You’ve decided to pursue a solar home improvement, but aren’t so keen on the idea of putting panels on your roof. No worries, you just need to understand the concept of gain. I Gotta Gain Some Heat I’ll cut to the chase – gain refers to how you generate heat for your home without solar panels. You can think of it as gaining heat by manipulating the power of the sun. There are three categories of gain: direct gain, indirect gain and isolated gain. So much for the mumbo jumbo, what are we really talking about here? Direct gain refers to improving your house in a manner that allows the sun to…[drum roll]…directly provide power in the form of heat to your home. For instance, if you install large windows in the south facing side of your home and put down heat storing flooring such as masonry, you are pursuing direct gain. The sun will directly heat the home through the windows during the day and will also heat up the flooring. As the sun goes down, the flooring will continue to radiate heat. The advantage of direct gain is it is fairly easy to implement. The disadvantage is it only works during the day and for a few hours afterwards if you’ve put in a heat storing flooring material. Indirect gain is a bit more complicated. It refers to the idea of using a structure between the exterior and interior of the house to store heat produced by exposure to sunlight. The basic idea is to get more heat production for a longer period of time. Indirect gain is typically accomplished by building a thermal wall out of masonry, known as a Trombe Wall, as the south facing wall of your home or a part of it. The wall is built out of a material that absorbs heat such as concrete or brick and then has glass placed over it. Put another way, the south wall is a window with a brick wall behind it. The wall materials suck up the power of the sun and store heat. This heat is then radiated when you need it by opening vents in the wall. The advantage of indirect gain is you get longer, more controlled heating. The disadvantage is you have the world’s weirdest looking window on the south side of your home. Isolated gain is a simple concept. Have you ever used a greenhouse to grow flowers or tomatoes or…well, something? Isolated gain works just like a greenhouse, except you are providing heat to yourself instead of plants. Essentially, you build a self-contained glass structure on the south side of your home which is also well insulated. The structure heats up in the sun during the day to very high temperatures. When you need heat, you just turn on a fan, which moves it into the house through venting you’ve installed. The beauty of any of these systems is they are fairly simple concepts to understand. If solar panels don’t appeal to you, just go for some gain. About The Author Rick Chapo is with http://www.solarcompanies.com – a directory of solar energy companies. Visithttp://www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar power articles.
Home Improving with Solar – The Important Concept of Gain
General Motors Finds A Way To Use Solar Power Even When It Can’t Afford To Install It
About The Author
But it has made a clever and commendable accommodation to its impoverishment. It has agreed to allow a solar-power company to install a system on the roof of one of its warehouses and then buy the power as it would from any other electric company.
In fact, the step may be so beneficial that GM now has similar plans for solar-power equipment installed on the roof of a second warehouse.
So sunhats off to GM! They may still not be clever enough to make a popular car, but at least they’ve found a way to make a popular choice about electric power.
The Sun As Threat To Your Photovoltaic System
The sun as threat to your solar array?, you might wonder if my brain suffered from working in the sun. Still the sun can cause your system to fail if you don't take the necessary precautions. So what am I talking about?
The sun can really damage your solar system, in fact the energy conversion losses in the form of heat can do that job. But there are creative methods to turn this potential killer into a bonus to your free energy supply.
Boy This is Frustrating!!!
Let assume that you invested heavily and a 1000 Wp Photovoltaic System is your proudly covering your roof. Summer comes and you can't wait to see all those free Watts chew chunks of your energy bill.
During the most beautiful long summer days your systems seems to vigorously under perform. 70 - 80 % or 700 - 800 Watts is what you get out. Since you have been monitoring your system prior to the summer heat you have seem it churn out that 1 kW so you know its possible, yet when the circumstances seem ideal it just will not deliver.
What is wrong
If your panels are easily accessibly you can feel the problem. Touch them on one of these perfect summer days! Boy, they are hot. Yes they are and there you have your answer. Heat, solar radiation, heat from the energy conversion process and heat because of resistance.
