The benefits of solar energy to our homes can’t be overemphasized, but then it will interest you to know that there are three different categories of solar power systems. What I mean by this is that, if you are considering solar energy, you should bear in mind that you can either decide to use the on-grid solar power system, off-grid solar power system, and hybrid solar power system.

How does the mixture of beauty and energy generation on your roof sound? Yes, I am talking about solar shingles. Discovering the various ways in which solar can be harnessed is the best thing that has happened to the world at large.

A new spec has been added, and this time it is as wonderful as others. Solar shingles while performing the exact function of conventional roof tiles, comes with an added advantage of energy generation. So what exactly are solar shingles?

Tesla solar shingle roof tiles
A TYPICAL IMAGE OF A TESLA SOLAR SHINGLE

WHAT ARE SOLAR SHINGLES

Solar shingles which are also known as photovoltaic shingles is a type of solar panel that performs the task of roof covering and energy generation for households. It could be said to mimic the functions and appearance of conventional roofing materials.

What this means is that, once you have solar shingle installed, it will serve as both your roof and your solar panel for energy generation.

The producers of solar shingles believe that it can last as long as the common solar panel in use. Solar shingle appear in sizes smaller than the normal solar panel.

So this means that the no of solar shingles that you will install in your home depends on the size of your home and the workload involved.

Solar shingles are composed of thin-film solar cells that are made from copper indium gallium selenide. This is a semiconductor known to have one of the highest energy conversion efficiency rates of about 12%.

In terms of availability, solar shingles are only being produced by a few companies now, so they are not yet very rampant, but you can be among the early users.

It will interest you to know that in the US, the total capacity of installed solar power has reached 71.3GW in the third quarter of 2019, and has increased significantly in 2020. This means that with the introduction and awareness of solar shingles, it will increase more.

HOW DOES SOLAR SHINGLES WORK

Solar shingles operate just like the normal solar panels because they are building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) products. Solar shingle make use of silicon semiconductors.

When sunlight strikes the solar shingles, the semiconductor captures the energy. After a while, electrons will loose freely from the semiconductor and travel through a circuit to the area where other electrons are stored.

All these stored electrons will in turn be harvested to produce electricity. For a detailed explanation of how solar panels work, I recommend you read “what is solar panels”.

As the people getting solar shingles installed in their homes are excited about the added beauty, it doesn’t cover the fact that they need to get the maximum satisfaction from using solar shingles. So it will interest you to know that an average roof solar shingle will produce from 50 watts to 150 watts.

WHY YOU SHOULD USE SOLAR SHINGLE

I will recommend that we use solar shingles because of its numerous benefits, some of which includes:

  • It is highly convenient and wonderful to use because it can fit perfectly with the existing design of your roof. It is more attractive than most traditional roof coverings.
  • Solar shingles will go a long way in saving you a great cost if you are building a new home. This is owing to the fact that you don’t have to spend on the traditional roofing materials.
solar roof tiles

COULD THERE BE DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH SOLAR SHINGLE?

As funny as it may sound, the only fault you may find with solar shingles at the moment is that if you are going for advanced options like Tesla, you may need to put an entirely new roof.

Again most solar installers don’t offer the services yet. This is not really a problem as there are others like me who can install it. But if you are not in Nigeria, I can give you a good recommendation from my international partners depending on your location for fast and quick service delivery.
However, not all types of solar shingles can be installed in the existing roof.

Since the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, there is no doubt that you are already considering getting one installed. So the next thing is to tell you the cost of solar shingles.

COST OF SOLAR SHINGLE AS COMPARED TO SOLAR PANELS

Solar shingle actually cost much when compared to conventional solar panels. It has been noted that solar shingles cost double of what a normal solar panel will cost.

This is because solar panels are very common in the market now. So many companies are producing solar panels, hence there is an increased competition which led to a massive reduction in price.

Solar shingles are still new in the world of solar. The competition is not much and is only a few companies that produce it now, hence the increased cost.

Depending on the slope, pitch, and size of your roof, the average cost for solar shingles installation ranges from $60,000 to $75000. You may have to pay $21to $25 per square, or $2100 to $2500 per square, for a standard roof.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLAR SHINGLES IN THE MARKET

You are likely to come across different solar shingles products in the market. Some of them include:
Tesla solar shingle
• Dow solar shingle
• CertainTeed solar shingle
• SunTegra solar shingle
• Luma solar shingle

Owing to the high cost of solar shingles, you should go for the best type when choosing the one to install in your home. That is why I will recommend you use Tesla solar shingles any day, anytime.

DO TESLA SOLAR SHINGLE WORTH IT?

The CEO of Tesla solar company “Elon Musk” says he strongly believes that aside mounting solar on your roof and making it appear like a load, that the beauty and appearance of the roof should be highly considered.

So Tesla’s solar shingles creation could be said to be operating on the principle of the roof first. The plan to make the solar shingles has been ongoing since 2016 and was launched first in 2018.

tesla solar roefed house
THE BEAUTY OF TESLA SOLAR ROOF TILES

PROS OF TESLA SOLAR SHINGLE

Tesla solar shingles are quartz-based, unlike other ones that are silica-based. This means that it promises high resilience and efficiency.
Tesla usually handles everything about your installation, from design to installation.

Talk of a company that gives you 30 years warranty, then talk of Tesla. They offer you a long warranty period of 30 years for power output and a lifetime warranty of the roof itself. This gives you the maximum time for payback while generating energy.

Tesla has a unique spot for style. You have the option of choosing textile tiles that will blend in with your building, or futuristic glass tiles that will obviously make it appear stunning.

