Solar Power E Book

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Table of Contents
Introduction: Why Install a Solar Power System? Chapter 1: Understanding How Solar Power Works Chapter 2: Components of a Solar Power System Chapter 3: Choosing a Solar Power System Chapter 4: Where to Put a Solar System Chapter 5: Sizing Your Solar Panels Chapter 6: Dollars and Cents Chapter 7: Installing a Solar System Professionally Chapter 8: The Pros and Cons of DIY Solar Power Chapter 9: Where to Get Solar Power Equipment for DIY Projects t Chapter 10: Maintaining and Expanding a Solar Power System Chapter 11: Heating and Lighting a Home with Solar Power Appendix A: A List of Solar Chargers for Small Devices Appendix B: Further Reading and Bibliography
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Introduction: Why Install a Solar Power System?

Solar power has been around for decades, but it's only been in the last few years that people have started to pay closer attention to solar power as a viable power option. In part because of rising utility costs, and in part because utility of the climate change crisis, more and more people all across the world are turning to solar power. A solar power system at home has five main benefits: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Solar power will reduce or completely eliminate your power bill. completely Solar power will severely reduce your home's greenhouse emissions. Solar power cells require very little maintenance. equire Solar power cells last for decades. r In remote areas, living off the grid is often more realistic than relying upon utility companies.
Why Read this eBook?

In the course of this ebook, we'll walk you through every aspect of choosing, installing, and getting the most from your personal solar power system. We'll help you choose the right solar power equipment to fit your budget, and we'll help you size your system to provide you with the amount of energy you p desire. Whether you want to tie your system into the grid and sell your power back to the utility company or live completely off the grid, we'll explain how to go about each method in a st step-by-step manner. We'll cover both DIY solar step systems and professionally installed systems, as well as what rebates and tax credits are available to make a new solar system more affordable. By the time you're done reading our extensive ebook, you'll be rea ready to start your journey into the world of home solar power systems. So pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea, sit back, and enjoy learning all about solar power systems for your home.
Chapter 1: Understanding How Solar Power Works

Solar power takes natural energy provided by the sun and converts it into usable electricity. Typically, we power all our human activities with oil, coal, and other non-renewable resources, but ironically, the sun provides enough renewable
energy each day to fulfill all of our our power nee needs and then some. However, tapping into the power of the sun is complicated and sometimes expensive, which is why as a society we haven't explored solar power with more interest until it became devastatingly obvious that the negative effects of climate change were teetering on the brink the inevitable. hange
The First Solar Panels

To convert sunlight into energy, solar panels use various semi semi-conductor materials. Originally, solar panels used silicon, because silicon will produce an electrical current when it is struck by light. Electrons in silicon begin to move is when they are struck by light, as opposed to electrons in other materials, which only jiggle in place and create heat. Think about a piece of steel left out in the sun for hours. It will be extremely hot to the touch, but it will not hot produce an electrical current. Silicon can create a lot of electricity, but it's expensive to grow big enough silicon crystals to make solar panels.
Newer Solar Panel Materials

In an effort to reduce the cost of solar, the solar power industry is experimenting with other materials that will also create electrical currents. One of these is copper-indium-gallium-selenide, which is used for thin selenide, thin-film solar panels. Unfortunately, these newer, thin film technologies are not as good as thin-film silicon is at creating electricity. As a result, many solar panels still rely upon silicon, which keeps the cost of solar panels rather high.
How Solar Panels Create Usable Power

The most important component of a solar panel is the solar cell, made from one of the materials mentioned above. Photovoltaic (PV) cells are the most common variety cells and also the most efficient. A group of cells forms a panel; a group of panels forms a solar array. The electrical current a solar panel creates is a direct electric current (DC). In direct the United States, DC energy cannot be used; therefore, the current passes through an inverter to create an alternating electric current (AC). Once the energy has passed through the inverter, it is ready to use to power any number of items, from electric cars to light bulbs and washing machines. ber
In a solar power system tied into the grid, this AC energy is fed into the grid and used to help power the home. In an off grid system, the energy is often off-grid stored in a bank of large batt batteries and saved for later use.
Other Types of Solar Energy

In addition to the solar panel energy mentioned above, people also utilize the sun's energy with passive solar and thermal solar methods. Passive solar is just that it's a low-tech, passive way to capture the power of the sun. Passive solar is used by adding windows to a south south-facing wall to encourage the sun to warm the room. Thermal mass to store excess heat is then added in the form of brick, stone, concrete, or even large barrels of water. In the winter, these materials soak up the heat of the sun, so that when the sun goes down they continue to radiate heat. Thermal solar is another low tech way to create heat. It collects the sun's low-tech heat in a non-toxic anti-freeze inside the solar panel's tubes. This heated liquid freeze panel's can then heat water or buildings. Solar thermal is popular for water heating systems and swimming pools. Although passive solar and thermal solar techniques are useful, they will not be the main focus of this ebook. For more information on passive solar and thermal solar, see the section entitled Further Reading.
Chapter 2: Components of a Solar Power System

