Solar Living News

The initial investment for solar panels may seem with high front-end overhead to be later offset by keeping the property long enough for it to pay off through the long-term cost savings of electricity. In the United States, there are many rebates and tax incentives that you can take advantage of to assist in offsetting the large front end costs for solar panel systems. Most power companies will offer a rebate for solar panel systems along with other federal program incentives. If you are planning to reside in your home for a long period of time a solar panel system will certainly pay for itself typically within about 5-8 years.

A positive certainty to your investment in solar panels is that once you purchase a system, your costs are basically fixed. In other words your cost for those panels is set as you have already paid for that energy by already purchasing the solar panels. The cost of electricity will continue to rise and significant increases are common as most consumers already realize. At some point you will end up paying less than non-solar users for the same amount of energy. How long it takes before you are paying less depends on how much your panels cost and how much you would have been paying if you continued to purchase electricity from your power company.

A ball park figure to install solar power to supply your home would roughly cost approximately $20,000 or about $10 per watt. If you are not up to this investment just yet, you can also use solar power to reduce costs for smaller household functions as well. For example you could purchase and install a small solar powered system that could power your computer and a couple of other small household appliances for about $800-$1,000.

If you use solar power to provide light in or around you home, such as outdoor solar garden lights, the light present is delivered through one or more LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes. The LED is specifically made to release light and to do it efficiently with minimal energy absorption. The diode itself is contained within a plastic casing designed to promote the release of light in a specific direction. A large portion of the light produced inside the casing bounces off the side walls before its release through the rounded end.

There are many great advantages to LEDs compared to conventional incandescent bulbs. The LED doesn’t include a filament that ultimately burns out requiring regular replacement. This resuts in an LED bulb lasts much longer often up to 20 times longer operating life. Strength and durability is also a factor as the tough plastic casing of the LED is much more damage resistant than traditional bulbs. Modern electronics also welcome LED bulbs much more than larger bulbs as they can be easily integrated into many designs where light is needed.

Beyond the physical advantages to the LED bulb, it is their energy efficiency that is most recognized. Incandescent bulbs emit lights thanks to the high generation of heat as the internal filament requires this to operate.  As a result a great deal of energy is expended to heat the filament for the production of light. Most of the generated heat escapes nor is it used to generate the visible light. Now LEDs inside your electronic devices or your solar powered garden lights generate barely any heat and just a small amount of energy is required to produce light. The end result is very beneficial to consumers as the cost and use of electricity is greatly reduced thus saving money and energy.

On a smaller scale most of us already realize that the use solar power already is common place with many home and business owners. Plenty of neighborhoods have outdoor solar garden lights for landscaping or solar panels on a rooftop is a frequent site, especially in states where sunlight is more frequent. The benefits and technologies of solar power are now present on a much larger scale.

Thinking beyond the backyard or other household appliances powered by solar energy, the solar thermal power plant is an amazing technology that can impact communities. These plants convert the sun’s energy into a useable heat source. This heat then boils water resulting in the release of steam to generate electricity through a turbine in a similar fashion to a nuclear power plant. This technology can benefit thousands of residents at a time serving entire communities with solar generated useable electricity.

Other solar power technologies being perfected including a method that utilizes mirrors to redirect sunlight onto an oil filled pipe. The heated oil then boils water for the generation of electricity. Mirrors are used in another technique in directing sun’s energy onto a collector which rests a receiver. A generator is then powered by molten salt that flows through the receiver.

Other technologies in use also includes less direct solar power uses such as the collection of solar energy through large windows allowing heat absorbing materials in the walls and floors of buildings to collect heat. At night this heat is released to maintain a steady temperature throughout the building. In a similar method heat absorbing poles installed on a rooftop can heat liquid in cylinders that provides a home with hot water.