The most beautiful thing about Tesla is that you can make use of your smartphone will keep track of your battery storage level.

CONS OF TESLA SOLAR SHINGLE

Of course, Tesla solar shingles have few challenges which could be considered insignificant if you want to get the best solar shingle.

Because of the high-quality Tesla presents, it is more costly than other solar shingles in the market.

Other solar shingle may take three days of installation, while Tesla might take up to 2 weeks. Leave it for Tesla to be highly meticulous in their installation, hence the number of weeks taken.

For those using an electric car, if you wish to recharge it with your Tesla solar installation, you will need to get additional power wall batteries.

Tesla solar roof installation might require the complete removal of your existing roof. This will definitely not go down well with people that they roofs are fairly used, as this will be an additional expense.

SOLAR SHINGLE INSTALLATION

With this advanced solar innovation, it’s very much possible to have a good looking rooftop and also generate clean energy as well. Solar shingles combine the benefit of solar-generated electricity with the reliability of traditional roof shingle.

Installation of solar shingle can be very tiring because the size of a solar shingle is the same as that of typical roof shingles. This means that more shingles are needed to complete a job compared to the number of panels required for the same project.

Also, the installation process is a bit different from conventional solar panels because each solar shingle is put in one shingle after another after another and wire each one inside the building. So its a very labor-intensive job for installers, thus a highly certified solar engineer is needed.

OTHER TYPES OF SOLAR SHINGLE

Though tesla solar shingles are the most popular type of shingle, there are other solar shingle that you can install as well. Please pardon me here because I won’t go into details, so just focus on the main points that I will list out. Read on!

DOW SOLAR SHINGLE

In 2016, dow chemical company partnered with an old-school solar installer(RGS Energy)
to market the POWERHOUSE 3.0 after stopping production.

RGS Energy has a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement to install and market the shingles. It said that the price of the system including a full replacement of a shingle roof and the system will be the lowest-cost complete solar and roofing offering available.

dow powerhouse solar roof tiles
DOW SOLAR SHINGLE(THE POWERHOUSE 3.0)

Available pricing information from RGS indicates that the solar shingles will cost roughly $3.89 per watt for the average new construction project, including the cost of labor, electrical balance-of-system work (such as the inverter, monitoring, and wiring), and the equipment kit.

This does not include the cost of the roofing installation, which comes
out to roughly another $0.85 per watt of solar shingle installed (for a total of $4.74 per watt of solar).

While tesla solar roof cost about $8.14 per watt, the POWERHOUSE
3.0 also comes with an 11-years warranty and 25-years warranty on the roof. If you are looking for a low budget solar shingles, then this might be a good option for you.

CERTAINTEED SOLAR SHINGLE

This set of solar shingles offers an efficiency of about 15.5% which is of course less compared to standard solar panels with an efficiency of about 17% to 20% on average.

One main advantage of this solar shingle is that it can be integrated into your roof, which means you don’t need to worry about replacing your roof in other to install it.

certainteed solar roof tiles

Speaking of the price, Certainteed has no specific pricing list on their website right now but definitely, it should be within the average cost of standard solar panels.

It’s worth to note that CertainTeed solar shingles come with the following warranty:

  • Installation & workmanship: 25 years
  • Inverter & other components: 10 years
  • Power output: 25 years
  • Wind warranty: 10 years

And just so you know, Certainteed solar shingles are available across the states.

certainteed roofed panels
CertainTeed® Carriage House™ Shingles Give Historic Michigan Mansion Beautiful, Authentic New Roof | 2013-07-15 | Roofing Contractor

SUNTEGRA SOLAR SHINGLE

SunTegra solar shingle is building-integrated photovoltaics” (BIPV) just like other solar shingle, this low-profile, high-performance solar shingle is integrated directly to the roof without the conventional racking system.

The company offers two solar shingle options: the SunTegra Tile system and the SunTegra Shingle system. The Shingle system is designed to integrate with asphalt shingle roofs, while the Tile is designed to suit roofs with concrete tiles.

You can visit their website to learn more about their pricing and other products at sunTegra.com.

Oliver-Koehler, ceo of SunTegra
Oliver-Koehler, ceo sunTegra solar shingles

LUMA SOLAR SHINGLE

Just like other building-integrated photovoltaics” (BIPV) solar shingles, you might think luma as the best alternative to a to your solar shingle.

On their website home page, they stated clearly and I quote “We developed the first fully-integrated solar rooftop shingle system in North America, perhaps the world. We are the only upgradeable solar shingle system. Luma Solar brings clean energy to customers who want beauty AND enduring quality craftsmanship”.

You can learn more about their products and prices on their website.

luma solar panel

GENERAL MAINTENANCE OF SOLAR SHINGLE

It will interest you to know that as long as you took your time to select the best solar shingles and accompanying materials, you won’t have to fear about maintenance. Normal garden cleaning tools is enough to clean your roof.

CONCLUSION

If you are about building a new house, you should be considering using solar shingles. What is the need of putting a roof and then installing solar panels separately? Of course, that will be too much load, so we should all be switching to solar shingle.

Solar shingles have high resistance against wind and hail, so you are very much secured. Just get a good installer, to do the proper checks, and Mount your solar shingle in the best position where it can trap sunlight, then you are good to go.

With the increasing demand for energy across the globe and the numerous activities which demand energy, there is a need for renewable energy. Renewable energy is a great alternative to fossil fuels and is fast becoming an important part of power generation.

