solar energy

There is a lot of buzz about switching to solar power for environmental and financial reasons, but how can one decide if going solar would be beneficial in their particular situation? There are several factors that should be carefully examined and evaluated before the decision to go solar is made final. Accessibility to Sunlight The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center  advises homeowners that...

With summer coming to a close, many people are biting their nails over the electric bill because of all the A/C used on those sweltering days.  Maybe you’ve considered solar power as an alternative before and were overwhelmed by all the components required to actually set up a system.  Where does someone even get started setting up for solar? Unveiling the Magic The science of it may seem complicated at first: photovoltaic arrays, AC-DC inverters, photons, etc.  When you think about it in terms of everyday life, though,  it’s actually quite simple.  Everything starts with the sun, which produces light and heat, and that is turned into electricity.  Lightbulbs function with the same concept reversed.  Electricity causes microscopic particles (known as photons) to escape the atoms and bounce around, which produces light and heat.  A solar panel works in the other way, catching these escaped photons that come from the sun, which creates electricity. Continue reading →

Not ready for an expensive and timing consuming solar project? Here are 3 ways you can get started on a budget.

Wagan Tech inc has come out with a range of very conveniently sized (pocket-able) solar chargers for consumer electronics. They will charge batteries, iPods, digital cameras etc, all from the sun. The units themselves are very lightweight and come in two distinct types.