from the RV store. Same goes for the traps under the sink and shower if you have them.

QUESTION:
How many galleons does a 5/8" Dia. x 50'L water hose have?
I am not a mathematical man, so here is a chance at some easy points. I want to know how many gaollens of water a 5/8" Diamentor, x 50' Long water hose holds. I am building a solar powered hot water heater by winding up water hose's in a box, but I need to know how to calculate the galleons to get what I want out of it. (it's not drinking water, cause of water hose)

• ANSWER:
  I assume the 5/8" is inner diameter.

  The hose may be regarded as a cylinder of radius (5/16)" and height 600".

  The formula for the volume V of a cylinder is

  V = π r²h

  For your values,

  V = (π)(5/16)²(600) ≈ 184 in³

  There are 231 in³ in a U.S. gallon, so in terms of gallons,

  V = 184/231 ≈ 0.7969 gallon

  or just over 3/4 of a gallon.

QUESTION:
Central Heating using an electrical hot water cylinder - can that be done?
I know nothing about heating systems, so forgive my ignorance, please - but I want to install radiators all over my house, connect them with pipes, install an electric pump somewhere to pump the water through, and have the water heated electrically by an ordinary hot water cylinder. In the long run, I want to feed in power generated with solar panels on the roof of the house and by wind turbines. I live in a climate that's very windy and extremely sunny, but chilly (30 to 60 Fahrenheit every day, some frost), and my house will need about 10 radiators and living space covers around 150 square meters of miserably insulated, 100-year old wood construction with single glazing.
Does this sound like it can be done, and may even be a good idea, or should I do something else (would be grateful for alternatives if so).
Cheers.

• ANSWER:
  Passive solar.
  It will supplement the heater and allow for lower KwH use.

QUESTION:
Why doesn't Australia use Solar Power only for electricity Since most of Australia is a hot sunny desert?
All you need for a solar power plant to generate electricity is a lot of mirrors
(mirrors that a central computer rotates throughout the day to reflect the sunlight from the best angle to heat the water tank) to reflect the sunlight onto a huge water tank to heat the water that turns the generator.
all you need for solar electricity is about 100 mirrors Maximum
How expensive can it be

• ANSWER:
  The Coal industry would hate that since they will be out of business. Any attempt to design a solar power plant will be criticised by the powerful coal industry.

QUESTION:
Is it possible to turn my unused detached garage as a huge solar collector/power plant for my home?
I live in an older neighborhood, and we have a garage that we never use because it's small and inconvenient. It sits about twenty feet from the back of our house. The garage is masonry block construction, about 18' x 18', and has a hipped roof. It faces due south, and is level with our daylight basement, where we have our hot water heater and gas unit for heating and cooling (newer model). I'm wondering if it makes sense to super-insulate this garage, fill it with water storage tanks or some other material that will hold heat, and add roof windows or solar panels on the south-facing side. I know next to nothing about storing solar energy, or methods of getting the warmed air into the house, but I will definitely do the research and try this if it sounds feasible and worth the effort.
BTW, I don't have a car anymore. It got vandalized, was a total loss, and one of the best things that's happened to me. I started riding the bus and walking to everywhere I was able, and recently purchased an electric scooter. I don't plan on replacing my car.

• ANSWER:
  Yes, it has the right location. Make sure no trees cast shadows on it in the afternoon. I have a similar two garage car port that support my four second generation copper solar panels.that heat my 200 gallon solar hot water system. I have a delta-T control system. If you can install the solar hot water tank above your panels by at least a foot you would not need any pump to circulate the water from your solar panel to your tank. I believe it's call a thermal siphon system.

QUESTION:
is solar power really only 110?
i currently live in south america and am building a home. i would love to use solar power for my heat and hot water but am told that it is only used for 110 volts, we are 220 here. can someone help me

• ANSWER:
  For solar heat and hot water, you don't need a solar panel that delivers electricity. These are more expensive and not as efficient as a water heating solar panel.

QUESTION:
can i run my whole home on solar power with the use of batteries and inverters?
my home has electric heat and electric hot water heater.can i plug into my main power line from my power pole after my meter and before my breaker box in my home with my batteries and my inverters any help would be great thanks

• ANSWER:
  You can but it will cost you a nearly astronomocal amount of money to do so and you want to run your entire home from it.

  Just so you get an idea of the amount of money, view this:

  http://www.americanpv.com/pdf/res_on/prices.pdf

  ,000 without incentives and that is in Arizona, where they would be just about the peak of efficiency. This is not including the cost of batteries either and then lets not forget the ,000 or so it will cost you to replace those batteries in 5 or 10 years.

QUESTION:
solar power 110 or 220?
i currently live in south america and am building a home. i would love to use solar power for my heat and hot water but am told that it is only used for 110 volts, we are 220 here. can someone help me

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
how many solar panels would I need to power my home?
or how many watts? i dont use much electricity. i have on a couple of lights and a computer, sometimes the tv. how many solar panels would i need to power those constantly throughout the day, and maybe charge batteries for night? the air, refrigerator and hot water heater i would still use regular electricity.

• ANSWER:
  Solar panels produce DC electricity, not AC. So, they would have to charge a bank of batteries, then you'd need an inverter to convert DC to AC.

  You need to find what your peak wattage is (consumption) and how long you want to run things for and work backwards from there.

  Suffice to say, a roof-full of panels probably won't be enough.

QUESTION:
What is the difference between a solar hot water panel and solar cells?
I have a science exam tomorrow so pleaseeeee help me!

Thanks
Thank you so much.

• ANSWER:
  solar cells trap suns heat & stores it & solar hot water panel traps heat and makes water hot

QUESTION:
have solar panel and hot water heater.solar panel has inlet and outlet,heater has same.where do i hook the col
el has two outlets,heater has two outlets.where to i hook the water line?cold water in.

• ANSWER:
  I presume the hot water heater will be installed in your house an the solar panel on the roof.

  It sounds like there isnt a storage tank attached to the solar panel, rather, it connects directly to the hot water heater.

  1. the solar panel shoud be installed on a sloping roof. if it is a shallow slope tothe roof, you need to provide brackets to elevate the panel so that it most directly aligned with the sun. if the panel is rectangular it should be mounted so it stands TALL.. and not on its side. This will aid in the thermosiphon process of your solar collector.
  2. there should be two ports, inlet and outlet. one on each end (mounted top and bottom) cold water goes in the bottom and hot out the top.
  3. there should be a drain feature to your system that drains the solar collector at night. you do not want to recirculate hot water through the collector when it is not collecting solar radiation....then it becomes a water cooler.
  4. the top port (outlet ) hot should be connected to the cold water inlet of your hot water heater. the bottom port (inlet) should be connected to the cold water inlet of your house or it also can be connected to the cold water inlet tothe hot water heater.

  what will happen is that water willthermosiphon in a loop through the collector and be drawn off as need to preheat the hot water heater inlet.

  wer

QUESTION:
will hot water solar panel collectors work in outer space?
closed loop type system,and would a heat exchanger type system work as well in space as on the planet earth

• ANSWER:
  yes, although the system would have to be insulated so the water wouldn't freeze, another liquid such as liquid nitrogen would be more efficient and cheaper to maintain in space

QUESTION:
Can I build my own Hot Water Solar Panels?
I'm looking for some advice on hot water solar panels. I'm trying to save some money on electricity. A neighbor has been suggesting solar powered equipment for some time now, and I think he's right. It does save quite a bit of money in the long run. They're kind of expensive though, so I'm looking for cheaper alternatives.

• ANSWER:
  Solar Power is great. I installed it myself about 2 years ago, and you really do notice the change within the first couple months. Building it yourself is actually pretty tricky without the right resources. Some of the guides don't have enough detailed information that you need when you start putting the project together.

  I was having a lot of trouble until I stumbled upon a site that was offering some great resources for solar DIY projects. I went ahead and added it to the sources section below. It's great and has everything you would need for putting your own solar projects together, including hot water solar panels. Hope this helps!

QUESTION:
could a hot-water Solar Panel be damaged by large hailstones?

• ANSWER:
  Yes, but one way to avoid breaking the glass would be to attach a motor that would tilt the panel to a 90 degree angle. you would have to use flexible piping but the foresight if you are in an area where hail is common, the extra cost of replacing the glass panel would be negated.

QUESTION:
trying to hook up a passive solar hot water heater. have 4ft by 7ft solar panel,30 gal tank, on tank?
have cold in hot out,plus drain on bottom. what goes where? buz.

• ANSWER:
  How do you plan to drive the circulation?
  I'd recommend a PV driven circulating pump with
  thermostatic control and back-flow preventer to
  drive the circulation.
  Unless the pipe runs are very short and straight,
  and the panel is below the tank, convection won't be enough.
  In general, you want to feed the panel from the
  bottom of the tank, and run the sun-warmed water
  back at the top.
  I'd install a tee ahead of the drain valve,
  (with a valve to isolate the heater circuit),
  for the panel feed, and another tee between
  the cold feed and the tank,
  (with another isolating valve), for the return line.
  Those extra valves will be a 'pain' but if you neglect
  provision for isolating the system you will regret it sooner or later.

QUESTION:
Any of you know of any good sources for purchase/info on solar hot water panels?
Not the ones for pools but for household hot water.

We built one when i was growing up and it made a substantial difference in the water heating cost. I would prefer to buy something thats not an eye-sore.

Any inputs would be deeply appreciated.

• ANSWER:
  I just came across this company's web site last night. It seems that they can take care of your solar needs.

  EcoVantage Energy Inc.
  453 Harmony Cir.
  Weatherford, TX 76087

  Primary Fax 817-341-3393
  Secondary Fax 817-598-2355
  If you are faxing in an order please provide a copy by Email to Fax@EcoVantageEnergy.com
  Toll Free 877-591-0661
  International 817-304-0661 urce.

QUESTION:
Why do solar hot water panels have a shiny silver inner surface?
Will the silver surface not reflect the heat absorbed by the matt black outer surface before it reaches the pipes to heat the water?

• ANSWER:
  The pipes are black to absorb the heat.
  The inner surface is reflective to focus the suns rays that miss the black pipes on the way in back on to the pipe.
  A similar but opposite arrangement is seen on sunbeds where the light from the tube is reflected outwards onto the body of the person on the sunbed

QUESTION:
Would i save energy and money if I directly use solar hot water in my dishwasher?
My great.. dishwasher use cold water, so it needs a lot of electric energy to heat it.

I would can directly use hot water from solar panels.

Would it be convenient?