WHAT ARE RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

Renewable energy resources are sources of energy that is continuously replenished through natural processes. These resources are alternatives to fossil fuels which are not renewable.

Coal and oil are examples of fossil fuels that produce energy when they are burned, but they have a very limited supply. But renewable energy sources can be very much replenished and are not limited.

This makes them very suitable because you don’t have to worry about running out of power supply.

renewable is changing the world with solar energy on  the lead
RENEWABLE ENERGY IS THE ANSWER TO OUR ENERGY NEEDS

Why you should consider Renewable Energy Resources

I could give you several reasons why you should go for renewable energy sources like solar energy however, I will try to be brief.

  • Renewable energy resources have a very limited negative impact on the environment compared to fossil fuels.
  • They are very much cost-effective, so they are a very good option for homeowners or office owners.
  • While non-renewable energy sources are available only in limited amounts, renewable energy sources are unlimited.
  • Sun, wind, and water (which are sources of renewable energy) are accessible in almost all the countries of the world, as opposed to non-renewable energy sources which are found majorly in some places.
  • With renewable energy resources, you are in major control of the energy in your home.

Types of Renewable Energy Resources

Solar Energy

This is the most common type of renewable energy in use. Solar energy has been used by humans to grow crops, stay warm and dry food.

Solar energy comes directly from the sun and supplies us with the full energy needed for survival. It enables us to produce direct energy from sunlight and in turn, convert it to electricity.

This electricity is used to power our homes and businesses. In addition to solar producing electricity, solar power can also be used to charge battery systems and produce hot water.

I could help install the solar power system in your home and help you do away with unnecessary spending on power generation.

Solar energy is also recommended because it does not pollute the environment, as it does not give off fossil fuels. Now you might be wondering how this solar energy is harnessed and put into use. I will make it very clear to you, continue reading!

Wind Energy

When you feel the wind, it simply means that you are feeling the movement of air from one place to another. This movement is a result of uneven heating of the earth’s surface. Now this wind can be captured to give off power by making use of large turbines. Turbines generate electricity when they spin.

Hydro Energy

Just like the way we produce electricity from moving air, electricity can also be generated from moving water. This can be done through the use of turbines. When moving water runs through a turbine, it spins it to produce electricity.

Geothermal Energy

When our planet was formed, the heat was trapped. Also during radioactive decay in the rock that is deep beneath the earth’s crust, heat is also trapped. The heat from these two sources results in a large amount of geothermal heat energy.

Just like wind power, and hydropower, geothermal heat energy is captured by using a turbine. This can be achieved by using steam from heated water to spin a turbine which aids in the generation of electricity.

Biomass

This is another renewable energy source. This biomass energy can be generated from recently living organic matters like plants and animals. This biomass are referred to as renewable because of how quickly plants can be regrown. And they also grow using renewable energy from the sun.

2050 projected renewable energy mix
THE WORLD IS DRAWING TOWARD A CLEAN ENERGY THROUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY, JOIN THE TREND AND SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT FROM HARMFUL EFFECT OF NON-RENEWABLE
PHOTO CREDIT: ENERGYSAGE

The Solar Energy

I feel like more has to be said about solar energy because the power system is gradually turning to solar as the best alternative to energy generation. So let’s talk about the solar energy.

How Solar Energy is Harnessed

The sun is a massive nuclear reactor. Deep in the sun’s core, nuclear fusion reactions produce massive amounts of energy that radiate outward from the sun’s surface and into space in the form of light and heat.

Now to harness this , there are two major ways. It can be done either using photovoltaics commonly referred to as PV or by using solar thermal energy.

Application of Solar Energy

By using a photovoltaic solar system, solar panels convert sunlight to electricity directly. This process by which solar panels convert sunlight to electricity is called photovoltaic effect.

Here, incoming sunlight strikes a semiconductor material made of silicon and sets the electrons loose.

This sets them in motion and in turn causes them to generate an electric current that can be captured with the wiring. This current is known as direct current and it has to be converted to alternating current using solar inverter. When this is done, it can now power electrical appliances.

By using solar thermal system, heat is captured directly from solar radiation. This makes it available for use in different ways. The three major ways include:
  • Low temperature for heating and cooling
  • Mid temperature for heating water
  • High temperature for electrical power generation.

Low temperature– this has to do with heating and cooling of air as a means of climate control. This is particularly used in passive solar building designs. Here, the sun’s rays enter a living space to heat a particular area, and in turn blocked when that area needs to be cooled.

Mid temperature– this has to do with a solar hot water heating system. Collectors will be set up on your rooftop to capture heat from the sun. This heat will be transferred to the pipes channeling water to your homes.

In this case, you don’t need to keep depending on water heaters as the heat from the sun will serve as a natural heater.

High temperature– these ones are used to generate electricity for large scales. How this operates is that mirrors are set to focus the rays coming from the sun on tubes containing a liquid that can hold heat energy well.

This heated fluid turns water into steam and can be made to turn a turbine and generate electricity.

HOW TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS

Solar panels are installed at three main scales.
Residential
Commercial
Utility

For residential, there are usually installed in rooftops or in open land. It generally ranges between 5 and 20kilowatts. This is largely dependent on property size.

For commercial, the installation is usually installed at a greater scale than residential. This is because it has more things to power.

For utility-scale solar projects, there are usually large several megawatts installations that provide solar energy to a large number of utility customers.

With all this been said, I recommend you read a step by step process of solar panel installation.

how to install solar panels
SOLAR PANELS INSTALLATION

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY

With the world energy revolution focusing mainly on renewable energy-solar energy. There is a great need to understand the pros and cons of solar energy, this information is useful for homeowners who have complete home solar power system installed or yet to, researchers and students are not left behind.

