Category Archives: Solar Energy
Solar Lighting
If you need outdoor lightning in places where there is no regular power source or the power source is difficult to reach than solar power lights can be the answer. The solar power lights can be used to provide accent lightning. There types of solar power lights that light up brightly but others don’t. Although the lights are getting better you must not think of these lights to be as bright as regular powered light.
To make the solar powered light shine brightly you need sunshine of course. More sunshine is better, when it is cloudy, rainy, or during winter they perform less. At least 8 hours of sunshine and fully charged batteries will make solar powered lights powerful enough.
Solar Lighting
Most solar powered lighting kits are not as bright as low voltage, electric powered lights. But new models can adequately highlight plants, mark a path, or provide simple security. Solar powered lights need no wires, what is a big advantage. Everybody who has placed traditional lightning themselves will see advantage. Just put them on the ground, and move them anytime you wish. Solar powered lights also use renewable energy and are non-pollutants. Solar powered lights have built-in light sensors that automatically turn off during the day and turn on at night.
In the past, solar cells were (and many still are) very weak and could not hold a consistent charge for more than a few hours. Now, solar lighting designers and engineers have been able to use advanced light emitting diode lamps that draw minimal current yet provide intense light output. LED lamps are so efficient that one lamp can last for several years before being replaced.
In the new solar power lights the NiCAD (Nickel Cadmium) or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries are used to power solar batteries. Under normal conditions these batteries can last for one year. After that year you can replace them when needed. The three most common uses of solar lights are:
1) Outdoor Lights
This is the simplest and safest way to light landscape environments. Compared to conventional 12V and 120V outdoor lights, solar powered outdoor lights have great electric consumption cost savings! Solar cells collect light during the day and recharge its lithium batteries. With light sensors, these lights automatically turn on at dusk. Normal operating time is 8-10 hours when fully charged. Lights automatically recharge during the next day. Types of outdoor lights may include hanging lights, wall mounted lamps, or even low post lamps.
2) Garden Lights
Solar powered garden lights emit a light that is luminous enough to accent plants. The designs of these lights are also good enough to complement the plant designs. These can be wonderful garden decorations. Some lights have been designed to look like mushrooms, dwarves, birds, flowers, and other natural elements of the garden. Other lights are designed to be nice complements to a garden. Most garden lights are low lights that are usually on the ground.
3) Landscaping Lights
These lights use a small, photovoltaic (PV) cell to charge a battery that is integrated into the lighting fixture itself. After being charged by the sun all day, the battery provides power to the lamp to illuminate the landscapes during nightfall. These lights often provide the most powerful illumination of the three types.
Landscape lights come in various styles. Some have decorative designs that are made of die case metal for durability and styling detail. Some may even resemble lamppost lighting fixtures that make some large landscapes look great!
Always consider the surrounding geography of your home before planning where to put your landscape lights. The most critical is the placement of the PV panel since any interference to the cell will affect the performance of the landscape lights. Make sure that the PV panel will be placed in a spot where virtually nothing will cover it so it can absorb the maximum amount of sunlight. If your area is full of trees and surrounding buildings, solar powered landscape lights may not be for you.
For more information on how you can gain from the many benefits of solar energy, visit http://www.sourcetecenergy.com/.
More Solar Lighting
Solar lights are really easy to install in your garden. All you have to do is to decide on the site you want to lit and stick the fixture in the ground. Best of all they don’t need electricity.
Some will come with a small built in solar panel on the top; other will have a removable panel that you can place at a sunny and convenient location. During the day the solar panel linked to an electronic circuit, charges the batteries. When night begins to falls a photocell detects the changes in luminosity and switch on the light. At sunrise the light switches off and the charging cycle starts again. Assuming the batteries are fully charged, good quality solar lights will provide illumination all night long without any problem. NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) Batteries are often used in solar lighting applications. They will last 2 or 3 years and are easily replaceable.
Most modern solar lights use LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology. Contrary to usual light bulbs, LED’s power consumption is very low, thus providing more lighting time. In addition, LED’s are very reliable and can last a very long time.
Maintenance wise, the only thing required is to clean the solar panel once in a while. Regularly removing the build up dust with a soft cloth, will guarantee optimum performance.
Do not expect solar garden lights to deliver an extremely bright luminosity. Their main purpose is to create a pleasant atmosphere at night. Very nice accent lighting can be obtained when the lights are well located.
Solar garden lights can be found in a multitude of designs and for many purposes.
In addition to the simple and common fixture, you can find for example floating solar lights for swimming pools or ponds, solar deck lights, solar pathway lights.
For more information on how you can gain from the many benefits of solar energy, visit http://www.sourcetecenergy.com/.
Solar Light Your Yard
Outdoor residential lighting can serve many purposes. Practical purposes include allowing persons entering your residence after dark to see where they are going. Residential lighting also helps to prevent burglaries. Aesthetically, outdoor residential lighting placed strategically in your garden can bring out the beauty of your garden and your house. Residential lighting also serves to lengthen the time you spend outdoors entertaining or playing by illuminating your outdoor gatherings.
Tips:
- Hire a professional to install the wiring to avoid hazards associated with faulty wiring.
- Install the lights where they will have the maximum effect. Like along the pathways to light walk routes. A lightened water feature can be very attractive.
- Do not over do the residential lighting or it will likely have the opposite effect.
