How To Save Solar Energy

Solar Panel Carbon Print

Greenhouse gas emission is responsible for over 72 grams of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to a kWh of electricity generated.

Any solar power plant also has an average environmental footprint of about 20gm of CO2 for every kilowatt-hour of electricity generated on top of consuming large water amounts. This is way low than the carbon print effect by regular electricity production.

During the production of solar panels, manufacturers handle toxic chemicals. However, once the panels are complete, they emit no toxins into the atmosphere.

The Sun Is Very Generous

The sun, our very own star in the solar system, is actually full of surprises, even now. Not only does it control our everyday lives with its sunlight, making day time possible, it also provides us with all the energy we will ever need. So, why you ask, are we still confined to digging for fossil fuels in Earth in order to obtain fuel for electricity? Well, human capacity to harness the suns energy is not yet that advanced right now and we cannot fully take advantage of the suns tremendous output just yet.

Still, the sun produces about 173,000 terawatts of solar energy every second, which is actually more than 10,000 times the worlds total combined energy use. Rest assured, every progress made in the name of advancements for solar energy is a big contribution to mankind and the health of Earths environment.

The future is certainly looking bright because of the sun, both literally and figuratively, as long as humans look for new ways to improve their lives and that of the Earth, the rewards are definitely more than plenty. Just imagine what we could do with that much energy, all that is left for us is to make ways to harvest the readily available energy source and we can ditch Earths expensive and damaging nonrenewable resources.

It Is Becoming More Affordable Than Other Power Sources

Five or ten years ago this might not have been the case, but right now, the technology and equipment for solar energy is definitely a lot more affordable and available for a lot of populations. They have certainly beaten diesel and kerosene-based energy generation systems right now and have seen the steepest drop in cost in the renewable energy category.

What this means for the environment is a healthier and less stressful human being ecosystem. Were talking about families living in cities or suburbs relying on solar energy and not having to worry about expensive electric utility bills or not worrying about power outages in the event of one since they have their own means to produce electricity. After all, the most important environment for us is the one we humans worked so hard to build and maintain.

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One More Important Thing To Know

Some factors could increase your payback period. Before installing solar panels, you need to inspect the condition of your roof. Panels can last 25 years, so if your roof is not in tip-top shape, you might have to make improvements before installing solar panels. If this applies to you, make sure to add these costs to your initial investment.

Overall, solar power can be an expensive proposition, especially with the upfront costs. However, the long-term efficiency they provide can more than offset the initial investment, leading to savings for years to come.

How Do Solar Panels Store Energy

We all know that solar panels take energy from the sun and convert it into electricity that we can use in our homes. But have you ever wondered how panels store all this energy for us to use later? The sun doesnt shine for twenty-four hours a day, so how is it that solar systems can keep electricity until we need it?

When you look into how solar systems work, everything becomes clear, so let me take you through the ways that different solar systems store energy for us to use in our homes and elsewhere.

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What Is Battery Storage

Solar energy can also be stored in electrochemical batteries. When solar energy is pumped into a battery, a chemical reaction among the battery components stores the energy. The reaction is reversed when the battery is discharged, allowing current to exit the battery. Lithium-ion batteries are most commonly used in solar applications, and new battery technology is expanding rapidly, which promises to yield cheaper, more scalable battery storage solutions. In fact, U.S. energy storage is expected to reach nearly 7.5 GW annually by 2025, a sixfold growth from 2020, representing a market worth $7.3 billion.

Pay Attention To System Size And Style

The size of the solar panel system you opt to install can also impact your overall price, says Aggarwal.

“Think about how much of your energy consumption you want to offset,” he explains. “We have served over half a million homeowners at this point and most want the maximum offset and to generate as much power as they can. But there are some people who are very focused on aesthetics also.”

The point being, if you want the largest system possible in order to accomplish as much cost and energy savings as possible, that will likely cost you more up front-at least when it comes to purchase price and installation fees.

There are also various style choices to be made along the way when it comes to solar panels, and some of those options will cost more or less. For instance, Aggarwal notes there are “black on black” options that include both a black solar panel and a black rack that the panel is attached to. There are also all-glass solar panels. The bottom line with such options is that some may very well cost you more than others.

“You should not make a lot of additions like this if you want to save money,” says Aggarwal.

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How To Save Solar Energy At Home

Although solar power is more than we can use, the amount we can harness is limited. Therefore, it is essential to save energy to reduce high electricity bills if your solar panel system is grid-tied. For off-grid solar power systems, the storage system can only last a certain period, and misuse can lead to a power shortage.