We have put together a conclusive list of the pros and cons of solar energy with regards to homeowners’ perspective during the research work. Here is the list of toP pros and cons of solar energy in 2020:

ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGYDISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY
1. Solar Energy is RenewableSolar storage is Expensive
2. Reduces your Electricity BillsSolar panel don’t work in some roof
3. Improve the value of your homeSolar is Weather Dependent
4. Environmental FriendlyAssociated with Pollution
5. Low Maintenance CostSolar panels require Space
6. Technological Development
TOP PROS AND CONS OF SOLAR ENERGY 2020

ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY

1. Solar Energy is Renewable

The foremost advantage of solar energy is that it’s a truly renewable energy source-its replenish on its own.

Solar energy as a renewable energy source also means that its abundant, reliable, It can be harnessed in all areas of the world and is available every day.

Solar energy is always available and we can not run out it unlike non-renewable energy sources(fossil fuel, coal, nuclear, etc), though scientists predicted that the sun might die in the next 5 billion years to come.

2. Installing Solar Energy Reduces your Electricity Bills

Going solar will not just reduce your electricity bills, you stand a chance to earn some money as well. As your solar panels will be providing your energy needs, excess power produced by your solar would be sold to the utility grid through net metering.

In many states, adding solar panels to your home can bring in electric bill savings of well over $1,000 per year depending on the size of your solar panels.

But if you are living in Nigeria, you might probably not pay up to half of your annual electricity bill because your monthly NEPA bills will be charged all most half of its initial amount.

3. Improve the value of your Home

Going solar will not only provide you with a constant power supply but it will to a great extent improve the value of your home.
If you’re planning on moving in the near future, you’ll earn back your solar panel investment and then some when you sell your home.

To learn more about the increased resale value of solar homes and find out just how much solar adds to the market value of your property, check out this article on solar and property values.

4. Solar Energy is Environmental Friendly

Going solar is a great option because it will not only provide all your energy needs but it a great way to reduce the environmental damage that non-renewable energies(fossil fuels, coal, nuclear, etc) have cause to our climate.

The pros of solar energy can’t be overemphasized, it reduces our carbon footprints because solar produces clean, silent, and constant energy.

If you can’t afford a complete home solar system, use a solar product it will help create a clean and secure environment for us all.

5. Low Maintenance Cost

The cost of maintaining a solar is usually very low, this is because it doesn’t really have moving parts so the issue of wear and tear is scrapped off. So You only need to keep them relatively clean, so cleaning them a couple of times per year will do the job.

Though a solar invert might need to be changed after 4-8 years, this is because the inverter works continuously every day to convert DC current into AC current for electrical consumption in the house.

The cable and solar storage battery don’t really need much maintenance, just learn how to check the health of your solar battery and nothing more. So, after covering the initial cost of the solar system, you can expect very little spending on maintenance throughout the lifetime of your solar panel (25-30 years).

6. Improvements in Technological Development

The world is changing and improving everyday especially in science and technology so solar energy won’t be an exception. The advancement and innovations in solar energy industry are coming towards improving the efficiency of solar panels to even triple what we have now.

This of course is very much possible through innovation in nanotechnology and quantum physics.

DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY

1. Energy Storage is Expensive

Indeed one of the set-backs in going solar is the cost of installation, inverters, batteries, and so on. Solar storage bank is needed for you to go completely off-grid. But the cost of batteries shouldn’t be much of stress because most of our energy needs come during the day when the sunlight is still shining bright, so you can use solar during the day and drawback to your utility grid at night.

2. Solar Panels Don’t work for every Type of Roof

Although solar panels are installed in the rooftop by connecting a mounting system (also known as “racking”). Certain roofing materials used in older or historical homes, such as slate or cedar tiles, can be difficult for solar installers to work with, this a major hindrance to solar power installation.

Additionally, many homes and apartment buildings have skylights or other rooftop additions like roof decks that can make the solar installation process difficult or costly.

But this isn’t the deadlock to your dream of having constant power supply using solar energy because If your home doesn’t qualify for a rooftop solar installation, you still have options: ground-mount solar panels or buying a share in a community solar garden can get you around this disadvantage of solar energy and you can have the clean, silent and constant power supply you deserve from solar energy.

3. Solar Energy is Weather Dependent

Although solar energy can still be collected during cloudy and rainy days, the efficiency of the solar system drops. Solar panels are dependent on sunlight to effectively gather solar energy. Therefore, a few cloudy, rainy days can have a noticeable effect on the energy system.

You should also take into account that solar energy cannot be collected during the night. On the other hand, if you also require your water heating solution to work at night or during wintertime, thermodynamic panels are an alternative to consider.

4. Solar panels are Associated with Pollution

Environmental pollution is one of the world’s climate problems which we are trying to curb through the use of solar energy. Although solar energy can be associated with pollution, the environmental impact of solar panels is minimal compared to the amount of damage associated with the mining and burning of fossil fuels.

Some solar panels contain harmful pollutants on the process of manufacturing, like sulfur hexafluoride, which is more potent than carbon dioxide. However, the impact of carbon dioxide on the climate is much greater than that of sulfur hexafluoride.

Solar Panels Require Space

Depending on your energy need, a rooftop solar panel with good storage bank can be enough to give you a constant power supply but if you are looking for large solar installations then you will be needing larger space because solar panels have lower power density compared to other non-renewable energy sources (fossil fuels).

