Alternative Energy Use For The Householder - Photovoltaic Panels For Electricity Generation

It's more and more evident that our home, Earth

, is in short supply of carbon-based fuels, and we should begin using renewable forms as soon as possible. What are the forms of alternative energy, and what are the solar power advantages and disadvantages?

For the hard-pressed house owner, the first question is often 'how much does it cost?', which is of course really important. Other questions relate to how practical it is in home use and 'what will it do for me?' Some of the applications of renewable energy aren't very practical on a small scale, like hydro-electric, usually needing large turbine generators to make electricity for groups of people.

Geothermal heat pumps are a outstanding option, but still need a supply of electrical power. Heat pumps can be explained as a form of energy amplifier. Two renewable energy forms that use sunshine are very appropriate for the individual house holder, photovoltaic for generating electricity and thermal systems for hot water. What are the pros and cons of generating electrical power with photovoltaics?

Photovoltaic panels are only thirteen percent efficient, representing a major disadvantage, as it directly raises the cost. Basically, due to this low energy converting ratio, an area of eight square meters is required to produce just 1kW of electricity. A square meter of PV panel creates around one hundred thirty watts of electricity. As the basic crystal lattice material for the panels is high-priced, then the cost of creating a system for the home is inevitably high, the level of which depends on the level of independence required. That said, photovoltaic systems are very clean, have few parts that can go wrong, don't need much upkeep and have an average life of over forty years.

The exact design of a system will depend upon your needs. The photovoltaic system can either be used alongside the supply company system, supplementing the existing supply, or the system can be off-grid. An off-grid installation will include a number of rechargeable batteries that will supply the electrical output and not be affected voltage variations due to the sunshine level over the panels.

The panels themselves can be ground mounted or bolted to a house roof facing South, or as close to South as possible, at a desirable angle of 45 degrees. Some systems are mounted on top of a pole and have sophisticated sun tracking systems on board, which follow the sun's lateral and vertical orientation and move the panels accordingly to get the most energy from the sun. When roof mounted, a gap is left between the frame holding the panels and the roof tiles, as photovoltaic panels can become too hot in bright sunshine.

by: Peter Bruce

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