Energy conservation not only reduces utility bills but also eases the strain on natural resources. For electricity generation, you must use water, wind, fossil fuels, or sunlight, and they are not always in surplus.

Maintain Your Home And Appliances To Keep Saving Energy

Clean appliances and a clean home will keep everything running at optimum energy efficiency. Less dust in the air is healthier, and less gunk in your systems means they run smoothly and use less electricity.

Energy-Saving Tip 27: Clean your air ducts.

In a typical house, you can save 25%-40% on the energy your HVAC systems use by cleaning your air ducts regularly.

Energy-Saving Tip 28: Clean/replace filters in your furnace.

EnergyStar.gov recommends changing the air filters every three months. A dirty filter slows down airflow and makes the system work harder.

Energy-Saving Tip 29: Clean the dryer lint filter regularly to keep your dryer running efficiently.

Cleaning the filter isnt enough. Use the long nozzle on your vacuum to clean the ventilation tubing.

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How Long Do Solar Batteries Last

The battery performance and condition over its lifetime determines how long it will last.

To understand this, it is necessary to explain some technical parameters of the battery. One of them is the maximum depth of discharge .

The DoD refers to the maximum amount of energy that can be extracted from a fully charged battery without damaging the battery.

The other parameter of interest is the maximum number of cycles that the battery is designed to endure. This value is intrinsic to the depth of discharge, as the higher the DoD, the less maximum number of cycles .

Now that those parameters are clear, the lifetime expectancy of a battery will depend on these two factors, on the environmental and operational conditions, and on the selected type of battery.

VLA Deep-cycle batteries will have 3-5 years of life expectancy, while at the same time have a lifetime expectancy of 1,500 cycles.

Stationary batteries will usually have 15-30 years of lifetime expectancy and VRLA will usually have between 5-10 years of life expectancy with a range between 250 â 500 cycles .

This means that you will need to replace the batteries at least once over the lifetime of the solar system.

General rule: When the batteryâs capacity is reduced to 80 percent of its original capacity, its lifetime is over .

How To Save/earn Money Using Solar Energy

The UK government offers various solar panel grants to help you in your solar investment.

The Feed-in tariff was introduced by the UK government in 2010. It worked on basis that you get cash back for any renewable energy that you generate in your home. The amount that you will receive depends on the Kw size of the system which is installed.

There are two tariffs used:

• Generation tariff was paid per Kw and as mentioned above was calculated using the size of the solar system. You received money for the electricity that you exported back to the grid and for the consumed electricity, generated by renewable electricity-generating technology, such as Solar PV.
• Export Tariff is also paid by Kw. You were receiving a set price for each unit, you export back to the power grid. So you had the option to sell the electricity that you have generated but have not used.

The renewable heat incentive was a similar governmental program but it is about solar thermal heating. Government funding was available for both public and private sectors. The funding was accessible for people using renewable energy to heat their buildings. Payments were received per Kw and were guaranteed for up to 20 years.

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Storing Solar Energy Without Batteries

Batteries are the most used form of solar energy storage, but there are even other options to store electricity of your PV system.

One of them is directing the electricity from your PV to water electrolyzers, which generate hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is then stored and used as feedstock for fuel cells to generate electricity when needed. This is called R& D solution and is more suited for industrial applications.

Another option is to store electricity in super capacitors, which can be later discharged to generate electricity when needed. This method is very expensive.

A brilliant option is to store solar electricity in the form of potential energy of water pumped to higher elevations. When needed, this stored water potential can be converted into kinetic energy and spins turbines, which generate electricity .

There is also an option to store solar energy in the form of heat, which is the main form of storage in concentrated solar power plants, where the heat transfer fluid passes through the receiver , absorbs thermal energy and then stores it in hot thermal tanks that are available for usage when the electricity is needed.

How Lithium Ion Batteries Work

The most typical type of battery on the market today for home energy storage is a lithium ion battery. Lithium ion batteries power all sorts of every-day appliances, from cell phones to cars, so its a very well understood, safe technology.

Lithium ion batteries are so called because they work by moving lithium ions through an electrolyte inside of the battery. Since ions are particles that have gained or lost an electron, moving the lithium ions from an anode to a cathode produces free electrons, i.e., electrons that have been released from lithium atoms. The build up of these free electrons is how batteries ultimately charge and store electricity. When you discharge the electricity stored in the battery, the flow of lithium ions is reversed, meaning the process is repeatable: you can charge and discharge lithium ion batteries hundreds or even thousands of times.