Power density can be defined as the amount of power that can be derived from an energy source within a certain area, its measured in watts per square meter (W/m2).
Thus, although you would need a large solar power plant and a small coal plant, the mining of coal destroys acres upon acres of land, whereas the solar power plant does not.

Be wise and choose a solar product today, save the world from the environmental hazards created by non-renewable energy(fossil fuel, coal, and nuclear).

CONCLUSION

This article explains the definition of renewable energy, solar energy and types of renewable energy. Through a proper research, I have come up with the top pros and cons of solar energy from customers perspective.

This article is suitable for homeowners seeking answers about solar energy, or those yet to install solar energy, researchers on solar projects and students.

Using renewable energy sources in your home can increase the shift towards a clean energy future. Even if you are not yet able to install solar panels (which I still recommend you do), you can use electricity from a clean energy source. Please help us serve you better by putting your suggestions and contributions in the comment box.

NAIHCOTECH

It will interest you to know that solar is not just for rooftops. There are so many ways in which the energy from the sun can be harnessed to soothe your needs. One of them is by using a solar generator.

WHAT IS A SOLAR GENERATOR?

A solar generator is a power source that uses energy from the sun to produce voltage. They are used to supply power to other machines or power grids.

A solar energy harnessing device most times cannot stand on their own, owing to the fact that power cannot be supplied instantaneously. A battery or another energy device has to be used.

a solar generator
A TYPICAL IMAGE OF A HOME MADE SOLAR GENERATOR

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER USING A SOLAR GENERATOR

Owning a solar generator in your home comes with many benefits when compared to using generators that make use of fossil fuels.
Some of them include:

  • Free energy from the sun- once you get a solar generator, you will harness energy directly from the sun, rather than purchasing fossil fuels.
  • Low maintenance cost- once installed, the cost of maintenance is very low.
  • Clean and quiet operation- it does not pollute the environment because it does not contain carbon dioxide.
  • A Solar generator also operates silently without generating noise.

Now it might interest you to know that you can build your own generator. In case you are already considering to try it out.

Here are some components that make up a good solar generator.
Components of a solar generator.

SOLAR PANEL

Getting the right solar panel is very important. Solar panels are used to absorb energy from the sun, which is in turn supplied to the battery. At this point, an inverter converts it to electricity. This makes solar panels one of the key components to building a good solar generator. It is very necessary for you to get the one of high quality, which can withstand any weather or environment because it is the most seen of all the components.

A GOOD BATTERY

After harnessing solar energy using your solar panel, the energy has to be stored using a battery. Now the choice of battery depends on the quantity of energy you want to store. While making this choice, consider the things you want to power with your solar generator and the required kilowatt. You can then select your battery based on the information.

A BATTERY BOX

Since the solar generator is going to be mostly outside, it is left for you to determine if you want to protect your battery with a battery box. Battery box can be made using locking plastic cases, hard camera cases, or any other sealed container which is weather resistant.

A CHARGE CONTROLLER

A charge controller is use to monitor charge and discharge rate of a battery. Overcharging usually wears out the battery. So getting a charge controller will help you prevent overcharging.

INVERTER

An Inverter is highly needed as it is going to convert the power already stored in your battery to AC power so that you can then use it to power your appliances. Without an inverter, the energy stored in the battery cannot be put to use.

A 12V DC METER

Getting a 12V DC meter will help you know the amount of energy your solar generator has stored. This helps you to know when the energy is enough for you to use it and power your electronics.

Now after acquiring all the parts needed to build your solar generator, I will give you a step by step instructions on how to put it to good use.

STEP BY STEP WAYS TO BUILD A SOLAR GENERATOR (3 EASY STEPS)

Step 1- prepare the outside of the box

Having your battery or camera case, decide where you want the DC meter to be placed. While taking this decision, there are a few things you need to consider.

First, check how you want the battery box to sit when being used. Try to layout the DC meter in a place it will be very easy to read. This is to enable you to access it quickly when you want to read it.

A HOME MADE SOLAR GENERATOR
HOME MADE SOLAR GENERATOR COMES IN DIFFERENT FORMS, YOUR CHOICE SERVES YOUR BEST

Also take into account how chargers, plugs and other appliance accessories will layout next to each other while installing your outlets. If there is a commonly used appliance with a large plug, it is important that you separate it from other close outlets.

Second, consider how everything will mount inside your box, and create adequate space. This is to make sure you don’t start dismantling when you find out that there is no much space for other appliances. Once all this is in place, you can now start drilling and installing your outlets and DC meters

Step 2- connecting the electrical components

Having the outlets and DC meter in place, you can now place the battery in the battery box. With the use of insulated wires, connect the DC meter to the terminal in your battery. While doing this, the negative terminal should be connected before the positive terminal.

After this, connect the outlets to the battery, with the negative coming before the positive. Make sure that all the connections are tight and secure. Because if it is not tight, you might not get the proper readings. Once this is done, you can now connect your solar panel to the battery.

This can be done in 2 ways depending on whether the connection is temporal or permanent.

For a temporal connection, you can use quick-connect plugs to easily plug in your solar panel, either to the front or rear of the battery box.
For a permanent connection, your solar panel can be connected straight to the battery.

After this connection of solar panels, your solar generator is ready for use. You can now test it to see what you have done.

Step 3- testing out the solar generator

The last and final step is to place your solar generator where your solar panel can get a lot of Sun and then test it out. If your solar panel wires are long, you can set the panel out in the sun, and place the battery box where it will not be exposed to the elements.

