Monday

Practical Solar Energy

If you are in the process of, or planning to, design your own home, start by looking for land that has a water source such as a stream or room for wind turbines. Another good idea is to choose a roof with solar panels built in. You can even position them to get the most out of sunlight.for green energy consumption. If you are building or renovating your home it is a smart idea, in these times of rising energy costs, to consider an alternative source for your power needs like solar power. If you live in an area with high sunlight year round, you can install these solar panels on your roof and supply parts of your home with this free and clean energy from the sun.


It is important that solar panels, whether you install them on your roof or anywhere else on your property, must be angled toward the sun to receive maximum exposure. In the Northern Hemisphere, this means facing them south with an angle of latitude plus fifteen degrees. Otherwise, your investment will not return as much energy as you hope.
 
Think outside of the box. While many people think 'solar' panels when they think of green energy, there are other ways to take advantage of the sun. If you are building a new home, consider incorporating passive solar design into the home. By building with materials such as concrete or adobe and taking advantage of the sun's natural heat with south-facing windows, you can create a home that will naturally heat itself in the winter and stay cool in the summer.


You can easily get solar panels installed in your home to collect solar energy for your use. However, before doing this, you need to consider a few things. The biggest thing to consider is how much sun does your house get on average? If you're in a shady area or a place that doesn't have many sunny days, obviously you won't be able to gain as much power.
Whilst many green energy options such as solar power may have a high initial cost, they will pay for themselves many times over in the free power they give to you.