subject: Making Your Own Solar Energy-An Overview [print this page] Making Your Own Solar Energy-An Overview Making Your Own Solar Energy-An Overview
Every year the sun sends down to the earth 170 Petawatts of energy in the form of light and heat and about 80 Petawatts eventually reach the ground. To put this in perspective, 40 Petawatts (80,000 trillion watts) or half a year's worth is equal to all of the fossil fuels that we can ever extract from the earth. It's free, non-polluting, and contributes 0% to global warming. So if you live where the sun shines a lot you are in an ideal position to make your own solar panels and take a huge bite out of your power bill while making a positive contribution to the environment at the same time.
While we are using up fossil fuel energy sources faster than new ones can be discovered, it only makes sense to start turning to one of the most abundant energy sources available for free-solar energy. It is a renewable resource that has not yet been fully tapped by a lot of countries which makes it very viable for the future. You can capture this energy when you build a solar cell array that you install on your roof so it can capture as many solar rays as possible and then convert them into electricity. You will need 10 or 12 panels to capture at least a kilowatt of power.
The only limitation that challenges the use of solar energy is that it can only generate power during the day. The answer to this is to put an auxiliary system in place that will store the energy and then kick-in when the sun is not available. This comes in the form of deep cycle batteries which will provide power in the evening or during a brownout.
Many of us hesitate to install solar energy solutions at home fearing that they are too expensive and unwieldy. They do carry a hefty price tag if you opt for professional installation but you may be surprised at how easy and reasonable it is to implement a solar solution to your high power bill from the electric company. If you live in an area that enjoys abundant sunshine and there aren't a lot of obstructions to hinder the light, then you need to look into making your own solar panels and not worrying about your electricity bills anymore.
In California it is generally accepted that a house that converts to "green energy" is the equivalent of taking two cars off the road. Solar energy systems have many advantages apart from being environment-friendly. They are low on maintenance thus saving your time and effort. Also, solar systems give you a return on investment very soon, thus making the systems free after some time. Solar energy is a smart alternative energy option and you can save money and have fun by building your own solar cells.