This is because it is only the solar panel that needs sun. Now set the solar panel in direct sunlight and check your DC meter. When this is done, you will notice that you are drawing energy into your solar generator. If this is reading correctly, leave your solar panel outside for a few hours in order to get the battery charged to its capacity.

Now that you have your generator all charged up, you can use it to power your electrical appliances. Take the appliance that you want to charge and plug it into the correct receptacle.

Once you do this, your device will start charging. You can monitor it to check how long it takes and how much electricity you have left after charging.

CONCLUSION

These days when electricity from other sources costs much, having a solar generator power your electrical appliances is one affordable necessity you don’t have to miss.

With my knowledge of the solar power system, I can help make this a reality for you. You may not understand the concepts of building and installing the solar generator but you don’t have to because I am here to help you with that.

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A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy through blades. This is one of the easiest types of renewable energy. Before I proceed let me give a brief description of renewable energy. Renewable energy is simply the energy obtained from natural processes.

These natural resources are constantly replenished, just like energy from solar, wind, rain, tides waves, and geothermal heat.

Renewable energy can be described as clean energy which is one of the less expensive energies and this brought about its continual use.

WHAT IS A WINDMILL?

A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy through blades. It can also be called wind turbines. It helps in different purposes like generating electricity, grinding grains, and pumping water.

The first invention of the windmill was now due to invalid evidence between the Chinese and the Persians. But this two-country started the use of windmill at the same time and for the same purpose (that is grinding grains and pumping water).

The knowledge of windmill led to the development of the first vertical axis system, used by the Chinese and Persians.

HOW WINDMILL WORK

In the construction of the windmill, it is in four blades, mounted onto a central post. The four-blade is then connected to a Cog and ring gears, which converts the motion of the wind in the horizontal struts to energy. The cog and ring gear was initially constructed with wood, which was invented by Vitruvius, an engineer of the Augustan age.

The vertical shaft is connected to a stone used for grinding, which is then attached to the end of the horizontal struts.

The first windmill use in Europe is called the post Mill.

This post mill is a horizontal axis system of a windmill. The post mill was is described by monsters’ Mill, as a balanced building, with the pivot kept in an upright position lying on the Central vertical post.

The pivot bears a crosstree and angled quarter bars, having stones at each end ( with a total of four stones).

The post mill has a wallower and large brake wheel. The brake wheel transfers power to a smaller gear with the help of the wallower which shares the vertical shaft with the great spur wheel.

After the post mill, the tower Mill was invented. The tower Mill composes multiple floors for storing grains, grinding grains, removing the chaff, and also living place for the workers.

The tower mill advances post mill. It has a cap also known as the roof as one of the important features that differentiate it from the post mill.

The cap is a movable structure that moves as a pattern of the wind changes. After the tower mill comes the smoke male which is similar to the tower mill. The only difference is the larger size of the smock Mill and the octagonal or hexagonal shape of the smock mill.

Further Description of How Windmill Works

In our modern days, a windmill usually three-bladed. But it didn’t obstruct its initial purpose as created in the olden days, just an advancement in technology. A windmill can be two-bladed, but the purpose is to remain to swing around a rotor connected to the main shaft. This shaft spins the generator to generate electricity.

The windmill has a controller, which the main purpose is to control the blade and maintain it’s wind speed (if the wind becomes too high or too low to produce electricity) in other words prevents some technical damages.

The brake system used, can mechanically, electrically, or hydraulically stop the rotor in case of any emergencies.

The movement or motion of the blades is kinetic energy and the instrument used in the measurement of wind speed, transmits data to the controller is called the Anemometer.

Using a simple analogy, a windmill generates electricity when the wind blows. The turbine blade spins clockwise, capturing energy. This triggers the main shaft of the wind turbine, connected to the gearbox within the nacelle, to spin. The gearbox sends the wind energy to the inverter, converting it to electricity which is what we consume at home.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WINDMILL AND SOLAR ENERGY

Windmill comes from wind energy. When these changes occur in the atmosphere, the air moves around the earth’s surface resulting in wind energy through the use of spin turbines.

In other words wind energy is another form of solar energy. Solar energy uses the effect of the sun to produce energy similar to wind energy but here, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels replace the spin turbine. As the sun hits the panel, the semiconductors collect the energy and release the electron for easy flow. This process is what we refer to as a photovoltaic effect.

solar panel
solar panels trap the radiant energy from the sun

Then the electric field contained in the panel collects these electrons and makes them flow in one direction. By so doing electrical direct current (DC) is produced.

The direct current is passed through an inverter, which simply converts the DC to Alternating current (AC).

It is this AC that is being used in our various homes and residential areas.

On the other hand wind energy works similarly to solar energy. But wind energy works with windmill or wind turbines which are set at top a tower or poll of 50 to 120 feet.

This process describes how the windmill work. Just like solar energy, the electricity generated by the windmill is a direct current (DC), which is passed through an inverter to convert it to an alternating current (AC).

WINDMILL AS A RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

The two major categories of energy resources are renewable and nonrenewable. Nonrenewable energy resources are limited in supply due to the long time it takes to replenish whereas renewable energy resources are replenished naturally over a short period. They are inexhaustible and limitless.

This renewable energy is of 5 major resources namely solar, wind, water, biomass, and geothermal heat. This is where windmill falls. The fact that wind blows naturally on the surface of the Earth and it’s inexhaustible makes it a renewable energy resource. And it works everywhere because wind virtually blows all over the earth’s surface.

With windmill as a renewable energy source, clean energy is a guarantee. And you can stabilize the electrical grid, control energy flow, and generate revenue through wind energy storage and net metering.

