The first factor that influences solar tilt is the location of the solar panel. The optimal solar tilt for a solar panel in the northern hemisphere is different from that in the southern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, the optimal solar tilt is equal to the latitude of the location, while in the southern hemisphere, it is equal to 90 degrees minus the latitude. For example, if a solar panel is located in New York City (latitude 40 degrees north), the optimal solar tilt would be 40 degrees.

The second factor that influences solar tilt is the season. During the summer months, the sun is higher in the sky and a steeper solar tilt is required to capture the most energy. During the winter months, the sun is lower in the sky and a shallower solar tilt is required. This seasonal variation in solar tilt is known as the seasonal tilt angle, and it is typically set to be equal to the latitude of the location plus 15 degrees for the summer and minus 15 degrees for the winter.

The third factor that influences solar tilt is the desired energy output. A steeper solar tilt will capture more energy in the summer but less in the winter, while a shallower solar tilt will capture less energy in the summer but more in the winter. Therefore, it is important to consider the desired energy output when determining the optimal solar tilt.

Solar tilt also has a significant impact on the efficiency of solar panels. A solar panel that is not tilted at the optimal angle will not capture as much energy as one that is. This is due to the fact that the angle of incidence, or the angle at which sunlight strikes the solar panel, is not optimal. When the angle of incidence is not optimal, the sunlight is scattered and absorbed by the solar panel, resulting in a reduction in energy output.

There are various methods to adjust solar tilt, including manual adjustments and automatic tracking systems. Manual adjustments are typically made on a seasonal basis, while automatic tracking systems adjust the tilt of the solar panel throughout the day to optimize energy output. Automatic tracking systems are more expensive than manual adjustments, but they can increase energy output by up to 25%.

In addition to the impact on energy output, solar tilt also affects the temperature of the solar panel. A steeper solar tilt will cause the solar panel to heat up more than a shallower tilt. This can result in a reduction in efficiency, as the higher temperature can cause the solar cells to degrade.

In conclusion, solar tilt, or the angle at which sunlight strikes a solar panel, plays a crucial role in the efficiency of solar panels. The optimal solar tilt varies depending on the location, season, and desired energy output. Factors such as location, season, and desired energy output must be considered when determining the optimal solar tilt. Additionally, solar tilt also affects the temperature of the solar panel and can impact the efficiency of the panel. There are various methods to adjust solar tilt, including manual adjustments and automatic tracking systems. Understanding the impact of solar tilt on energy output and efficiency is important for maximizing the potential of solar energy.

The post Three Factors That Effect Solar Tilt appeared first on TurbineGenerator.

With expanding environmental consciousness and growing concern for the environment, more members of our society are embracing renewable energy as the solution that will minimize the use of non-renewable resources and mitigate the hazardous effects of global warming and pollution. Among renewable resources, such as wind, rain, tides and waves, sunlight has the widest application in green households. Solar power is a clean and sustainable energy source that can satisfy the needs of any household while simultaneously reducing its ecological footprint, and with a variety of technologies, there are plenty of options for residential use of solar energy.

Combating air pollution

Relying on fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, natural gases and decayed marine species, as our main energy source entails burning those fuels. Apart from being finite, fossil fuels contain carbon that is released upon the heating of those fuels, disrupting the carbon balance of our planet and causing harmful impacts. Consequently, this causes air pollution, among other issues, and affects human health and well-being. Air pollution is a serious issue that can cause health problems like respiratory irritability, brain damage, heart attacks and cancer. Switching to renewable energy that doesn’t require burning of fuels will reduce the carbon emission significantly. Solar energy plays an important role in combating air pollution by generating power with solar panels  and eliminating the emission of harmful greenhouse gasses. Even a single household that has switched to solar energy can make a difference, so worldwide adoption can have a significant impact.

Other environmental benefits of solar energy

The use of solar energy offers other environmental benefits along with reduced air pollution. Namely, switching to solar energy also reduces water consumption and pollution because the technology that generates electricity from solar power doesn’t require water. On the other hand, traditional power plants that use natural gas and coal to generate electricity also require a massive amount of water.

Another important benefit of solar energy is the fact that it reduces the need for finite resources. The sun produces 173,000 terawatts of solar energy per second, which is more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use. Although it may take some time for finite resources to completely disappear, switching to solar energy before any irreparable environmental damage occurs is of the utmost importance.