• ANSWER:
  On the average, 1/3 of a home's utility costs are spent on heating hot water. Using solar thermal collector panels or solar tanks to heat water will greatly reduce your power bills. Solar hot water heaters are used in countries around the world because they are clean, efficient, cheap, and work great. If where you live gets good sunshine most of the time, I recommend using solar to heat your water.

QUESTION:
Solar hot water heater with seperated panels and a vertical tank system.?
In a solar hot water system where the solar panels are placed on the roof but the collector is placed on the ground, how much energy is required to pump the heated water from the panels on the roof to the collector on the floor?

• ANSWER:
  Depending on the distance the collectors are from the tank, and the size of the pipes, a Taco 006 is often used. It is a 1/40th HP pump and draws 60W. http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Water-Heaters/Solar-Hot-Water-Circulator-Pumps/Ac-Pumps/Taco-140-HP-Bronze-Pump-34-115-VAC-006-B4/p122/

  An alternative is to use a DC powered pump, like the Laing D5, and have it run off a 10 - 30W PV panel. http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Water-Heaters/Solar-Hot-Water-Circulator-Pumps/Dc-Pumps/Laing-D5720B-PV-Circulating-Pump-sweated/p6065/

QUESTION:
need to relocate solar hot water panels?
i want to get solar power installed but ive been told that the installers have put my hot water panels in a really bad spot and that i would need to relocate them to another part of my roof. Is anyone out there able to give me a rough quote on what i am looking at to get it moved and who do i call for the job?

• ANSWER:
  Probably the original installers put your hot water panels in a very *good* spot, that is, the spot that gets the most sun, and your new solar electric installer wants to put their panels in the same spot.

  Try looking in an ordinary phone book under "solar" and there should be a solar water heating company that can give you a quote on moving the existing panels. If you find a company that does both water and electric, they can give a quote on a full solution that is best all-around.

QUESTION:
What temperature can a typical solar panel for producing hot water heater reach?
I know that concentrating mirrors can produce extreme temperatures for power plants but what is the expected maximum temperature achievable without concentration by mirrors?

• ANSWER:
  I think the following article has provided the typical solar panel for producing hot (boiling point) at the temperature of 130-350 C through the heat transfer and exchange process.
  http://www.pasolar.ncat.org/lesson02.php
  It can help to advance your knowledge in solar panel system by visiting the following website with good pieces of articles.
  http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=solar%20systems%20for%20domestic%20boilings

QUESTION:
Should I remove solar panels or get a solar hot water heater?
I just found out that my homeowners insurance company wants to charge me 0 more per year because I have some old solar panels on my roof. They were put on by the previous owners a long time ago I think. They are for a solar water heater but they aren't connected to anything because I just have a regular water heater in my garage. They are ugly as hell and I would just as soon take them down as I'd rather have a tankless system eventually anyways. My insurance is already 50 per year for a 140K house (Florida) so its high enough as it is. It seems stupid to pay 0 a year for something I'm not even using. Who can I call to take them down or can I do it myself or are solar water heaters cheap enough now that I should consider one?

• ANSWER:
  Why don't you do this first my friend: put an ad in the local paper for someone that wants solar heaters and have them help you, for a price maybe. You can get their help and, have them pay you for them. You'd better check with your insurance company first. They may require a roofer to replace anything for their own purpose. You know how insurance companies are?

QUESTION:
My solar water heater panel pipes made of copper is chocked by salt deposits from the bore well water. Pl let?
solar panel chocked due to the deposits of salt like white granules thus preventing the water from getting circulated through the pipe lines inside the panel and not getting hot water properly.

• ANSWER:
  just guessing here,,
  what desoulves salt ?
  that is what you need to find.

  http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=what%20desolves%20salt

QUESTION:
Solar hot water panels.?
Need digram or info on how to build a solar hot water panel without the use of electric power. Plenty water but no power here!.

• ANSWER:
  All you have to do is search "solar hot water" on any search engine.
  With passive solar hot water you are in luck with your wish of no electricity being used, because a vertical looped system will naturally circulate when water is heated at one end. Also as long as you have cold water coming in under pressure, moving up threw the PASSIVE (means no electricity - thermomass absorption of UV radiation) hot water panels - then to a storage (insulated) tank and or back up to the hot water panel, unless you call for it to wash dishes or shower. No electricity needed.
  Building your own is easy and cheap enough, but the new manufactured vacuum tubes (no electricity either) are far more efficient at obtaining hot water from limited UV sources, plus the return on the investment is very short and pays for itself generally in less than 5 years, with an estimated life cycle of around 30 years, so it pays for itself 5 times over.

QUESTION:
I need expertise opinion on solar hot water panels?
I live in Phoenix, Az. and having a solar hot water system installed. It is an active solar hot water system. I understood that the controller panel needs to be placed directly south on the roof for maximum efficiency.

I was just told by the solar company that my panel will be on the west/southwest side of my roof and since the roof always gets sun, I should have the same effect as if it were facing directly south.

Will this have a reduced effect vs. placing it directly facing the south? The company assures me there will be no difference in performance of operation.

If they put it facing directly south, they will need an additional 20-30 ft. for installation which would be no problem for me since there's ample space (I think they're just trying to save money, but copper's cheap...about for 30 ft. of copper tube). If it's not going to matter either way the panel will face, I won't bother having them extend it.

• ANSWER:
  South is not Solar south . There is a tool you can use to determine solar south .Because the Earth is tilted on its axis.

QUESTION:
They tell us, look after the environment, so why do they charge so much for solar products ie Hot Water etc?
Every time I tern on the TV we are being told to use less energy, go solar but the price of solar hot water, or even solar panels are on the high side. So how are we going to achieve this when companies only want to make big bucks.

• ANSWER:
  There are a lot of very economical an sensible solutions to energy usage.

  Though painting your roof white might work, I doubt thats what you had in mind

  The media does say solar a lot because its blue and shiny, and easy to talk about without technical explaniations.

  ...and you are correct: solar is very expensive (even after tax deductions)

  The media is generally not interested in you saving power, they are interested in you listening. There are many very economical ways to save power that never reach the news.

  Here are some real suggestions that won't cost nearly as much and will save you real power:

  1. Add insulation to your attic. A local HVAC company can quote you on this. The larger the R-value the better.

  2. Install a solar attic fan. This will save a tremendous amount on your air conditioning bill.

  http://www.aurorapower.net/products/categoryid/2/list/1/level/a/productid/108.aspx

  3. Install a double stage evaporative cooler. It is the most efficent airconditioner avalible, with 30% tax credit from the feds. It has strangely received little attention from the media.

  http://www.aurorapower.net/products/categoryid/2/list/1/level/a/productid/80.aspx

  4. Install a simple solar hot air system to a south facing wall. This will cut back on your heating bills.

  http://www.aurorapower.net/products/list/1/categoryid/7/level/a.aspx

  Hope these help.

QUESTION:
How do you build a solar panel & hook it up to a hot water heater as a supplement (build from scratch)?
I would actually build two---each facing in a different direction, but somehow connected, then on to the water heater intake.

• ANSWER:
  Ever felt how hot the water in a garden hose is from just sitting in the sun? So.... Run a hose on your roof, attached with blocking or clamps and have it preheat the water going into your water heater. if you want to get fancy, you could build a box, and plumb it with several rows of cpvc pipe ( not pvc as it will rot in the sun).
  Paint them and the box black to increase the absorption of the UV rays from the sun , thus giving a better performance and hotter water. You can add parabolic mirrors or lens if you really want to cook, but this seems like overkill. Don't forget to add a bypass and shut off for freezing weather, you don't want to leave the water in the unit and have to rebuild it.

QUESTION:
How do you remove a solar panel for a hot water service from a roof, then replace it without damaging it?
We are having our tiled roof replaced with iron, but we have a new solar panel (for our split system hot water service) on there. I rang the company that installed it and asked them to remove it before and replace it after the job. The person wasn't interested in coming out, and told me it was very simple and when the time came he wanted my husband to call him. He also said doing it ourselves wouldn't affect our warranty. Now the roofers say the angle of the pipes will be different due to the different roof covering and they'll need re welding. They don't want to touch it either. I think everyone just doesn't wnat it to be their problem. Any ideas?

• ANSWER:
  the roofer is correct. there will be different angles to deal with. you will have to find someone to re-install the unit.

QUESTION:
How can I make water flow through a solar panel in a laboratory experiment?
Hi, if I were to do a laboratory experiment on how to find the energy conversion rate for a solar panel (an array of pipes), how can I make cold water (from a beaker at one end) flow through the panel? Then make hot water on the other end?

Please advise, many thanks!!

• ANSWER:
  Gravity.

  Since you are not going to be able to heat the water to a boil, use a funnel and a stopcock valve on the top.

  You probably won't get a true reading unless you have enough water to completely fill the system, so you'll also need a stopcock on the bottom.

  Measure your change in temperature of the H20 over, say, 5 minutes. (Fill system, wait 5 minutes, drain system and measure temp in outlet flow.)

  And, if possible, use copper - better heat absorption.

QUESTION:
anyone in uk had a solar water panel installed on roof of 1930s semi? happy with results?
can you use the hot water generated for central heating radiators as well as showers, washing up etc? Any experiences would be helpful. Thanks

• ANSWER:
  Friends had this installed, it doesn't work well in winter or cloudy days, doesn't really supply enough for everything unless v sunny day.

  Make sure it's pointing towards the sun, i know this sounds mad but sometimes they are installed in the wrong part of the roof.

  They said they wouldn't recommend it as they had to have all their central heating system changed as the one they had was too old to work with the new boiler. Its going to take them 15 years to start making a profit, so buy wisely.

QUESTION:
what are the energy changes in solar hot water panels?

• ANSWER:
  Perhaps you're thinking of the conversion of electromagnetic energy (light) into thermal energy. The energy of each photon is absorbed, and increases the kinetic energy of the water molecules.

QUESTION:
I am looking for courses on solar panel installation. Both hot water and electricity generation.?

• ANSWER:
  Centre for Alternative technology run very good courses http://www2.cat.org.uk/shortcourses/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=46850a458908f8724cf4ccc4b697e2e7

  they have actually been living and working with these technologies since the 70s. plus it's a great plce to visit

QUESTION:
How do I determine the size a solar hot water tank?
I need to make computations of the tank size based on the solar panel size, btud, or number or panel.

• ANSWER:
  Ed is wrong. Solar thermal is 95% efficient compared to pv's 15%. Not to mention the ,000 install difference. Its easy to size a system. acting like its hit or miss is absurd.