As mentioned, the main component of any solar power system is the array of solar panels. However, a solar power system needs more than just panels to start creating usable power.
INVERTERS
Besides the panels, the inverters are the most important part of your solar power system because it transforms unusable DC energy into useful, 120 120-volt AC energy that appliances and mos batteries use. most
Types of Inverters
There are many types of inverters to choose from. The most common types include:
Square Wave: These are cheap but not desirable. They create a square wave of energy but are not strong enough for a system powering your entire home. Modified Sine Wave: Popular and economical, the modified or quasi quasisine wave inverter gets the job done for most applications. However, you should be aware that some appliances will use motor speed controls or timers that won't work properly with a modified sine wave inverter. with True Sine Wave: As the name suggests, these inverters create the closest thing to a true sine wave. In many cases, these inverters will produce power more efficiently than even the utility company. Almost all AC applications will work with a true sine wave inverter, but they are the ions most expensive types. Grid-Tie: A grid-tie power inverter feeds the power you produce back tie into the grid, thus reducing or even eliminating your power bill. With a grid-tie inverter, you can sell excess power back to your local utility tie company.
Choosing the Correct Input Voltage

Inverters come in 12, 24, or 48 volt styles. Higher voltage inverters are more 48-volt expensive, but also more efficient. You should use the same voltage for the solar panels, the inverter, and the battery bank, otherwise you can fry your s, system!
Multiple Inverters
A solar panel is only as efficient as its inverter. Electricity that cannot be converted by the inverter is wasted power. Therefore, you don't have to limit yourself to just one inverter. You can stack compatible inverters into a series lf or a parallel configuration. A series of inverters increases output voltage; a parallel configuration increases power output.
CHARGE CONTROLLERS
How much electricity panels produce depends upon the strength of the sun. depends Charge controllers regulate the voltage from the panels in order to protect the batteries or appliances powered by solar. Quality charge controllers have a three-stage cycle called the bulk, absorption, and float cycles. stage cycles. For 75 to 80 watt solar panels, choose a controller rated up to 40 amps, even though these panels probably won't usually produce that much current. Three Threestage 40-amp controllers should cost between $140 - $230. amp
BATTERIES
If your system is tied to the grid, you won't need to worry about batteries. However, if your solar system is designed to provide only partial power, or if it keeps you powered up and completely off the grid, you will need a way to store the power you are getting from the sun, and this means you will need a bank of batteries. The easiest batteries to find, which are also the most affordable, are RV, marine, and golf cart batteries. Used for campers, boats, and golf carts, respectively, these types of batteries are really only ideal if y you have a small solar system. However, it is possible to gather a half dozen or more of these half-dozen batteries and link them together for a larger system. Industrial strength batteries, which include flooded, gel, and AGM sealed batteries, are more expensive but are perfect for powering an entire home off the grid. Flooded batteries are reasonably priced and last for many years. They are a popular choice for solar systems. However, be aware that they cannot be used indoors because they release a potentially toxic, volatile gas. If stored indoors, make sure you use proper ventilation. Gel batteries do not release gas, meaning they can be used indoors. They also perform better than a flooded battery. AGM or absorbed glass mat batteries are extremely efficient, do not leak gas, and have the best performance of all. Naturally, these batteries are also the most expensive of all the batteries mentioned here.
WIRING
Once you have your inverter, your charge controller, your batteries, and of course your panels, you are ready to hook the whole system together. To prevent overheating and get the best possible energy efficiency for your solar system, you will need to size your wires correctly. For choosing the correct wires for your system, we suggest the wiring chart suggest and free calculator available from Free Sun Power. See Further Reading for more information.
Chapter 3: Choosing a Solar Power System

Before you decide which equipment to buy, you first have to decide what type of system you want. In this chapter, we'll examine the following types of solar systems and consider the pros and cons of each type:

Solar direct DC system with batteries Hybrid solar-generator systems generator Off-grid solar dependent systems grid Grid-tied solar systems tied
SOLAR DIRECT / DAY-USE SOLAR USE

Solar direct systems, also called day use solar, are systems that only function day-use when the sun shines. The advantages of a solar direct system are its simplicity (no storage batteries needed), its low cost, and its ease of installation. The obvious disadvantage is that without batteries to store the sun's energy, it only works when the sun is out. Common applications for day-use solar include daywater pumps, ventilation fans, and electronics. These systems are practical but rarely used, and definitely not meant as a comprehensive solar solution. nitely
DC SYSTEM WITH BATTERIES

