Here’s a good battle that needs to be fought. Let’s allow the two most common forms of alternative energy to face off, hand to hand, technology to technology, and see which one is better for you. These are the types of  solar panels available to anyone, and small consumer wind turbines, not the big wind farm types. So folks, put on your gloves and let’s get ready to rumble.

Placement - Solar panels will fit on any roof, but it has to be south facing. There are no local laws or ordinances that will not allow solar to be put up.  Wind turbines generally need to be mounted high off the ground for optimal efficiency. Many local laws prohibit towers or structures in cities or suburban neighborhoods. Solar wins hands down and is perfect for city dwellings.

Performance – Solar panels need sunlight to work efficiently, although the newer panels produce useable electricity on cloudy days as well.  Windmills need wind, so in theory, they could produce electricity 24/7, BUT that just doesn’t happen. The reality is, both technologies are dependent on mother nature, so we have to call this one a draw, although in naturally sunnier climes, solar has an advantage.

Efficiency - When the sun shines, your solar panels are producing 100% of their rated power output. Wind power needs a minimum of 5 mile per hour wind just to get the blades spinning, and anywhere from 10 to 20 miles per hour wind for optimal electricity production. It is calculated that over the course of one 24 hour period, a consumer wind turbine will produce only 10% of it’s rated power.  Winner to solar panels.

Cost – Right now, 600 watts of solar panel power will run about $6000 dollars. That comes complete with an inverter, hardware and everything. A 600 watt wind turbine will run about $1000 dollars, and that’s just the turbine and nothing else. You’ll need to add a tower-which can cost thousands-and an inverter etc etc. Remember, your 600 watt rated windmill will only, on an average, be putting out 60 watts per day. When the sun shines, your solar panels are putting out 600 watts, period. You would need 6 wind turbines to equal the performance of one 600 watt solar panel, on a daily basis, plus tower costs and all the other costs. Winner, once again, solar panels.

Overall – Solar wins, and it’s not even close. Couple that with your 30% tax credit and other state incentives, and solar wins going away, no doubt, stick a fork in it, game over! Leave the windmills for the wind farms, but for consumers, there’s only one way to go, and that’s solar all the way!

Everywhere you turn, from TV or advocacy groups to the Obama administration, people are talking about solar power. What causes all of this interest in solar electricity? While it is the many advantages that excite so many people, there are also some disadvantages. If you have some know-how and are willing to put in some work yourself, most of the disadvantages can be overcome.

Advantages

Infinite energy source

There is a never-ending supply of solar energy because it is produced by the sun all the time. Every day, all year the sun is producing energy. While fossil fuels like natural gas and oil will eventually run out, solar energy will continue to be available until the sun disappears and at that point we’ll have a lot bigger problems to be worried about than how to power our air conditioners. As fossil fuels become more and more scarce, the cost will continue to increase. The opposite is true of solar electricity! It will never run out and the cost will continue to go down as technology gets better and better.

Free energy

Power from the sun will continue to be free as long as the sun is shining. Aside from battery replacement, if batteries are used in the solar power system, there is virtually no ongoing cost for solar power. If you install enough solar panels, you can disconnect from the power company and never pay an electric bill again. This is called living off grid. If you can generate more energy than you need, you can stay connected to the grid and actually sell the extra electricity to the power company!

No greenhouse gasses

For people who are concerned about global warming, solar energy is the answer! Fossil fuels like oil and natural gas produce a lot of greenhouse gasses, but solar power produces none at all. If you wish to lower your carbon footprint, solar electricity is a great way to do it. There are no emissions of any kind produced by solar power.

Lower dependence on foreign oil

Dependence on foreign oil is widely considered one of the biggest security threats today. Using solar power will reduce dependence on foreign oil. Any power that is currently produced with foreign oil can be directly replaced by domestically produced solar electricity.

Disadvantages

Initial cost

Most people consider initial cost to the be the biggest disadvantages to solar electricity. The initial cost of solar panels can be quite high, while the ongoing costs of solar electricity are very small. With the required know-how, the initial cost can be reduced a great deal by building solar panels yourself.

Required space

Solar panels must be oriented so they point to the south and also need enough space for all the panels. Solar panels work best in areas that get a lot of sun. There are solar maps available that show the average sun in different areas. A larger score means that a solar panel of the same size will produce more electricity than a solar panel in an area with a smaller score. You will need more solar panels to generate sufficient electricity to power your house if you live in an area with a lower score.

As you can see, there are advantages and disadvantages to solar electricity. The advantages of solar power, however, outweigh the disadvantages and you can avoid most of the disadvantages by building your own solar panels.

With the recent introduction of plug-n-play solar chargers into the market, solar power is within the reach of just about anyone. You no longer have to be a tech savvy “do-it-yourself-er” in order to harness solar energy.