  The way you size a solar thermal system is to determine how many people live in the house. Will you be installing a solar heat exchanger at your air handler for hot air? is it just for domestic hot water? usually a 4 person home with just domestic hot water is 80 gallon tank with 2 panels. I know, my job is to size thermal and pv jobs.

QUESTION:
10 POINTS!!! HELP!!!! How many showers per day could be supported by a single hot water panel?
How many showers per day could be supported by a single hot water panel with an area of
1 m^2? you may assume 5 hours of full-sun equivalent per day

HINT!!! first evaluate the energy a single solar panel can deliver.. then evaluate
the energy that is required to heat the water for taking an unknown number of showers
make up reasonable numbers where needed
1 second ago - 4 days left to answer.

• ANSWER:
  There is not enough information in your question to formulate an answer.
  Depends on the latitude of the panel.
  Depends on the person taking the shower.
  Some people take a 5 minute shower, some take a 20 minute shower.
  Also depends on how hot the shower water is set to, some like a cool shower, some like it hot.
  You will need to set more parameters to your question.
  Is there a hot water storage tank in the system?

  Wingman

QUESTION:
BEST ANSWER 10 POINTS!!! HELP!!!! How many showers per day could be supported by a single hot water panel?
How many showers per day could be supported by a single hot water panel with an area of
1 m^2? you may assume 5 hours of full-sun equivalent per day

HINT!!! first evaluate the energy a single solar panel can deliver.. then evaluate
the energy that is required to heat the water for taking an unknown number of showers
make up reasonable numbers where needed

• ANSWER:
  A square meter of area in the summer sun puts out an average of 1000 to 1100 watts per square meter.

  So if you ran it for 5 hours (5hr *3600 = 18,000 sec)and had a highly efficient solar panel heater which might capture almost all of that heat, or 5 kWh of power.

  Most water coming into the house is about 60F (or 15C) and very comfortable shower water would be at about 95F (or 35C).

  If you have 1000 watts = 1000 J/ s * 18,000 seconds = 18,000,000 Joules of power over 5 hours of time.

  To raise water from 60F to 95F = 4.186J/g C *20C 8 1000g = 84,000 Joules for every kilogram of water

  18,000,000 J / 84000 = 214 kg of hot water available at 95F

  A gallon of water is 3.79 kg. So 214 kg / 3.79 kg = 56.5 gallons of hot water

  Shower heads are rated at 2.2 gpm (at 60 psi )

  If you take 2 showers , you get 13 minutes a shower: (56.5g / 2.2g ) / 2 = 13 minute

  If you take 3 showers, you get 8.5 minute per shower : (56.5g / 2.2g ) / 3 = 8.5m

QUESTION:
Can I hook up a solar water heater to my current natural gas hot water heater?
So that less natural gas is used when the solar panel can heat the water?

Are there plans on the internet for this?

• ANSWER:
  You need to pipe the hot from your solar tank to the cold of your hot water heater. then run the hot from the hot water heater to the H of your anti scald valve (code) run your cold to the C of the anti scald valve and to your inlet of your solar tank. than connect the domestic hot to the M (for Mix) anit scald valve. if you use regular amounts of hot water each day, you dont need a recirculation loop.

QUESTION:
can anyone give me the details of a reliable non-extortionate solar panel installer based in north wales?
have info from companies in Machynlleth already. Would like advice from people in norht wales who have installed solar p.v and hot water panels for DOMESTIC use. Answers welcomed in Welsh
I am based in Anglesey. Diolch

• ANSWER:
  Smart Energy UK,
  Unit 4, Deva Business Park, Welsh Road, Deeside, Clwyd CH5 2HR http://www.smartenergyuk.com/

QUESTION:
Is it better to store solar energy into ice or hot water?
I'm usually gone most of the day at work. when i come home, the only two appliances that are on, is the AC and refrigerator. since their is no grid where i live, would it be more efficient to have the solar panels creating ice or hot water, while the sun is blazing during the middle of the day, and then us the ice and hot water to condition my home when i get back at night? or would buying and replacing batteries ever few years be more efficient, environmental friendly, and sustainable?

• ANSWER:
  If you're away from the grid, I think it would be expensive to expect to heat and cool your home with solar alone. It could be done, but just very expensive.

  I don't know the details of your place, but it would likely be more efficient to super-insulate the house, or even build it below ground. I visited a house in Wyoming when it was 110 F outside, and it was a pleasant 80 degrees inside in the afternoon. They had foot-thick insulation, and a fan to bring in cool air at night.

  Certainly, don't use electric panels to create hot water. Use solar thermal panels designed especially for heating water. That will be 6-10 times more efficient. Then store the water in a big tank.

  But to answer directly, unless your refrigerator vents to the outside, it only redistributes the heat in the house. It takes the heat out of water, making ice, and puts that heat into the air. Ultimately, if you were to take the ice out and use it for cooling, it would not compensate for the heat put into the air. An air conditioner take the heat from the house, and pumps it outside.

  Is there any possibility of cooling your house with deep well ground water?

QUESTION:
I would like to know how to install solar panels just to run my hot water heater.?
I want to know how many panels, the cost, where to get them, and how to install solar electricity just for my hot water heater. Thanks

• ANSWER:
  Solar electricity just for hot water is inefficient and impractical. The way to do it is to use solar energy to heat the water directly.

  Home Power magazine is a good place to learn about it. Some information is available free online. http://www.homepower.com/

  It is easy to find information on do-it-yourself solar projects. Here is the first item that I found. http://builditsolar.com/

QUESTION:
BEST ANSWER 10 POINTS!!! HELP!!!! How many showers per day could be supported by a single hot water panel? How?
How many showers per day could be supported by a single hot water panel with an area of
1 m^2? you may assume 5 hours of full-sun equivalent per day

HINT!!! first evaluate the energy a single solar panel can deliver.. then evaluate
the energy that is required to heat the water for taking an unknown number of showers
make up reasonable numbers where needed
1 second ago - 4 days left to answer.

• ANSWER:
  Solar constant is 1000 watts per square meter.

  if we take that number with no losses, then over 5 hours that is 5000 watt-hours, 5 kW-hrs

  Say 20 gallons of water per shower, that is 0.08 m³ or 80 kg
  say we have to heat the water from 20C to 50C
  specific heat of water is 4.186 kJ/kgC
  E = 4.186 kJ/kgC x 80 kg x 30C = 10000 kJ or 3 kW-hours

  so 5/3 = 1 2/3 showers.

  .

QUESTION:
What is the temperature of the water after 2 hours?
A solar hot water panel is used to heat 8.0 x 10 kg water, initially at 30*C. If the average rate that heat is absorbed over a one hour period is 725J/min, what is the temperature of the water after 2 hours? The specific heat capacity of water is 4.18 x 10³ J/kg/*C.

• ANSWER:
  Let UNITs guide you; always USE THEM in your calculation to prevent errors

  Firstly, the eqn: warm water + heat = hot water

  heat absorbed over 2 hours = (725 J/min * 2h * 60min/h) = ??

  heat absorbed = (4.18 E3J/kgC * 8.0E1 kg) * (T-30)C

  Plug and SOLVE for T

  Basic mathematics is a prerequisite to chemistry – I just try to help you with the methodology of solving the problem.

QUESTION:
Solar panels for hot water,heating etc. any info tks?
Just looking for pros and cons

• ANSWER:
  I know of 2 different products that are both called "Solar Panels".

  First is essentially a black container filled with water. It gets hot in the sun, and heats the water inside of it. You can use that hot water to warm up a swimming pool or take outdoor showers.

  The second, and more appropriate definition of a Solar Panel is a device that generates electric power when exposed to light. The generated electricity goes into your house circuit for general household use. If you generate more power than your house uses, your electric meter will run backwards -- i.e, you will be selling power back to your electric company. Many states (incl. CA, NY, FL) pay generous subsidies to home owners who install such solar electric systems.

QUESTION:
Are solar panels a quick way to have hot water and are worth the expense?
Am trying to put solar panels in my house and it does not seems to be the best solution for heating water!

• ANSWER:
  You are probably right for your location. They give hot water, but of course that is only when the sun is shining on them and you can put them in a location that "see's" the sun (no trees or tall buildings) and mount them at the right angle (not ugly looking).
  In cooler climates, the box needs to be double glazed and insulated on the sides and back.
  In cold climates, you have to either drain the units to prevent freezing or use a heat exchanger and antifreeze in the coils. Which adds complications.
  Solar water heating in many locations is best used as a booster to preheat the cold water to reduce energy usage, with the pump both bringing in the hot water and draining in cold weather.
  The best places for solar water heating are where there is a lot of sun and a lot of water is used (the fire stations in Dallas are ideal) or where there are a lot of cool nights and warm days and the water can be heated during the day, stored and circulated at hinight (which can be an addon where passive solar using large wwindows and massive stone can not.)

QUESTION:
Solar Hot Water System?
Would it be possible to have a solar panel drive a DC motor that drives an AC generator via a ratio gearbox to produce electricity to power a hot water system??

• ANSWER:
  Yes, but it would be terribly inefficient.

  You can get hot water from solar energy in one step, skipping the motor-generator entirely.

QUESTION:
Could I power my water heater with solar power instead of gas?
I live in a house with A LOT of roommates, and we use a lot of hot water. Could we install a solar panel just for the water heater? We would like to install solar panels all over at one point but need to start on a smaller scale.

• ANSWER:
  ABSOLUTELY! That is the best way to save money with solar. You won't be making electricity with the solar panel, it's a different kind of panel. You run fluid through the panels and it directly heats the fluid. That fluid then heats your water tank. You can heat up to 75% of your water for free!

  Take a look at this free video teaching you about solar water heating, http://www.altestore.com/store/Books-Classes-Educational-Videos/Educational-Videos/Educational-Video-Solar-Water-Heating-Basics/p6726/.

QUESTION:
Is installing solar panels for your house for electricity/hot water a good idea?
because of the government rebate, it seems like a good time.
if you have installed solar panels, how much did it cost and have u saved on electricity bills?
thanks in advance

• ANSWER:
  Excellent question and your timing is perfect because of all the rebates and tax credits the government is offering.

  Making your home more energy efficient should be your first step before purchasing a renewable energy system. Estimates indicate that for every you spend on reducing the energy footprint for your home, you reduce your cost for a renewable energy system by to .