Whenever a high current is running through a conductor, or a conducting semiconductor it will cause it to heat up. Just think of the processor in your computer. Add the suns radiation on an absorbing surface like the dark colored solar panels and you will understand why it gets hot. A semiconductor, what your panel actually is, has the characteristic of being increasingly less effective as the temperature rises.
Check outputs when the panels are cool.
You can check that when a cold front passes. there you will have a few minutes of intense sunlight followed by clouds, you will see peak outputs during those sunny intervals. When the arrays are cool.
What lesson is there to be learned
Well we can approach it as an unwelcome yet unavoidable problem, and to counteract this unwanted effect to some extend optimize the ventilation under your panels or see it as an opportunity to achieve an even greater energy efficiency. I suggest you do both.
But allow it get your mind spinning as well. Heat means energy. Spray you panels so they cool down and you will end up with a higher output and warm water. There are a great many ways that you could use this access heat. Cooling, Heating water or your pool, driving a stirling engine to name a few. There are no right or wrong ways, try to be creative about the idea and who knows what comes up.
The fact remains that the heat we generated as by product of our electricity production can be a serious threat to your system. The temperature of a semiconductor has to stay within certain boundaries. If not it will not only diminish the efficiency of your solar array but will potentially destroy it.
Yes, now we are real energy producers with the same problems the big guys from the electricity companies have. How do we keep our systems cool.
In our blog you can find an entry where we discuss another threat to our system. Although the result is heat, it deals about partials shadows falling over your string.
Right, the sun as potential killer of solar systems, but only if we can't find ways to either eliminate that energy or put it to use. Since we have to do something the latter sounds the best to me.
Hans is author of many writings and studies about wind turbines and turbine development and expert in Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems He actively involved in the development and generation of new ideas as well as in investment opportunities in the field of renewable energy resources. He can be found at http://www.alternative-energy-guide.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hans_Dekker
Shedding Some Light on the Myths of Solar Energy
As new concepts and theories for residential energy production emerge, many sceptics voice their opinions claiming these new ideas simply don’t life up to the hype. Solar power is one such idea which has generated a considerable amount of cynicism.
With this article I aim to shed some light on some of the common misconceptions regarding the use of solar roof panels as a viable means of residential energy production.
“Solar panels will take too long to pay for themselves”
Year after year we are seeing our energy bills going up by ever increasing percentages. The promise of cheaper fuel bills from nuclear power never came to fruition so the need to consider renewable energy sources such as solar power is now a viable alternative. In the current economic climate, investment in cheaper bills for the future is a sound financial idea as remaining reliant on non-renewable energy sources such as coal, gas and oil can only become more expensive as they become scarcer and therefore more expensive.
“Britain is not sunny enough”
This is a common false statement regarding the use of solar panels in the UK. Most people assume solar energy panels need direct sunlight in order to function. In actual fact they only require light from any source rather than direct sunlight as they absorb the electromagnetic radiation found in photons. This means that a solar roof panel will even work at night by absorbing photons from star light and street lighting; however, this happens on such a minimal scale you’d never notice. The output of each solar panel is considerably higher on sunnier days as strength of light (or the shear amount of photons) is a major factor, as is the angle the solar panel to the sun.
“Solar panels are useless during the short winter days”
Although there is some truth to this statement, residential solar panels are far from useless during the winter months. The daylight hours are significantly shorter meaning each solar panel will generate less power over the course of a full day. The truth of the matter is that hour for hour; each solar energy panel is on average equally as efficient as it would be throughout the summer. Prior to the installation of solar panels one should consider how much sun light will be hitting their solar panels during the winter months. Your roof may be in the shadow of nearby trees or a chimney stack may reduce the efficiency of the solar panels by leaving all or part of the solar panel in permanent shade whilst the sun is lower in the sky.
“If I don’t generate enough solar power, I’ll have no electricity”
This simply is not the case. Your home will still be connected to the national grid, so anytime you need more electricity than the solar panels are providing, you’ll get it as normal from the mains. It is unlikely that a household will be able to produce 100% of it’s electricity as a result of installing solar roof panels as we have become far to reliant on electrical appliances. Saying that, it has been proven in the past that once a household begins generating its own electricity using solar panels, its occupants become far more conscious of the way in which they use it and day by day will use far less electricity.