What exactly is a plug-n-play solar charger? It is usually simply a solar panel combined with a battery pack, which is sold as a unit. It is capable of collecting solar energy and storing it in a battery. That’s all there is to it.

The feature that makes this type of set-up so useful is that you can use it to power or recharge your electrical devices, laptops, power tools, radios or even TVs, from the battery pack. The solar power and battery pack are sold together – so you don’t have to worry about compatibility, cables, watts, voltages, or anything like that. And you don’t have to wonder whether the setup will work or not.

By using the battery pack, instead of trying to power your equipment directly from a solar panel, you ensure that you have a steady flow of power or electricity flowing into your equipment. Even on a sunny day there can always be a few clouds. When they move in front of the sun it there would be a decrease of solar energy being picked up by the panels, which would momentarily reduce the amount of electricity being produced by your solar charger. But if your equipment is connected to a battery pack (which is in turn connected to a solar panel) the battery would take up the momentary slack in solar energy.

There are other advantages to using a plug-n-play solar charger kit, besides its steady flow of electricity. Because of the fact that the solar panels charge the battery pack, you will be able to make use of solar energy at any time, night or day, regardless of weather conditions or available sunlight. You simply ensure that the solar charger is charging during daylight hours, and then charge your laptop, cell-phone, iPod (or whatever you need to charge) at night while you are sleeping.

Many people think solar panels and solar chargers only work in hot climates. Not true. Solar panels collect solar energy far more efficiently when they are cold. Thus, they actually operate more efficiently in colder temperatures. This fact makes them perfectly suitable for just about any climate. All you need is daylight.

There are some factors you will need to take into account with such a solar charger setup:

1. Whether or not the battery pack is capable of powering the device you want to power

2. How long it takes for the solar panel to fully charge your battery pack.

Once you know that, you can decide whether you have found the right solar charger setup for you or not.

There are now a wide variety of ready-to-go, plug-n-play solar charger systems and do-it-yourself packages available, to suit anyone’s needs. They are used for small portable power units,cell phones, camera batteries, iPods, and laptops, etc. They are also used for larger systems which give remote or emergency power for AC and DC appliances such as radios, small TVs, cabin lighting and much, much more.

Plug-n-play devices and do-it-yourself kits are a great way to get started using solar energy at an affordable price. They bypass the need for advanced electrical knowledge, and keep things simple.

The period of time has been relatively short since the idea of using solar power has come into effect for homes. Solar power is finally becoming more mainstream despite its use for many decades. There are three basic kinds of systems that can be used in your home. Each can make a big positive difference in the functioning of a home.

The systems that give solar power for homes are all operating on the same principles. The systems are made to take advantage of the energy produced by the sun’s rays by using solar panels in a specific design such as an array. Currents of electricity are generated when energy is converted within the panels. The panels generate electricity that then goes through an inverter and converts to alternating current. The battery stores the AC power for use in the future. The three basic systems that provide solar power to homes are different in the way they look and operate. Solar is becoming more popular as energy costs climb. With active solar power, it is possible to take a property off of the electrical grid. System efficiency will be dependent upon locale, sunlight absorption, and the actual design and effectiveness of each individual component.

Solar power for homes may become more reliable as more builders explore ways to make new energy saving measures coincide with their use. This includes positioning the house in a strategic manner in order to provide the best possible insulation, landscaping that gives shade and other similar strategies that will help to reduce the power demand inside an off-grid house

Augmentation systems – The majority of solar power systems for homes fall into this category. This system will power a system that is specific with in the home rather than powering the entire home. Solar panels can be used to run outside lighting and water heaters. Some systems can power heating and cooling systems on their own, without any need for electricity. A system like this one takes pressure away from the home’s electrical system and puts the cash saved from this back into the home owner’s pocket.

Backup systems – Sun-powered generators will extend to backup systems for solar homes. When backup is necessary, this system won’t always keep the home performing completely. One reason a backup system is so helpful would be for installing heating, air conditioning, or refridgeration backups in the event of a power outage.

Over the past several decades, there has been great improvement in solar power for homes. Ever increasing numbers of homeowners are beginning to understand how the power of the sun can help them make their homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. In this process the systems can save electric costs for the home owners.

Is it odd why no one invests in solar power? Fuel costs rising and US dollar falling due to the power outages and hurricanes.

Solar power is an effective source of alternative energy in residential areas. Solar energy systems come in all sizes and can be placed anywhere. The most effective place to have solar panels is on your roof as you can collect the maximum amount of energy during the day. Solar power is also available for those wishing to add solar power to their home or small business. You can run almost any electrical appliance on solar energy and when the sun isn’t shining batteries charged by solar energy can be used.