  I have learnt a great deal on this website

QUESTION:
Would having a Solar PV, Solar Hot Water & Heat or Small Wind Turbine, SUCK or be GOOD?
Do you think you can't afford this? Ever look at youtube videos about Solar Photovoltaic Electricity and how easy it is to get it installed. Have you gotten any local estimates? Small wind turbines on roofs. Just another simple, maintenance free appliance, live a TV roof satellite TV dish, but Solar are panels on your roof. Patches right into you electric company and the Electric company buys excess power during the date. Rebates make it very affordable. Get 3 quotes in your area. Investigate Solar Power, Solar Hot water, Small Wind turbines, Solar PV panels are warranted 25 Years. It's a long-term saving, but as prices rise so do you saving and payback. You don't know if it SUCKS or is GOOD unless you've looked into it. Many are surprise voltage goes up in colder temperatures. So you don't have to be in CA to benefit big time. Creates Jobs too for installers and manufacturers, etc. Give the question a try though, what do you think?

• ANSWER:
  You are correct Peace . There are many ways to have small systems and even multiple small systems . There is nothing better than selling power back to the system ...

QUESTION:
solar water heater question?
we have a solar panel for hot water. Is it worth changing to a washing machine which will accept hot water? Our current one is cold-fill so uses electricity to heat the water itself.

also dishwasher

• ANSWER:
  The normal solar water heater tank size is dependent on the number of people using it. I have 10 people using my system, so it's 20 gallons per person per day or 200 gallons. It was built in the late seventies and still working.

  Tank size = 10 people X 20 gallons

QUESTION:
I want to instal solar hot water heating to the house. Where is a good place to get the materials from?
What are the best as far as cost effectiveness. Control panels, etc. Maybe even incorporate a wind turbine into the system?

Also what is best? active or passive solar heating?

• ANSWER:
  I saw a program on iON Life where thery had a computer and a windturbine and solar panels wired into it and that was connected tot he supply so that it coudl supply the grid or the home as needed.

  This may be of help:

  http://shop.solardirect.com/index.php?cPath=69_71_84

  This is good for a read:

  http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,20050522,00.html

  these have a lot of supplies:

  http://www.houseneeds.com/shop/solar/solarwaterheaterbuy.asp

QUESTION:
How much would a solar energy panel cost to install in a 3 bedroom house (roughly)?
I would like solar electricity opposed to solar hot water and was wondering if any of you knew how much it would likely cost

• ANSWER:
  Since you're asking about price, I'm assuming you're interested in saving money. Just so you know, your best payback is investing in conservation measures, like insulation, efficient lighting, and efficient appliances The next best payback is solar hot water. And now, about the solar electricity:

  The vast majority of modern solar electric (photovoltaic) systems do not use batteries. They tie to the electric grid, driving the meter backwards during the day, and letting the meter run forwards at night. At least, conceptually, that's how it's supposed to work. How much a system costs really depends on how much electricity the house uses, and what fraction of it you want to replace with solar (it doesn't have to be 100%). At the low end, a solar install will be maybe ,000, and the largest common system will be in the ballpark of ,000. That's before state and federal rebates, which return as much as 2/3 of the cost in some areas.

  Our house is 1800 square feet, in a mild climate with no A/C, no electric heat, no electric stove, no pool. A 3 kW array supplies substantially 100% of our electricity, and cost ,000 net after rebates.

QUESTION:
What's the difference between a proper Solar water heating panels?
and household radiators painted black and housed in a cloche. Being a tight git I built my Solar water heating system for £180. It's three 1.2m x .6m panels, a pump and a controller. It gives me tons of hot water on a sunny day and does a bit even when it's not sunny. So whats the difference? Why do people spend £7000 on solar water heating systems?

• ANSWER:
  "Cloche" as in belfry? (In your case inhabited by bats.) Solar panels do more that just heat water, they also supply electric current. I use my solar shower all the time while backpacking. Just fill the plastic bag with water (the back of it is coated to absorb the sun's rays), lay it on a rock out in the sun, and 4 hours later hang it on a tree limb, attach the shower hose and head (god that sounds obscene somehow), and you got a 5 minute hot shower. Nothing wrong with being frugal, but a tight git is something else.

QUESTION:
Solar Panel for heating water?
Im planning on having a solar system installed on a new build. My plan if possible is to have the hot water created from the solar system supplying al the hot water taps. Also I want to supply the hot water from the tank to the showers by this I mean hot water being supplied to electric showers. Is this possible? My thoughts are that the electric shower should not heat the water if it is already hpt as there should be a thermostat in it. Is this correct. The idea is so that in the winter the solar heats to 30ish degrees C and the shower does the rest and in the summer the sun heats the water and the show just releases the hot water without heating it. Can this be achieved?????

• ANSWER:
  It sure can . You need a solar glycol system .The solar panels heat the glycol and the pump pumps the hot glycol to a solar tank with a heat exchanger. The water then goes to your elec heater but has a "TMP valve installed so the water is not to hot . So it wont burn you . It is a three way valve that mixes a little or no cold in with it so it's not to hot . Set it at 160 deg.

QUESTION:
i want to put a solar panel on my house i want to know if the beams can take the weight. How do i do that.?
the hot water panel dry weight is 141 lbs and the TXLXDF is (48 1/8)x(122 1/4)x(3 1/4), the gross area sqft is 40.81 and the fluid capacity is in US gallons is 1.20. i want to know the formula on how to calculate this and i think they told me i need 10 panels. Please help

• ANSWER:
  Is that capacity 1 1/5 gallons, or 120 gallons? If it's really 1.20, then the panels are light.

  Anything under 5 lbs / square foot is comparable to the weight of the roofing material, and should be easily accomodated by a typical roof with rafters spaced 24 inches.

  Check with City Hall, or whoever has jurisdiction for building permits in your area. Where I live, the first thing they check for is whether it is under 5 lbs / sq ft. If it isn't, then they look more closely at the size of the rafters, spacing, crosss-bracing, etc.

  Did you say TEN of those panels? That seems like an awful lot for domestic hot water. It's pretty common to use just two of those, or even one, in Hawaii. Are you in a cold area or something? I'd suggest that you go to Google Maps, satellite view, and look around your neighborhood to see who else has panels. Then go to the house and ask them how it's working out.

  If you want to take a look at what we put on our drawings, see the link below, and look under "Plans (Read Only)", and look on page 6. These are solar electric, not hot water, but the mounting has similar considerations.

QUESTION:
Selecting a gas to fill a homemade solar water heater?
I am making a solar hot water heater as the project for my Engineering Science class. My question pertains to the gas in the panel. Which gas would give the highest temperature inside the panel? And also, If i pressurize the panel chamber would it effect the temperature inside the panel?

• ANSWER:
  Thermal mass (also called heat capacity) is the capacity of a body to store heat. There are two varieties of the heat capacity Cp and Cv where Cp is ate constant pressure and Cv is at constant volume, the higher the heat capacity the more heat the substance may retain, Hydrogen has a very high heat capacity 10.16 kJ/kg*K, though it may be a bit dangerous, the next could be Nitrogen tetroxide at 4.6 kJ/kg*K, the heat capacity is a function of temperature, and will vary as the temperature changes.

  http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/spesific-heat-capacity-gases-d_159.html

QUESTION:
How much should solar hot water and radiant heat cost in Maryland, USA?
I'm getting quotes for a replacement for our hot water heater. So far I've gotten 22K for materials and installation of a solar hot water heater (3-4 collector panels) with heat rejection and single zone open direct radiant heating to one floor (accessible through drop ceiling underneath). Both quotes include a backup hot water heating system; the expensive one would involve installing a new backup high efficiency heater by converting our propane tank to use for heating. This would be either the Polaris or 2 Takagi Jrs, one for the solar hot water and another to power the radiant heat.

Another quote is for 12K for only the solar hot water and heat rejection using the Velux system.

Are these really high? I've already contacted 3 companies but it doesn't look like too many people are installing them in Maryland yet. I'm still waiting on a quote from one final company. Thanks!

• ANSWER:
  Without information of how big the footprint of the house is, and how many people the domestic hot water (DHW) is for, it is hard to say.

  You said you got a quote for 3 -4 collectors, so I'm going to make some assumptions based on that. Four 4'x8' collectors = 128 sq ft of collector. A general rule of thumb for space heating with solar is 1 sq ft of collector for every 5 -10 sq ft of house footprint (depends on heat storage, heat loss in the house, climate, etc). So, if we say 1200 sq ft house, 1200 / 10 = 120; 128 sq ft of collectors could work (again, depending on above variables). Depending on the brand, each flat plate collector could cost about 00, so 00 for the four collectors (evacuated tubes cost more). You then need a controller, storage tank, pumps, heat exchanger, plus all of the copper pipes and fixtures. Then a couple of days for a plumber to install. ,000 installed seems about right without the backup heater. Here's a heating system that costs that just for the equipment http://www.altestore.com/store/Solar-Water-Heaters/Climate-freezes-Closed-Loop-Systems/Combined-Solar-Hot-Water-Space-Heating/Heliodyne-Solar-Hot-Water-Space-Heat-1500-sqft/p6731/.

  Note, gas on-demand water heaters like the Bosch Aquastar make great backup heaters for solar http://www.houseneeds.com/shop/HeatingProducts/WaterHeating/AquaStar1/aquastar1600psmain.asp. I don't know what size you'd need.

QUESTION:
do the back of solar panels get hot if so how hot do they get?
will a solar panel create heat for hot water like running the pipes behind the panel 2-for-1 heat and electricity

• ANSWER:
  It actually improves the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells as it limits the temperature to under the boiling point of water. Photovoltaic cells become less efficient at higher temperatures.

  Problem is that the photovoltaic cells actually like it much cooler than the boiling point of water so you wind up pumping so much water volume that all you get is warm water.

QUESTION:
does it make any sense to have a solar panel and a contender boiler?
i am moving into a new house and there is a solar panel and a condenser boiler!

the solar pannel only heats the water but i thought that was the point of having a condenser boiler?
i thought condenser boilers heated up the water as you turned on the tap?
so how does the solar panel do anything?
shouldn't the solar panel just generate electricity in general, not just restricted to the hot water?

• ANSWER:
  You will probably find that the solar panel only heats the water, you need quite a big solar panel set to work the electricity, a condensing boiler means the boiler is 'a' rated for efficiency because of the way it uses fuel, but combination, regular or system boilers are all different, but all condense, you are confusing condensing boiler with combination boiler. The solar panel heats the water, the boiler backs it up if the water is not hot enough, it is a good, efficient and expensive system.

QUESTION:
What should i do in the summer with my solar panels energy?
I want to install solar panels for hot water, but my question is what you suggest i can do when its summer and i dont need so much hot water? I will use this water to warm a factory and i will have to install at least 10 solar panels to do that. Thank you!