“It takes more energy to manufacture a solar panel than it will ever put out”
The energy payback of solar panels varies depending on which type of solar panel is fitted. Currently, the microcrystalline-silicon solar panels have an estimated energy payback of less than 4 years where as the ‘thin-film’ solar panels have an energy payback of around 3 years. Future developments in renewable solar energy coupled with increased production are expected to halve the energy payback time of both microcrystalline-silicon PV solar panels and thin-film solar panels.
“Modern solar panels are still not efficient”
Solar energy has come along leaps and bounds since the development in the production of the first practical solar cells in the 1950’s. These had a sunlight energy conversion efficiency of around 6%. By the late 1980’s scientists had developed solar cells with an efficiency of 17%. By 2000 solar cells had an efficiency of 24%, rising to 26% in 2002, 28% in 2005 and 30% by 2007. Increased efficiency coupled with lower production costs means residential solar energy systems are cheaper and more efficient than ever before.
You may ask yourself one question regarding the above figures, “If solar panels are getting more efficient and cheaper year after year, maybe I should wait a few more years?” Although there is some logic to this idea, the truth of the matter is waiting a few extra years could well prove to be a false economy. At the moment the British government are offering a variety of grants to financially assist those seeking to run a greener home, including the installation of domestic solar panels which could save you up to 50% of the installation costs. Government grants like this may not be available a few years down the line.
why the politician intervention in the solar energy industry just worsen the progress?
The election time in the US is coming and the roller-coaster of oil prices, producing an enormous pile of promises and declaration about green energy in general and solar energy in particular.
Some states, like California did made a progress toward more renewable and sustainable energy market.
The reason for this is that the solar companies still don't have an efficient enough technology to completely replace the current energy resources.
In order to develop the right technology, the industry must work in a free competitive market, in which only the really economical reliable solutions will prosper.
Today, the competition become more about getting governmental grants and funds and less about building a better technology.
Companies today need to support more academic research and developing a better panels and batteries, and less politicians.
Politicians are interested in votes and not in technology and hence, will support the technology that will be beneficial for them in the short run and not in the long run..
So we must close our ears from listening to these promises, and invest in companies who plan a better future, with new technology and not a better present with current technology.
Making Solar Power Cheaper Through Net Metering
Solar power is a renewable energy source that is extremely popular, but has a cost problem. Net metering is a concept the government is currently using to offset this problem.
The government tries to promote certain conduct in two ways. First it makes things illegal such as drug use. Second, it creates financial incentives and penalties to try to guide our conduct. Taxes on cigarettes, for instance, are high and try to motivate us not to smoke. Tax credits offered for the purchase of hybrid cars is an example of using incentives to promote an activity.
When it comes to solar energy, the government realizes that there is a cost problem. It tries to resolve this in a number of ways. The first is to offer tax credits for buying solar panel systems. Tax credits are a tremendous financial benefit. They work by reducing the tax you owe dollar for dollar. For instance, you might figure out your taxes for this year and find out you owe the IRS $5,000. If you can claim a tax credit for $2,000, you would end up owing the government $3,000. In short, the credit is much more powerful than a mere tax deduction.
Another area where financial incentives are offered on solar is net metering. Net metering is simply the concept of selling energy back to a utility company at the same rate it sells it to you. This concept goes a long way to making solar energy competitive. Here’s how it works.
Assume you buy a solar panel system for your home. Your high energy needs tend to happen early in the morning and later in the afternoon. During the week, you have nominal energy needs during the day when you are at work. So, what happens to the energy being produced by the solar panels during the day? Well, you can sell it back to the utility company. This is called being “on grid”, with the grid being the platform the utility uses to deliver energy to communities. With net metering, the energy produced by your panels is fed back into the grid. Your utility meter literally spins backwards. You are selling electricity to the utility during the day. At night, you draw energy off the grid. The end result is you owe little or nothing to the utility company at the end of the month. This will save you a thousand dollars or so each year.
