Solar Power Home

For ages sunlight has been utilized by man. From being used in ancient temples for natural lighting to being converted to electricity for today’s power hungry nations, the power of the sun has a number of uses.

But, more importantly it can also be used on a domestic level, as a clean source energy for various households.

Currently, there are 4 general ways you can use solar power at home:

Solar Cookers:

A solar cooker is an extremely healthy, inexpensive and clean alternative to cooking your food. Though solar cookers have been used a lot to desalinize water in poor arid countries, many 1st world countries are adopting them in summer for cooking their food.

With solar cooking, the oven has a number of reflective panels arranged in a parabola, where they focus the sun on a single pot, in which the food is placed. Depending on the design, the cooker can make a variety of dishes from bread to steamed vegetables to fried eggs to a roast beef, and it typically caters for up to 5 people.

The one problem with a solar oven is that it takes rather long to cook the food - up to 4 times longer. But if you are prepared to wait for a healthy, wholesome, energy saving meal to be ready, then a solar cooker is a good idea.

Solar Water Heating:

With a solar water heater, the advancement in technology has enabled any households and business to completely replace their traditional electric or gas geysers and hot-water cylinders.

As cold water is pumped through a solar collector, the pipes absorb the sun’s energy, and heat the water, which is then stored in an insulated tank for later use. Usually the water can get so hot that it has to be mixed with cold water before it can be used.

Passive Solar Living:

To think that Americans consume up to 50% of their energy to heat, ventilate and air-condition their homes, a large amount of money and energy could be saved by using passive solar design at home.

With this form of solar power employment, sunlight is used as a natural heat and light source. The ideal passive solar home would have large double-glazed windows, with the length of the house facing the sun, and designed with materials that absorb the sun’s light and radiate heat even after the sun has set.

With the right placement of windows and mirrors and even white walls in your home, sunlight can be effectively used to light your home, instead of you having to resort to electric lights.

A natural air conditioning solution would be to plant deciduous trees on the sun-facing side of your home. This would provide cool shade in summer, but allow warm sunlight though in winter.

A solar chimney can be installed for ventilation, where the air in the chimney is heated by the sun and rises, causing fresh, cool air to rush in through the home and up the chimney.

Solar Electric Power:

More scientifically known as photovoltaic energy, this form of solar power can be used at home as a renewable source of electricity. For a solar electric panels system to be most effective, the panels should always be facing the sun.

As the sun’s rays penetrate the solar panels, electrons in the cells become charged, creating a current that is stored in deep-cycle batteries. When electricity is needed, the stored power is passed through an inverter to change the DC to AC, which can then be used to power various household appliances or connected to the grid for net metering.

What’s great about this form of solar power is that it is relatively affordable, clean, and easy to implement at home. Furthermore, many diy fanatics have discovered how to build their own solar power systems for a fraction of what it would cost to get a commercial system installed.

And these are the 4 ways how to solar power your home. If your are willing to learn how to use these methods at home, you will not only be living a greener life, but you will reduce your power needs and costs, receive renewable energy tax incentives, and lower the burden on our vanishing energy sources. So take the initiative and enjoy the sun’s free, clean, abundant energy now.