We don't use much electricity, so we don't need anything too heavy-duty. I would like to run our cabin on solar electricity, but am having trouble getting help as far as what size battery, inverter, solar panel I will need. I know I also need a regulator, but don't know anything about them either. From start to finish, what do I need and where can I get all he parts I need at a reasonable price? Is it cost-effective to buy an already put together solar generator?

Try http://www.solarelectricsupply.com/

The stuff they sell seems to more or less live up to the specifications.

If you decide to buy discounted panels be a little careful. It was my experience that the specifications overstated the performance by 50% to 100%

BTW - the best investment you can make is a good recent book on the subject. Anything copyright before 2007 is probably obsolete.

Good luck

I am writing a literature review essay..and i have to discuss about the political impact of solar energy..can anyone give me some advices or examples for what i can do about this topic.

One of the issues the US presidential candidates are tackling is oil dependence, terrorist and concerns about global warming. Solar energy will keep the US from depending on foreign oil, which we hope would lessen the the resources of the terrorist. On top of that, solar energy is clean energy. given our environmental problem– the global warming. therefore i many areas and solar wind affects the US presidential candidates campaign.

I hate to sound like a commercial but I found a company that provides you with the components and you pay for the service… similar to the current electric companies but with a cheaper rate. Check it out

http://www.powur.com/web/

or possibly start my own green energy company?

I agree with the first poster about GE. I it is safe to say they are slowly becoming a diversified play in this industry. They are down due to the activities of GE capital, but that will change.

I strongly disagree with the second poster’s view of the economics of green energy. This is changing quickly. It may be the case today. However, some of the ROI on such things as solar thermal (not voltaic) are starting to beat out gas plants. Sure, solar and wind are surviving on tax subsidies that are causing false demand. However, that will change as hydrocarbons continue to have supply issues.

I recommend First Solar (FSLR). They are a profitable company, thought the valuation is high. But they are solid. I also like Sunpower (SPWR). These are less risky. There are tons of ultra small caps, but that gets risky. I advise staying away from ethanol as an investment. The unfortunate thing is that most of the good wind companies beyond GE are in Europe and trade on other exchanges.

I cover FSLR on my blog:

The solar panel wouldn't need to be very large, and for the most part could be on the back or top of the street light. At night, they could be powered the same way they are now or by batteries that the solar panels could be charging throughout the day. Please explain to me if you think this is good or bad.

China already does this on all new install in many parts of the country. It is a small panel with LED lights, they work fine.

I want to know how I can determine my area's (Rochester NY) yearly solar energy output to see if it would make economic sense to install solar panels. Any websites or resources where I can look?

If you are looking for the cheapest electrical power available solar panels are not going to be what you want.

Roughly solar panels will supply electrical power costing about 3-10 times more than what you can purchase from your local electrical company when averaged over the 20-25 year life of any solar panels.

Go look at how much you spend for your electricity in a single year. Then go look at how many solar panels you can purchase for this amount of cash (In my case I spend about $1000 each year for power).

This means that economic "sense" must be tempered with some other desire for the solar panels.

I'm interested in solar panel energy for my home instead of paying an energy bill, what would I need to get started and how would I begin?

The first thing to ask yourself is: is your house energy efficient? If not, you're way better off spending the $25,000 it'll take to get solar panels on things like efficient appliances, new windows and doors, and properly insulating your home. You'll save more money and be just as good for the environment. Also, by making your home more efficient you'll reduce energy needs and thus be able to cover a greater percentage of your energy needs with solar if you do get it. Only once you have made your house as energy efficient as possible should you consider solar.

I need to know what the green Monster energy taste like.

It tastes like a lot of Spree candies ground up and put in a super sweet corn fructose liquid. Blecccch! Seriously, I wouldn't touch those things with a ten foot pole.

I live in Southern California and am planning on putting a solar fountain in a very sunny part of my backyard. My question is, how long will it run for? Will it run constantly provided there is bright sun shining on it, or will it juice up, run, then stop until it juices up again? Or does this depend on the kind/quality of solar panel? Thanks.

It depends on the storage capacity of the solar product, the quality of the solar panel and of course, the amount of sun you get.

What are some drawbacks from using solar energy? I know that it is expensive, and it only works when the sun is out, what are 3 other drawbacks?

Well for one, solar panels are not yet fully developed to the point where they're efficient enough for normal use for everyone and everywhere. Solar panels will gain popularity in the next 10 to 15 years as electrovoltaic cells get further developed. Another draw back is that you need a lot of them to power an entire house for example. You would probably need 5 to 10 panels sized at around 2 by 5 feet. And of course as you mentioned, they are expensive (at least for now). And finally, before solar panels probably get developed well enough, you'll have better solutions such as panels that can work at night and attract UV rays and get energy from those. (Although that one is still in the works and a big question mark.) Personally I prefer wind energy to solar, and think wind farms are more versatile and aesthetic, and a lot more eco-friendly when constructed compared to solar panels.