If there are any negatives to the use and applications of solar power it may be due to costs and advancing solar technologies are expensive and they require large amounts of land in order to allow enough energy to be collected to impact an entire community. Thanks to new developing technologies and international recognition to the benefits of solar power, the push for using solar has increased by more than 20% since 1995. Solar panels used to be very expensive to develop but prices have dropped significantly and they are more efficient leading to the development of new major international markets. Cost incentives to go solar from our government permits the investment in solar electricity even more worthwhile allowing for a system to be paid for in five to ten years.

Everywhere you turn, whether in advertisement or just in general discussion, the social catch phrase now seems to be “go green”. Whether its energy conservation or natural and organic lifestyle, the word green has taken on new meaning over the past decade.

When it comes to the environment and energy alternatives, solar energy and the global advantages it creates, is at the forefront of the green energy movement. All other energy sources we use are limited or produce harmful by-products. Nuclear energy has radioactive waste and we all know the political and public hot potato that source is. Also, there’s no such thing as clean coal and we know that electrical power is another form of dirty energy that also is not in endless abundance.

Now consider solar power, the ultimate alternative energy source that will be available providing that our sun continues to rise. However, tapping into this ultimate source and converting it into useable energy for all societies is the challenge that lies ahead. As we all know great advancements have already been made in this field and will continue to move forward.

Every day the sun provides enough solar energy to power the globe for a year. Despite continued advancements in the collection and utilization of solar power, just one tenth of one percent is harnessed towards the global demand of energy. Now according to a recent National Geographic story, solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies could generate enough electricity equal to 40 times the world’s present electricity use. Photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, are a familiar site to most as they are commonly seen on roof tops, outdoor solar garden lighting, in calculators, and of course used on NASA spacecraft. When sunlight heats these solar panels electrons are released from their atoms resulting in the generation of electricity as the electrons flow the solar cell.

There are many quality solar landscape lights available on the market today. A variety of folar powered fixtures in many shapes, textures, sizes, and colorful LED displays allows consumets to select from many options. Solar garden light products are manufactured with various materials such as stainless steel and now can include glass lamps for added quality and aesthetics. Overwhelmingly most solar lights are constructed from hard plastics that remain durable and weather resistent, altough many varieties remain on the market allowing homeowners the variety of choice to best express their landscape needs and designs.

One manufacturer, Gama Sonic USA, owns the patent of an outdoor solar lighting advancement that allows for the improved performance of man of their solar light models. Inside most of thier models is a cone reflector that operates to improve the intensity and glow of the emitted light from the LED bulbs.

This cone reflector is a funnel type lens with a hollow interior and the top section contains a cavity that allows emitted light to be transmitted through the reflector lens. As light travels towards the bottom section, the reflector redirects light horizontally through the lens to prevent light from escape through the base. The reflector lens outer and inner surfaces contain ridges to form a grid-like pattern to disperse light. 

With many environmental concerns and changes, we are in the midst of a world-wide movement to protect our eco-system with energy saving technologies, recycling, and the protection of natural resources are all huge topics of discussion within the “green” movement. It will take concentrated efforts and continued education from industrialized nations to develop a global preservation plan if we are to help protect the generations to follow.

A positive development is the amazing technological advancements in the conversion of the sun’s energy into useful forms of clean energy with tremendous benefits both on social and environmental levels. Solar energy can be converted to heat energy (thermal) and is useful for heating spaces, like your home or a building, or for heating water. Solar energy is also converted into electricity in two ways, through solar power plants or through Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. It’s amazing to ponder the advancements that have been made in this field but it remains a far cry from our current dependence upon fossil fuels for energy. In time, perhaps the pendulum will swing towards the utilization of solar energy on a more level playing field and reduce our consumption of waste emitting energy sources. All things may be possible when you consider the power of the sun. Here are some solar facts that you may not be aware of.

The sun is simply a star and it’s smaller than some of the stars you view at night but it’s much closer to earth than many stars. The sun is 93 million miles from earth and is much larger than earth. The earth could fit inside the sun a million times! If we could all of the energy emitted by the sun it would provide enough power for everybody.