As explained above, most of our appliances use alternating current. However, there are some electronics, such as well pumps and certain freezers, that use direct current. A DC solar system that uses batteries is designed to power ar these smaller applications. These are ideal for people living in remote areas who want to ensure that their well pump, freezer, or other low voltage appliance always has enough power. Other common applicat applications for these systems include highway sign lights, communication boxes, and gate openers.
HYBRID SOLAR-GENERATOR SYSTEMS GENERATOR

This type of solar system is ideal for people who want to go completely off the grid. They include all of the components mentioned in the previous chapter, from the solar panel array to the battery banks. Many people choose to supplement their solar energy with a secondary source of energy, including wind turbines and/or gas-powered generators. The advantage of this type of -powered system is that it generates a great deal of energy and can be used to power a t small home in almost any location. The disadvantages include the set set-up costs
and the complexity of the system; you do not need to be an electrician to set up this type of system, but it cert certainly helps.
OFF-GRID SOLAR DEPENDENT SYSTEMS GRID

As above, except there is no secondary source of power. Without a secondary source of power, these systems are vulnerable if cloudy weather prevents the batteries from charging. However, in remote locations, th these systems are ideal.
GRID-TIED SOLAR SYSTEMS TIED

These systems are the most popular, but they are also the most expensive. Tied into an existing home by a solar installation professional, these systems sell excess power back to the grid. Although initial installation may cost tens of installation thousands of dollars for a typical suburban home, the homeowner will never have to pay for power again. If you are planning on living in your current home for another two decades, these systems will easily pay you back everything you put into it and then some. Furthermore, tax credits and grants are often available to homeowners who install this type of system. Weigh your own needs against the systems listed above. If you only want to use solar power to supplement your existing power supply and reduce your power power bill, you can use a partial system such as a solar direct or DC solar system. If you want to go off the grid, you will need either a hybrid system or the off-grid system mentioned above. For a professionally installed syste that grid system adds power to the grid, contact your utility company about a grid grid-tied system.
Chapter 4: Where to Put a Solar System

In this chapter, we'll answer two main questions: where should you place your solar panels and where should you place the rest of your solar equipment.
PLACING SOLAR PANELS

Solar panels are generally installed on a south facing roof unobstructed by south-facing shadows cast by trees or buildings. A roof with southern exposure is ideal because it will maximize the amount of energy your panels will produce in both summer and winter.
Should you not have a rooftop with southern exposure, the next best choice is southeast or southwest. Eastern exposure is so so; northern exposure is the so-so; worst (unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case n northern exposure is the best and southern exposure is the worst).
The Tilt of the Panels

To further maximize solar collection, you should tilt your panels at an angle ideal for your location. To learn which angle you should use for your panels, read the article referenced in Further Reading on Optimum Orientation of ticle Solar Panels.
Installation of Rooftop Panels

Be aware that before you install your rooftop panels, you should check the integrity of your roof, and verify that your roof can handle the weight of the solar panels. Solar panels and their associated mounting equipment can be quite heavy, so you may need to consult a professional roofer to help you install your panels without damaging your roof. Once your panels are installed properly, you will not have to worry about wind, rain, hail, or snow damaging your panels. Today's panels are designed to be in all types of weather and can sustain up to 1 hailstones without any serious damage.
Alternative Placements for Panels

Some people choose to place solar panels on a greenhouse or shed or in an solar open field for maximum sunlight exposure. Depending upon how you plan on using your solar panels, this type of placement may be ideal for your application.
PLACING THE REST OF YOUR SOLAR EQUIPMENT

As for your battery bank, inverter, and charge controller, in choosing a space ery for these you should keep in mind that they must be sheltered from the elements. Unlike the panels, which are designed to live outside, these sensitive electrical components need a watertight home somewhere inside. For do home do-ityourself systems, try finding a surplus electrical cabinet that's watertight to place your electrical gear close to your panels.
Common options for placement of these items include storage sheds, basements, and garages. Refer to Chapter 2 to learn which types of batteries Refer will require a proper ventilation system. The type of battery you choose will inform your choices for placing the rest of your system.
Chapter 5: Sizing Your Solar Panels

How big your solar panel array will be depends upon how much power you want it to generate. You should first calculate how much energy your application uses, and consider ways you can reduce the amount of energy you require in order to reduce the cost of your solar system. For example, by switching to low-voltage DC appliances, you can save a lot of energy and save voltage money as you create your solar system. You can also reduce your heating and air conditioning needs by improving insulation in your home or designing your new home according to pass passive solar techniques.
Typical Home Energy Consumption

Western people consume a great deal of energy typically at least 4,500 watt watthours per day. To see a chart of how much energy common appliances use, refer to the Further Reading section on this chapter. Generally speaking, solar chapter. powers cost about $4 to $5 per watt of output.
Calculating Your Energy Usage

To calculate your home's energy usage, start by referring to your electric bill. Your utility company will tell you how many kilowatt hours (kWh) you u use per month, and sometimes a daily average is provided as well. According to the government, most American families use approximately 936 kWh per month. If you wish to completely replace your utility company, this means you will need your system to generate roughly 1,000 kWh of power generate each month.
Where do You Live?