ADVANTAGES OF WINDMILL

As a renewable energy resource, so many advantages accompany windmill and they include:

WINDMILL GIVES CLEAN ENERGY

Windmill produces a clean fuel unlike other resources like fossil fuel, coal, etc which undergoes combustion, greenhouse producing nitrogen oxide, sulfuric oxide, and other dangerous and toxic waste.

These wastes pollute the environment leaving it so unfriendly to lives and cause depletion of the ozone layer. Windmill produces its fuel by the blow of wind, which is clean and free energy, very safe to lives.

WINDMILL IS COST EFFECTIVE

The cost of a windmill is effective; Windmill is one of the lowest price energy, this is because the wind is produced naturally and does not require processes. The wind constantly replenishes on daily bases, and these make the price of electricity fixed for a long period.

Unlike fossil fuel with the high cost and price fluctuation due to change weather conditions or transportation rates.

CREATES JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Windmill now generates job opportunities, It is a technical structure that produces energy, and requires to be taken care of. By so doing it creates job opportunities for the technicians like in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and supporting services.

For the fact that when they are commercially available, Over 5 million population feed with the help of windmill.

IT IS AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE

Windmill or wind turbines can built-in remote and isolated areas. This is of great advantage to the developing countries. It helps those residing around the mountain/countryside and other people living “off the grid” providing them with electricity and lots more.

WINDMILL PROVIDE DOMESTIC ENERGY

Windmill produces a domestic source of energy. This is because the wind is always in abundance and inexhaustible. This helps the country by reducing health issues related to pollution of the environment like asthma attacks and other lung-related health issues.

WINDMILL IS SUSTAINABLE

It is sustainable with regards to the fact that it’s a natural process of producing free and clean energy. This energy is available for both domestic and industrial use.

SMALL LAND SCALE

Windmill has a small land footprint: the windmill is less inconveniencing to the surrounding land, as the base is small and Minimal.

Mostly windmill is located on the fields, hilltops, or out at sea. At this process farmers in the area farm and graze their livestock normally without inconvenience.

IT PROVIDE BOTH INDUSTRIAL AND DOMESTIC ENERGY

A windmill is specifically big or small. Small ones can be built for domestic use and they are less powerful. When the big powerful once I normally built or constructed for industries. At home is a small residential area where the windmill is mostly installed alongside with a solar panel.

IT HAS LOW MAINTENANCE COST

The cost of maintenance is relatively low that is it can last for months without maintenance checkup. The maintenance normally ranges from lubrication of the moving parts to proper cleaning of the turbine gearbox. Typically lubrication is the major maintenance to a windmill.

WINDMILL PROVIDE CONSTANT POWER

With the use of windmill, constant power is a guarantee; At some point in a country, there is a scarcity of fossil fuels, coal, oil, and natural gas for a country that depends greatly on it.

With the help of Windmill energy is secure, if the country controls or reduces its dependence on external supplies of nonrenewable resources. This is a good reason to join the campaign for a clean and free energy future.

DISADVANTAGE OF WINDMILL

We believe that anything that has an advantage must surely I have a disadvantage. So now is to look into the disadvantages of Windmill and they include;

  • A windmill is expensive: The construction of Windmill is expensive because the cost of installation and purchase is high at the initial time. The engineer that surveys the area before installation as well, transportation to the place of use, installation, and other processes to achieve its completeness. All these made windmill very expensive, although the cost is reducing the fact remains that it is expensive.
  • The wind fluctuates: Although wind energy replenishes and inexhaustible, it is still not constant as the speed changes from time to time. This poses a problem to the windmill causing it to perform inefficiently.
  • A windmill is noisy: in as much as windmill does not pollute the air with toxic waste, it pollutes the environment with noise. This noise has become a great challenge to peoples residing around it because the sound travels as far as 100m away. This is the reason for the installation of windmills on mountains and off the grid.

SUMMARY

For as long as the earth remains round and spinning, wind can never be exhausted. Windmill has come a very long way ever since it’s first use. The modern advances on windmill make it an environmentally friendly substituent for fuels in the production of electricity.

Wind power has become one of the best ways to solve the world’s increasing energy demand because the wind is clean, non-toxic, inexhaustible, and free.

The world has been through many environmental hazards through harnessing energy from fossil fuels and nuclear reactions. We are on a lead for a clean and free energy future. Join our campaign for a clean and free energy future through education and investment in renewable energy resources. Sign up to our newsletter to receive updates on renewable energy resources.

NAIHCOTECH

Recently, more homeowners are opting for the installation of solar power systems (also known as the solar panel system) in their homes. Unlike in the past decades when there was much dependence on primary sources of energy like coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy as the major source of electricity. Technology has evolved in recent years with even better alternatives and one of these alternatives is solar power system.

The solar power system offers an excellent way of harnessing solar energy and then transforming it into electrical energy, which we use mostly at home. There are different benefits of installing the solar panel kit for home and one of such benefits is that it saves you enormously on your power bills.

Harnessing solar energy seems to be the future of energy in few years to come as it has witnessed much growth across different regions of the world such as China, Europe, North America, and even India. Some regions such as Africa and Nigeria in particular are yet to embrace fully this innovative approach to generate energy for use in the home.


The idea behind the use of the solar panel system is that homes reduce their cost of energy, save more, and maximize their carbon footprint as well. Personally, I would say there is no better way of generating efficient energy for your home than the use of the solar panel system.

What is a solar power system?

