In order to size your solar energy panels, you have to decide if you want a direct grid-tie system without batteries or not. If you do not want to use batteries, the size of your solar power generator will simply be what you can comfortably afford ($$). This will help you offset your energy bills, but you’ll have to draw power from the grid at night. Things will be rather different if you want to install an off-grid system with a battery bank.

Contrary to what most people think, step #1 to sizing your solar power system is to check if there is any energy wastage in your home — lights that remain turned on 24/7, pool pumps that keep running even during the night, heaters that never stop pumping hot air, et cetera. Only after you have eliminated these “leaks” can you determine how much energy (KWh) you use every day. Otherwise you’ll be spending lots of money on a larger-than-necessary solar power generator.

It’s easy to determine how much power you use on a daily basis. A quick glance at your utility bill quickly reveals the number. This is the result of those big power-sucking elements around the house. Some examples are your clothes dryer, water heater, air conditioning, refrigerators and heaters. Having your power consumption in mind, you’ll have to multiply it by a factor of 1.15 to correct for power loss through inefficiencies in the system. (Inefficiencies occur as a result of imperfect transmission through the inverter, cables and batteries.)

Even if you are not going to immediately build a solar energy panel now, it’ll be useful to go around your house to look for these energy vampires to slay. Before we go on to the next part of “Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels” series, please do this exercise. It’ll be beneficial to you in the long run and you’ll thank me for it.

Continue Reading:

1. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 2
2. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3
3. Home Solar Power — Different Ways of Harnessing Energy From The Sun To Reduce Energy Bills

Are you ready for what Multifunction Solar Panel Inverters can do for you? Let’s jump right in…

Multifunction solar panel inverters combine the best from Stand-Alone Solar Panel Inverters and Synchronous Solar Panel Inverters. They are of course more expensive, but these are the best choice for your solar energy panels.

This type of inverter allows you to generate excess power to be stored in a battery bank. As such, you are able to use energy from the grid, from the solar panels or from stored energy in the batteries. You can even connect a standby generator to the whole setup. Let me illustrate…

During the day, solar energy panels supply your household appliances with power. At the same time, the battery bank is charged up to store energy for the night. If there is surplus electricity, they can be sold to your local power company.

By evening, the batteries will be charged up. At this time, the inverter provides AC power to the house from the batteries. If the batteries are flat, the inverter taps into the grid to charge the batteries and power up the house at the same time.

If a standby generator is used, the inverter will synchronize its power so it can be added to an existing source of power. Many multifunction solar panel inverters are not as efficient as synchronous inverters because the system must have a battery. However, they offer functions that grid-tied inverters do not.

Continue Reading:

1. About
2. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 2
3. Sizing Your Solar Energy Panels – Part 3

Every once in a while, you’ll need to remove the dust from the surface of your solar panels. Since your solar panels are probably installed on your roof, away from convenient reach, procrastination happens. Yet it is important to remove anything that may block sunlight from reaching the photovoltaic cells.

There are two convenient ways you can get the dust off your solar energy panel’s surface. The first and most common is to spray some water to wash them away. When done regularly, this can be pretty effective. While washing your solar panels, you may find that the energy output shoots up, way beyond the maximum, then settles at a new high. This is because solar cells are cooled down as you spray water on them, thus their efficiency increases. After they’re warmed up again, their efficiency settles at a higher level than before as more sunlight reach the solar cells.

Another way to clean the glass surface (especially when it gets real dirty or there’s some grease or oil on it) is to use a solar panel cleaning system kit. One good example of this can be found on the popular website, Amazon.com. Here’s a description of how it’s like:

Mr. Long Arm 1008 Pro Curve Solar Panel Cleaning System Kit

“It is designed to clean solar panels faster, safer, easier and is better for the environment. Using this system leaves no carbon footprint and conserves water, unlike complicated, expensive, non-eco friendly equipment. It allows you to reach and clean even the most difficult to access solar panels. It kit includes one 5 to 8 foot two section extension pole, one 12 Inch and one 18 Inch channel with squeegee rubber, one 18 Inch and one 22 Inch wash bar and wash sleeve, two tool handles, one 4 to 8 foot flow through extension pole, one flow-thru angle adaptor, one soft flow-thru cleaning brush, one 15 by 15 Inch microfiber cleaning cloth, instruction DVD and a handy canvas case. This assortment will allow you to meet all your cleaning needs.”

Hopefully with this kit, you can clean your solar panels in double quick time!

Continue Reading:

1. 3 Secrets You Didn’t Know About Building Solar Panels
2. Solar Panel Installation
3. Solar Panel Efficiency