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After two years of eco-living, what works and what doesn’t
After experimenting with solar panels, gray-water systems and chickens for two years, a budget-minded consumer takes stock of what worked and what didn’t. It started with gray water, then escalated to chickens, composting toilets and rain barrels. I’m talking about the two years I’ve spent transforming my humble California bungalow into a test case for sustainable living — an experience that’s …
Read more on Los Angeles Times

The DIY eco-island: British inventor builds floating home from 120,000 plastic bottles
A British man has created an island home in the Caribbean – with 120,000 plastic bottles. Richard ‘Rishi’ Sowar used the rubbish that would otherwise have been buried in landfill make Spiral Island II in a lagoon off Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
Read more on Daily Mail

Part 2 of a 2 part series showing how to install a cheap cost effective solar hot water heater. greenpowerscience.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

• Includes ten 130 Watt Sharp module panels; panels are 59in.L x 26 3/4in.W x 2 3/4in.H each
• 2500 Watt pure sine wave inverter for all types of appliances and sensitive electronics
• Two 50 Amp charge controllers; controllers are PWM and temperature compensating
• Minimum 600 Ah battery recommended; battery not included

This Sunforce Products ProSeries solar backup power system gives you up to 1300 Watts of power, making it an ideal choice for powering up non-electrified cabins and cottages or storing emergency power. Application: Backup Power, Watts: 1300, Dimensions L x W x H (in.): (10) 59 x 26 3/4 x 2 3/4 panels, LED Light: NA, Material: Polycrystalline Sharp Modules, Panel Type: Polycrystalline, Panels (qty.): 10, Battery Type: None; min. 600 Ah battery recommended, Battery Included: No

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How To Make A Cheap Solar Panel-Learn How To Make A Cheap Solar Panel

Huge spending on electricity bills driving you crazy? Want to learn how to make a cheap solar panel?

If you want to learn how to make a cheap solar panel first you’ll need to learn some fundamentals on how does a solar panel works. This way, the entire procedure will be simple to handle.

The process starts with solar modules. They are the main components exposed straight to sunlight. Their major function is to convert the sun’s energy into usable electrical energy for the electrical appliances. To have them appropriately installed, solar modules are to be mounted on a steel frame and positioned on your roof top.

Power created by the solar modules is transformed from Direct Current (DC) to Alternative Current (AC) through a inverter. Usually, Alternating Current (AC) is the compatible electrical power that we need to power the home appliances.

Next, the electrical power transfers from the inverter to the electrical service panel. The electrical service panel distributes the electrical power to different parts of your house or office for use.

The additional electrical power produced by the solar panels will then be brought into the grid through the utility electric meter. Consequently, the meter will be made to spin backwards thus establishing a credit with the utility company in offsetting future consumption. This method is known as Net Metering and is allowed by State Level Electricity Policy.

Learning how to make a cheap solar panel isn’t really a difficult task. You don’t require an engineering degree just simple skills to handle basic tools and wiring with safety measures and care.

The parts needed for making homemade solar panel include:-

1.    Solar Cells
2.    Sheet Plywood
3.    Copper Wire
4.    General Tools (Drills, woodwork, screwdrivers glue etc)
5.    Clear PVC Sheeting

All these parts can be easily & cheaply bought from the local hardware store. Out of all the parts needed photovoltaic cell is the only component that you might have to search online and it can be found easily on eBay.

Quality directions that are easy to follow are crucial to find when trying to how to make a cheap solar panel. This will make the building process less demanding and make you happier that you made the choice to do it yourself. Online is just one of the places you are able to find some of these manuals to learn how to make cheap solar panels on your own. We have carefully reviewed the best guides available to help you to learn how to make a cheap solar panel. Go ahead and check them out NOW……learn how to make cheap solar panels & STOP paying electric bills…FOREVER!

Find More Cheap Solar Panels Articles

Get your very own FREE do-it-yourself solar water heater guide here: smart-think-marketing.com Home made solar hot water heater. It’s been working in Grass Valley, CA. near Auburn CA, about an hour out side Sacramento, Ca for the last 30 years. Simple and cheap to build. On grid or off grid. You can also find us at www.easyasabt.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Easy To Build Solar Panels For The Home

What exactly are Solar Panels? We’ve all seen them at one time or another in many different places. Solar Panels are basically solar cells that capture sunlight and actively turns it into electricity.

Solar Panels installed on your home usually produce about about 2 amps at 2 volts (in direct sunlight.) However, over time the solar cells of the solar panels start to wear down. The quality of the panels, and materials used to build them rely on how long they will last. So, when chosing solar panels, go for dollar/watt ratio rather than the size of the panel itself.

Living “off grid” is easy and exciting if done correctly! If you produce more power than you consumer you’ll literally have your electric meter spinning backwards, and instead of YOU paying the power bill, the electric company itself will pay you (buying back the unused power produced by the solar panels.

In order for all of this to happen, you’ll not only need the solar panels, but a Synchronous Solar Panel Inverter.  The Synchronous Solar Panel Inverter is used to produce a “dynamic” between the solar cells of the solar panels and the power grid. It also comes in handy in case your panels become damaged, or unusable, this way you can still use the citys power.

So, homemade solar panels are not only economicable, but they can be a fun weekend project with the right materials at your side!

Go green and save a ton of money… build solar panels … Its as easy as that!