Net metering is currently a state concept. While over 40 states have laws on the books requiring utilities to allow net metering, there is no federal standard. That may be about to change. Federal law now requires all states to consider whether they wish to enact net metering legislation by 2008. Most are expected to pass such laws. When this occurs, net metering will be a cost cutting solution to the solar power energy problem, making it a more viable energy source for you and me.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - a directory of solar energy companies.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo
Solar Power – Fun Facts
12 Fun Facts on Solar Power 
* When silicon is taken from just one ton of sand, and used in photovoltaic solar power panels, that silicon can produce as much electricity as 500,000 tons of burning coal.
* In the U.S., there are more than 10,000 homes that get their energy 
* Nearly 200 years ago, a British astronomer by the name of John Herschel cooked food with solar power during an journey to Africa.
* California opened its first large solar power plant in 1982. * Solar power can cut water bills by more than 50 percent each year in a home where a solar model replaces the electric water heater.
* The price of photovoltaic (PV) solar power panels has dropped 200 percent over the last 30 years, according to the Department of Energy. Owners now pay between 10 and 40 cents per kilowatt-hour.
* A study by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) showed that solar power conditions were close to perfect (99 percent) in San Francisco on June 14th, 2000. On that day, 100,000 customers in that area lost power. Solar power could have provided all they needed. * Another USDOE study showed that the roofs of California's city and county buildings, if covered with solar PV panels, could generate 200 megawatts of clean electricity! Cover California's school roofs with solar power panels, and you add 1,500 megawatts more to the state's peak power supply.
* In California, covering every available commercial and industrial roof with solar power panels could generate all of the electricity needed in that state during the daytime.
* Germany is making the best use of solar power, even though its climate includes many cloudy days.
Anna Hart. Anna Hart, a career educator, invites you to read more of her articles about solar power at http://www.solar-energy-connection.com. Anna has also posted articles on that site about portable solar power. If you are interested in solar power cars, you won’t want to miss her article on the subject.
Source:www.isnare.com
Solar Energy Risks To Health
Solar energy health risks are seldom mentioned. That may be partially due to the limited use of this source of energy. It may also be due to the lack of research in this area. Some have begun to study solar energy health risks, however, and if one researches long enough, a few estimates are available.
Thermal Solar Energy Health Risks
Solar energy health risks are inherent to the design and installation of most thermal energy systems. These are the systems designed to heat water and air for household use.
Solar water heaters complete three basic operations before delivering hot water to your faucet or your heating unit:
1. collect sunlight and convert it into heat energy.
2. circulate fluids that transfer the heat energy to a storage unit
3. store the hot water until you need it
The solar energy health risks with such a system usually occur in the storage units. Some units allow for the growth of allergenic molds and fungi.
If proper materials are used for the storage unit, however, these solar energy systems present few, if any, health risks. Their advantages are that they are far safer than most fossil fuels or nuclear power - they have no emissions and do not pollute the air.
PV Panel Solar Energy Health Risks
The solar energy health risks associated with photovoltaic (PV) panels occurs before the panels are put into use on the consumer's home. PV panels are the panels used to collect solar energy from sunlight and convert it into usable electricity.
The manufacture of PV panels requires the use of toxic materials. Silicon dioxide is mined from sand or quartzite and reduced with heat to pure silicon. Materials released during refining are the main health risks. Several steps in forming the photovoltaic cells utilize toxic materials. These are sprayed on the cells, and can readily be inhaled.
It is estimated that solar energy health risks associated with producing PV panels per unit energy may be between 11 and 21 deaths per quadrillion joules of energy produced.
Solar energy health risks from PV panels are very slight once the panels are produced and installed on the consumer's home. This type of solar energy is known for reliability and low maintenance. The home owner seldom needs to be involved in any repairs, and thereby cuts solar energy health risks.
Passive Solar Energy Health Risks
Passive solar energy provides safety and health. A new building that maximizes this technology can reduce energy costs by nearly one half. How?
1. Warming indoor air in a house through vertical, slanted windows facing the sun. The windows capture maximum solar energy from the sunlight.