Clearly, if you live in the sunny desert southwest, solar power will be easier and cheaper than if you live in Alaska. Furthermore, the sun is stronger and closer to the Earth for people living in southern climes. This means that in someone living in the desert southwest will be able to generate the same amount of power with a smaller system as someone living in Alaska.
For a free solar power calculator that will estimate the size and cost of a solar system for your home, refer to the Further Reading section for this chapter. This tool allows you to estimate the size and cost of a solar system based on where you live, what utility company you use, your current monthly energy usage, and what percentage of your overall power you want from solar. On average, you should expect the overall size of a grid tie system for an urban or grid-tie suburban home to be at least two square meters.
Chapter 6: Dollars and Cents

During this chapter, we'll look at the bottom line when it comes to installing a complete solar power system for your home. We'll cover the following topics:

Grid-tie system costs tie Off-grid system costs grid Tax incentives and rebates Monetary savings from a solar system
GRID-TIE SYSTEM COSTS

Installing a system tied to the grid, as already mentioned, isn't cheap. For a home in the southeast that uses about 1,000 kWh of electricity per month, expect to invest about $52,000. Although the price may be a sticker shock, think of a grid-tie solar power system as paying for all the electricity you're tie going to use over the next few decades at one time. You should also keep in mind that with a grid-tie system you will actually be selling your extra power tie back to your utility company, which will speed the rate of pay paying back your investment. If you can reduce your monthly energy consumption down to an average 800 kWh per month by upgrading insulation, doors, windows, and choosing energy energyefficient appliances, you can reduce the cost of your system by more than $10,000.
Selling Your Power Back to the Utility Company

As mentioned above, you can speed up the rate with which you pay yourself back for your solar system by selling power back to the local utility company. The federal government requires forty forty-two states plus the District of Columbia he to buy back surplus power from solar powered homes. This is true both for residential power consumers and commercial consumers.
In order to sell the power back to the utility company, you will need a way to monitor your power, which means a power meter that runs both forwards and backwards to track energy consumption. Different companies will compensate you in different ways and at different rates, but generally speaking the company will pay you in cash for your total surplus at the end of a year.
How Much Can You Make?

Usually, utility companies pay you the wholesale cost of power, not the retail cost for power. In other words, if the cost of the power to the company is two cents per hour, you will be paid for two cents per kilowatt hour, not the marked-up price they bill you for. Generally this will not amount to much; up maybe a few hundred dollars per year. However, there's another way to make money with your solar panels, and that's by becoming a power broker. Some states, such as Ne Jersey, have New plans in place for buying and selling alternative energy credits. One savvy homeowner in New Jersey, Carl Baldino, has taken advantage of this program and sells alternative energy credits to power companies, earning him about $3,500 per year (Source: New York Times, April 1, 2007). If your state offers an opportunity to become a power broker by selling alternative energy credits, you could turn an expensive system that takes a long time to pay you back into a cost effective system that will p cost-effective pay you back and eventually provide you with profits -- in a fraction of the time.
OFF-GRID SYSTEM COSTS

An off-grid system is ideal for people who live in remote areas where public grid utilities are either not an option or are very expensive / unreliable. Ge Generally speaking, off-grid systems require more maintenance, but are cheaper to grid install. You can reduce your costs even further by piecing together your own DIY solar system. Here are some off grid cost estimates from the vendor off-grid WholesaleSolar.com: Small DC Cabin: $2,750 C Medium DC Cabin: $5,000 Medium AC Cabin: $8,500 Small AC Home: $13,000 Medium AC Home: $17,000 Large AC Home: $22,000
If you want an off-grid system, the ideal way to go about it is to build your grid own off-grid home. This way you can design your home to be energy grid energy-efficient from the start, relying upon passive solar techniques to reduce heating and cooling costs and orienting your home to get the most possible southern exposure. Alternatively, you can buy a property that's already off the grid and set up for solar power.
TAX INCENTIVES AND REBATES