There are many different parts to a solar power system and you can design your own integration of parts for your residential area. There are crystalline and silicone solar panels. Solar panels in sheets or ones that look like shingles. A multitude of batteries to use and a few types of power inverters and converters. Depending on you budget, goal and area you will be able to install a solar power system. Solar power is particularly effective in remote areas where it may be difficult to run cable and wiring. Many solar panels are used to power telephone boxes and other emergency equipment on high ways.

Solar energy is also a renewable energy making it a safe energy source, as there is no pollution. Governments favor renewable energy and you may be eligible for tax cuts and receiving any financial incentives. It is certainly worth it to determine how much money you will save. Despite the fact that solar equipment and installation will be expensive but in the long rung your solar equipment will pay for itself by the amount of electricity you will save. You can collect so much energy that you will be feeding electricity back into your local grid.

Solar power is the fastest growing field in the arena of energy technology. Given the growing interest in green forms of energy, that makes solar power an incredibly exciting field. There are a few simple technologies available to outfit your home or office.

The easiest way to begin taking advantage of solar energy is the “solar kit.” A typical kit includes all the equipment necessary to install a solar power system. A quantity of solar cells, depending on space available and amount of energy required, absorbs sunlight and converts it directly into electricity. This can be used to directly power equipment, or a grid-tie inverter can be used to convert it into AC electricity that can be used in the home and office, or stored in a battery for later use. Energy collected can even be sold back to the energy companies at high peak-rates.

Another exciting application for solar power is the electric and hybrid vehicle solar charging station; allowing for 100% off-grid charging, reducing emissions to stunningly-low values. Additional energy can be saved by using solar lighting in outdoor landscaping. Solar thermal panels can be employed to heat swimming pools, or for general hot-water and underfloor heating.

While solar power equipment can be rather expensive, there are programs in effect, in the United States, that seek to offset this burden through tax cuts. One such program covers 30% of the initial cost of equipment for solar electricity systems for the home. Another will cover up to 40% of equipment fees for solar heating.

With solar technology being continually developed and improved, efficiency and cost can only improve. Studies coming out of R&D have achieved efficiencies of 42%, while the current market average is just 12-18%. With these figures in mind, it seems the sky, or rather, the Sun, is the limit.

In today’s tough economic times, everyone is thinking about alternative energy sources. Some people are even thinking about making their home a fully solar power house. You may be thinking along those lines yourself. If you are like many people, you may know that a solar power house can save you huge money on your monthly electric bill, while doing your part to save the environment.

The earth’s surface receives more than enough energy from the sun to provide the energy needs of the entire human population. That is good news indeed; the only question is why are we all not enjoying the benefits of solar power? The quick answer is oil and fossil fuels. Up to this point, it has been cheaper to use fossil fuels then build solar units. Also, some people are making a lot of money on our dependence to other energy sources, so they don’t want you to know about any alternatives.

During the oil crisis in the early 70’s interest in solar energy spiked. There were federal grants and tax breaks instituted to try to push solar technology to a new level. However as we all know the crisis did not last long and oil became cheap again stalling out any solar power progress.

This has kept the price of utilizing solar power at prohibitive, until now. People are demanding options and solar energy is one of these demands. Exactly what could a solar powerhouse look like?

The Solar Power House

Imagine it you come home from a long days work ready to relax in front of the television and the power is out in the whole neighborhood! No worries, you chuckle lightly at your neighbor’s plight and go in to a hot dinner and an hour or so of TV before bed.

You see with your solar power system you do not have to worry about power outages. If you have stayed on the power grid, you may be asked to shut down when workers are present so you do not back feed. Really, that is a small price to pay especially in the winter when long power outages are common and difficult.

You can achieve your solar power dreams in several ways. You can build your own solar energy system and install all the proper equipment yourself, hire a contractor to install a pre-built unit or simply use some solar appliances in your home.

To build your own units you will need to get the plans necessary from a knowledgeable person, and purchase a few components. These components include solar panel, charge converter, battery, and inverter.

The solar panel collects energy from the sun’s rays then transfers it to the battery. The charge converter or regulator makes sure the battery only gets power when it needs it. The inverter then changes the current of the battery from DC to AC, which is what all household appliances and lights require.

People are looking more and more for ways to go green and solar power lights are one way to do this. There are many styles and applications already on the market. You can dress up a flower garden or light your pathway with efficient clean energy solar power lights.

Garden Solar Power Lights

If you want to liven up your beautiful garden at night there is no better tool than lighting. The problem is traditional lights require wiring that the lawnmower will do quite a number on. In addition once you run all that wiring the lights are permanent, so should you decide you want to highlight some fall foliage it is a huge undertaking.

With solar lamps, there are no wires and best of all no use of electricity produced by fossil fuels. This gives you much more latitude in your designs and re-designs. Simply pull up the light stakes and move it across the garden, nothing could be simpler.