2. Collecting solar energy in adobe or stone walls and floors, and then releasing it into the air as the temperature falls.
3. Collecting solar energy in a sun space, much like a greenhouse built on the sunny side of the home. This heat is sent into the home with proper ventilation.
4. Holding water in black roof tanks until needed, cutting the working time of the home's hot water heater.
5. Using clerestories - rows of windows near roof peaks that catch sunlight and bounce it through the building. The sunlight reduces the need for electric lights.
In Summary
Solar energy technologies present few, if any, health risks for the end user. Their use can reduce the health risks presented by other energy sources, providing cleaner, safer, more cost effective energy.
How to Qualify For a Home Solar Energy System Rental
The American homeowner has the option to produce their own renewable energy from the sun and keep the energy savings every month. Homeowners who follow the steps and complete the requirements have a good chance of getting a residential solar energy system installed on their home on a rental basis.
To be Evaluated for a Home Power System: * Be the t
itle holder of the home, provide at least 1 year but preferably 2 years of electric bills, have good exposure to the sun, qualify and finish a site evaluation, and be able to wait up to 1 year for the system installation.A solar panel manufacturer is working to remove the barriers to wide-scale solar adoption in the United States. Its business model is to rent all of the equipment needed to power a residential home. There is an energy auditing process and required feasibility study to better determine suitable locations. Unfortunately, homeowners may not qualify to have a system installed. The requirements related to sun angle, energy consumption, and a few other things listed here must be met. Below is the minimum requirement that you must comply with in order to rent a solar system.
You must be a homeowner. Unfortunately, people who rent or lease are not qualified to rent a solar electric system. Only homeowners who hold title or have a mortgage on their can have a solar rental system installed. This has to do with legal and insurance related issues. You must own your house before a system such as this can be installed. However, renters and other homeowners do have the ability to purchase their systems out right from hundreds of solar manufacturers and installers. The point of this solar article is to highlight the steps and requirements process to enable the average American homeowner to rent a solar energy system not purchase one.
You must be a current residential utility customer and you must maintain your interconnection with the utility. If you fail to maintain your connection with your local electric utility, this may be grounds for default in the solar rental agreement, and your solar energy unit may be removed.
You must maintain a dedicated residential telephone line. Again, if you fail to maintain a connection with your local telephone service, this may be grounds for default. You have your solar energy unit removed. There are other options other hard, land lines such as Internet-based, WIFI phone services but it is often easiest and most cost effective to utilize a normal phone connection.
Your house should have a roof with enough space to accommodate the solar unit as well as have an unobstructed, south facing flat or sloped roof. This may not always be necessary. However, in order to ensure that you are eligible, this prerequisite should be researched completely.
Step Six - Live in an Area with Net Metering
This solar rental program is presently limited to U.S. states that offer grid connected alternative energy systems. The service areas and the first to have installs approved are those located in the states and local utility areas that have net-metering laws. Grid tied or grid connection is the law in dozens of states that request that utility companies give the homeowner credits for the solar energy generated from home solar energy units. Net-metering laws do vary state by state. If is best to do some further research with your state government to ensure your state offers net-metering.
Concluding Considerations & Tips
* Research service availability and net metering laws for your state before you go to the trouble of reserving a system.
* There is a substantial waiting list of interested homeowners. A homeowner can request to have a site evaluation and suitability study completed if they wish. The actual system installations may be 1 or 2 years from the time of system reservation; if the above mention prerequisites are completed.
At Solargies, we plan to make the right Eco-friendly, green solutions available to the American homeowners. My role involves the leadership, communication, and the education related to the adoption solar energy system rentals. We provide homeowners the option to rent a solar electric system and avoid the huge, upfront investment in solar technology. Learn more at: => http://www.solargies.com/solar_panel_rentals.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Stouffer
How Wine and Chocolate Create Solar Power
What do you get when you mix chocolate and wine? In the case of Clean Solar, Inc., you get solar. Silicon Valley Entrepreneur, Randy Zechman, is the founder of City Chocolate Fountains (the largest chocolate fountain rental company in the United States). Jeff Ritchey is a San Jose native and wine guru. He is a wine consultant for Pichetti Winery, San Saba winery, and has two of his own labeled wines. Together, they are the co-founders of Clean Solar, a Silicon Valley solar installer and integrator.