There are two primary types of tax incentives and rebates available: incentives available on the national level and incentives available on the state level. In addition, some cities and counties also offer tax incentives for solar. Considering the high cost of installing a solar system as outlined above, these tax incentives can often be a deciding factor as you debate your solar options. On the national level, many of the tax incentives that were put in place , thanks to the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 have either already expired or are about to expire, so if you plan to make use of them, you need to act swiftly. However, there are other national tax incentives that will be around for a while longer. In particular, take advantage of the Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit: Consumers who install solar energy systems... can receive a 30% tax credit for systems placed in service before December 31, 2016 (Source: Energy.gov). On the state level, visit the DSIRE website, which stands for Database of , State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. You can click on your state in the map to see what incentives are available at the state and local levels. For the link, visit the Further Reading sect section for this chapter.
MONETARY SAVINGS FROM A SOLAR SYSTEM

How much your solar system saves you depends upon your current energy consumption. If you currently pay an average of $100 per month in energy costs and you pay $50,000 for a new solar grid grid-tie system that meets 100% of your solar tem needs, it will take you a substantial amount of time to earn back your investment in power savings. Even with a 30% tax credit, you will still need to keep the system active for about 30 years to earn back that $50,000 in energy savings. However, for the environmentally conscientious, thirty years is but a small price to pay.
This low return on investment for grid tie solar underlines the importance of grid-tie energy efficiency and makes an off grid system or DIY system much more off-grid attractive. Considering that a complete solar system medium ttractive. medium-size off-grid AC powered home costs $17,000 as opposed to $50,000, this type of system will pay for itself in savings much, much faster. Instead of taking 30 years to pay back the investment, it will only take 10 years (assuming the same figures and ll tax credit as above). The high initial investment for residential solar is a barrier for installing solar for many people. Instead of making their entire home solar solar-powered, many people choose a small solar system that runs just a few appliances. A small, lar partial system can keep initial investment costs down under $1,000 and will pay for itself in five or six years. Of course, you get what you pay for, so a small system will only provide a small amount of power maybe enough to power a few computers, a refrigerator, or a washer and dryer.
Chapter 7: Installing a Solar System Professionally

If you choose a grid-tie solar system, the only way to do it is to have it tie installed professionally. You do not want to take the risk of damaging your roof or your electrical supply by approaching it with a do do-it-yourself attitude. Even yourself if you happen to be a professional electrician, you should still consider hiring experienced installers for this type of system. A professional solar installer will also have the experience and know ssional know-how to help you maximize the efficiency of a solar system, including choosing the proper panel orientation, adjusting the panels to the most efficient angle, and securing the panels properly to your roof. The best choice is an all- one package, wherein you hire one company to -in-one both provide your solar system equipment and install the system. This also protects you in the long run if warranty issues or maintenance problems arise. Choose a company whose installers are NABCEP certified. NABCEP stands for the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, the professional organization that certifies PV installers and other solar industry professionals. To find a NABCEP certified solar professional, visit the NABCEP website at professional, nabcep.org. Choose Installer Locator on the left hand side and you can left-hand quickly search for professionals by your zip code or by state.
Of course, professional installation will be another cost to consider for your solar system, but professional installation can save you money in the long run, both through avoiding installation problems and through warranties on the work.
Chapter 8: The Pros and Cons of DIY Solar Power

Some people wonder if do do-it-yourself solar power is even feasible, especially ven given the warnings laid out in the previous chapter. The answer is a resounding YES, do-it-yourself solar is definitely doable, and thousands of yourself people are doing it already and telling their stories on the web. Here are a few of these stories, gathered from various blogs and websites.
The $700 Solar System Cabin

With four golf cart batteries, $310 in panels, and discounted controllers and inverters, a guy named Ward took a little cabin in Colorado and powered it with 100% solar energy. Now, the seven sided cabin isn't very big; rustic ergy. seven-sided would be a good way to describe it. Nevertheless, it clearly demonstrates that off-grid, do-it-yourself solar can be achieved in a safe and cost yourself cost-effective manner (Source: OtherPower.com).
Dennis' Vacation Home

Dennis DuBois found a lovely little property in the Cascade Mountains in Washington state, but to his chagrin he discovered it was not connected to the power grid. To connect it to the grid would cost him $30,000; to build his own solar system would cost half that amount. After extensive research, Dennis decided to make his new vacation home an off grid solar project. When all was off-grid said and done, he spent $16,000 on his solar system, but incentive programs paid for nearly a quarter of his costs (Source: EnergyPriorities.com). (Source:
A True Solar Haven

Jim and Mindy Phypers would admit to being their own breed of activists. Their choice to live off-grid in their own straw bale house in the Arizona desert was grid more than a choice about energy costs; it was also a moral, political, and also spiritual statement for them. Their straw bale house, which they built from scratch, is just 950 square feet, which is part of what makes their DIY solar feasible. They chose a stand stand-alone, pole-mounted solar system, which cost mounted
them a total of $13,500 and, together with a wind turbine, provides all of their energy needs (Source: SolarHaven.org).
For the Ambitious...

