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I’m doing a project for school where I will buy a solar panel and utilize/improve the power output of the panel. I want the panel to have an improved amount of energy output compared to the original. My budget for the solar panel itself is ~$100. Anything else that will be needed is covered.
Also, I will be comparing the power by lighting a light bulb and checking to see the output energy of the panel.

Where or how should I approach this project?

What are the parts of the solar panel that I will need to buy?

What factors could I change/improve to improve the overall energy output?

What are the things (other than the panel) that I will need to buy?

How can I attach a light bulb to the solar panel?

Solar power is one of the cleanest sources of energy that is virtually free. No wonder the demand for solar energy has gone through the roof in recent years. The energy crisis along with a desire to reduce the carbon footprint has made solar power the number one alternative source of energy among homeowners.

The cost associated with a professionally installed solar system can be very high, ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Because of this, a lot of homeowners have turned to DIY solar energy. A DIY, or Do-It-Yourself solar system can be fun to build and thousands of dollars cheaper than a professionally installed solar system. If you want to go the DIY route, the first thing you will need is a high quality guidebook to walk you through the process of equipping your home with solar power.

The Earth4Energy eBook is one of the most popular guidebooks about making your own solar power. Not only does it include a hefty, information filled eBook, it also has a lot of video walk throughs that detail every step involved in making your home energy efficient and environment friendly. The low upfront cost of $49.97 makes it a very cost effective solution to solving your clean energy needs.

The Earth4Energy eBook consists of several sections that deal with clean energy in general, and solar power in particular. If you have ever been curious about how solar power works, or its benefits, you will find the Earth4Energy eBook to be quite handy. After that, you can dive into the meat of the book - a step-by-step guide to making your own solar panels to harvest solar energy. While it may sound complicated, homemade solar panels are quite easy to build, especially with the kind of easy-to-follow steps that Earth4Energy outlines.

Of course, some people may find the written instructions a bit difficult to follow. Hence, Earth4Energy also includes a comprehensive video course that details every step involved in building a solar energy system.

As a bonus, the Earth4Energy eBook also has several sections devoted to wind power and how you can harvest it for electricity. This bonus, along with the detailed focus on solar power make the Earth4Energy eBook one of the best guides to harvesting the power of the sun in your very backyard.
To read opinion of consumers and review visit Earth4Energy eBook review page http://www.solar-energy-guru.com/?page_id=128

I am wondering about the average cost to put solar panels on the average size home. (I know it takes a 3 to 4kw system, I think)
Would this power the home all the time?
Will there be power left over to sell back to the power company?
Just trying to get a clear understanding of solar panels from people that run their homes with solar?

I have a 3.74 kw dc system. The full cost to have the system installed was $26K. I got a $10K rebate from my utility and a fed tax credit (it has been increased to 30% of the total cost so it would be $7800). Not all utilities will allow your meter to run backwards, mine does. It was estimated my system would pay for it’s self in 6.2 years. My city just passed a 20% rate increase, so I should break even much sooner. My system is tied to the grid so I sell them my excess and buy what I need when the sun isn’t up. I don’t have a storage system. I create about 90% of my summer usage and about 75% of my winter usage. My bills went from about $200 down to about $20 for the summer. In the spring my bills are closer to $10.

I highly recommend getting a quote from a local installer, because local rebates and incentives can have a big impact on the over all costs. Where you live, the angle of the panels, any shade issues etc. can all have an impact on production. Any quality company should be able to tell you how much it will cost, a fair estimate of production and an estimate of how long before you break even. It helps if you can give the installer a usage history, I was able to get 2 years history from my utility.

It always helps to begin with conservation.

well the normal classroom uses approximately 150-450 60 watt bulbs. multiply that by the number of classrooms in a school and it uses ALOT of energy. not only would solar panels save energy and change a small part of the world, it would save the school hundreds of dollars in energy bills. i hope u see my point.

thats a great idea! there are so much electricity costs, schools would save a lot and there could be more field trips, newer equipment, etc. awesome idea!

answer mine any1? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkDTG8ossNhxlmaO5Q68cX_sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091205175621AABrsJW

I have a small panel of solar cells, i wish to save this energy for lighting my study lamp, how do i do it?
How much energy will it hold? How do i convert it to light?
Please help friends.
Thanks

You will need a way to store the energy gained my solar panel.

Way 1, 12 volt battery. to store this way, I suggest a regulator to prevent your battery overloading, though this is not always needed. This is the most common way.

Way 2, wire up a capacitor. this is a type of temporary battery, as it stores electrical charge and releases it on its full capacity. This way is good if you want lighting in a cellar during daytime

Way 3, use the electric you gain to pump water to a high point and then use gravity to create hydro electric whenever you need it. This way works, but you lose energy.

