It seems that fuel costs for the home rise above inflation each and every year. I’m not completely sure why this is the case. There have been many changes in the way utility companies are run in many countries. The biggest change is that many companies have become privatized. This means that they are responsible to their shareholders and their aim is to make a profit. This may explain why prices have been going up from a cynical perspective.
However the reason most often given for price rises is that the resources that create electricity are becoming scarce. Oil, natural gas and coal are finite resources and are becoming harder to find, harder to extract and harder to deliver to the consumer. Thus the consumer must cover the increased costs.
From this perspective, people are becoming more interested in alternatives to traditional generated power for the home. One alternative that has had a long and successful history of providing making with energy is solar power. This article will cover how to run a home on solar power using the latest innovations in the solar energy field.
You can run a house using the heat energy supplied by the Sun. The most typical application of thermal energy is to heat water. This can be used as hot water to use or heat the home. Solar thermal energy can also heat a swimming pool.
The principle behind this idea is that if you expose a flat metal plate to sunlight it will become hot. If the plate is painted black then more of the heat energy is absorbed. If you put insulation on the underside of the plate then less of the heat is lost back to the environment.
By passing colder water past the hot plate, the heat will be transferred to the water. This would create hot water. Depending on the heat of the hot plate, this water could be used directly in the home or it could be connected to the normal hot water boiler. The solar pre-heated water can then by heated to an adequate temperature for the home. The pre-heating should save on energy used by the normal hot water boiler.
Energy used to heat household water is one of the most expensive items on most utility bills. This could be reduced if a solar water heating system is installed.
Sunlight can also be used to create electricity. The technology that utilizes sunlight is known as photovoltaics (PV). A PV cell is made from a silicon based semi conductor. The PV cell reacts with sunlight to displace an electron. The flow of an electron from a negative to a positive terminal is the creation of electric current. By increasing the number of PV cells connected in series you can increase the voltage between the positive and negative terminals and the current of the electricity.
This is direct current (DC) which can be stored in batteries or converted to alternating current (AC). Using an power inverter. AC is used in homes to power lights, and most appliances that plug into wall electrical sockets.
Solar panels that you may have seen on a few roofs around your neighborhood are the practical application of photovoltaics. One panel is a group of PV cells aligned in a parallel or series configuration to increase the output of electricity. The efficiency of solar panels has improved over the years. The costs to create and install a solar panel have also reduced over the years.
Most people will start using solar panels as part of their existing grid supplied electricity. They are essentially joint venturing with the utility company. All the solar electricity that they create is sent to the utility company and this is deducted from their total bill at the end of the quarter.
The advantage of being connected to the grid is that if there is no Sun then you can use the grid electricity. There is less responsibility on the homeowner which can suit people new to solar power.
The next stage in solar electricity is to go completely off grid. This means you cut off the utility company and rely on solar power solely. This may be scary for some people new to solar power but it is possible but more work. You will need storage devices for your electricity and backup systems should the Sun not shine. Many people have fuel powered generators or have wind or water power systems as backup.
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