Residential use of solar energy

Homeowners are switching to solar power in the attempt to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as to increase their savings. If you fulfill all the necessary requirements, ultimately you can save a sizeable amount of money on your utility bills.

The most common use of solar power in households is through solar roofing panels. Solar panels are photovoltaic (PV) cells, a special type of battery that gather sunlight which is then transformed into energy. That energy is sent to an inverter which then converts it into electricity. Depending on your needs, there are different types of solar systems. A common option for a household with an average energy consumption is a 3kW solar system, while a 5kW solar system is a more appropriate solution for a household with a greater need for energy. However, no matter how much energy you consume, if you choose an appropriate solar system, it will meet your everyday needs.

Another common example of residential use of solar energy is solar lighting. This type of lighting is wireless and it gathers sunlight during the day which is then used to generate electricity during the night. Although solar lighting isn’t as popular as solar panels, it’s gaining popularity due to its cost-effectiveness and aesthetic appeal of lighting fixtures.

Solar heating is also among common residential uses of solar energy designed to heat both water and space. Solar heaters are a bit less expensive than solar panels, which makes them a great solution for households that can’t make a larger investment at the moment. Solar thermal technology can be used even to warm pools, which has proven to be both cost-effective and eco-friendly.

Global warming and air pollution are pressing issues, so environmentally friendly solutions like solar energy play a vital role in preserving the environment. A growing number of homeowners are embracing solar power in the attempt to help the environment and design healthy and sustainable homes.

The post Reducing Air Pollution with Solar Panels appeared first on TurbineGenerator.

Such a staple that they are represented on the original monopoly board, and just about every home/business owner or renter in the country has at some point been under the grips of one of these companies and has paid an electricity bill.

But times are changing, and new technologies and capabilities are giving some people new options about how they generate and use electricity to power their homes.

And depending on where you live, buying and installing solar power panels on your home or business may be as economical as buying your electricity from a big utility company.

On top of this, the federal government has passed laws about certain tax benefits and incentives to help people to buy and build solar power systems and keep them connected to the grid.

One of these policies is know as ‘net metering’ and it provides opportunities for private solar panel users to use a solar power system but also use electricity provided on the grid from utility companies while exchanging excess electricity gained from their solar panels during peak production hours.

To understand this one first needs to understand that electricity is very difficult to store effectively for long periods of time with the purpose of future use. Instead, it is less costly for solar panel owners to sell their excess electricity to the utility companies when they have more than they require.  Likewise, for the utility company, ideally they would pay for this excess electricity because it would be cheaper than producing their own using fossil fuels or perhaps other renewable energy sources.

In the graph above the x-axis represents the passing of time during a single day and the y-axis represents the amount of energy.  The green line represents the changing level of energy needed for a household – it is at medium height in the morning, lower during the working hours, increasing later in the day, and then tapers off into the night – it follows the average human schedule.  The black line represents the amount of energy that is produced by the households solar power system.  There is little energy output in the morning, it increasing along with the increasing sunshine during the day, then tapers off at night.  

The two sections of the graph labeled “A” represent times where the green line of household energy needs is greater than the black line of solar panel production. During these times the household will need to use energy from the grid.  The section labeled “B” represents times where the amount of energy from solar power is greater than the green line of household needs.  During these times the household will be able to sell their electricity to the grid because they have a surplus of energy.  As long as the total area of section “B” is greater than the total area of section “A” then the household will have a net surplus amount of energy that they can sell back to the grid each day.

This sounds great, right?  A win – win scenario. Cheaper cost for both sides.

Well, not everyone agrees on this, especially the utility companies who have grown very worrisome of more cheaply available solar power because, quite simply, people are buying less of their electricity.

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One of the biggest reasons for this potential change is that oil production in Saudi Arabia over the last decade has risen by about 5%, but their consumption of oil has risen around 50% over the same time period.  The country would rather export the oil than use it themselves because they make more money when the can export it if they can use other sources of energy at home that require cheaper production costs.

Which route will they take to make energy consumption cheaper at home?  Well, perhaps by increasing the amount of solar power production.

The post Saudi Arabia to focus more on solar power? appeared first on TurbineGenerator.

The LightSail which uses force from the collisions of photons against it’s mylar sail (much like a sailboat uses wind – see diagram below) is the first of two LightSail to be launched into orbit from the project totaling $5.3 million.  A small price in the grand scheme of space spending and research since famous scientists such as Carl Sagan had been dreaming of a project like this while the theoretically properties of a LightSail design have been known for some time.