Lithium ion batteries used in home energy storage systems combine multiple lithium ion battery cells with complex power electronics that control the performance and safety of the whole battery system. There are several different types of lithium ion batteries that use slightly different chemistries to offer varied attributes, from improved power density to longer lifetimes.

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What Is Energy Storage

Storage refers to technologies that can capture electricity, store it as another form of energy , and then release it for use when it is needed. Lithium-ion batteries are one such technology. Although using energy storage is never 100% efficientsome energy is always lost in converting energy and retrieving itstorage allows the flexible use of energy at different times from when it was generated. So, storage can increase system efficiency and resilience, and it can improve power quality by matching supply and demand.

Storage facilities differ in both energy capacity, which is the total amount of energy that can be stored , and power capacity, which is the amount of energy that can be released at a given time . Different energy and power capacities of storage can be used to manage different tasks. Short-term storage that lasts just a few minutes will ensure a solar plant operates smoothly during output fluctuations due to passing clouds, while longer-term storage can help provide supply over days or weeks when solar energy production is low or during a major weather event, for example.

How Can We Effectively Store Solar Energy

Meeting the worlds ever-growing energy demands in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner is one of the most pressing issues facing us. Solar energysunlightis an abundant, clean, safe and free resource, providing approximately 1,000 watts of power per square meter to Earths surface on a sunny day. In fact, the total amount of solar energy that hits Earth in just two hours is more than enough to meet current global energy consumption for an entire year.

How can we most effectively capture, convert and store this tremendous natural resource? First, it is important to recognize that sunlight consists of a spectrum of wavelengths. About half of it is lower energy infrared radiation that we cannot see, but we feel as heat. The rest is higher energy visible light or ultraviolet light. Some technologies for harnessing solar energy target the entire spectrum, while others use only a portion of the available wavelengths.

One of the first technologies that comes to mind when discussing solar energy is the growing use of solar cells, also known as photovoltaics, which convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar cells are silent, non-polluting and long-lived devices that typically convert 10 to 15 percent of the energy received into energy that can be used.

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How Much Do Solar Panels Save

If youre interested in understanding how much money solar panels save on your electric bills, you first need to calculate how much youre spending on electricity every year. For example, the average annual electricity usage in a U.S. household is 11,000 kilowatt-hours . If you were to multiply that by the national average electricity rate . You would get how much youre spending on electricity every year. The typical American household spends around $1,430 dollars a year on electricity alone.

Takeaways: Solar Storage For Homeowners

The allure of clean, renewable energy that saves money on your utility bill may entice you into spending money on a solar panel system. However, be sure to consider the secondary systems you may want in place such as a backup battery power source. In the event of a power outage or other emergency, batteries can provide the total or partial power you need. Need help paying for it? Ygrene offers solutions that can provide homeowners just like you with ways to pay for green energy upgrades.

*Figures based on ballpark estimates. To get a customized estimate for your solar project, contact one of Ygrenes trusted contractors today.

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Why Conserve Energy In The First Place

Energy conservation is important and beneficial for many reasons. You can save money, increase your property value, and protect the environment all through simple energy-saving measures. These are great benefits you can gain from saving energy no matter your exact motivation for conservation in the first place. By simply taking a small step towards living a more energy-conscious lifestyle, you can begin to enjoy all of the perks of being energy efficient.

Solar Panels And Electric Car Savings

Electric cars are no longer just a possibility for the future, they are now part of our reality. Multiple car companies, from Nissan to Tesla, are investing and investigating methods to bring more electric cars to the market. While electric cars are an ideal solution to gasoline guzzling ones, the price of charging them within your home can be quite costly. Solar panels may be an opportunity for cost savings if you own, or would like to own, an electric car.

You will need to calculate how much electricity your car will use in the future to decide the number of solar panels you will need to install. The EPA rates this based on how many kilowatt-hours it takes for the car to drive 100 miles. Then they convert that number into which they convert to a miles-per-gallon equivalent . You can use sources such as FuelEconomy.gov to find and compare the MPGe ratings for all of the electric vehicles on the market in the U.S.Once you know how much electricity your car will rely on to charge, then you can install the necessary amount of solar panels to corollate with the energy use of the car. Do not worry, tax credits of 30% and other rebates will also apply to this investment and you will save money in the long run. Imagine how expensive it would be to charge your electric vehicle at home along with the other necessary appliances that are also relying on electricity. Solar panels would decrease your electric bills once again!

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