Archive for Affordable Solar Panels
Affordable Solar Panels
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Many people like myself have searched for several years to find a cheap affordable solution using solar panels for your residential home. Unfortunately the cost has always outweighed the benefit of being off grid. The upfront capital investment in solar panels would take 20 years to succesfully pay off and maybe more. Deep cycle batteries eventually deplete and new ones need to be bought to store the solar power energy created and then fed into the appliances and cooling systems for your house.
Recently new solar technology has come out in the news like the thin film solar panel technology that will allow solar panels to be manufactured similar to the printing of paper money. The problem exposed about thin film solar panels is that they are inefficient. To be fair the thin film technology may be inefficient but it is cheap to make and more affordable to consumers like me wanting to buy solar panels to assist in getting off the grid or atleast having a cogeneration set up. The way cogeneration works is that any unused power generated by off grid technology can be fed back on the grid and credited on your meter directly. Solar still needs some more advancements and breakthroughs and right now there is a shortage of silicon for manufacturers to start mass producing some of the new technologicaly tweaked solar panels. A recent discovery that has cast a shadow on thin film solar technology is the new vertically aligned, low-density carbon nanotubes that are the blackest material ever invented or created. You may wonder why it needs to be the blackest to be such a wonderful advancement in science. Having a blacker solar panel means it becomes extremely efficient and cost effective. A very black solar cell means you will not need to buy as many solar panels to do the same thing and it will cost less. Just like CPU processors have become smaller, more efficient, and less expensive the solar industry is working on doing the same.
So where do you go to buy the latest thin film solar panels and blackest of black more efficient solar panels? The answer is sketchy as manufacturers that sell solar panels are still selling old outdated technology because they have not yet produced an available retail product for a residential home using either thin film or the smaller blacker low-density carbon nanotube solar panels. We spoke with an engineer at Applied Materials and went back and forth with them about the thin film technology they have a patent on and licensing ability to make available to solar panel manufacturers. There are several manufacturers working on getting a product created especially in Asia and China but I received no email back from Applied Materials when I asked for just one available retail store selling the thin film solar panel technology. Applied Materials were happy to talk about manufacturing opportunities but were silent on if the technology has actually reached retail stores. For right now the solar panel technology is still in the dark ages for a residential home. If you are going to invest in a solar panel system for your residential home be aware that you may be buying something that will shortly be replaced by a more efficient cheaper solution. With everyone talking about Green Energy and many companies including the NFL, Fox, Green Mountain Energy, Al Gore and a slew of other companies there is no end in site to the demand for green energy products. I have never seen more demand for green energy and solar panels in my life and I can only imagine this will rise significantly when the new technology hits the retail shelf.
If you would like updates on new solar retail products and technology as it comes available we have contacts with Solar manufacturers, and several retail solar stores featured on TV and trade magazines that keep us current on any new developments. When we receive this information we will be happy to pass it along to you.
Feel free to contact the local Texas solar panel and renewable energy solutions company below who we use to keep us informed of solar panel technology updates. They have a newsletter they send out to prospective customers keeping them informed of the latest solar products and energy efficiency solutions in the market. They are very good people which is why I am recommending them. Just fill out their contact form and let them know you would like to be kept updated on new technology.
10 Steps to a More Energy Efficient Home
Posted by: | CommentsCooling and Heating is the Primary Energy Hog in a Home
Heating and cooling costs account for about 50-70% of the energy used in the average Texas home, the Energy Efficient Saver program from Electricity Bid and Pierce Energy is the easiest, most effective way to:
- Save money (up to 30% or more) on your Texas electric bill
- Improve the general well being and comfort level of your Texas home
- Raise the value of your house, and
- Gives you the opportunity to reduce the demand load in your city which can lower the rate for everyone.
Designed in accordance with U.S. Department of Energy recommendations, the Energy Efficient Saver program combines 10 proven energy saving solutions into a single program that can pay for itself through Texas power savings of up to 30% and sometimes more in annual heating and cooling costs. With the help of the federal and state government many of the costs in this program are paid for by the government.