• ANSWER:
  I work with a company called enerworks. They have a thermal panel that has baffles that open if your system overheats, no need for a heat dump or blow off situation. what is your storage?

QUESTION:
Has anyone got or had knowledge with solar panels?
I'm thinking of getting solar panels for hot water and there's another type I'm not
sure what it's called. They say you can sell back any unused energy.

These panels are expensive and it'll take about 12 yrs before any
advantage is made.
Can have them on the roof by energy company but apparently
they don't give much dicount in the bills. What to do?
Briloc, Thanks for your answer but how could it be a disadvantaged selling
point if the new owners are getting cheaper energy,i'll have paid for the panels?

• ANSWER:
  The other type are called photovoltaic cells. They provide electricity that can be used throughout the house rather than supply just hot water. It is true that they are quite expensive, and they do take some time to pay you back in the way that they are advertised.

  In many places, you can apply for an interest-free loan or grant as part of energy saving schemes. These will help you pay for your panels, and could also mean that they save you money sooner. I'd look at what you're council or local authority can offer, or whether there is another initiative set up in your area that can provide an option.

  I have never come across anyone that has felt that having panels would devalue your home, rather the opposite. Many people will be willing to pay more for your home as they will save money on energy bills. This is especially true if you have, or can get fitted, heating that runs from this new energy supply. This will cut down on your other utility bills, and means you make a return faster, and will make your home more appealing to the buyer.

  I hope this helps.

QUESTION:
can I make electric solar cells at home?
for a boy scout demo. dose not have to be effecient, just work.

• ANSWER:
  Yes you can. Search for "cuprous oxide solar cell". An example is linked below.

  You can also make a dye-based cell at home.

  Both of these technologies will put out less than 1 milliwatt - if you wire several of them together, you might be able to power an LCD watch or calculator, but that's about it. The output is easily detectable with a digital multimeter.

QUESTION:
If a typical home uses 390 kWh of electricity per month, how many square meters of solar cells would be requir?
In a sunny location, sunlight has a power density of about 1 kW/m2. Photovoltaic solar cells can convert this power into electricity with 15% efficiency.
If a typical home uses 390 kWh of electricity per month, how many square meters of solar cells would be required to meet its energy requirements? Assume that electricity can be generated from the sunlight for 8 hours per day.

• ANSWER:
  Michelle, John is quite correct in his math. The only problem with the problem as it's stated is that the average solar panel is closer to 11% efficient. There are some leading edge ones that claim to have reached as high as 18%, I don't know if they have been independently tested yet, but most run between 10 and 13 %. So about 11 square meters should do it based on your weather forecast.

  We actually live in a solar powered home. Our panels are advertised at 12% efficiency, they are multicrystaline. Our entire array takes up 155 square feet, or about 15 square meters. Our home uses about 300 kwh per month, and in the summer, we usually have a little excess, meaning by 2 pm on sunny days, our batteries are full and can't hold any more charge, so for an hour or two, the panels only power the small loads in the house, and the rest is wasted. This is necessary though, so that after a few cloudy days, when the sun comes out, there is extra to bring the batteries back up as well as run the home.

  Are you working on a homework assignment, or just doing research? There are some better places to get info on this subject than asking hacks like me online. Solar Energy International would be my first pick, and some of the renewable energy associations too. I will put some names and links below for you. Also, there is a great periodical that covers this stuff right down to the nuts and bolts, Home Power Magazine. It is actually where we got started 11 years ago, now we have made it here. Check out some of the websites and do some of your own research, you'll be well informed in the end. Good luck, and take care, Rudydoo

QUESTION:
If you could, would you produce Hydrogen from solar cells and water in your home for your own car?
It takes pure water for electrolysis. Bottled or purified.
Should be done only when there is surplus energy, at off-peak hours.

• ANSWER:
  No, because it requires a lot of energy to extract hydrogen via electrolysis. Off peak hours are at night, when there's no Sun to provide power to a solar cell. Additionally, solar power technology is currently not very efficient, so you couldn't get much hydrogen from the process.

  On top of that, you'd need a way to get the hydrogen from your house to your car, and a car that can burn hydrogen as fuel.

  It's an interesting idea, but simply not feasible.

QUESTION:
How do I grow a home made solar cell?
i am not sure if this is possible. Is there a simple home made photoelectric cells

• ANSWER:
  here you go nice and easy, i tried the copper thing, its lame but it works, then one made out of blackberries,cmon? they show you how below at one of the links

QUESTION:
If a typical home uses 385kWh of electricity per month, how many square meters of solar cells would be require?
In a sunny location, sunlight has a power density of about 1kW/m^2 . Photovoltaic solar cells can convert this power into electricity with 16% efficiency.

• ANSWER:
  The Earth4Energy kit suggests one of those popular alternative energy devices that prove to drop home energy costs by 50-80%. The kit also shares information on where to purchase free batteries required for your project. These batteries store the alternative energy making it a portable energy resource. You can take them anywhere, for any use!

QUESTION:
If a home uses 390kWh of electricity per month, how many sq. meters of solar cells would be required?
Assume that electricity can be generated from the sunlight for 8 hours per day.
In a sunny location, sunlight has a power density of about 1kW/m^2 . Photovoltaic solar cells can convert this power into electricity with 16% efficiency.

• ANSWER:
  If you can convert at 16% efficiency, then You only get 160 watts per square meter. Multiplied by 8 hours = 1280 watt/hours per square meter. Multiplied by 30 days = 38400 watt/hours per square meter, or 38.4kWh per square meter.

  390 / 38.4 = 10.15625 square meters of solar cells.

QUESTION:
how to build solar cells to produce hot water in my home. need help, anybody!!?
I live in the caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago,the climate is tropical. lots of sunshine all year round.

• ANSWER:
  solar panels produce electricity which you can use for your home's electrical needs. You would have to have an electric hot water heater to use solar cells to heat the water.

  You can also use geothermal systems to heat your water.

  see these web sites:
  G E Solar: Caribbean Solar Systems
  http://www.grec-energy.com/Products/Solar/solar.html

  Here is a link to Encore Energy Systems power in the Caribbean:
  http://www.encoreenergyinc.com/page.php?page=article&newsid=85

  --

QUESTION:
is it possible for me to make solar cells at home? how? 10 points!!!?
how do they do it? tell me in steps and take ten points.

• ANSWER:
  Yes it is possible! Making solar cells is easy and cheaper than buying them. Buying them is expensive, so making them is better.

  Another reason people do not buy them because they are expensive. Most solar panels cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. What most people do not know is that there are tax credits that can be earned from using renewable energy sources. These credits can help pay for some of the cost of the solar panels. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits . These credits can make the already cheap, homemade solar panels, even cheaper.

  1st: Go to http://tiny.cc/solarandwind

  2nd: Read the guide and follow the instructions. This guide gives great information on how to build your own solar panels. It really makes it extremely easy. Here is a link to the guide: http://tinyurl.com/easysolarwind

  3rd: Spend a couple weekends on this project. It does not take a lot of time to build solar cells.

  4th: Invest in a battery to store this energy for other times when you need it.

  The guide is like an ultimate, packed book on renewable energy. It not only comes with information on how to build solar cells, but also wind turbines, biodiesel, and batteries. It is worth your money. I highly recommend this guide, based on experience: I used it successfully.

QUESTION:
Is it possible for us to manufacture high powered solar cells in our home?
In China, Taiwan, Korea, and other East-Asian countries they make digital watches, calculators, and other small electronic devices in their homes at villages. And they sell those as home-industry grown products world wide with very cheap rate. My question is, is it possible to manufacture very cheap but powerful solar cells in our homes in India? Is there any such technology or portable machines available? Because, India has a very rich source of sunlight throughout the year, and if we can produce solar cells in our villages, there will be a boom in solar energy production in India. Now available solar chips are very costly, as they are produced under highly controlled dust-free environment of factories of big manufacturing companies.
Some big manufacturing companies may try to propagate the theory that only they can produce all the electronic goods of this world only under their factory sheds, but the real truth is, a digital watch/wall clock is sold in the footpaths of Kolkata city in India at the rate of Rupees 20/- or 40/- only, whereas, in hi-fi shops, a digital watch costs around 300 Rupees, and a wall clock used to be sold at Rupees 500/-. I myself bought a calculator from a vendor in Sealdah rail station at only Rupees 20/-, which would cost then 10 times more in a decorated electronic goods shop.

• ANSWER:
  NO

QUESTION:
how can you make your own solar cells for solar panels?
i see these things all over the internet on how to make 'home made solar panels' but all of them require you to buy the solar cells and nothing tells you how to make your own. So how can you make your own solar cells?

• ANSWER:
  Firstly, to address the link pointed out by bwise; that's hardly what constitutes what we mean by a "solar panel" is it? sure that can be a solar cell, but I'd like to see anyone build an array of these and get 175W of energy and compare the size difference between what we mean when we say "Solar Panel".

  Ok, to the asker, i a not sure what you are referring to when you refer to these online "guides"; but if there is anyone one out there that has a a process of building solar panels from materials made in the home, not only is he going to become a billionaire but also I want a share of it

  So, just to give you an understanding of what a solar "cell" is made up of and the complexity of the process in producing it, you will understand that to make a solar panel, you NEED to BUY the cells indeed.

  Solar panels are made up of "solar cells", for sake of completeness. The solar cells on the other hand are made up of semiconductor technology, which is basically the stuff that runs our world today, commonly known as "chips" or computer chips. These "chips" that are in almost EVERY single electronic device that exists today can be made with different parameters to exhibit and/or exploit its various properties. Having said this, if you have a slight knowledge of electronics you will know what LEDs are. LED is an acronym for Light Emitting Diode. This is a device which when a voltage is applied, emits light as its name suggests and uses very little power. These are made with tiny chips enclosed in translucent housing so the light can be seen.

  The solar panel works on the reverse principle. A solar cell has many LED like structures engineered to work in the reverse process. When the light hits these "cells" the electrons are energised by the photons (a light component) and they are mobilised producing current; i.e. electricity.

  Now silicon, a semiconductor material is made from sand. (YES sand, like that of the stuff found on the beach It's heated up to to a molten state, purified...etc etc... and then cut to circular discs called wafers, doped with boron or another depending on the required parameters, the stencil being applied and stuff.... all this being taken place in a multi million dollar semiconductor facility with clean rooms and where all the personnel working there are covered head to toe in white suits and masks whose breath might even be dangerous for the products being developed....

  So, as you can see this is a very very very complicated and expensive process hence for anyone who has a much cheaper alternative, that is why I would want to be a part of it as it would be an electronic revolution.

