Solar energy is a renewable natural resource. Because the sun can be found on all places of the globe, solar energy is the most available energy source. The energy from the sun can be harnessed and converted into thermal or electric energy. By itself, solar energy is remarkably affordable, however, it is the harnessing and converting part that drives up the costs.

If you have ever left your car windows up on a hot summer day only to return and find your vehicle unbearably hot, you have collected (while inadvertently) solar energy. The light from the sun is absorbed and turned into heat and the windows help trap most of the heat inside the car. Imagine if you could take that heat and use it for your home? You would be taking a source of free energy and using it to offset costs for heating and cooling your home, perhaps even heating your hot water heater. You allow the sun to light your home; why not allow it to heat your home as well?

Using photovoltaic or solar cells, the sun’s light can be changed into electricity. Photons make sunlight and they can vary in strength depending on the solar spectrum wavelengths. Once a photon is absorbed, it can provide the energy needed to generate electricity. This electricity is then used in the same ways as conventional electricity.

Solar cells can power a portion of the home or the whole home. However, because the sun is a moving source of energy, large surface areas are needed to collect the amount of light needed to convert into energy for everyday living. Inclement weather conditions, clouds, and even fog can reduce the effectiveness of installed solar panels. This is why keeping your secondary source of heating and/or cooling is important in order to remain comfortable.

The cost of these solar panels can be cost prohibitive to homeowners, even with tax credits. Many homeowners are finding ways to use green technologies in small portions or even trying their hand at building their own solar panels to collect and distribute solar energy.

A green energy solution is solar energy by maintaining high battery voltage for deep cycle battery in a marine environment. These batteries are used in recreational vehicles. It is essential to maintain a high voltage as a low charge can reduce the batteries usefulness by two to five percent. A charge controller will solve this problem and ensure that the voltage remains at a certain level that will safely charge from a solar panel. This piece of equipment is invaluable for a long trip on a boat, ship or ocean liner. Marine batteries systems reduce the amount of petroleum based energy the craft will use and cut the reliance on petroleum powered machinery.

Marine solar panels that are normally installed in the uppermost decks of the ocean liners, ships and yachts and are becoming standard equipment for newly designed ocean going crafts. The marine system batteries allow them to stay out in a marine environment for a longer period of time, cuts down on the amount of fuel the craft needs to use to make the engines operable, and creates an energy that is clean and renewable every time the sun comes up.

When you add up the balance of system for the cost of getting a system like this going it only makes sense to switch over to an energy form that will not cost you once the initial equipment is installed, and the maintenance for these systems is nominal.

By utilizing integrated photovoltaic solar panels in a marine environment that supply energy to batteries ship builders have adapted the principle of the systems to a smaller unit and has made it a practical application for marine use. The smaller system is still considered a grid-connected system because most systems employ the central generating plant system to a small grid with solar panels made up of special solar tiles.

Marine solar panels and marine solar system batteries create a renewable or green energy that is applicable to a small pleasure boat all the way to the huge ocean liners that are really floating cities. By using marine system batteries that are powered by marine solar panels, it has been proven that it is possible to build a floating city that is entirely dependent on solar power

The panels and systems used in marine solar system batteries are not different from the residential applications; it is the environment that they are used in. If one is planning to live aboard or cruise in salt water or anywhere that creates a marine environment, it is a good idea to know what the wiring and attachments hardware you will need to keep your marine solar panels working in top shape.

The marine solar panels system that charges the marine solar system batteries can be effectively used in the application of maintenance charging while at a dock. If you sailing vessel is stopped often or at anchor on a fairly steady basis, you need to maintain a floating charge in order to keep the batteries full and you will be able to avoid a situation where the craft will not start.

The green energy factor comes in when you can consider how much you will save in fuel when you augment your onboard charging systems with a marine solar panel that gives you power that can be stored in the marine solar system batteries. The marine environment creates special needs, as in corrosion to parts and panels that have to be carefully monitored and the parts replaced occasionally to keep the system running at the optimum power production capacity.

Solar energy is a renewable, clean energy that has been around for thousands of years in one form or another. Following is an overview of solar energy.

Solar Energy Overview

Solar energy is all about harnessing the power of the sun to produce energy. The sun rains enough solar energy on the Earth in one day to power the entire energy needs of the world for one year. Solar energy is considered a renewable energy source because it will exist for as long as our sun does, estimated to be another 4.5 billion years. Solar energy is also considered a clean energy because it does not produce pollutants or byproducts harmful to the environment.

