Solar Electricity

Solar power is natural energy created by sunlight . For centuries, people from all around the world have been using it, this means it’s not a new invention. It really is a wonderful resource which is able to produce electricity in isolated areas where there is no power supply. An illustration of this is research in space. In its most basic forms, it is able to generate power which enables us to cook, warm our homes, run our appliances, to simply name a few uses. As the manufacturing prices of solar energy drops, it will end up far more competitively priced in comparison to conventional types of power generated from oil and gas. In recent years we have witnessed a considerable surge in the use of solar power within our homes. This has come about for a variety of reasons. With ever increasing energy bills, solar technology is a worthwhile option for homeowners who want to lower their electricity bills.

Solar technology is normally used in the home for creating electricity and water heating. The most frequent use of solar technology is producing electricity, this is what’s called solar photovoltaic, or solar pv for short. The next typical use is for creating hot water, this is called solar thermal.

The solar markets has seen a rapid sector increase in many developing countries. An important natural resource most of these countries already have in abundance is sunlight. Government of these countries look at it as a solution to supply people in remote villages electric power that could not be made available through any other source. It is usually less expensive to supply renewable energy rather than run further electric power lines to individuals who have modest finances and can’t afford to purchase regular electricity.

Developed nations have likewise invested seriously in solar systems. Using sustainable energy in the home is certainly promoted by many European governments. Assistance is sometimes provided to homeowners by using grants to boost take up. The UK for example have a scheme known as the green deal. Via the scheme, property owners can usually get solar panels installed completely free at the point of fitting and the costs are repaid through their electricity bills from the calculated saving from having the new system fitted. This has driven an explosion of renewable techologies, such as solar energy.

To qualify for green deal finance, the proposed work has to be approved by a green deal advisor. The work can then be carried out by a green deal provider.

For solar pv to work in a domestic setting, it is required that the property is getting acceptable sunshine. You will need at minimum 6 hours of sunlight for the system to yeild cost-effective financial savings. An inverter is a small box that transforms the DC current generated by the panels into AC current which is suitable for use within your property. An average inverter will only be able to transform 25% of the electricity produced into electricity. If the system is not creating enough electricity, then the shortfall is obtained from the national grid. As a rough guide, a 4kw system (around 16 panels) should produce roughly 40% of the electricity in an average home. Virtually all domestic systems state they are able to provide as much as 90% capacity for up to 25 years.

Our everyday life will be using a lot more things driven by solar as we move into the future. Parents and teachers can help children go green by showing the multitude of advantages of solar. Technology has already provided us with batteries which are quickly recharged by solar and has provided us with many imaginative new toys. Kits are an easy way to explain to kids. They can build operating models that illustrate how solar can be used to power things. You could save on battery power by buying your child a solar operated toy this Christmas.

A large number of new products are on the market that happen to be run by solar, for example torches that are recharged through the day and phone battery chargers. Camping out is a pursuit that is enjoyed, commonly in locations where electric power is absent and can benefit immensely from solar run electricity. There are more examples, for example watches and radios. Even swimming pools can be powered by solar. In fact anything which usually requires electricity to perform could be converted to be operated by solar electricity. The choices are limited only by our creative thinking.

Have You Claimed Your Grant?

Grants for cavity wall insulation and loft insulation are provided to United kingdom property owners because of the government’s commitment to help reduce CO2 emissions.

Among the biggest contributors of CO2 is energy wasted in domestic dwellings. We can create a cleaner environment by insulating the home which also wastes significantly less energy. It also helps the consumer who benefits by having decreased energy bills. Energy bills can be lowered by anywhere up to 25% in a properly insulated property.

The program that provides these grants is known as CERT (Carbon Emission Reduction Target). The grant is paid straight to the local designated company who does the work. This avoids the need for the home owner to have to find the funds up-front. Grants of up to 100% are offered. Nearly everybody on a means tested benefit or those aged over 70 would normally be eligible to have the work done totally free. You can obtain a grant for cavity wall insulation in Royston and other towns in the county. Grants for loft insulation in Royston and other towns are also available.

The process to apply for a grant is straightforward. The customer must contact a local contractor or surveying agency who is taking part in this program. The installer or agency will arrange for a Home Assessor to visit the house to determine if it is suitable. The Home Assessor will then advise of the insulation improvements are needed and also confirm with you the amount of grant aid you are entitled to.

The recommended standard of loft insulation is 270mm (11 inches). Think about increasing the depth of insulation if you have not had your loft topped up within the last 15 years.

The work will be carried out by your registered installer, should you decide to accept the offer. It’ll only take about half a day to finish most jobs. If you have cavity wall insulation installed, you will also be given a 25-year guarantee .

As this is a government backed program, there is a high volume of quality inspections once the work is actually completed. This makes sure that customers get quality workmanship. Any service provider that fails to meet these quality standards are removed from the scheme.

Different companies have different procedures to install the insulation. The homeowner could chose to have a surveying company undertake the initial inspection. The surveying agency can recommend the best company in that area to undertake the work. Because a surveying company is invariably independent, the homeowner will receive the best recommended product and a local authorised company best suited to their home. You can search on the internet for grants for home insulation in your city.

A new scheme called Green Deal will soon replace the current CERT program. The Green Deal scheme will cover more energy saving measures, such as boilers, external wall insulation and renewable technologies including solar pv, solar thermal, bio mass, ground source heat pumps. Any grants given under Green Deal will be repayable by way of the customer’s electricity bills. Grants issued under CERT are not repayable.

Based on a report by the UK’s Energy Savings Trust’s home energy efficiency database (HEED), at March 2012, over 3 million properties had benefited by having cavity wall insulation or loft insulation being installed.