It takes about eight minutes for the sun’s rays to reach earth. If you drove 60 mph in a car it would take 176 years to get there. It is estimated that the sun is more than 4 billion years old. In several more billion years scientists believe the sun will have burned all of the hydrogen that’s present then it will expand 100 times its size and burn helium. Ever wonder how hot the sun is? At the core it is about 10 million degrees and around 6,000 degrees on its surface.

With all that mass and intensity it only makes sense that we try to harness what sun provides for us day in and day out.

When solar lights first hit the market many years ago they were generally very dim and frankly, not overly reliable. They have advanced remarkably with the development of ultra-bright LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) which have replaced the original filaments bulbs that were traditional to solar fixtures. These LEDs are able to generate substantial amounts of light without emitting heat like their original predecessors. This allows for more efficient operation resulting in a reliable and long-lasting light bulb.

Additional advances in solar lighting include the efficient and cost conscious Photo Voltaic cell (PV Cells). This improved solar technology, with more efficient batteries, can generate light on a year-round basis despite colder weather and shorter days, without sacrificing performance. When you are ready to purchase solar lights remember that they have varying functions and intensities to match multiple purposes. There are three primary outside solar lighting categories to consider: accent lights, pathway lights, and spotlights.

Great option for mulitple placements in your garden landscape

Accent Lights Accent lights are a great landscape accessory as they provide a simple glow to your landscape features. They are designed to provide a low level illumination not as a safety feature. With this lower output, accent lights often last longer than other styles of solar landscape lighting. Also these lights can often operate for multiple nights on a single day’s charge. Another bonus for these accent lights is their ability to charge even on cloudy days or in areas partially covered by shade. Another element to consider is the color or shade of the accent light’s LED. White LEDs are brighter than amber colored lights which provide even softer lighting. As a result amber uses less electricity resulting in longer illumination times. Accent lights are very useful for many landscape features such as highlighting attractive features around your yard or property or to highlight possible hazards that could be stumbled upon at night. Overall accent lights provide the lowest output of all the solar lights and are the most affordable.

Pathway Lights

It’s obvious that the primary purpose of this solar light category is to illuminate pathways, driveways, sidewalks, and other elongated areas that are part of your landscape. These lights are often displayed in uniformity with multiple fixtures lining the edges of the specific path. Often these lights are installed or mounted on stakes that are inserted directly into the ground. Many will hang off the stakes or have a direct attachment for display. Often there are multiple display options or positioning options but the purpose most often is to illuminate downwards. Some of the path style lights include on-off switches allowing for the conservation of energy and a lengthy run time. More sophisticated models may include color lenses, timers, or allow for varying levels power use. These lights fall in the medium range among solar lights for both light output and cost.

Spotlights

Spotlights are the brightest category of solar lights and are most often the most expensive. They are made to supply a bright beam of light on your home or landscape features. Although they are brighter and more intense than the other solar lights, they certainly are not as strong as an electric flood light. Top-quality solar lights with strong LEDs can produce a beam comparable to a 40-watt incandescent spotlight.. Not bad for a completely eco-friendly light that is free to operate. Many of these solar spotlights are flexible with multiple display or mounting options and should include the necessary hardware for all available options. Also the solar panel can be adjusted or mounted separately so the light may shine in any direction. With this application the solar panel can be mounted where sunlight is constant while the light fixture can be mounted where the light is needed after the sun sets. The spotlights are usually very durable with the most heavily constructed fixtures.

An added benefit of using solar lights featuring LEDs is their ability to emit brighter light as the temperature drops. This is due to the solid design of the LEDs. In this matter solar lights are a great choice compared to low voltage landscape lights or fluorescent lights which operate poorly as the temperature drops. LEDs also have an average life span of 100,000 hours compared to 3,000 hours for the typical incandescent light. Solar lighting is an outstanding option for the home gardener and the do-it-yourselfer. There are many brands and types that should meet all of your outdoor lighting needs.