Don't Get BURNT By The Price Of Your Solar System
For greater efficiency of any solar system you install in your home you must understand exactly how solar energy can be effectively harnessed. The green solar energy that you harvest from the sun comes in two forms. The first is thermal, leaving the second to be light
Thermal energy is considered to be the passive solar energy. This type of solar power is harnessed through the design and construction methods of a building. If you integrate windows that face to the South and materials that retain hear, like brick and stone, you can lower the amount of commercial energy you would need to have an efficient structure. Thermal energy is also the type of solar power that you would use to heat the water in a solar hot water system.
Of course we cannot leave out the "light" portion of solar power. Light is the remaining type of solar power, and is captured by solar panels that convert it to electricity.
Understanding a bit about the types of energy that the sun delivers to us is only half the battle. The real task comes when you want to harness that energy for your own benefit. Solar power has come of age in the last few decades mostly due to the increasing costs of "dinosaur" fuel produced power. That is the oil, coal and natural gas that is used to produce a large amount of electricity used in homes and businesses still. However, it must be recognized that solar produced energy does not come without its own cost. And this cost can bite you in your checkbook with a large initial investment as you go forward installing your system.
Therefore it is important that you know exactly the type and size of any green energy systems you install. Properly approached the initial investment can be mitigated with the returns from the decrease d amount of commercial power you will need to operate your home. This huge out of pocket expense also can be offset through government grants, tax credits and possible refunds if you purchase already manufactured system parts. These offsets also become 'profitable' due to the small amount of maintenance the green system will need after installation, no moving parts and quality construction can be extremely helpful here.
Naturally (no pun intended here) a good reason to use solar or other 'green' energy sources is the small environmental impact once these systems are installed. This is not the venue to argue 'global warming' or 'carbon foot printing' that are easily bantered about in energy discussions. It should be enough to know that when you implement a renewable resource energy system into your life, your impact on the environment deceases almost as much as your commercial energy bill will.
Of course, it should be realized that the actual production of the solar panels, etc, do have a negative environmental impact! Sometimes you just can't get away from manufacturing, even when using the sun as a source to heat your water and perk your coffee! You just do what you can and live with the results!
Thermal energy is considered to be the passive solar energy. This type of solar power is harnessed through the design and construction methods of a building. If you integrate windows that face to the South and materials that retain hear, like brick and stone, you can lower the amount of commercial energy you would need to have an efficient structure. Thermal energy is also the type of solar power that you would use to heat the water in a solar hot water system.
Of course we cannot leave out the "light" portion of solar power. Light is the remaining type of solar power, and is captured by solar panels that convert it to electricity.
Understanding a bit about the types of energy that the sun delivers to us is only half the battle. The real task comes when you want to harness that energy for your own benefit. Solar power has come of age in the last few decades mostly due to the increasing costs of "dinosaur" fuel produced power. That is the oil, coal and natural gas that is used to produce a large amount of electricity used in homes and businesses still. However, it must be recognized that solar produced energy does not come without its own cost. And this cost can bite you in your checkbook with a large initial investment as you go forward installing your system.
Therefore it is important that you know exactly the type and size of any green energy systems you install. Properly approached the initial investment can be mitigated with the returns from the decrease d amount of commercial power you will need to operate your home. This huge out of pocket expense also can be offset through government grants, tax credits and possible refunds if you purchase already manufactured system parts. These offsets also become 'profitable' due to the small amount of maintenance the green system will need after installation, no moving parts and quality construction can be extremely helpful here.
Naturally (no pun intended here) a good reason to use solar or other 'green' energy sources is the small environmental impact once these systems are installed. This is not the venue to argue 'global warming' or 'carbon foot printing' that are easily bantered about in energy discussions. It should be enough to know that when you implement a renewable resource energy system into your life, your impact on the environment deceases almost as much as your commercial energy bill will.
Of course, it should be realized that the actual production of the solar panels, etc, do have a negative environmental impact! Sometimes you just can't get away from manufacturing, even when using the sun as a source to heat your water and perk your coffee! You just do what you can and live with the results!
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