Some people will go so far as to make their own solar panels. This saves them even more money and enables their DIY solar power project to be even more self-sufficient. Truthfully it's not actually that hard to take individual PV cells sufficient. and turn them into solar panels; the real trouble is the amount of time it takes and the delicacy of the cells. It's very easy to break or chip the cells when you are working with them. There are many guides online for making your own solar panels. Some of the more extensive guides will walk you through the entire DIY solar process, from making the panels to installing and completing your system. Green Power Science, the husband and wife team of Dan and Denise Rojas, is one example of such a guide. Their helpful website is filled with free videos that demonstrate the step-by-step creation of your own solar panels. step
Chapter 9: Where to Get Solar Power Equipment for DIY Projects Solar
So, you've decided you have the time, the energy, and the cash to install your own off-grid solar power system. The next question is: Where do you find all grid the equipment? Thanks to the internet, there are plenty of vendors who can provide you with vendors decent equipment at discount prices. In this chapter we have a short list of solar equipment providers.
Google
Ok, so Google rules the world, but they're not yet making solar equipment so why do they make the top of the list? Google is a great resource for bargain hunting for your solar equipment. Just type in what you're looking for such as solar panel, inverter, or charge controller and then click Shopping on the left-hand side. Google will give you a long list of options, making price hand shopping easy.
Amazon
Amazon.com is another great place to find a variety of solar power system equipment. Search for solar power kits for kits that include everything you'll need to get a solar power project going.
Ebay
Like Google and Amazon, Ebay is an excellent online marketplace for just e about everything, and these days that includes solar power equipment. On Ebay, you can find the components of a solar power system at very low prices, and sometimes you can find used components at even cheaper rates. Ebay also includes vendors who sell packs of solar panel cells for those ambitious DIY types who want to make even the panels themselves.
WholesaleSolar.com
From generic sites like Ebay, we now move on to sites that specialize in so solar power equipment. The first on the list is WholesaleSolar.com, which offers pretty much all the equipment you could possibly need for your own solar power system, right down to the battery racks.
RealGoods.com
RealGoods.com's motto is Solar Living Since 1978, so it's not surprising that Since their extensive catalog features a wide variety of both solar power system equipment along with solar powered gadgetry and other renewable energy items. Their Real Goods Cabin Systems provide all the equipment you need for a solar powered cabin. They include sizing worksheets and technical specifications to help you choose the right combination of components for your cabin or small home. These systems range from about $5,000 down to just under $1,200.
GoGreenSolar.com
GoGreenSolar.com also has an extensive catalog of both solar power system GreenSolar.com equipment and solar powered gadgets to increase your home's energy efficiency. Their site also includes an Education section with training kits and videos for the inexperienced DIY s solar installer.
Chapter 10: Maintaining and Expanding a Solar Power System

In this chapter we'll cover two topics: maintaining a solar power system once you've put it together, and the practicality of expanding your existing solar power system.
MAINTENANCE OF A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM

Luckily, solar panels themselves are pretty durable and long long-lasting. Some panels from the 1970s are still in operation today. However, solar panels and the rest of your solar power equipment does require some basic maintenance. This includes: 1. Cleaning You will want to regularly wipe down your solar panels to prevent dust and dirt from blocking sunlight absorption. 2. Replacing the inverter Most inverters have a lifespan of about ten years. You'll need to monitor your inverter and replace it when it shows signs of inverter deteriorating. 3. Replacing batteries The lifespan of the batteries you use will vary greatly depending upon how closely you follow the maintenance advice for that battery. Another major factor in battery lifespan is the quality of the charge controller you use. In general: AGM batteries last about 4 7 years; golf cart batteries last 2 7 years; marine batteries last 1 6 years; and deep cycle L L16 type batteries last 4 8 years. You should include these considerations when purchasing solar power system considerations components and calculating your maintenance costs.
EXPANDING A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM

If you decide you need to expand your solar power system once you've built it, this is possible, but challenging. When you initially build a solar power system, you match solar panels, inverters, chargers, and batteries together in such a way that they fit together like puzzle pieces. Later, if you decide you want to expand your solar power system by adding additional panels, you may also have to upgrade other components of your system, such as getting a different inverter, adding batteries, etc. Therefore it is possible to expand your system once it's built, but it's not easy.
Chapter 11: Heating and Lighting a Home with Solar Power