If you want to run lights off a battery, you will need some 12 volt bulbs, as these work of different electricity than normal household bulbs. You can cheat and use car head light bulbs, or go for the real things and buy proper 12 volt bulbs to fit a lamp-stand.

Unless you disconnect your household light circuit from the mains, you will need an extra set of wiring.

In short, the most simple way, if you put your panel in the window, lead the two wires to your battery, ensuring you connect each wire to the correct terminal (the panel will instruct which is which). From the battery, take a wire off each terminal and fix to the light bulb holder, and an extra wire from the negative battery terminal to an earth source, such as a copper water pipe. Don’t worry, it wont electrocute you - there isn’t enough power for that.

Simplifying it, wiring a light bulb is just like wiring a car. The same applies to both. The only difference being that you charge your battery via a solar panel instead of an alternator.

How long your light will stay on will depend on a multitude of things, such as the condition of your battery, the power output of your panel, how many lights you run and for how long. The amount of sun that hits your panel will also affect the charge rate of your battery. ?And there are many different types of battery. I personally recommendd the armed forces surplus alkaline type, as they can be depleted of charge without damage, though if you cannot get one of these, get a long life leisure battery.

It all sounds complicated, but it’s not really. Contact me if you need more help…

Little has been done or is in the works. Are greenies actually realizing that there is no ready replacement for fossil fuels? Or at least nothing that the average person can affordably use. I suppose cars with a nuclear reactor could give performance as good as gas or diesel but it would cost a few million per car. Electric and hybrid cars are an expensive joke. You may as well shut off your electricity and get a horse and buggy.

Are you suggesting that Democrat Obama lied during his campaign or he’s just incompetent and not doing anything he stated he was going to do. We were supposed to be out of Afganistan by now, out of Iraq by now, the economy was supposed to be fixed by now and he’s made it significantly worse, we are supposed to be switching to green fuel and we’re not, all of the countries are supposed to love us because Democrat Obama would talk to them, Iran is supposed to stop their nuclear weapons production instead of significantly increasing it as it’s been proven they are, Guantanimo Bay was supposed to be close and terrorists put on American soil, etc., etc., etc.

Wake up to reality: Due to Democrat Obama we’ve had our first Terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11, our economy is in far worse shape due to his spending policies, we’re increasing the number of troops we have in Afganistan though not at the minimum level needed to actually protect, help and win the war, just at a level where we will loose and are far more likely to suffer longer and greater casualties. The Generals stated they needed 80,000 troops though at an absolute minimum 40,000 to do anything properly. Democrat Obama gave them 30,000 that will prolong the war without giving us enough strength to win. I could go on and on though it’s clear Democrat Obama lied to everyone and that shouldn’t be a surprise. Anyone that can think past a sound byte know his policies don’t work and should never have been suggested.

I’m really into the climate change and global warming. I would love to be able to make a job out of my interest for it as an adult. What should I major in to go down this path? Help?

Sciences (Chemistry, Biology, Physics) and some mathematics. Some geography and geology. Environmental/ecological Sciences etc.

At school, we did an experiment where we calculated the temperature of different geothermal properties, to see if the school would have a good source of solar energy.

In the discussion questions, it says:
Set up a proposal to use solar energy energy for out school (3 external uses).

I have noo idea what I’m doing. If anyone could help that’d be great!

Yeah!! Solar in Schools is great! Here are some thoughts. There are a LOT of community grants for Green Schools. Many schools are putting solar electric (PV) arrays on their school in order to reduce their electrical bill and inspire students and the community. This can be a pretty costly proposition - $50,000 to $500,000 - so that may be difficult to make an argument for. If you want to demonstrate solar power in conjunction with reducing waste - check out a solar trash compactor from Big Belly Solar ($3000-$4000 each).

Technical High Schools are setting up labs for solar hot water and solar electric PV - this is a great way to train the future work force AND expose students to the technologies.

Finally, encourage your teachers to explore lesson plans to bring solar and wind technologies into the classroom:
K-12 Lesson plans - http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/
CO - Solar in School s- http://www.solarenergy.org/solar-schools-sis
CA - http://www.need.org/pgesolarschools/

Keep up the good work!
Kristen
http://newenglandbreeze.com/

I can’t seem to find any websites that refer to Nevada’s main power source. I’m pretty sure that Nevada doesn’t use nuclear power at all. I need the websites you get your info off of because I’m doing this for my final English essay of the semester.

Nevada’s main power source is probably hydroelectricity from Hoover Dam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam

I don’t know if the state has nuclear power plants, but it does host the biggest nuclear waste dump in the country at Yucca Mountain. Not too green, in my opinion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain_nuclear_waste_repository