When you go green and start thinking about green energy, there are a number of services like Texas Electricity and the like that offer you green electric options, but did you know that you can also purchase a home with all the materials necessary for solar energy applications. It’s true and we aren’t just talking about big solar panels and cells, there are actual building materials that are ideal for trapping heat and light that are being implemented into the actual construction. And while it seems a little strange and unconventional, there is absolutely nothing strange about saving money.

Most of us who have done our research on solar energy know that there are two types – passive and active. Passive solar energy simply relies on the sun to be shining and nothing more – no panels to capture and harness the energy or fancy arrays. Passive energy redirects light and heat to where it can best heat a home. Active solar energy relies on solar cells and panels that trap and redirect solar radiation for more direct purposes like heating water and air.

Trombe walls, greenhouse glass, solar arrays – these are all things we are starting to see more of in new homes and it may one day be the standard we all rely upon.

There are several ways that solar power can pay off for the homeowner, the community, and the world at large. Initially as a homeowner, the payoff is in reduced electrical bills. There was a time when it was considered a detraction to have solar panels on the roof, but that thought is changing with the ever increasing demand for energy. A good candidate house will have a south sloping roof with no obstruction by trees or other objects. If your home does not meet this, it does not count you out from Read the rest of this entry »

2010 was a fantastic year for solar power. New advances lowered prices, increased efficiency, and made solar power accessible to a larger group of people than ever before. Combined with increased public awareness and an emphasis on “going green,” this made the growth of solar power skyrocket. According to multiple industry groups and energy analysts, this trend is expected to continue.

What does this mean for the future? Private installations alone are expected to reach 10 gigawatts. That does not sound like much, but it would be enough to power Read the rest of this entry »

With all the attention paid to “going green” one way to do your part is to invest in solar panels. All of the energy used on Earth other than that which comes from nuclear power, can be traced in some way to the Sun. The Sun’s rays directly provide phenomenal amounts of power to our planet.
Harnessing a portion of this power and turning it into electricity is the job of a photo-voltaic cell. Put these cells Read the rest of this entry »

Several people think of solar panel as a sort of investment. However, getting the right components and product will not be sufficient for you to make good profit from your investment.

We are listing below five ways to improve the efficiency of your solar panel:

1. You should install your solar panels at the right place and at proper tilt angle as this helps the panel in getting maximum exposure to sunlight during the day. You can use solar pathfinder to search for the best location that receives maximum amount of sunlight.

2. Any type of shading Read the rest of this entry »

In what should sound as an alarm to those who see fossil fuels as an integral part of their livelihood well into the foreseeable future, Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading oil exporter, is now worried about supplying its own oil consumption habits, not to mention the rest of the world. As a result, Saudi Arabian officials are working out plans to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and make better use of alternative sources of energy. This is following recent estimates that in just 20 years, Saudi Arabia will need to majority of its oil supply to satisfy its domestic demand. As it stands, Saudi Arabia uses approximately 40 of the oil it produces, exporting the remaining 60. Were trends to hold and oil continue to be produced at the same output, based on 2031 figures, Saudi Arabia would only be producing enough oil to sustain itself under current operating patterns, with little to no oil left to export. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone knows the Philadelphia Eagles are green, well, except when they wear their white away jerseys or black alternates. But from an environmental standpoint, the Eagles are also among the eco-friendly franchises in the NFL today.Already, the Eagles have solar panels that pump energy into their practice facility, biodegradable utensils, cups and bowls inside Lincoln Financial Field, the most vegetarian dining options of any concessions stand and a cheerleader calendar dedicated to saving the planet.This month however, the Eagles are breaking ground in a new stadium, not on a new stadium, announcing plans to turn Lincoln Financial Field into the first stadium solely supported by solar and wind power. The plan is made possible through a new partnership with Solar Blue, an Orlando based energy company dedicated to providing new and sustainable energy solutions. Ideally, the modifications necessary to this lofty endeavor into practice should be in place by the beginning of the 2011 NFL season. Put into place will be 80, 20-fot wind turbines on the upper rim of the stadium, combined with close to 2,500 solar panels. The turbines account for 15 of the stadiums energy with the solar panels matching for another 15. The remaining 70 will come from a plant run on biofuels and natural gas. Read the rest of this entry »

It may seem like a while since the great state of New Jersey made a valuable contribution to modern science, unless of course you count the under-the-influence antics of Snooki, The Situation and Paulie D, testing the utter limitations of human consumption. However, researchers at Rutgers University, New Jersey’s flagship institution, claim to have discovered new cellular properties with the potential to lead to less expensive plastic solar cells.According to the research, energy-carrying particles generated by packets of light can travel 1,000 times further in carbon-based semiconductors than previous reports indicated. What does this mean? The essential benefit manifests in that these new cells can be created in plastic sheets as opposed to the silicon standby. It doesn’t take a scientist or plastic surgeon to understand the basic price differential between the two materials. Plastic solar cells designed with these advancements in mind could ultimately replace the expensive traditional model of silicon solar cells in the photovoltaic process. The end result would not only offer solar energy conversion an new cost lows but also heightened levels of performance, perhaps one day making silicon solar cells obsolete entirely. Read the rest of this entry »

To critics who have complained large solar panels are simply unsightly, the fashion world tends to disagree. If it seemed like runway at Portland Fashion Week was beaming with energy, perhaps it’s because the platform was professionally engineered to do so. SolarWorld, this year’s primary sponsor of the event, provided flat black solar panels which were transformed via keen eye for design into the actual strip cat walked by models from start to finish. Sleek, elegant and environmentally conscious found common ground, quite literally, just beneath the feet of fashionistas as surrounding crowds applauded in approval.The set-up itself was not all that energized crowds throughout the event. As designers from host city of Portland all the way across the pond to Paris converged to bring together some of the freshest designs around, crowds lost themselves in a word of style and imagination, while remembering the importance of preserving the world around them. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s generally assumed you need sunlight for solar energy to be effective. The city of Seattle is out to disprove this notion. Though it may have a reputation as one of America’s rainiest cities, Seattle’s solar ambition far outshines the local climate. If early proposals come to fruition, Qwest Field, home of the Seahawks, is in line to become the largest photovoltaic installed major sports venue in the United States. The already state of the art stadium would receive 600 kilowatts of solar power under the new energy structure, offsetting a significant portion of Qwest Field’s traditional usage. Currently, the 364 kilowatts of sun-supplied energy that powered the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA title last season reign supreme among American arenas.According to official estimates, Seattle does, in fact, receive enough sunlight to justify a solar energy switch, a particularly popular move in the always environmentally conscious Northwest. Of course, desire only goes so far as many large scale initiatives in the past have fallen short to dreary weather outlook. Hopefully, if the Seahawks solar powered stadium breeds successful results, alternative energy ambition in the Northwest will be make giant leaps forward. Read the rest of this entry »