Perhaps having read this guide up to this point, you have decided you do not want a complete solar power system to provide energy for your entire home. Maybe, you think, it would be worthwhile just to heat and/or light your home with solar energy, thus preventing the large initial investment of a complete hus solar power system. In this chapter we'll examine what you need in order to heat or light your home with solar.
HEATING AND COOLING WITH SOLAR ENERGY Passive Solar Techniques

The simplest way to use solar energy to heat and cool your home is to rely upon passive solar techniques. It is easiest to employ passive solar when you are building your home from scratch, as this gives you the greatest control over the passive solar design. However, even if you are living in a home that you was not initially designed to take advantage of the sun, you can still modify your home to use passive solar energy. Here are a few passive solar tips:
Glaze or replace your windows: By glazing or replacing your windows you can greatly increase energy efficiency even if you have an existing building. Check windows for the Energy Star label to find the windows that will keep sunlight in during winter months and block excess light during summer months. g Insulate walls and roofs: Good insulation goes a long way towards utilizing the sun's energy for heat. Doors and openings: As your mother told you, when you leave a door open, you let in a draft. To get the most out of your doors, use ai air-lock vestibules at building entrances and check your doors for energy leakage.
Solar Heaters
There are a variety of solar heaters available on the market, including heaters powered by solar panels, solar pool heaters, and solar water heaters. These heaters are generally a few hundred dollars to purchase and install, but can ers dramatically reduce heating costs. Overall, they represent a good investment.
Solar Cooling
Solar cooling devices include solar powered attic fans and solar solar-powered solar-powered air conditioning units. Using solar panels and other basic solar power equipment, nits. these devices are like a miniature solar power system that powers just one device. Like solar heaters, solar powered cooling can dramatically impact power bills yet are not nearly as expensive as a complete solar power system.
LIGHTING WITH SOLAR ENERGY

Another solar power option is the use of solar power to light your home. With today's energy efficient compact fluorescents, just a few solar panels and a few hundred dollars can provide you with all the light that you need. with
Indoors
Choose passive solar to light your home (in other words, rely upon windows and natural lighting), or choose active solar power. Again, using active solar power to light your home is like installing a miniature solar p power system dedicated to providing power to just one aspect of your home. Like the heating and cooling methods mentioned above, these systems are comparatively inexpensive and easy to maintain.
Outdoors
More and more people are relying upon solar powered outdoor lighting. These outdoor are garden and pathway lights that have a solar cell as a hat. During the day, they collect solar energy through the solar hat. At night, they then use that energy to provide outdoor lighting. These lights are not very big, but you can install enough lights to provide adequate outdoor lighting for your driveway, sidewalk, or garden.
Appendix A: A List of Solar Chargers for Small Devices

Campers, hikers, bikers, and others who want to use their hand hand-held electronics in remote areas are turning to small solar chargers to help. These are solar chargers are often small enough to fit inside a pocket and provide enough power to charge up one or two relatively small devices. Here is a short list of recommended solar chargers:
Sunforce
Sunforce makes a variety of solar power chargers for small to medium medium-sized devices.
Solio Universal Solar Charger Kit

This device won't fit in your pocket but will easily slide into a bag. Using adapters for Motorola, Nokia, or Samsung phones, along with the Palm T Treo and Apple iPod, the Solio will support any cell phone or other device from these brands. The Solio also has an internal batter that charges from the sun, so on a cloudy day the device will still charge up your phone.
Power Film Roll-Up Models Up

Power Film makes a variety of great roll up chargers that will easily roll or fold m roll-up up into a shape that will fit into a cargo pocket. Perfect for hikers and backpackers.
Brunton SolarRolls
Like the Power Film models, Brunton also makes solar chargers that roll up i into compact shapes.
Appendix B: Further Reading and Bibliography