  So in conclusion, I would say from what I know and have conveyed the home production of conventional solar cells by us enthusiasts is pretty much impossible. Though, I would appreciate it if you could if you could give me a few of the links that you are referring to that sparked this question. I think it will be an interesting read at worst.

  Hope this helped.

QUESTION:
Could your home become energy self sufficient using solar power?
Can solar cells power your home?

• ANSWER:
  It depend on where you live and the design and construction of the home. The location determines the number of days of sunlight vs cloud cover and average local temperature. If you live in Portland Oregon, you will never get enough sunny days to power the whole house every day. Also, if you live in the desert southwest, unless your home is extremely well insulated the air conditioning will need more power to deal with 100 F temperatures than solar power can provide.

QUESTION:
Is it possible to make a SOLAR CELL without all that expence at home?
i know its a silly queston, solar pannels are very very expencive and its very difficult to attain stroked silicon, but if any1 of u have any idea by which SOLAR CELLS can be made at home plz tell me.

• ANSWER:
  It's possible to create solar cells to heat up water - although in practice without precision equipment I imagine it would be very hard).

  The basic premise for solar heating cells is you run a very thin stream of water under the sun - the water gets warmed up and deposited into a tank. Then it just cycles round and round - every time it passes through the Sun it warms up.

  You need a very hot country for it to work well - but it's a fairly simple concept.

  As for photovoltaic cells (solar cells that produce electricity). There is no way your going to be able to make them at home.

  Sorry.

  Although the BASIC principle is fairly easy to grasp (Photon's of light are absorbed in a semiconductor; an electron hole pair is formed; the electron diffuses to the pn junction and drifts across - forming a current) they are stupidly intricate devices that are so expensive to produce the companies that make them make a loss on every one (they only stay afloat because of government subsidy into green power)

QUESTION:
How does solar power cells work,how can they be made at home.?

• ANSWER:
  Conventional solar cells are semiconductor devices. Energy from sunlight triggers electrons in a doped silicon layer to 'jump' and that creates the movement that is an electric current. (That's a really simplified version).
  The average person cannot make silicon solar cells at home.
  You can, however, make very low energy solar cells with copper. Here's a link: http://worldwatts.com/homemade_solar_cell/homemade_solar_cell.html

QUESTION:
Where are the solar cells are avilable ? What are cost ? Can I make a siple solar cell in home ?
Solar Cell- A silicon based pannel that converts solar energy into electrical energy.

• ANSWER:
  Its called a PhotoVoltaic Cell, And they are quite difficult to make, but very easy to purchase.
  http://www.oksolar.com/solar_panels/cells.htm

QUESTION:
How many sq ft of solar cells will provide 50% of the average fl home’s power needs? Cost for entire system?

• ANSWER:
  What do you want to call the average?

  Wild guessing here so you can get the idea of how it works and be able to get your own answers.

  I think the average house uses from 500 to 600 kWh per month. So using 550 kWh, half is 225 kWh divided by 30 days is 7.5 watts a day. Florida gets about 5.5 hours of peak sun a day so you would need about a 1.3 kWh in panels. Now find a solar electric site like mine (smiles) and find the panels you want and see what size they are. 1300 watts would be 13 100 watt panels right?

  It is not that simple but should get you started.

  Enjoy.

QUESTION:
If I put HHO generator powered by external Battery(charged by solar cell at home) into my car--Will it work?
I plan to put HHO generator powered by another set of battery into my car. This extra battery will not be charged by car alternator but instead it will be charged by solar cell panel at my garage during parking. Any idea about it?

• ANSWER:
  This hydrogen fuel from water is nothing but a scam.
  Big claims are being made simply to make it easy to seperate people from their money.
  For the real story on hydrogen powered vehicles go to www.doe.gov
  Hydrogen fuel cells ar used to generate electricity to power electric vehicles.

QUESTION:
Hydrogen Cell and Solar for Home Use?
I have heard of hydrogen cell technology for home electrical use. I am in the process of buying a home and want to know how to get one installed and the cost involved. I live in Florida and am also interested in solar power if you know anything about that.

• ANSWER:
  You might try calling my friend Charles Virga at Choose Green Energy. Go to http://www.choosegreenenergy.com/ You're out of his area but he may have good advice. He is a nice guy and very smart.

QUESTION:
who lives in a home with solar panels installed?
I want a statistic, I am doing research, I am also trying to advocate the use of Solar cells. I welcome any criticism, information, opinions, anything that would be useful to my research. Thank You.

• ANSWER:
  We have photovoltaic panels on our house. It's not a big money-saver in our case. I'm estimating it's going to be approximately break-even over its lifetime. Nevertheless, I'm quite happy with the system, and it's given no trouble since its installation in 2006.

  If you want an overwhelming amount of information on our install, our page is at

  http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/solar/photovoltaic.html

  Oh, and by the way, you might get more answers if you ask this in Home > Environment > Green Living

QUESTION:
what makes solar cells impractical for home power? (besides the expense)?

• ANSWER:
  Other than what Dr. Jello said. Batteries while alot better today are needed to store the energy for the nighttime and dark days. This is not a very efficient use of power. Solar is advancing and getting closer, but still has a long way to go. Without some sort of gas/electrical backup, solar has a hard time to deal with 5 days without much sun. Do to the DC to AC starting watts can also be of concern.

QUESTION:
could i use lots of 6.7VmA solar cells to power my home?
what if i used a .45V0mA
say i knew my kilowatt hours per day on average, and i wanted to design my own solar panels by interlinking lots of these solar cells into the roof of my house, is it possible?
say i knew my kilowatt hours per day on average, and i wanted to design my own solar panels by interlinking lots of these solar cells into the roof of my house, is it possible?

• ANSWER:
  It's possible, but most likely neither practical nor cost-effective.

  Home built panels would not be allowed to connect to the grid, so you would need to make a standalone system with batteries. With the possible exception of some remote islands, a battery system always ends up costing more than the grid in the long run, at least at today's prices.

  Homemade panels will only last a few years at best. If you make them in such a way that they will last a long time, they will be less efficient and cost more than commercial panels.

  Finally, those cells are 1/10 watt each, meaning that you would need 10,000 of them to make a a 1 kW array. It's possible, but does not seem worth it, even if the cells were free. To get a feel for the work involved, maybe try making a panel out of 100 of the cells?

  I don't mean to be discouraging, just advising you of the considerations.

QUESTION:
How to create your own solar cell at home ?

• ANSWER:
  It is cheap and easy to make a solar cell at home. However the power you will get is so tiny you can hardly measure it. You can't compete with industrial made solar cells.

  The energy used to make this cell you will *never* recoup. Its a net energy loss with this one so you aren't going to save the planet:

QUESTION:
how can you make a home-made solar cell?
pls specify the material and the steps in making it

• ANSWER:
  Check out this site, it shows low power alternative using cuprous oxide instead of silicon.

  http://worldwatts.com/homemade_solar_cell/homemade_solar_cell.html

QUESTION:
Is it possible to make a solar cell utilizing a p-n junction at home?
I need to make a physics project based on semiconductors. I found out that p-n junctions are used in solar cells. Can you give me a tutorial(or a link to one) on how to make a small solar cell demonstrating the use of p-n junctions?

• ANSWER:
  Bell labs actually made a kit that had the silicon wafer and most of the chemicals needed.

  http://www.porticus.org/bell/belllabs_kits_se.html

QUESTION:
If a typical home uses 390 of electricity per month, how many square meters of solar cells would be required?

• ANSWER:
  Is that 390 kWh, or something else?

  If it's kWh, then the answer would depend on the location, and how many equivalent hours of peak sun that location gets. For example, suppose the area gets 5 peak equivalent hours of sun per day. Over 30 days, that's 150 hours. 390/150 = 13/5 = 2.6 kW = size of the solar array. If we assume 130 watts/m^2, then that's 20 m^2 of panels.

QUESTION:
how to make solar cells?
How to I make home made solar cells for my home that work?

• ANSWER:
  they require special perfectly clean silicon doped (mixed with very specific ammounts) of phosphorus or boron. you cant make it at home because you don't have a method of measuring the exact amouts of phosphorus or boron or a room clean enough to do it in, and you don't have a way of melting the silicon. this has to do with why solar panels are so expensive. you might be able to make a solar collector, where you use mirrors to heat up a tube of melted salts or oil and use it to build water that turns a steam engine basically.

QUESTION:
how can you make your own solar cell at home and how do they work?

• ANSWER:
  There is no possible way you could make your own solar cell at home. At least not a practical one. It takes a large factory with lots of specialized machinery and chemicals and engineers to do this.

  .

QUESTION:
how to built a solar power system in my home?
my warm greetings to you
my name is ahmed , i am from iraq ,i am an electrical engineer.. you know our hard circumstances , and i believe that sun power is the best , and i am so concerened , but we dont have solar cells here , my qeustion is .. how can i built a suitable solar power system to my home with out employing solar cells ? waiting for your kind answer with my best regards

• ANSWER:
  ahmed,

  without photovoltaic cells you are going to have a hard time generating electricity. solar energy requires a lot of initial cost - a typical home installation in the US costs around ,000.

  the simplest kind of solar heating is to use the sun to heat water for the house instead of using energy to heat the water. that will save you some money.

  another thing you could do without PV cells is to build a solar concentrator -basically a large curved mirror or mirror array that will focus the sunlight to a single spot. this focused sunlight can be used to power a device called a stirling engine, which can be used to turn heat into mechanical energy. it's a mechanical device - if you are an engineer you could probably build one and then attach it to an alternator scrounged from an old car or truck.

  you should keep in mind that anything home-built is going to be pretty inefficient. even a 100W solar panel is about a half-meter square. i'm not sure what "hard circumstances" means, but if you don't have very much money to spend your best bet is probably something like wind power generation instead of solar. solar is great and you have lots of sun in iraq, but the technology is expensive and not very good at this point.

  at any rate, best of luck and stay safe.

QUESTION:
how many square meters of solar cells would be required to meet its energy requirements?
In a sunny location, sunlight has a power density of about 1 kW/m2 . Photovoltaic solar cells can convert this power into electricity with 16% efficiency.
If a typical home uses 385 kW/m2 of electricity per month, how many square meters of solar cells would be required to meet its energy requirements? Assume that electricity can be generated from the sunlight for 8 hours per day.

• ANSWER:
  about a million

QUESTION:
does anyone here have solar energy cells at their home? how efficient is it?

• ANSWER:
  I recently had a salesman come out to my house and give me a presentation on solar panels.

  The salesman would not answer my questions about annual electric production.

