Homemade Solar Concentrator

Solar Panels Dissected

admin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 10:59:10 +0000

Solar panels are made of silicon, the second most abundant element on earth behind oxygen. However it is mostly found in oxidized form such as silicon dioxide, sand or quartz. In the refining process, carbon and SiO2 is heated to 1800 degrees. This results in 98% pure silicon and as such is not suitable for [...]

Solar Panels, Solar Cells, Photovoltaics

admin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:42:57 +0000

Photovoltaics (PV) is the best way to transfer light into electricity. Henri Becquerel in 1839 discovered the Photovoltaic effect. Solar panels incorporate a pn junction semiconductor across which electricity is generated. Solar cells are packaged into modules containing a number of cells in series. The module protects the cells and produces a higher voltage than a [...]

Bring Down Energy Costs; Heighten The Looks Of Homes With A Solar Panel

admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:24:27 +0000

Bring down energy costs; heighten the looks of homes with a solar Panel. There was a time when people think that solar PV is expensive. Others see this as an expensive hobby, reserved only to those who have money to burn. Other segment of the population on the other hand sees the negativity about the solar [...]

Good Looking Solar Panels

admin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:13:14 +0000

Some see the aesthetics of one product as more important other than the services and the roles that it can deliver. This is actually true for most renewable energy producers and generators that are crafted and designed for home use. A number of households and homemakers see the good things of having a renewable energy [...]

Counting The Benefits Of DIY Solar Energy Projects

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:39:56 +0000

Why is there a need to take a good look at what solar panels, and many DIY solar energy projects? Well there are a number of reasons why, and all these things can help make your life easy and convenient. If you take a look at some states, you have already noticed the good things [...]

Focusing on concentrator photovoltaic

admin — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:19:21 +0000

If you are new in the renewable energy business and consumption, then the concentrator isn’t a familiar term for you. But for someone who knows his renewable energy resource and his solar panels then this term is common and highly helpful. The concentrator photovoltaic is used as a label to one device when the sunlight [...]

Solar Tracker Benefits

admin — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:14:40 +0000

To further the efficiency of the solar panel fitted at the roof, a solar panel tracker is often installed. The tracker is an add-on device that is geared towards improving the energy production of panel and making sure that the panel can get the right amount of energy from the sun at the right time. [...]

World Solar Challenge

admin — Sun, 25 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Back in ‘94ish, I participated in the World Solar Challenge as part of a TAFE team. It was a very low cost, low tech entry, basically it was a fiberglass canoe shape body with two wheels at the front and one at the back. A big flat solar panel array above our heads which could [...]

Building On The Ridge or V Trough Solar Concentrator Array

admin — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:16:42 +0000

A V trough solar concentrator array would look like the below, not shown is the solar tracker. This particular array has a 60 degree concentrator, with the reflector surface the same length as half the width of a solar panel. The yellow lines represent the sun and show the sun reflecting to the middle of the [...]

Ridge or V Trough Solar Concentrator

admin — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 12:23:48 +0000

A solar concentrator is a shiny surface that reflects sunlight on to a collector. One type of concentrator is a ridge or V trough In this diagram, the solar panel is 50mm wide, the angle of the reflector trough is 60 degrees and the reflector trough in 50mm. You can use the solar funnel calculator to workout the angle. [...]