Randy Zechman will readily admit that he is a serial entrepreneur. Just over a year ago, with two successful businesses in his portfolio: City Chocolate Fountains and World 2 Do, Inc., Zechman was ready for a new challenge. Zechman and a friend of eight years, Jeff Ritchey, an award-winning winemaker, regularly attended a monthly Bay Area speaker series with a group of friends. After every speaker they would end up at a local restaurant debating the subject matter of that night’s speech, global warming and the health of the earth were often the center of those debates, which resulted in them seeing Al Gore speak at the State of the Valley conference in early 2007.
After seeing Al Gore speak on solutions for protecting our planet, Zechman began to research the solar power industry. Ritchey, while continuing to grow his label, Sensorium Wines, was also showing increased interest in the green movement, realizing that green technology was an ideal fit with his knowledge in geology, winemaking and construction.
Zechman knew that the scientific and construction skill set that Ritchey could bring to the table would be the perfect compliment to his business and marketing skills, which led him to approach Ritchey about starting a solar power company.
Zechman and Ritchey met weekly for 6 months, discussing the in and outs of the business and making sure that their ambitions would not get in the way of their friendship. “We had a heart to heart regarding our friendship versus business. We both believed we could manage both and that our friendship would not get in the way.” says Zechman.
“We’ve been friends for eight years and never thought about getting into business with each other, but this presented the right opportunity. With the market timing, our passion for doing something good, Randy’s sales and marketing experience and my technical and construction abilities, we figured it was a natural fit.” says Ritchey.
Clean Solar Inc. quickly became a reality and is now the Bay Area’s leading solar installation company. The fuel for their business growth is in the form of state rebates through the 10 year, $3.4 billion California Solar Initiative. While silicon is still in short supply, the rebates offer customers a chance to significantly lower the installation cost of a solar power system. Zechman and Ritchey are committed to staying ahead of the curve and being early adopters of new solar technology as it comes on line. “We want the Clean Solar team to stay abreast of the latest advancements in technology, maintain certifications, and educate ourselves in order to provide our customers with the knowledge they need as a solar owner.” says Zechman.
Isaac Riggins is a solar consultant for Clean Solar, Inc. He can be reached at 888-551-7652 or http://www.cleansolar.com
What if you could print solar panel using magic polymers?
New Polymer materials technology might lower the cost of electricity production using solar technology to below $1 per watt for the first time. This will finally enable mass-market, portable applications for photo-voltaic technology.
In the last technology report of Nature photonics, a new technology of materials for photovoltaic panel was introduced by Russell Gaudiana and Christoph Brabec.
Most of the photoactive materials used for photovoltaics in the past focused on silicon, which in fact dominates the commercial solar-energy field today. In recent years several other materials were tested as cheaper candidates for solar panel for instance amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indiumgallium selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe). All of these are now in different stages of commercialization. They all received the nick name: " thin-film technologies ", and they are considered cheaper in means of manufacturing and production throughput. These technology are expected to lower the consts of electricity production by solar devices to less than 1$ per watt.
However, a new technology has a better potential to dramatically lower the costs of solar energy production. This technology called "Bulk hetero-junction technology" is based on organic materials which are organic semiconductors, used as replacement to silicon. These new materials can be printed over sheets, with available roll-to-roll coating and printing techniques. This technology uses " abundantly available non-toxic materials, is based on a scalable production process with high productivity, and requires low investment from the manufacturer.
The idea is to use two different semiconductors called "p" and "n" with different conductance properties. Printing them together creates an electric device called diode. On light absorption, photo-induced charges are produced by ultra-fast charge transfer (few femto-seconds) between the two semiconductor types.
This technology encompasses carbon-based materials to use as "donor" and "acceptor" of electrons in the systems. The most popular class of organic donor molecules are conjugated polymers, like polythiophenes, polyfluorenes or polycarbazoles. The choice for acceptors is much narrower — for more than 10 years substituted fullerenes have given by far the best performance.