Sources for Chapter One: Alivisatos, Paul. How does solar power work? Scientific American: October 20, 2008. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-does-solarpower-work Consumer Energy Center. Passive Solar Design Thermal Mass. http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/construction/solardesign/therma l.html Renewable Energy Expert. How does solar power work? http://www.renewable-energy energy-expert.com/how-does-solar-power power-work.php Wikipedia. Solar thermal energy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_thermal_energy
Sources for Chapter Two: Free Sun Power. Basic Tutorials. http://www.freesunpower.com Sources for Chapter Three: Solar Sphere. Different Kinds of Solar Power Systems. http://www.spheralsolar.com/differenkindsofsolarpowersystems.html http://www.spheralsolar.com/differenkindsofsolarpowersystems.html Sources for Chapter Four: Green Buildings. Solar Panel Placement: How to Get Maximum Solar Energy Collection. http://www.green http://www.green-buildings.com/content/781554-solar-panelplacement-how-get-maximum maximum-solar-energy-collection Macs Lab Incorporated. Optimum Orientation of Solar Panels. http://www.macslab.com/optsolar.html Sources for Chapter Five: Northern Tool and Equipment. Solar Power. http://www.northerntool.com/catalog/buyersguides/solar-power http://www.northerntool.com/catalog/buyersguides/solar power-equipment/ Free Sun Power. Basic Tutorials: Solar Panels. http://www.freesunpower.com/solarpanels.php Find-Solar. My Solar Estimator. http://www.find-solar.org/?page=solar Solar. solar.org/?page=solarcalculator Sources for Chapter Six: WholesaleSolar.com. Off-Grid System Cost Guide. http://www.wholesalesolar.com/StartHere/OFFGRIDBallparkCost.html US Department of Energy. Consumer Energy Tax Incentives. http://www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm DSIRE USA. http://www.dsireusa.org/ Residential Solar Panels. How do I sell solar power to a utility company? http://www.residentialsolarpanels.org/sell-solar-power-utilityhttp://www.residentialsolarpanel -company
Alsever, Jennifer. A Nice Stiff Breeze, and a Nice Little Power Bill. New York Times: April 1, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/business/yourmoney/01wind.html http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/business/yourmoney/01wind.html Sources for Chapter Seven: Kashani, Hamid. Do I need a professional to install a PV solar system or can I do it myself? Green Home Guide: May 22, 2010. http://greenhomeguide.com/askapro/question/do-i-need-a-professional http://greenhomeguide.com/askapro/question/do professional-toinstall-a-pv-solar-system-or or-can-i-do-it-myself North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners. http://www.nabcep.org/ Sources for Chapter Eight: Other Power. Ward's Cheap Solar Power System. http://www.otherpower.com/wardsolar.html Du Bois, Dennis. Off-Grid Solar Powered Home: The PV System. Energy Grid Priorities Magazine: September 16, 2004. http://energypriorities.com/entries/2004/09/living_a_normal_1.php Solar Haven. http://www.solarhaven.org/ Green Power Science. http://www.greenpowerscience.com/ Sources for Chapter Ten: WindSun.com. Deep Cycle Battery FAQ. http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm SunRunHome.com. Solar Maintenance FAQ. http://www.sunrunhome.com/get-started/solar-faq/solar-maintenance http://www.sunrunhome.com/get maintenance-faq Sources for Chapter Eleven: PassiveSolarEnergy.info. http://www.passivesolarenergy.info/

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Introduction: Why Install a Solar Power System?

Why Read this eBook?

Chapter 1: Understanding How Solar Power Works

The First Solar Panels

Newer Solar Panel Materials

How Solar Panels Create Usable Power

Other Types of Solar Energy

Chapter 2: Components of a Solar Power System

Choosing the Correct Input Voltage

Chapter 3: Choosing a Solar Power System

SOLAR DIRECT / DAY-USE SOLAR USE

DC SYSTEM WITH BATTERIES

HYBRID SOLAR-GENERATOR SYSTEMS GENERATOR

OFF-GRID SOLAR DEPENDENT SYSTEMS GRID

GRID-TIED SOLAR SYSTEMS TIED

Chapter 4: Where to Put a Solar System

PLACING SOLAR PANELS

The Tilt of the Panels

Installation of Rooftop Panels

Alternative Placements for Panels

PLACING THE REST OF YOUR SOLAR EQUIPMENT

Chapter 5: Sizing Your Solar Panels

Typical Home Energy Consumption

Calculating Your Energy Usage

Where do You Live?

Chapter 6: Dollars and Cents

GRID-TIE SYSTEM COSTS

Selling Your Power Back to the Utility Company

How Much Can You Make?

OFF-GRID SYSTEM COSTS

TAX INCENTIVES AND REBATES

MONETARY SAVINGS FROM A SOLAR SYSTEM

Chapter 7: Installing a Solar System Professionally

Chapter 8: The Pros and Cons of DIY Solar Power

The $700 Solar System Cabin

Dennis' Vacation Home

A True Solar Haven

For the Ambitious...

Chapter 10: Maintaining and Expanding a Solar Power System

MAINTENANCE OF A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM

EXPANDING A SOLAR POWER SYSTEM

Chapter 11: Heating and Lighting a Home with Solar Power

HEATING AND COOLING WITH SOLAR ENERGY Passive Solar Techniques

LIGHTING WITH SOLAR ENERGY

Appendix A: A List of Solar Chargers for Small Devices

Solio Universal Solar Charger Kit

Power Film Roll-Up Models Up

Appendix B: Further Reading and Bibliography

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