  I found out later that the salesmen do not want those numbers released because the amount of electricity actually produced is so low that it is very difficult to sell these systems to people who know the true numbers for electricity production.

  I found out later that typical production for a 3,000 watt unit in my area is approximately 4,000 kilowatt hours per year.

  That is a pitifully small amount of electricity for the amount of money that this system costs.

QUESTION:
How can i build a large solar panel for my home in country like Pakistan?
I am very interested in making solar panels in Karachi, Pakistan. But cant figure out where i get solar cells? If there is some DIY methods please tell me.

• ANSWER:
  you do google search and contact the companies which manufactures solar panel..or contact an expert in this field..

QUESTION:
how to build solar cell at home?
i want to build my solar cell for energy at home

• ANSWER:
  you can't reasonably build a photovoltaic cell on your own.

  you could build a solar thermal collector which would heat water for home use. Unfortunately hotwater is probably one of the most minor use of energy in the home.

QUESTION:
Can I buy solar silicon cells only and assemble my own solar panel made of insulated materials like plywood?
Photovoltaic electricity is becoming one of the best alternarive energy source nowadays but still a little expensive. As ordinary electrice home user and solar power beginner, I am conscious of cost effectiveness. I understand silicon is standard material of solar cell which is just can not be manufactured at home so you must buy it, but can i make my own solar panel made of any insulated materials such as plywood or painted plain G.I. sheets with welded metal frame? Can I used 12v car battery and AVR as charge controller and a low cost bridge rectifier as inverter?

• ANSWER:
  Absolutley, just make sure you include diodes so your batteries don't drain through the panels at night, and make sure everything is watersealed for obvious reasons

QUESTION:
If my solar panel is to replace my roof, does it make my home less hot?
I'm not sure what's my roof is made of, could be clay or concrete or decra. But you know this material absorb heat and subsequently travel all the way down into the house, that makes a house hot. Nevertheless, thought of going green, if i replace my roof with solar panel/cell, does it also make my home less hot since it does not absorb heat as much as conventional roof (solar cells are suppose to absorb light, right?)

• ANSWER:
  From a purely theoretical standpoint, the solar energy that your panels convert to electricity can't make your house hotter.

  From a practical standpoint, the solar panels will shade the roof somewhat, especially if they are mounted on some kind of support a couple of inches above the roof plane.

  Hard to say how much of an effect this would have.

QUESTION:
How can I make photovoltiac cell (solar cell)?
Want to make a photovoltiac cell or solar cell at home. Can I make a solar panel by joining these cells? How can I find raw material for it?

• ANSWER:
  They are made from highly purified silicon wafers that under go a series of depositions and etchings in a clean room environment.

  No way can you make one at home.

QUESTION:
solar cells?
We wondering where we could get solar cells for home use. we looked at helio's site, and was wondering if anyone else knew of any other places to get them, and have them installed. just wanted to know about cost and how it could help our 0 monthly eletric bill
oh, i forgot to mention that im on the west coast, southern california

• ANSWER:
  Check out www.sunwize.com . They have hundreds of dealers that will install all over the USA. They have a very large warehouse in CA and NY and their prices are the same as everyone elses. I know this because I have a dealership with them.

  You can send me an email if you like and I will be happy to give you more information. Or even price you a system but you would have to hire a local contractor to install it.

QUESTION:
I want to become energy independent. Can anyone help me with Solar energy installation know how for my home?
Do let me know how / company referrals on Solar Cells that must be cost effective so I can use energy from the Sun and become energy independent, thereby not feeling guilty of polluting the earth.

• ANSWER:
  Try joining http://www.justfortheloveofit.org
  It's a freeconomy site, the idea is that people use their skills to help out people they don't know for free. (and make new friends) I know that in my area there are some people with amazing skills including solar energy installers. Join and see if there is anyone who can help you.
  If there isn't an installer there is bound to be someone with knowledge to help you further.

  Sorry to send you some where else and not give you any answers myself, but it may help!

  Spread the freeconomy goodness.

  Bright Blessings.

QUESTION:
what accessories and structures are needed for installing solar cells used for homes and small scale?

• ANSWER:
  The solar cells typically come already mounted on panels.

  These panels can be mounted directly onto a roof with screws, bolts, or various angle brackets, but usually, mounting racks are put onto the roof first.

  Most residential installations have a grid-tied inverter, a box that adapts and connects the DC solar electricity into AC line electricity.

  Other than that, it's pretty much the same was wiring anything new into the house, such as flood lights around the perimeter, or a built-in air conditioner.

QUESTION:
Which of the following would be a feature included in a home being built using passive solar energy features?
Which of the following would be a feature included in a home being built using passive solar energy features?

a. tile floors
b. photovoltaic cells
c. solar panels
d. natural gas furnace

• ANSWER:
  a. tile floors to absorb day time sun/heat

QUESTION:
How much does it cost do have solar power to run an average home? Wind power? hydro Power? How big is the unit
This is for a science project so I need a valid source. By the question about the size of the unit I mean exactly how many solar cells, how many blades, depth of water, models for all(if possible). I'm not looking for someone to do my science fair project, I just need someone to point me in the right direction!!

• ANSWER:
  a lot

QUESTION:
Home-made solar cell phone charger difficulties?
Hey I recently built myself a solar-powered cell phone charger for my Palm Pre using this these plans. http://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-Powered-Cell-Phone-Charger/

The solar cell is a 6V 50mA and the DC outlet is 12V. My problem is when I plus the phone into the charger cable, it will pup up that it is charging but then the entire UI becomes extremely sluggish, making taps on the screen take several seconds to register until the screens settles into an entirely unresponsive state. Removing it from the charger does not fix this and and I end up having to pull the battery and do a hard restart.

Any ideas why this might happen?

• ANSWER:
  Have you checked to see that the voltage on your battery holder corresponds to the voltage requirements of your phone?

QUESTION:
Can the average person make solar cells economically?
To use for powering a home and/or possibly charging a car.

• ANSWER:
  Depends on how you are defining "make."

  If you mean by assembling a series of individual manufactured cells, yes, you can do that, in fact some are already made, just plug them into your cigarette lighter of your car. http://www.northerntool.com Go to their alternative energy section.

  If by producing the actual cell itself is what you mean. from a clear substrate begining- No. There are a number of hazardous materials used in their manufacture. Chemicals like Cadmium, Nickel, and others. Not to mention the specialized nature of the equipment to construct them.

  Lindsay Publishing has published a book on how to make your own solar cell that really works, book of that name in fact, but the amount of current and ultimately power of that cell are so limited that they are not cost effective in any way other than as a demonstration tool. http://www.lindsaybks.com

QUESTION:
how can building a zero energy home affects on it's exterior?
I'm studying architecture , I have a research about using solar cells in homes, office building , factories .
The research should combine between using solar energy and weather it affects on the shape of the building.

• ANSWER:
  For solar energy (PV cells, Passive or otherwise) orientation and latitude will have an effect on the structure. Latitude will effect:
  1.) the the optimum angle the panels will be placed,
  2.) Temperature concerns and the seasonal amount of Sun light.
  3.) Snow loading and covering of panels. Will you need to use verticle panels to avoid snow coverage at the expense of teh optimum angle.
  4.) Average outside temperature will didtate the energy requirements of the home. (Heating vs Cooling vs Lighting)

  Energy requirements will dictate the size of the solar panels.
  Type of system (PV, Active Hot water, Passive Heating) all have different efficiencies and would require different amounts of surface area.

  A Trombe Wall Adds the cost of glass but doesn't provide a view as a stone wall is placed int=front of the glass.

  PV electric panels will require some utility space for battery and charger equipment as well as safe storage and easy access for maintenance.

  Active Hot water will require additiona utility space for a storage tank and pumps.

QUESTION:
How to make a cheap, nontoxic solar cell (ok to be inefficient)?
Current high-efficiency solar cells are apparently still bad for the environment (manufacturing) How would you make at home a cheap nontoxic solar cell using common materials? It's ok if it is not very efficient, but I was wondering if it was possible at all -- maybe just to power air conditioner.

• ANSWER:
  Powering an air conditioner is a tall order. That's actually a lot of power. The kind of photovoltaic cells you can make in your garage would not power an air conditioner even if you were able to cover your entire roof with them.

  While it is true that the manufacture of solar cells uses resources, typical silicon solar panels will pay back their energy cost (including the cost to make the aluminum frame, glass, etc) in about 4 years. After that, the electricity they produce is cleaner than burning coal, natural gas, or many other forms of energy.

  Also consider your end goals. If what you really want is a cool room, saving money, and energy, invest in extreme insulation and energy-conserving appliances.

QUESTION:
Are there any ROI studies regarding concentrators and tracking systems for solar cells (PV)?
I'm considering installing an on-grid full solar array for our home and was wondering about ROI of solar concentrators and solar tracking systems as opposed to a solar array simply mounted to our home's roof.
I'm aware of the costs, tax benefits, and utility company benefits which all bring this into the realm of possibility.
I'm in New Mexico so I have plenty of sunshine!

• ANSWER:
  You might want to check out this website.

  It will cost you a pretty penny to have one installed. Make sure your home roof is designed for it.

  Good luck.

QUESTION:
What is the chemical process that takes place in a solar panel?
On a chemical level, how does a solar panel work? What are the chemicals inside it that react with one another, and how are the chemicals arranged and assembled with the other materials?

Specifically, I'm trying to determine if I could build a solar cell at home, even if it is very inefficient. Any information is appreciated.

• ANSWER:
  Nothing chemical at all - solid state physics at the quantum level - photon of light knock electrons off silicon which are freed to form an electrical circuit that we can use as power.
  Because nearly pure silicon is required, there is no way you can build one of these at home.
  Heating solar panels are not chemical either - just physical.

QUESTION:
In a sunny location, sunlight has a power density of about 1 kW/m^2. Photovoltaic solar cells can convert this?
In a sunny location, sunlight has a power density of about 1 kW/m^2. Photovoltaic solar cells can convert this power into electricity with 14% efficiency. If a typical home uses 380 kWh of electricity per month, how many square meters of solar cells would be required to meet its energy requirements? Assume that electricity can be generated from the sunlight for 8 hours per day.

• ANSWER:
  Let's say you have 1 square meter of panels. Then you get 8 hours x 1 kW/m^2 x .14 = 1.12 kWh of energy per day.

  If you have 2 square meters, you get 2.24 kWh's per day.

  If you have N square meters, it's 1.12N kWh's per day.

  Scale that up to a month (use 30 days for a month unless advised otherwise), and you should be able to solve for N.