The solar power system consists of the solar panel kit which is mounted on the roof of a building. It traps the energy-packed photons from the sunlight and converts them into a usable form of energy. They are also simply referred to as “PV”.

When you install the solar panel kit for home. You have done a great job of reducing your dependence on the local community power grid. This means you can now utilize the solar panel kit to generate the electricity needed to light, cool, heat, and operate your home.

typical working process of solar power system

The summary is that you will get a clean, renewable source of energy, which requires little or no maintenance. Also, you will get the profits from this investment over a span of a few years. Some solar systems come with as much as 25 years’ warranty and this means you get free energy for more than 2 decades.

What constitutes the solar panel kit for home?

You need to understand that the solar power system consists of different components, which are coupled to generate electricity. These components will cause the conversion of power into alternating current. Which can be used for powering home appliances, maintaining safety at home, and even storing excess energy.
Here the very important components of the solar power system.

Solar Panels

These very significant components are noticeable in the solar panel kit for home. They are typically installed on the roof where they can have easy access to the sunlight converting it into electrical energy via the photovoltaic effect. This is how it got its alternative name, “PV panels”.

Solar panel outputs are rated in Watts and delivers between 10 to 300watts per panel. There are majorly two types of solar panels that are ideal for residential home installation- the monocrystalline and the polycrystalline. While both are well suitable for the home, the monocrystalline panel is a bit more efficient and expensive than later.

Solar Inverter

Solar inverters offer a means of converting the Direct Currents generated by the solar panels into the Alternating Current required in powering the home. They are of three types- micro-inverters, centralized or string inverters and power optimizers.
Just by discussing what you want and of course assessing your home. I would tell the ideal type to install in your home.

Solar Array Mounting Racks

Solar panels are coupled into arrays and then mounted either on the roof, directly into the ground, or on poles. It is more common to come across the roof-mounted systems as this seems to be more efficient and better aesthetically. If the roof is too high, there might be an issue with maintenance here.

However, you do not have to worry much about that, as panels don’t usually require much maintenance.
If you prefer your panels mounted on a freestanding pole, that is still okay. I could do the installation such that its height cant affect the maintenance if the need arises. Remember that mounting array on the ground isn’t ideal for areas that accumulate snow regularly.

Mounts are either tracking or fixed irrespective of where you mount the arrays. Tracking arrays move to adjust their angles as the sun moves.

Array DC Disconnect

This device comes in to play when you want to run maintenance on the solar arrays. The solar arrays produce DC power and with the array DC disconnect, you can get it disconnected from the home.

Solar Performance Monitor

The monitoring system functions to verify the performance of your home solar system. While the system shows you how much electricity is produced per hour. It goes ahead to identify potential changes in performance.

Solar Storage Bank

The solar power kit for home produces electricity when the sun is shining during the daytime. However, your home will still need electricity at night or even on cloudy and rainy days when the sun is not shining. This is when you need to add a battery pack to your panel system in order to offset that mismatch.

Circuit breaker/Breaker Panel

The power source which connects the electrical circuits in the house is what we call breaker panel. While a circuit is a continuous pathway that connects all lights and outlets in the electric system.

There is a circuit breaker for each circuit and the work of the circuit breaker is to prevent an unfortunate occurrence such as fire hazard as a result of excessive drawing in of electricity. The circuit breaker does this by tripping off each time the circuit demands much electricity thus, interrupting the flow of current through the circuit.

Benefits of Solar Panel kit for Home

Solar energy is renewable. It is sustainable and is simply inexhaustible. As people have realized the benefits of the solar power system, most people nowadays are opting for it. The good news is that I have a versed knowledge about this system and can have it installed efficiently and at an affordable rate.

Now, what do you stand to gain when you have the solar panel system installed in your home?

It saves cost

This is the number one reason why people opt for solar energy in the home but there is more to it. It offers a great opportunity for people looking to reduce their monthly electricity bills and to go into a longer duration investment with low risk.

You should, however, know that the savings you will get from going solar will depend on certain factors like the amount of energy you consume, the size of the solar energy system, the angle and size of your roof, the local electricity charge rates as well as the number of hours of direct daily sunlight.

Solar Power System Works Everywhere

Solar panel system works almost everywhere in the world. It is surprising to know that even some regions of the world like Alaska and the Pacific Northwest with relatively low solar resources still get to benefit and save some cost using solar energy.

How much more countries like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, etc. which are located in the tropical sub-Saharan region? These countries could boast of good-to-excellent solar resource and should do well to harness the resource they have.

It Increases Your Home Value

Increase the value of your home by installing the solar panel kit for home. This is like an upgrade to your home. Maybe you don’t know this but studies have shown that homeowners pay even higher rents for a home with solar power system.

According to a study carried out by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It revealed that the solar system on average increased the value of a home by as much as $15,000. This also means that homes with solar installed systems have the tendency of selling more than homes that do not have PV.

It Has Positive Environmental Impact

It is high time we think about our environment as well. We feel the impact of the environment directly or indirectly. The use of fuel, coal, etc. as a source of energy has over the years created much greenhouse effect which has accumulated and has been causing more harm than good to the environment.

Using the solar power system offers an excellent remedy to this. Asides the fact that using the solar-generated electricity doesn’t cause pollution of air, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions like CO2. It also prevents excessive pollution of air by major pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides. It also reduces the need to consume more water.

Installing the solar power system is undoubtedly the best upgrade you could give to your home at this point. It will save you a lot of costs both now and in the future. If you will work with me to have the solar panel installed for you right in your residential home.

By naihcotech.com

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