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Solar Power

How To Buy Solar Panels -- What To Look Out For

When you buy solar panels, there are various factors to look out for that make your investment pay off. Among the important criteria, type of photovoltaic panel, brand and specification are the most important.

In general, there are 3 major types of photovoltaic panels -- portable, residential and commercial systems.

Portable photovoltaic panels are very small products that can supply low voltages (and limited power) to hand-held or portable gadgets. There are rollable solar chargers, foldable photovoltaic panels and small, thin-film panels. The type of photovoltaic panel to be used depends on your application.

Residential and commercial Solar Power generators are made using either crystalline silicon, thin-film or string-ribbon technology. They are much larger than portable solar panels and require inverters to convert direct current to alternating current. This conforms the electricity supply to the requirements of the household or commercial electricity supply.

Choosing a suitable brand is another major consideration. Purchasing from leading solar panel brands ensure that you have the service and advice that will most likely serve your needs. When it comes to repair and maintenance, spare parts and labor are adequately catered for -- more so in larger companies than in smaller mom and pop shops.

Here is a list of leading solar panels brand: BP Solar, Evergreen Solar, General Electric, AEE Solar, Kaneka, Mitsubishi Electric, Kyocera, Sanyo, SunWize, Suntech, Sharp and Uni-Solar.

There are professionals in these companies that can help you size your Solar Power system. With your average power consumption figures and number of sun hours at your location, they can determine the specifications you need for your solar panels and other related components.

Depending on your budget, you may be advised to install as many solar generators as is required to supply all your household electricity needs. Or you can install the solar panels in stages. The specifications for each option are different and it is important to purchase a system that fits your requirement so you'll not spend more money than necessary.

Along with solar panels, other necessary components for a home Solar Power system are inverters, batteries and mounts. These, too, have different specifications and you'll need to choose one that suits your need.

Another consideration when buying solar panels is the warranty period. Companies offer different warranty periods and it is important to check that this period is much longer than the calculated payback period.

Keeping these pointers in mind as you shop for solar panels, you are better equipped to buy solar panels that can serve you for decades and put money back into your pocket.

By John Greenspan - An expert in building homemade solar panels & other DIY stuff...  


Nuclear against Solar?
Im arguing with my friend. Im with Nuclear Power my friend is with Solar. Here is what the argument is like so far Me - Solar power isn't very efficient, especially in the Britain! It rains a lot. Harry S. - it's cheap and efficient and works on light not direct sunshine. Me - Nuclear power is more efficient, although it leaves traces of radioactivity. Harry S. - Solar panels are very small and there's more of them in the UK. Me - Solar power IS nuclear power. Just because it's very very far away doesn't make it less dangerous. Solar power is NOT free. There's the opportunity cost of not being able to harvest food / bio fuel crops where the panels are placed. Solar panels are also less efficient than plants at capturing all the radiation energy. Burning wood would be more economical for the ecosystem. Too many solar panels affect the landscape in a negative way. Nuclear fuel / waste is compact. Few centrals are needed. Some reactor types also produce useful byproducts (plutonium). Nuclear power can be generated anywhere, not only in sunny regions. Harry S. - Nuclear power stations are extremely expensive to build and can be dangerous exposing us and our world to harm full radiation e.g Chernobyl and Japan. These disasters have polluted farmland and killed hundreds of people with millions suffering from long term health problems. Who has been killed by a solar panel? The price to life is to high for nuclear! Solar panels also look better than a huge concrete towers. Me - The forgotten dangers of solar panels: According to Safework Australia, each year about 30 Australians die in falls from a height. Some falls involving people installing or maintaining solar panels are not reported as part of work-related statistics, and then there are people electrocuted when they come into contact with power lines. In California, where solar panels have been embraced enthusiastically, there has been a rash of deaths like this one, this one, and another three in quick succession. However, it is a worldwide phenomenon, so much so that statistics show roofing is more dangerous than coal mining. Because of our propensity to put panels on roofs, solar is in fact, far more dangerous than many forms of power generation, three times more dangerous than wind power and more than 10 times more dangerous than nuclear power, by comparison to the amount of power produced. The fifty actual deaths from roof installation accidents for 1.5 million roof installations is equal to the actual deaths experienced so far from Chernobyl. If all 80 million residential roofs in the USA had solar power installed then one would expect 9 times the annual roofing deaths of 300 people or 2700 people (roofers to die). This would generate about 240 TWH of power each year. (30% of the power generated from nuclear power in the USA). 90 people per year over an optimistic life of 30 years for the panels not including maintenance or any electrical shock incidents. There is an argument, however, that solar power may ultimately be safer than coal-fired generation because of the reduction in pollution. Ironically enough, however, solar power is far more dangerous than nuclear, even in a year when an accident like the disaster at Fukushima occurs. What do you think he will say next? Does anyone have anything to say about nuclear power that will support me? Do you think nuclear power is better. Why? Is a nuclear power plant cheaper than the overall cost and maintenance of a solar farm or a solar panel? What are your views on nuclear power and solar power? Any pros and cons about nuclear and solar? Could the world still run for a bit with nuclear power? If you lived that long how did you react when nuclear power was introduced. Did you think solar was better? If you have anything that could hep me win this argument please say.

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what is the point of solar power with no sun at all?


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