- In residential lighting, the lights should not be the focus of the decor but the features that are being lightened.
- Hide the lighting system behind plants or garden features.
- Use soft lights bright lights can be disturbing.
- Residential lighting should be resistant to the elements
Types of Lights
Solar lights: A Solar light is the easiest and safest residential lighting to install and use. There are a variety of styles and designs of solar lights. A solar light can be used where ever regular residential lights are used. A solar light is safer than an electrically wired light as solar lights do not have wiring. They use a photocell, which charges a battery during the day. The battery in turn works the light at night. Solar lights work well where the power supply is inaccessible. A solar light does however require unobstructed sunlight to charge their batteries. Once charged the batteries can keep the lights lit for up to 15 hours.
Patio or Deck Lights: Candles can be used as patio lights, especially citronella candles that keep bugs at bay. Safely installed Tiki torches can also be used to provide lighting on your patio. If you use electrical lights choose their location carefully. Lights at the wrong level can shine into your guests faces. You can recess the lights, have lights on posts or install accent lights. Choose a style that is functional for your style and function.
Tier, Path and Accent Lights: This kind of lighting allows your garden to look beautiful and enchanting all year round. These residential lighting fixtures are normally low-voltage lights which are easily installed, affordable, and double the amount of lighting, which could potentially make the outdoor feel safer.
There are kits available that allow you to install your own residential lighting fixtures, but if you have any doubt call a professional. Poorly installed lights lead to disappointing results and can present a potential hazard.
For more information on how you can gain from the many benefits of solar energy, visit http://www.sourcetecenergy.com/.
Hot Water and Solar Energy
Many countries have adopted the use of solar water heaters and countries like Israel have passed laws that every new house built from the 1970s should have one installed. They have a per capita utilization of 85% which is the highest in the world and their reliance on solar power has saved the country an estimated 2 million barrels of oil a year. For such a small country, this is an amazing feat in terms of oil conservation.
Nowadays China tops the world in new solar water heater installations while the US falls in the last position. The trend is however changing with a number of people opting to use solar power because of its very negligible impact on the environment.
Solar Water Heating
A solar water heater is very simple in design and if you are really interested you can even make one at home. There is a thin copper pipe that carries water and this is usually placed under an insulated glass pane. The glass traps the heat from the sun inside so that the water within the pipe gets hot. A slight variation of this is the evacuated tube system where the pipe is places inside different evacuated tubes. Since the evacuated tubes reduce loss of heat through convection, they are better for places that have less sunlight or cloudy weather often.
A simple insulated tank is placed on top of the design and the passive systems rely on the fact that hot water rises above cold water to heat the water in the tank. As cold water passes through the copper piping, it gets hot and rises to the top where the tank is kept. Another pipe brings cold water into the piping so that the process is continued. Sometimes this process is closed which means that the hot water inside the tank is once again fed into the tube so that the water gets hotter, but they are all variations of the same theme.
Solar heaters are one of the simplest and most effective ways to heat water. Usually hot water does not need to be more than 15 or 20 °F above body temperature, and this kind of heat is very easily achieved. It is only in very cloudy weather that this becomes a problem, but then a simple electrical tankless water heater as backup should solve this problem.
For more information on how you can gain from the many benefits of solar energy, visit http://sourcetecenergy.com/.
Solar Lighting
At a time when municipalities and states are scrambling to meet budget requirements, the high cost of outdoor lighting becomes a serious issue.
Reducing this energy consumption saves electricity costs and increases renewable energy demand. With many states enacting plans to rely more heavily on renewable energy, solar lighting is one avenue to meet these goals. It’s also handy for remote construction and work crews who depend on diesel-powered generators for electricity.
Solar lights can replace any outdoor lighting from a household’s porch light to a streetlight to a road sign or billboard spotlight. At the University of California and the National Institute of Standards and Technologies, solar panels on top of parking lot shelters light up the areas at night. Bus shelters and public parking lots in Florida and San Diego are lit using solar panels.
If you’ve driven down a mountain highway recently, you may have noticed road signs with a little black box perched on top. That solar panel box charges during the day, and lights the sign at night, eliminating the need for electricity in remote or rural areas.
Portable solar panel generators, such as GreenTow, have been developed to supply emergency response teams and remote construction sites with non-fossil fuel power. The panels can be towed to a site and generate energy to power generators with a diesel back-up in case of problems.
Outdoor solar lights can be more fun than a garage roof lining or a tow trailer. In Adelaide, Australia, solar light art called Solar Mallee Trees have been operating since 2005. They generate 864 kWh energy, while using only 125 kWh to light their surroundings. The extra electricity is put back into the grid for use elsewhere.
Solar Lighting
Pittsburgh, PA and Vienna, Italy have similar solar light constructs which tend to be in the shape of a tree or a flower with the petals and leaves sporting solar panels on one side and lights on the other. These types of lights contribute artistically to their cities, generate power for the grid, and reduce dependence on costly nonrenewable energy.
In every sector of the economy, energy efficiency is gaining importance both as a cost-saving solution and as a way to meet efficiency goals. Due to the public nature of this service, it’s very citizen driven. Supporting your local community’s efforts to replace inefficient outdoor lighting with solar technology will increase the dispersion of this practice as business as usual.
For more information on how you can gain from the many benefits of solar energy, visit http://sourcetecenergy.com/.