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Submitted: 2010-09-01 05:44:45 | Word Count: 870
Most people who want to invest in green energy systems for their homes, will do a bit of reading on facts about solar energy. We need to make informed decisions because that's the ideal way to find a match for your home. The applications of solar energy around the house are very numerous, although we are most familiar with electricity generation and water heating. But did you know that you can heat your swimming pool, power attic fans, computers and small appliances with photo-voltaic cells?
Sunlight is efficient for charging batteries, this is one of the best known facts about solar energy. Although the popularity of sun-generated electricity is on the rise worldwide, the demand remains higher than the supply. And there's no mystery about it: not all geographical areas and climates are suitable for the use of photo-voltaic panels. It is more difficult to get enough solar energy for all the electric appliances when you live in a cold or temperate climate.
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Water heating consumes most power of all, this is among the most practical facts about solar energy you should know of. It takes around 30% of the total energy to heat water. As for the different parts of the solar system, it includes panels with photovoltaic cells, a support structure, a battery, an inverter and a charge controller. Since the costs of a fully operational solar system can range around $10,000, the incentives provided by the government may be really convincing.
If you read more facts and statistical data about solar energy, you will find out that for sunny regions, a 1 kilowatt home solar system can generate around 1,600 kilowatt hours in a year. You'll only get 750 kilowatt hours per year in cooler climates with just two hours of sun exposure per day. You can further learn how much that will save in terms of coal consume and CO2 release in the atmosphere.
The optimal number of solar panels into an average home solar system is between ten and twelve; the panels should be oriented towards the North for maximum exposure. Solar panels have very extensive warranties, up to 20 years in the majority of cases. Yet, the system as such has a lower warranty span of about 5 years. The model of the panels also influences the energy storage capacity and the rest of the technical features. Sunlight can be absorbed, reflected or insulated by the collecting photovoltaic cells and then transferred and stored by the batteries.
Author Resource:-
TarraSampson is devoted to helping to save the environment and control pollution by using the renewable sources of energy. Check it out at Solar Power For Homes. Also check out a related blog post at Make Solar Power.