The advantage that separates this technology from all of the others is its compatibility with high-speed and low-temperature roll-to-roll processing. The procedures are similar to those used in the printing and coating industry in that solutions of the active materials, dissolved in organic solvents or water, are applied to a plastic sheet by means of a coating applicator.
Various printing and coating technologies have proven their compatibility with organic semiconductor processing, like flexo printing, gravure printing, screen printing, slot die coating and ink-jet printing.
Many advances in the past few years were done to improve the polymers efficiency and means of production. For more details, you should read this article at nature photonics VOL 2 MAY 2008 www.nature.com/naturephotonics
How to Start a Solar Energy Business (cost effectively)
We are at the dawn of a solar revolution in the United States. Every aspect of the solar industry is experiencing explosive growth. Triple digit expansion in solar photovoltaic cell manufacturing, to the need for solar sales associates, to the huge demand for solar system installers. Opportunities abound everywhere. The renting of a solar energy system for your home is a new, attractive twist to the idea of switching to renewable energy. With the adoption of a leasing or rental model for residential solar electric systems, an average homeowner can now go green at home as well as build a part-time, solar energy business. The following article outlines the step by step requirements needed to start solar energy business cost effectively.
Step 1 – Understanding the Solar Energy Business
Environmental entrepreneurs are charged with connecting with homeowners, educating them related to their alternative energy options, and providing them with the option to rent a solar electric system. By starting a solar energy business, a person becomes a solar energy consultant, making it possible for homeowners to adopt solar (PV) technology in a simple, investment-free way. No other solar rental program makes it so easy.
This type of renewable energy business entails no up-front fees to get involved but there are time investments related to educating yourself and in turn educating the American homeowner about residential solar electric systems. The rental of solar equipment is just getting started with much adoption and growth expected. Solar energy is now cost competitive with the utility prices and homeowners no longer have to make an upfront investment to switch to solar power. They can simply rent a system and perhaps build a solar energy business on the side.
To start a solar energy business, a person does not need to be a college graduate or a seasoned sales executive. All that is needed is the desire to make a difference and share the belief with others that solar power will make that difference.
Step 2 – Structuring of Your Solar Business
As a solar energy consultant, you are trained and supported by an experienced sales manager. The sales manager will support you in your initial days of solar energy industry education, sales cycle management, and how to effectively use the free sales tools. As you progress and begin to desire more responsibility, you can become a sales manager yourself by beginning to build your own marketing team.
Step 3 – Registering and Completing the Solar Energy Training
Registering online is just the first step to working towards managing your own solar energy business. Training is the second required step in the process. This small business opportunity demands detailed knowledge of the solar energy industry.
You do not need to become an electrician or solar energy system installer but you should work to understand the difference between fossil fuels and renewable fuels, to understand how the electricity grid works, and to understand how residential solar energy works. You must be properly trained in solar energy topics and related technology so that you have the confidence to pass on this knowledge.
Training tools are available to assist you with the required testing. Training tools, testing, and ongoing support is all free. It is also important to continually build your knowledge of the renewable energy industry. This solar energy business requires no investment on your part but it does stress training and the use of training tools because accurate knowledge breaks down barriers.
Step 4 – Receiving Solar Energy Business Support
This solar energy business is centered upon ongoing support and growth. It is necessary for solar energy consultants to process solar system sales or referrals. There are free sales cycle management (CRM) tools included with this business opportunity. The sales aids make it very simple to complete the processing and help homeowners to rental a solar energy system.
These tools are provided to help build your solar energy business:
* One-on-one training from your sales manager,
* Training resources, books, brochures,
* Internal and external corporate websites,
* Help desk and knowledge base (both support and training),
* and much more.
The solar energy business explained here has a great mission. Its grassroots goal is to spread the use of clean, renewable solar electric power as simply and as rapidly as possible. This opportunity has eliminated as many obstacles as possible to both the rental of solar electric systems for home owners as well as to entrepreneurs wishing to start a solar energy business.