Walkway / Driveway Solar Power Lights

Ever come home late at night and stumble up the walk because you cannot see the path? Solar power lights are a great application here as well. Some of the same reasons from above apply, ease of use and portability are great. The added safety that you can have with a lighted path or driveway is just added benefits to the beauty.

Create ambiance late in the evening by placing these attractive solar power lights around your deck. You can create an aura of intimacy that a glaring spotlight just will not afford. Plus, the lower light will attract a fewer bugs to your late evening barbeque.

Holiday Solar Power Lights

An exciting new invention is the solar power Christmas lights. These wonderful creations have all the look of a traditional Christmas light with a solar advantage. The advantages are many, portability, no electric required and best of all since you are not plugging in several cords to an electrical outlet your risk of fire is greatly reduced.

These solar powered lights are also very handy for use on long tree lined driveways during the holidays. No more running long unsightly drop cords down the drive to the house. Set up the solar collection panels in a good sunny location and allow the sun to provide for your holiday lighting needs.

Finally, technology is catching up to the needs of the people. Solar power lights provide an economical way for consumers to experiment with renewable energy. They can afford you many conveniences and save on the electric bill to boot.

With fuel prices soaring and power plants around the world already operating at full capacity, now is the time to consider solar power for residential home use. Current energy production produces dangerous wastes in the form of carbon emissions and other environmental toxins which all contribute to the poisoning of our planet. Now is the time to turn to clean renewable energy in order to preserve our future.

Solar power for residential use is gaining traction throughout the country. New breakthroughs in solar panel technology are creating more efficient and affordable panels everyday. These advances in technology are putting solar power in the hands of the average person.People are turning to solar power for various reasons, primarily due to costs. Since the energy of the sun is free the initial outlay of capital can be made up over the course of the 20 to 30 year lifespan of the solar power system.

For those moving to solar power for environmental reasons, the zero emission factor is the major selling point. Solar power for residential home use is an ideal way to make use of the sun’s energy. Residential solar power kits have advantages in that they are often small portable units that are highly scalable. Homeowners can start small and add more solar panels as their needs increase or as they become more comfortable with the technology.

Residential solar technology makes sense for both urban or rural dwellings. Anyone can produce solar electric power as long as they have unobstructed access to the sun. Guides and kits are available for small-scale residential solar power production. Often a base system that can be scaled up can be made for under $200. Inversely a professional installed system can start off as low as $3000.

One of the answers to the world’s fuel or energy crisis is by utilizing the sun’s energy. Sun power may be the strongest and free energy resource available for us today. That is why more and more solar power kits are being manufactured.

These solar power kits are slowly taking a distinct place in most households around the world. Homeowners find it easy, convenient and efficient to acquire energy from the sun.

For example, solar powered battery chargers are already being widely used today. They are the preferred method of recharging electrical devices to minimize the use of electricity. If you have a large enough solar panel, you can even totally eliminate your need for electricity and just rely on the sun for power.

The most common misconception on these solar power kits is that they won’t be able to provide power if the sun is not out. The truth is, inventors and researchers have already found a way to store the sun’s energy so that consumers can use them anytime they need to. However, this method is still in the processing stage and needs improvement in efficiently storing the sun’s power.

Smaller solar power kits such as those portable chargers would not be able to offer so much power. They are only good in recharging battery packs and other small electrical devices such as cell phones. However, the only disadvantage of using these is that you would have to constantly charge them because they can easily drain out of power.

But still, having these solar power kits available is a major breakthrough. Just a few more years and more researchers, these solar power kits can work as efficiently as what we have right now.

As of the moment, because solar chargers are easy to use and relatively less expensive, more and more people are trying these out. Usually, these solar chargers have one solar panel that could just plug into the equipment you need to charge.

You could conveniently carry a solar charger with you during long hiking trips. There are also portable solar chargers that can be integrated into the dashboard of your cars. Solar panels could also be installed on the roofs of houses or buildings to be able to make good use of the energy coming off from the sun.

Because large solar panels can be quite expensive, the government in most countries has decided to subsidize part of the one time investment cost in setting up these solar power kits. Homeowners who have agreed to run their households in solar panels are also getting tax incentives.

There are still people who are a little bit skeptical on this new found technology. Some don’t want to adjust to new technological ideas. However, because of the energy crisis the world is facing today, it is important for us to slowly look for and adapt to alternative energy resources.

If you’d like to experience the benefits of solar energy, you can get yourself a portable solar power kit such as a solar charger. It is not as expensive as those solar panels being installed on the roofs.

With a solar power kit, you’ll see just how cost efficient it is in providing energy. It wouldn’t have to contribute on your monthly electric expenses because it is using up free power. Soon, there will come a time when we won’t have to worry about saving energy because we will always be able to get a lifetime supply free from the sun.