For centuries, we used the natural energy of our sun advantage. For example, it has been used in antiquity to provide natural lighting in the temples, for photosynthesis and heating natural cultures, to desalinate and purify water, and it was amplified and intensified the heat of thermal power plants.
So how energy Solar can be used on a smaller scale at home as a clean energy source?
There are basically four ways main how solar energy in your home:
Passive Solar Design:
Saying that Americans consume up to 50% of their energy to heat, ventilate and cool their homes, a large amount of money and energy could be saved using a passive solar design at home.
Passive solar design is the strategic use of solar energy for heating, light and ventilate your home naturally. For example, having a house that faces the sun, which has large windows with low emissivity, which is built from heat-retaining materials tend to be naturally warmer in winter.
And as the Romans used the sun to illuminate their temples, put attention to windows and mirrors in our homes can increase natural light, helping us to reduce the need for lighting electric.
A natural solution would be air conditioned to plant deciduous trees on the sunny side of your house. This would give cool shade in summer but allow the sun's heat in winter.
A solar chimney can be installed to ventilation, where air in the chimney is heated by the sun and rises, causing fresh air rushing through house and chimney.
Solar cooking:
Solar cooking is the most cleanest and least expensive way to prepare food. Although it is widely used in third world countries in Africa, where the fuel and electricity is not readily available, there is no reason we can not use it during the summer at home.
A solar cooker is made from a series of reflective panels in a dish shape that concentrate sunlight onto a box or a pot in which food is cooked. It usually accommodates up to five people, and can make a variety of dishes, boiled, roasted and cooked.
One drawback of the Solar cooking is that it tends to take three to four times longer to cook the food but if you weigh that against the savings unlimited and portability, with a little patience is not longer cope.
Solar water heater:
Water heater Solar has a number of uses, and thanks to technological developments, modern solar heating of water can be used at home to completely replace conventional boilers or geysers.
As cold water is pumped through a solar collector, pipes absorb energy from the sun and heat water, which is then stored in an insulated tank for later use. Usually, water can become so hot that it must be mixed with cold water before being used.
Solar Electric Power:
Also known as photovoltaic energy, many houses are beginning to make their own power at home with solar panels. These panels are made of silicon cells small and need to be directly facing the sun to be more effective.
As the rays the sun enters the solar panels, the electrons in the cells are responsible, creating a current that is stored in batteries discharge deep. When electricity is needed, the stored energy is passed through an inverter to change DC to AC, which can then be used to power various appliances or connected to the grid for net metering.
Other than to provide you with low prices, energy clean, renewable solar electric panels have become quite affordable and easy for anyone to install at home. In fact, with the right information, it is possible to make your own solar power for less than $ 200, compared to get a professional installation for a couple of thousand dollars.
With these four ways on how solar energy in your home, it is not necessary for you to rely on the utilities or government for heating and lighting at home. Currently, it is very possible for us to use energy solar home. It's just a question that everyone was aware of the power of determination, and environmental awareness to take action and exploit the sun's free, natural energy.
About the Author
Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. If you want to learn to make your own home solar power, get off the grid and save thousands on your electricity bills, then try Earth4Energy for free before you start any renewable energy project.