  Sanity check: the answer should be between 5 and 20 square meters.

QUESTION:
Why isn't there an electric car available with solar cells on the roof/trunk?
Your car runs out of gas - that's a problem. Your electric car runs out of battery power - simply park and have lunch and let the sun partially recharge the batteries, then you're on your way. Once your home or work or a store, either plug it in to an outlet or hook it up to a solar collecter car port for a faster re-charge. How many of you would buy an electric car with solar cells? I wonder what the current technology efficiency level is for recharging a small 2 seat compact anyway? I think it's time - who wants to go into business with me?

• ANSWER:
  Becuase it would end the oil business

QUESTION:
Building a SOLAR PANEL with ebay SOLAR CELLS?
Hello all and thank you for helping!

I'm building a solar panel with solar cells from ebay and I wanted to know what supplies will I need other than 1.Solar Cells 2.Soldering Gun 3.Solder 4.Flux Pen 5.Tabbing 6.Tabbing Wire 7.Bus Wire 8. Materials for the frame 9.12 Volt Batteries

What kind of power inverter do I need if I'm trying to charge 12 Volt Car Batteries? I need these supplies to be-able to handle a moderate amount of power because I want to keep adding on cells to my panel. I pretty much know how to make the panel but what all do I need to connect the home built Solar Panel to the batteries? I'm willing to spend around 0.00 to 0 for all the parts total a side from the solar cells. I have 140 3x6 cells I should be buying another 60 and want to make a panels that will charge car batteries. I need to know what parts and equipment I will need aside from the solar panels to to charge them. Equipment that that tells me how much power is flowing and if the batteries are charged are not. Thank you all for viewing my question I am very appreciative to all who help and answer.
-John

• ANSWER:
  the wattage of your power converter will depend on how much power you want to be able to use at any given time. buy one as big as you can afford, you could always add another converter in parallel later if the first one you buy isn't big enough. the power converter will be used to convert the 12 volts from the batteries into 120 volts to power light, etc. solor panels should produce 12 volts and basically directly connect to the batteries.

QUESTION:
Solar PV Cell how made at home?
These days in Pakistan and in other countries face power shortage while we have planty of Sun light unfortunately the Solar Tecnology is too expensive and we have lack of knowledge. If we made a solar cell then our invertor who charge Battery from electricity can do from sun light without touching electrcity.

• ANSWER:
  You may want to think about building your own solar panels…

  Let me start off by saying we (Agua-Luna) are a non-profit organization that live, promote & teach 100% “off grid” living & complete self sufficiency”. To give you an idea of this, we typically don’t leave the Ranch but once or twice a year.

  The following steps were taking directly out of a DIY guide I offer to those who would like to run their homes on solar power, reducing their monthly utility bills or even selling power back the electrical companies. The entire guide is available at http://www.agua-luna.com/diy_guides.html. It’s pretty simple but if you have any problems feel free to email us directly at info@agua-luna.com we can walk you threw the process.

  Materials you will need…

  A sheet of copper flashing from the hardware store. This normally costs about .00 per square foot. We will need about half a square foot.
  Two alligator clip leads.
  A sensitive micro-ammeter that can read currents between 10 & 50 microamperes. Radio Shack sells small LCD multimeters that will do, but I used a small surplus meter with a needle.
  An electric stove. My kitchen stove is gas, so I bought a small one-burner electric hotplate for about . The little 700 watt burners probably won't work -- mine is 1100 watts, so the burner gets red hot.
  A large clear plastic bottle off of which you can cut the top. I used a 2 liter spring water bottle. A large mouth glass jar will also work.
  Table salt. We will want a couple tablespoons of salt.
  Tap water.
  Sand paper or a wire brush on an electric drill.
  Sheet metal shears for cutting the copper sheet.

  The first step is to cut a piece of the copper sheeting that is about the size of the burner on the stove. Wash your hands so they don't have any grease or oil on them. Then wash the copper sheet with soap or cleanser to get any oil or grease off of it. Use the sandpaper or wire brush to thoroughly clean the copper sheeting, so that any sulphide or other light corrosion is removed.
  Next, place the cleaned & dried copper sheet on the burner & turn the burner to its highest setting.
  As the copper starts to heat up, you will see beautiful oxidation patterns begin to form. Oranges, purples, & reds will cover the copper.
  As the copper gets hotter, the colors are replaced with a black coating of cupric oxide. This is not the oxide we want, but it will flake off later, showing the reds, oranges, pinks, & purples of the cuprous oxide layer underneath.
  The last bits of color disappear as the burner starts to glow red.
  When the burner is glowing red-hot, the sheet of copper will be coated with a black cupric oxide coat. Let it cook for a half an hour, so the black coating will be thick. This is important, since a thick coating will flake off nicely, while a thin coat will stay stuck to the copper.
  After the half hour of cooking, turn off the burner. Leave the hot copper on the burner to cool slowly. If you cool it too quickly, the black oxide will stay stuck to the copper.
  As the copper cools, it shrinks. The black cupric oxide also shrinks. But they shrink at different rates, which makes the black cupric oxide flake off.
  The little black flakes pop off the copper with enough force to make them fly a few inches. This means a little more cleaning effort around the stove, but it is fun to watch.
  When the copper has cooled to room temperature (this takes about 20 minutes), most of the black oxide will be gone. A light scrubbing with your hands under running water will remove most of the small bits. Resist the temptation to remove all of the black spots by hard scrubbing or by flexing the soft copper. This might damage the delicate red cuprous oxide layer we need to make to solar cell work.
  Cut another sheet of copper about the same size as the first one. Bend both pieces gently, so they will fit into the plastic bottle or jar without touching one another. The cuprous oxide coating that was facing up on the burner is usually the best side to face outwards in the jar, because it has the smoothest, cleanest surface.
  Attach the two alligator clip leads, one to the new copper plate, & one to the cuprous oxide coated plate. Connect the lead from the clean copper plate to the positive terminal of the meter. Connect the lead from the cuprous oxide plate to the negative terminal of the meter.
  Now mix a couple tablespoons of salt into some hot tap water. Stir the saltwater until all the salt is dissolved. Then carefully pour the saltwater into the jar, being careful not to get the clip leads wet. The saltwater should not completely cover the plates -- you should leave about an inch of plate above the water, so you can move the solar cell around without getting the clip leads wet.
  now place in the sun with the magnified on top.
  The solar cell is a battery, even in the dark, & will usually show a few microamps of current.
  That’s it it’s that simple. If you’d a more detailed process & some pics (could

QUESTION:
How do I install Solar Cell as an Alternate source of power for my home? Any references?

• ANSWER:
  You can buy a kit at either [1] or [2] below. If you are just looking for installation instructions, there is a pdf at [3] below with instructions for installing a system.

QUESTION:
what is the name of this solar system video made in the 1990s?
it had a computer robot and a little girl with blonde piggy tailed hair and a teddy bear named (i think) bernie and the computer robot was the Narrator and it had computer animation, music and real pictures (i think) and the inner planets was video cassette one and the outer planets was video cassette two. i used to get it all the time in salt lake city's library when i used to live in utah. i have been looking everywhere for it. i would love to see it again could anyone please help? thank you

• ANSWER:
  You might expand your search over in Yahoo! Entertainment as well to see if anyone over there knows about it.

QUESTION:
Please help me:i need videos,books,animations about astronomy and the solar system?

• ANSWER:

QUESTION:
please help me:i need videos,books,animations about astronomy and the solar system?

• ANSWER:
  Try these folks for a series of free astronomy videos -
  http://www.khanacademy.org/?video=stellar-distance-using-parallax#Cosmology%20and%20Astronomy

  For a great all round introductory guide book -
  http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Terence-Dickinson-4th-edition/dp/B00327G1X8

QUESTION:
when did people really begin to see what the planets looked like in our Solar System?
when did people really get to see what Jupiter looks like? and how do we know for sure that NASA hasnt created these images...such as how they do with "computer animation"..and Jupiter really looks like it is shown in pictures from NASA?

before 1950...did most people not know what "Jupiter" looked like really?

why they cant show satellite images of Jupiter for an extended length of time? say for 3 minutes? are most just photographs ? why cant they take videos of it?

• ANSWER:
  > when did people really begin to see what the planets looked like in our Solar System?

  Beginning in 1609, when Galileo first turned the newly invented telescope on the Sun, Moon, and planets. Before then, all the planets were no larger than dots in the sky.

  > when did people really get to see what Jupiter looks like?

  This was gradually revealed as telescopes improved in quality. By the middle of the 19th century we had modern telescopes which gave detailed views of Jupiter and other planets.

  > how do we know for sure that NASA hasnt created these images...such as how they do with "computer animation"..and Jupiter really looks like it is shown in pictures from NASA?

  Because any amateur astronomer with a good telescope of at least 6 inches aperture can easily see everything shown in NASA's images, though not as large. I was observing Jupiter _decades_ before NASA's first high resolution images were released.

  > before 1950...did most people not know what "Jupiter" looked like really?

  That's just not true. Accurate drawings of Jupiter were made a century earlier, and photographs from the 1930s on (the limitation was in photographic materials, not telescopes).

  > why they cant show satellite images of Jupiter for an extended length of time? say for 3 minutes? are most just photographs ? why cant they take videos of it?

  There is actually much less information in a video than in still photographs. Still images are the most efficient way of collecting data and transmitting it in the limited bandwidth available.

QUESTION:
Formation of Stars and Planets !!!?
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/aol_v3/content/cat_030/ch07/m07t002f4mov.html

I have the video above, but I do not see how I am supposed to answer these questions from that video?? I am not asking anyone to do my homework, but I am a computer tech and I need this class and this stuff don't make sense to me.

View the video animation The Birth of the Solar System and answer the following questions.

1. How many inner planets are formed in this animation? How many outer planets are formed in this animation?
2. Which outer planet is not shown?
3. Which planet clearly becomes a solid sphere first?
4. Which planet is the last one to develop fully?
5. At what point in the animation, relative to the formation of the inner and outer planets, are you able to see the Sun without any nebular material around it?
6. How are the accretions occurring around each of the outer planets similar to the initial solar nebula evolution?

• ANSWER:
  I can see the video no problem, but the scale is so small it's not possible to make out any detail.

QUESTION:
Spatial object, and phenomenon videos?
I am trying to find, preferably HD, or other high quality video of space. Planets, stars, supernovas, commets solar systems, and so forth. I am willing to purchase them, however all I have been able to find so far are lo-res research animations, and astronomy videos. Any Ideas?

• ANSWER:
  Try the astronomy dept at your local college?