Solar Power - The Pros

Advantages of using flexible solar panels

Solar power is a source of energy that is all around us. It is free to use and of course it is the ultimate in green energy. Solar energy is its own unique source of power, and these solar panels utilize that energy to power all of your portable electronics. Flexible solar panels allow us to use this source of energy in our daily lives. You can charge your Kindle or I-phone whether you are at home or traveling on vacation.

These panels have been designed to be folded or rolled up for ease of storage and transport. The thin film technology used to produce them uses slim layers of silicon which makes them flexible. They are lightweight for easy use during camping, hiking, and travel. With the new designs and advances in solar technology these thin film solar panels are more efficient than before.

These panels are designed to work in low light conditions such as in hiking in the woods. You will not have to find an open meadow or break in the trees to recharge you GPS or walkie talkie's.
They can be rolled up and stored in your back pack when not in use, and then be carried wherever a source of low voltage power is required.

These solar panels come in a variety of power levels. They range from 5w-12v to 25w-12v.

Another big plus is that you can use these panels to recharge your marine batteries. This eliminates the concern of not having a fully charged battery when a storm is looming on the horizon. This is good insurance for you peace of mind when you are on your boat a long way from shore.

They provide an ideal solution for charging and powering walkie talkies, GPS systems, your portable web camera, and other small electronics when there is no conventional power source available. This type of solar panel provides a portable source of low voltage alternative energy. The newer versions of these panels are much more durable the earlier models.

These flexible panels have their own types of advantages over the traditional and more familiar solar panels. Portability and mobility are the major advantages over the traditional panels. They can be set up where and when we need them.

It is not necessary to have a flat surface to mount or use flexible solar panel absorb sunlight for power. The panel can be laid across a boulder of on top of your SUV. This type of solar panel provides is adaptable power source with many outdoor applications. Flexible panels will fit into clothes or a back pack.

They do not break easily, and they take little or no space to set up and store when not in use. They can provide us with years of problem free service.

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Why Solar Energy?

We must acknowledge that If we do not consider the high price of solar energy, then it is far better than any traditional energy. It saves money, is environment friendly, has no maintenance cost, gives reduced dependence on fossil fuels, and a lot of government incentives are also being provided to promote solar power. Moreover, you will have freedom from the power company, freedom from unwanted power cuts and horrible blackouts. So, let's discuss the advantages of solar energy.

Saves money: PV panels do not need any fuel to run. So, you do not have to worry about gasoline price. They also indirectly reduce health cost. You will also get total freedom from their ever rising prices.

Environment friendly: PV panels do not release Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen oxide, Sulphur dioxide and Mercury like traditional energy sources. So, They slow down the global warming process. Their recycling process is also environment friendly.

No maintenance cost: Solar panels last for decades. In fact, PV panels last more than 30 years without any kind of cost. They do not need any fuel to run and do not have any offensive smell. They work literally like a shadow friend.

Reduced dependence on fossil fuels: Fossils fuels are very expensive and unfortunately, they are in the control of a few countries. On the other hand, solar power is unlimited. It is believed that one hour sunlight is enough to give electricity for one year for the entire world!

Government incentives: This is the most important initiative to flourish solar power on a large-scale. Many governments all over the world have been promoting solar power. Some countries have been providing subsides to end-users, while others have been providing attractive loans and tax incentives. In some countries "Considerable amount of electricity of total usage has to be from solar energy" has been made compulsory, e.g., in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh each new building must have a solar panel. It is a good approach indeed. Moreover, in many countries people have freedom to sell the extra electricity to the grid company at retail prices.

Solar energy could be a probable and long-lasting alternative to traditional energy sources.We should change our attitude and be kind to the planet Earth. We must try our best to use traditional energy sources as less as possible because these are very dangerous for our environment. Do not delay, do not wait for others. You fulfill your responsibility other people will follow you soon. Go green!

About the Author

Faisal Muhammad Khan is a freelance article writer. He cannot stop loving writing and reading. He is so natural that it seems his words are always talking to you. He has a very sharp eye not only for grammatical errors, but stylistic choices that could be improved to make the piece flow better. In a nutshell, whatever the topic is, he is more like a story-teller than a writer! He lives in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

His Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/talk2472Khan

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Solar Energy Kits Can Save Money

Solar energy kits can save you money in the short term as well as saving you money on your energy costs. There are numerous websites and outlets where you can buy the materials needed to produce your own solar energy kits.

Most of the supplies to make solar energy kits are inexpensive and can be found at almost any hardware store or electronics retailer. The main component of building the kits are the solar cells themselves. They are readily available on the internet. There are websites such as eBay, Amazon and solar energy companies that sell mono-crystalline solar cells.

When buying the solar cells to make solar energy kits there are a few things you need to know before making your purchase. A common size of the mono-crystalline solar cells is 3" X 6". It takes 36 of those cells to to make an approximately 2' X 4' panel that will generate about 18 volts which is enough to charge a 12 volt battery. Please note that when making your solar energy kits these type cells are brittle and are as fragile as a thin piece of glass. When handled they can be damaged and may even become chipped during shipping. Chipped cells can diminish the performance of your solar energy kits.

One common shipping method of the mono-crystalline solar cells is to encase them in wax and ship them in bricks of 18 or so. This method reduces the percentage of you cells being damaged during shipping. However the wax has to be removed before installing. There is a simple method to remove the wax on the cells that I have used to much success. This four step process involves three large pots and heated on a four element stove. Heat two pots with just water on the medium setting. Place a third pot between the two and use the same setting but add dish washing liquid to make light soapy water. Add the bricks to one of the pots with just plain water. When the wax starts to melt remove the panels with light pressure using thongs (preferably rubber or bamboo) and place them into the soapy water. Remember the cells are fragile so the too much pressure could chip a panel, after that place them into the third pot of clean water to remove the remaining wax. Following the last rinse place the cells on a towel to dry. There may be a slight film on the mono- crystalline cells after the process but it doesn't affect performance on your kit.

Another thing to note while cleaning the cells to make solar energy kits is that the soapy water and the rinse water baths will need to be changed. Do not use your kitchen sink to dispose of the water. The wax will clog the drain. You may need to adjust the heat to melt the wax and make the process more efficient. I also recommend putting the brick of cells in the water cold, and then slowly heating them up to just below boiling temperature to avoid harsh thermal shocks to the cells. Do not bring the water to a boil at any time during the process.

However the process goes by quicker when the water is just under a boil. Removing the wax is a time consuming process and a little messy. I would recommend avoiding having the cells dipped in wax. It may be more expensive to ship the cells for your solar energy kits by other means but you increase the possibility of damaging cells.

One last thing on the cells that I would recommend to produce quality solar energy kits is to purchase mono-crystalline solar cells that have tabs already in place. Soldering the tabs onto the cells is time consuming and offers up another opportunity to damage a solar energy cell. In closing the last thing I would add when making DIY solar energy kits is the importance of using a blocking diode to prevent the panel from discharging the battery. The diodes are inexpensive and are a very important component to produce quality solar energy kits.

Joe X (pen name) is a photojournalist and solar power enthusiast who is passionate about building DIY solar energy kits and spreading the word on the benefits of our most abundant source of clean green energy.
Save money

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