10 Steps Performed with the Energy Efficiency Saver Program
- Apples to Apples Electric Rate Comparison at Electricity Bid.com
- Blower Door Setup and Calculations Performed on Air Leakage From Home
- Assesment of Insulation Damage in Attic and Walls
- Mastic Paint Used to Seal Leaks Coming From Air Conditioning Ducts Located in Attic.
- Doors and Windows Retrofitted with Devices to Stop Air and Energy Leaks
- Blow in Insulation and Radiant Barrier Installed in Attic
- See Through Energy Efficient Storm Windows Installed on Existing Windows.
- Feasability Study for the Installation of Solar Panels
- Power Saver Device Installed at Meter to reduce the loss of Electricity Through Energy Surges
- Advice on How to Maintain Continued Energy Efficiency Best Practices for Your Home
If you would like to receive solar technology and renewable energy updates in Texas then we would like to recommend ESS Solar. This is a local solar panel and renewable energy company in Texas that works with several solar panel companies and solutions. They keep us updated with solar technology as it changes and would be happy to keep you updated as well. They of course hope you will eventually become a customer but they also work very well as an information resource by giving the occasional update on solar as changes take place in the market place.
Solar power for Electric Tools and laptops
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Sunshine Solar Briefcase Charger Amorphous 13 Watt
This solar panel is very affordable and the perfect first time solar project starter. You can use this when you go out to remote areas to build and work on a cabin in the woods and other places not accessible to electric pole and wires. If you have a drill or saw that needs power you can charge it up on the solar panel and keep working without having to go back to the house and get the battery recharged.
Product Description
Powerful, compact and very versatile. Ideal for caravans, yacht, electric hand tools, DC fridge, notebook computers, GPS systems. Supplied with many connectors for different applications, our briefcase chargers are perfect for applications when on the move, there briefcase style case gives them excellent protection when not in use.
Size: 330mm x 520mm x 40mm
Weight: 4.2kg
With adjustable support panel, helps to maximise power output
With blinking charge indicator
Includes male & female cigarette lighter connections
Blocking diode to prevent reverse charging
Need more power?
The 30 Watt 12 Volt solar panel charger will handle the larger laptops and power tools. Have your batteries charging while working in remote locations. Trade batteries and keep going. No need to stop working even when far out in remote locations. This will keep you going no matter where you are.
Product Description
This 30 Watt Mono-crystalline Portable Briefcase Solar Panel 12V Charger is just the thing for your power tools and laptop computers.
30 Watt Mono-crystalline Portable Briefcase Solar Panel 12V Charger. If you need to use it to charge a car battery, you may need a charge controller to prevent the battery from overcharging. Detachable connections included: alligator battery clamps, male cigarette lighter plug, and female cigarette lighter plug. There are three types of Solar Cells on the market. All our Solar chargers are using the best – Mono-Crystalline Solar Cells. Amorphous or Dual Junction Solar Glass are the cheapest but are only 7% energy efficient and have 5 years of service life. They are big and heavy. Poly-Crystalline have 25 plus years of service life under direct sunlight and are 13% efficient. Mono-Crystalline have 25 plus years of service life and are up to 20% efficient. This is the same type used in solar car racing. This type of solar cells is now in a worldwide shortage because only a few companies can manufacture these solar cells.
HCT offering thin film Solar Panel technology
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Applied Materials Aquires HCT and Introduces Integrated Thin Film Production Line
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) has aquired HCT and is making large inroads on their Solar PV technology. HCT Shaping Systems started this thin film solar technology and Applied Materials will see it through with their announcement of its Applied SunFab™ Thin Film production line. By applying their four decades of thin film on silicon experience to the manufacturing of solar modules, the company claims that the total volume of solar panels manufactured each year can be vastly increased. At the same time, their products are aimed at reducing the cost per watt of energy produced, to become more competitive with current electricity generation. Thinner solar panels means cheaper materials which is past on to the consumer in a more affordable green and clean energy solution.