Solar energy was the first energy source used by mankind. Of course, the use was limited to drying things and heating caused by direct contact, but it was a use. In modern times, solar energy has been a power source since the early 1950s, but was not widespread due to technological issues which rendered it an ineffective and expensive energy source. With technology advancements, solar energy is moving to the forefront as a potential alternative to fossil fuels.

The future is indeed bright for solar energy as new solar nanotechnology is close to creating solar platforms that boggle the mind. For instance, a few companies are trying to create solar quantum dots, which will be mixed in the paint you use for your home. Yes, you will actually paint on solar energy panels that will power your home

Currently, solar energy is produced primarily through the use of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells. The process works by placing the cells in direct sunlight. Sun hits the cells causing a chemical reaction that creates an electric current. The current is then turned into electricity. The problem with these cells, however, is they are only about 15 percent efficient.

Solar energy is typically classified in two ways, passive solar and active solar. Both approaches produce solar energy, but in very different ways

Passive solar is exactly what it sounds like. It does not involve panel systems or other moving mechanisms to produce solar energy. Instead, passive solar involves planning a structure in such a way as to capture the power of the sun with windows, tanks and so on. These systems can be used to heat homes, water and so on.

Active solar energy systems typically involve some form of solar panels. The panels are oriented to maximize exposure to the sun. Depending on the system, the panels will then either directly convert sunlight to electricity, which is then transformed from direct current electricity to alternate current electricity and stored in batteries or fed into the grid system of the local utility. Active systems are more expensive and complex.

Solar energy has numerous advantages over other energy platforms. It is produces no pollution, requires little maintenance and comes with significant financial incentives in the form of tax deductions, tax credits and rebates from manufactures. In a majority of states, solar energy can also be sold back to utilities per a concept known as net metering. This reduces the need for batteries and significantly cuts utility bills.

Unfortunately, solar energy has some disadvantages as well. The initial cost of purchase and installation can be expensive. Second, areas with limited sunlight are problematic. Third, solar energy obviously can’t be produced at night. Despite these disadvantages, solar energy is a booming energy platform.

The largest producers of solar energy in the world are Germany, Japan and the United States. California has recently introduces a solar initiative devoting over three billion dollars to promoting solar energy use by residents in the state. As this overview demonstrates, the solar energy platform is coming on strong.

The latest reports regarding the use of “green” eco-friendly power have given some surprising, but pleasant, information on the subject of the United Kingdoms fuel habits since last year.

Money put into green power this year has hit

Two exceptions I’ll note here from the beginning, nuclear and geothermal energy, the sun account for all the forms of energy in the world. Biomass,wind, waves, biofuels, and hydroelectric power all are examples of indirect forms of solar energy. If we look at the ones that aren’t nonrenewable forms of energy, like for example coal, natural gas, and petroleum are really indirect forms of energy. The reason for this is they are derived from organic matter made by the sun.

In the other hand, direct forms of solar energy can be used as the energy gets to us. Some people like to build skylights in there homes (called daylighting). But let’s focus on the two that matter to us: solar electric and solar thermal, basically they are what produce heat and electricity.

Two ways to capture thermal energy

The two types of solar thermal systems to capture the energy of the sun, active and passive. In the active solar thermal, solar panels capture the sun’s energy as heat when it gets pass the collector and transfers that heat into fluid. The fluid moves through the collectors by a fan or circulator, it can be used immediately or stored for later.

Passive solar systems work a little different, it captures the sun’s energy as it enters a building without a circulator or a fan. When it’s inside the home, the heat can be stored in the mass the building and spread between conduction, convection, or radiation, or even forced means, such as fans.

Home Solar Panels

So we know that electric and thermal provide energy in our homes. Most of the thermal panels for homes uses are of the flat-plate type. Evacuated-tube panels also are used but, they’re not as common. Solar panels or PV or photovoltaic panels or whatever you call them, are all flat-plate type. You can get flat-plate style glazed or unglazed versions. The difference is the unglazed are flexible the glazed, firm. Regardless of which you go with, the semiconductor material of the cells has to well protected from moisture. The firm solar panels are encapsulated between glass on the part where the sun hits it, but on the back just vapor impassable material.

Flexible solar electric panels don’t have glass protection, but they have a transparent, UV-resistant protector to prevent damage to the cells.

So there you have it passive, active and all the home solar panels and how to put solar energy to work.