The big benefit of the LightSail is that since it’s powered by the photons released from the sun it does not require any sort of rocket engine that would require fossil fuels for propulsion.

This first LightSail however is not in a high enough orbit to test properly, it is still in a region where atmospheric pressure and friction will be too great of a force compared to the collision of a photon for the LightSail to function properly.  Fortunately this was all planned and this first launch was more of a test for launching LightSail number two.

A lightsail works just like the sail of a ship except instead of wind particles used as a force for propulsion, photons from the sun are used.  The sun releases absurd amounts of photons in every direction every second, and when the sail from the LightSail intercepts these photons, the collisions provide enough force to send the LightSail moving through space.

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The world consumes about 15 terrawatts of power from various renewable and renewable energy resources. Americans, notorious for wasting more than they should, consume about 25% of the worlds total energy despite being only about 5% of the world population. American policy also holds pretty significant global influence. But how do we get the ball rolling in the right direction?

Well, better technology would help. Not that we don’t have what it takes already, but lower costs and more scalable production methods would help. Also, a better battery for storing unused electricity would be crucial and would greatly increase efficiency by storing unused electricity during hours of increased production which can be later be used when the sun is not shining.

On the other side of things, there’s the lack of funding. Fossil fuel industries receive absurd amounts of government subsidies at over a trillion dollars a year, that comes out to $100 million an hour! Renewable energy companies don’t even come close to getting that much in subsidies. And until there is more funding, or until newer technology makes things cheaper, we probably won’t see the action needed to provide the world with enough solar power for everyone. But we could if we had to, and that’s pretty amazing.

The post Solar panels could definitely power the world – A new MIT study appeared first on TurbineGenerator.

The company is hoping to begin construction on the solar PV power plant by 2013 and plans to have it operational by October of 2015.

The project will be the fourth largest solar power plant of it’s kind in the world.

Ghana hopes to have 10% of it’s energy come from renewable sources by 2020, a large increase from its current 1%.

The project will create around 200 permanent jobs and 500 more during the construction process.

The post Africa’s Largest Solar Power Project appeared first on TurbineGenerator.

The process is not as easy as sticking some saltwater on a tray in the sun and presto — drinking water!  There are several things that need to be set correctly to make this work.  Take a look at the diagram below, and read through our step-by-step guide to get a thorough understanding of the mechanics needed to turn salt water or dirty water into something you can drink.

1. Once you have the contraption in place you will need to fill the center trough with the water you are trying to purify.  The center trough usually will have a black bottom, which helps to attract sunlight.

2. The heat from the sun evaporates the salt water that is sitting in the center trough.  The process of evaporation only lifts pure molecule of H2O into the air of the container, leaving the dirty parts of the water sitting in the trough.

3. Next, the process of condensation occurs.  This is when the water vapor molecules hit the glass or plastic ceiling of the solar still and turn into water droplets.  This is the same type of condensation you see when you are drinking cold water out of a glass or cold can.

4. After condensation, the water droplets are forced by gravity and to slide down the glass or plastic ceiling into a second clean trough along the inside edge of the solar still.  They cling to the edge of the glass or plastic and follow it all the way down into an outer rim that flows into the ‘clean water’ area.  Because the water is clinging to the angled glass or plastic, it does not get mixed back in with the dirty water.

5.  After a certain amount of time enough water is collected and the water is ready to drink.  This is usually done with a hose that is connected from the clean trough to the outside of the contraption.

Solar Still Diagram

Here is an actual picture of a Solar Still in action.

The post How Solar Stills Work – Life of Pi appeared first on TurbineGenerator.

Looking at things from the other side, and we see that there is an enormous amount of room and potential for renewable energy sources to expand and grow as their portion of energy generation in the world.

Taking a look at the graph below, we clearly see an exponential pattern in the growth of solar power consumption:

Predicting the future obviously not easy, however, a clear correlation like the one above can give us a statistically significant guess towards an estimate of the solar power growth of the future…and it is looking large.

The post Are we underestimating the growth of solar power? appeared first on TurbineGenerator.

In the end, you should not worry about taking a quick glance at the solar eclipse at any moment even though it will definitely cause damage to your eyes.  Most likely, the damage will be negligible.

If you plan to participate and watch the entire show, use special protective lenses, or other safe techniques such as the pinhole projection method.

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