HCT Shaping Systems SA (HCT) is the world’s leading supplier of precision wafering systems for manufacturing crystalline silicon (c-Si) substrates for the solar industry. The acquisition of HCT expands Applied’s portfolio of solutions for helping solar customers reduce the costs of manufacturing photovoltaic (PV) cells to make solar energy more competitive with grid electricity.
This acquisition, combined with our strong production technology and global support infrastructure, will enable us to bring crystalline silicon solar manufacturing to a new level of efficiency and help drive down the cost-per-watt of solar power, said Mike Splinter, president and CEO of Applied Materials. HCT’s technology is critical to our roadmap since it complements our high-throughput deposition systems and will enable customers to scale up production and reduce costs.
Applied SunFab is the world’s first and only integrated production line for manufacturing thin film silicon solar modules using 5.7 square meter (m2) glass panels. These ultra-large substrates, sized at 2.2m x 2.6m, are four times bigger than today’s largest thin film solar production panels. This line defines a new standard for the industry that can be replicated by customers around the globe to rapidly establish solar panel manufacturing capacity and achieve the lowest production cost per watt to drive down the cost of solar electricity.
Building a free solar panel system to power your home
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Solar Electricity is doable so long as you pick the right solar company and strategy
How many of us have checked into solar only to find that it is impossible to succesfully do because of the enormous expense. Just the amount of solar panels and batteries you would need to power your refridgerator would be out of most peoples budget and the time it would take to recoup the investment would be quite awhile. You would be looking at spending around $20,000 for the energy you would need to power your refridgerator all year long. That is a big investment!
Because solar is this expensive most people immediately start looking elsewhere for a green energy approach that costs less. Wind turbines and vegetable oil generators are a couple ways of doing it for less. Before we steer clear of solar for good there has been a new more affordable way to retrofit your house with solar and it actually be an affordable solution. There is a solar panel manufacturer that will retrofit your house with solar panels they produce for only a $500 deposit. The way this manufacturer can get away with charging so little is that you have to pay the manufacturer for the solar energy it produces. The manufacturer tries to keep the electric rate you pay them similar to what you would pay your Retail Electric Provider. If the solar panel infrastructure they put on your house gets destroyed that will not be a problem. The company will maintain it for free. If something goes wrong, they fix it, at their expense.
This program is known as the Citizenre program.
There is a web presence for this online that will help you get started in the sign up process.
Solar can be free because their is a profit incentive to make it free
Solar has never been affordable but so many people think harnessing the suns energy is a great green way to go. It makes sense, because you have all of this heat from the sun going to waiste otherwise. It would be nice if solar was affordable so you could use this energy and do away with coal fired power plants and other pollution causing generation plants. In the past even if you were to invest in solar to try and save money you would end up losing your money then if you had of placed it in a money market account instead. So we have practically no one who really is all that interested in solar in order to save money on their energy bill. The Citizenre program however attempts to make this power source affordable to the masses.
Solar has many new inventions in the horizon. We have over 5 different companies who have a business model devoted to making a solar product that is affordable enough to have those who invest in it actually save money on their electricity. That would mean the cost involved in purchasing their solar kit is not cost prohibitive. Citizenre has a rental program where they will install the system for you and you basically rent it from them while paying them for the electricity. Also remember this company will fix for free any problem along the way. Film based solar cells at a super thin size will eventually make solar panels affordable for everyone. New solar panels built out of plastic will take up more space but will be about 10 times cheaper to build then conventional solar panels. A new mirror technology that harnesses more of the sun rays and beams them onto the solar panels will make solar more efficient. Solar appears to have a bright and less expensive future.
If this is not for you but you like the idea of being updated regarding the latest news and information about solar power in Texas than we would like to recommend the resource we use. This company obviously hopes you will eventually become their customer but in the meantime they are great at sending out relevant information on new solar panel technology as it hits the Texas market.
Also feel free to ask about their free solar panel site survey where they come out to your property to put together a quote on how much it will cost to install a solar system at your house. They may be able to give you a preliminary review and quote on the phone without needing to come to your home. The companies name is ESS Solar and they can be reached by clicking on the banner below.