News on the internet

Solar Energy Initiatives, Inc. Announces Completion Of 2.5 MWs Of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
Solar Energy Initiatives, Inc. (OTCBB: SNRY), with businesses in solar project development, distribution and workforce training, today announced it has signed three Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to build 2.5 MWs of projects with municipal and institutional clients
Read more on ElectricNet

SANYO Solar Modules Provide Renewable Power to Select IKEA Stores in Canada
WOODBRIDGE, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Oct. 8, 2010) – SANYO Canada Inc. (SANYO) announced today that IKEA Canada has chosen SANYO HIT® technology to generate renewable energy using the roofs of three IKEA stores in the Greater Toronto Area. The project will support the use of industry-leading conversion efficiency SANYO HIT® Power 210A solar PV modules. The SANYO rooftop PV systems at IKEA stores …
Read more on Marketwire

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) today released the second phase of its Utility Solar Business Models (USBM) report, entitled “Utility Solar Business Models: Developing Value in Solar Markets.” The report provides a uniquely detailed look at the business models of 21 utilities that have integrated solar energy into their energy portfolios. SEPA has been working with electric utilities on USBM development and understanding since 2007 through working groups, reports, workshops, presentations and case summaries.

“This report contains a wealth of information about how utilities can create value through solar energy,” said David Rubin, Chairman of SEPA’s Board of Directors and Director of Service Analysis for Pacific Gas and Electric Company. “Any utility leader interested in learning how they could make solar work in a financially sound way will find no better primer than this study. SEPA’s done the homework for them.”

Specifically, the USBM report examines variants among utility business models, including:

• Pursuing both utility ownership and power-purchase agreements (PPAs)
• Standardizing bidding and PPAs, to minimize transaction costs and regulatory review
• Aggregating, integrating and controlling systems to reduce host and developer costs
• Integrating distributed solar with local smart grid initiatives
• Compensating host customers with lease payments or long-term fixed energy rates
• Targeting underutilized properties, multiple site owners, and public rights of way
• Targeting local capacity constraints using tracking systems

Overall, the report concludes that new, expanding definitions of utility solar business models represent a significant potential for solar market growth. The lessons learned from the models developed by utilities as diverse as Tucson Electric Power (Arizona), Sacramento Municipal Utility District (California), and Florida Power and Light can be applied to utilities across the country looking to develop solar power.

“There’s no doubt that solar has great potential for growth,” said SEPA President and CEO, Julia Hamm. “Just in the last two years, utilities have announced almost 800 megawatts in solar projects, worth more than .5 billion. What this report gives us is an understanding of how they did it, not just how much they’re doing.”

SEPA’s study also identifies four challenge areas that may influence the growth of utility-scale solar as the market matures. Those four areas are:

• Solar ownership: Who owns the solar assets?
• Solar value: How can the utility add value in solar markets that others can’t?
• Competitive Issues: What challenges can utility solar programs expect to face from stakeholders?
• Stakeholder Impacts: Who benefits and who pays for utility solar activities, and how significant are these impacts?

The Utility Solar Business Models Report also includes a solar decision making tool for utilities which highlights important business, legal, and regulatory drivers for those considering expanding beyond conventional utility operations into various forms of solar generation.

While the full report is available free of charge to SEPA members, non-members can access an Executive Summary at no charge and/or purchase a copy of the report with the decision making tool for the price of ,999 on SEPA’s website at http://www.solarelectricpower.org/resources/reports.aspx .

SEPA will also host a webinar to discuss the report on Wednesday, October 20 at 2 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific. The one-hour webinar will be led by John Nimmons, John Nimmons and Associates, Inc. To register for the webinar, visit http://www.solarelectricpower.org/events/webinars.aspx . Registration to this and all SEPA webinars is free for SEPA members and 5 for non-members.

ABOUT SEPA

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy portfolios. With more than 700 utility and solar industry members, SEPA provides unbiased utility solar market intelligence, up-to-date information about technologies and business models, and peer-to-peer interaction. From hosting national events to one-on-one counseling, SEPA helps utilities make smart solar decisions. For more information, visit www.solarelectricpower.org .

• High-efficiency polycrystalline solar cells from Sharp provide advanced power output
• Weatherproof solar cells feature durable aluminum frames with tempered glass coverings
• Includes five 130-Watt polycrystalline solar panels, a 50-Amp Pro-Series charge controller, a voltage tester, and mounting accessories
• 25-year solar panel warranty
• Kit is easy to install and virtually maintenance-free

The Sunforce solar kit is comprised of 3 units of the 130 watt polycrystalline sharp solar panel. These panels are designed for RV’s, homes, boats, back-up and remote power use, 12 Volt battery charging and solar power stations, and much more. These are three high efficiency polycrystalline solar cell modules, which are completely maintenance free and easy to install. Use this pack for various tasks, or connect the multiple panels for more power. The panels are completely weatherproof, and have

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Solar-Powered White House No Longer a ‘Kooky’ Idea
Nearly 30 years after President Ronald Reagan dismantled his predecessor’s solar panels, the White House is once again going …
Read more on New York Times

Solar project first of its kind in Canada
An innovative solar thermal cooling project has come to Woodstock. The project is currently being constructed at Oxford Gardens, a recently renovated retirement village located on Devonshire Avenue, and involves the installation of 162 solar thermal collectors.[...]
Read more on Woodstock Sentinel-Review