The overall job of a solar energy consultant is to become ambassadors for positive change in the World of renewable solar energy. Solar energy is vital to the U.S. economy, energy security, and the environment. There is a simple choice to do the right thing. By helping America to rethink solar electric powerBusiness Management Articles, you can start your own solar energy business in a very cost effective way.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
At Solargies (Solar Energies), our objective is to spread the adoption of renewable solar energy as rapidly as possible. Daniel Stouffer is writer and promoter of green energy. Learn about Renting a Solar Energy system at http://www.Solargies.com
great movie - solar energy breaktrough
This movie present new technological advances of Israeli scientists,working on solar energy power production. They present new kind of panel and a sophisticated method to generate energy. Israel is one of the leading companies of solar energy technologies, but the government failed to hold these technology innovations and use it to their own purposes.
watch:
Israel should use the great skills of its scientists and lead the world forward toward a better solar future.
Save Money With Solar Power, 5 Ways To Use The Solar Power Around Your Home And Garden
There are many way you can use Solar Power around your home & garden, here a just a few that can get you started in saving money and helping the environment.
1. Solar Garden Lights
Why go through the expense of digging up your garden and laying cables, when you could use Solar Powered Lights. They are easy to install and an attractive way to use Solar Power. They charge during the day and automatically turn on at dusk. You do have to think about where you place them in the garden, so they can get a full charge during the day.
2. Solar Water fountains
Easy to install and they can be a charming addition to any garden pond. Having a fountain can also keep your pond healthy, by stopping the water in the pool from stagnating. The sound off running water is also known way to relieve stress.
3. Solar Battery Chargers
Why charge the batteries for all your gadgets like you mobile phone or Ipod from the mains when you could use a Solar charger wherever you are. Solar Panels now come in many shapes and sizes. Some varieties can be rolled up so are easy to carry; you can even get them built into rucksacks. You can get a charger specifically designed for the Ipod, which uses solar power.
4. Solar Pool Heating
Why not use Solar Power to heat the water in your pool and then keep that heat in the pool by using a solar pool cover. If you are still heating your pool using power from the mains, you are literally making your money evaporate into the air.
5. Solar Panels
Create power or heat water for your home to help reduce your heating bills in the long run, the Solar Panels can be fitted to your roof and the suns light is converted into electricity or used to heat the water for your home. This is the most involved way to use Solar Power in your home, if you want to go this route, I would employ professionals who will be able to advise you in what the best plan of action would be, and the possible savings.
About the Author
Gavin Dye is the webmaster and author at http://www.solar-power-4u.com where you can learn more about solar power and alternative energy. Check out his blog at http://www.solar-power-4u.com/blog
World needs more CO2, environment confab told
'There will be significant cooling very soon,' asserts solar scientist
Posted: April 03, 2008
11:15 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
You could have heard a pin drop at the Hong Kong conference designed to persuade the airline industry to cut back on its production of so-called greenhouse gases to fight "global warming."
The "Greener Skies 2008" conference had just heard from David Archibald, a solar scientist asserting that climate change is mostly dictated by solar cycles, not carbon dioxide levels, as conventional wisdom suggests.
Archibald didn't just tell the group not to worry about carbon dioxide emissions. He told those gathered they should figure out ways of increasing CO2 output.
"In a few short years, we will have a reversal of the warming of the 20th century," Archibald warned, according to CargoNews Asia. "There will be significant cooling very soon. Our generation has known a warm, giving sun, but the new generation will suffer a sun that is less giving, and the earth will be less fruitful. Carbon dioxide is not even a little bit bad – it's wholly beneficial."
One observer at the February conference said there would have been fewer jaws dropping had Archibald stripped off his clothes before the assembled.
"Plant growth responds to atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment," he continued. "In a world of higher atmospheric carbon dioxide, crops will use less water per unit of carbon dioxide uptake. Thus the productivity of semi-arid lands will increase the most."
But the real shocker was not just his unorthodox view of carbon dioxide. Unlike most of those in the conference, Archibald doesn't see a future threat of global warming, but an imminent and dire future of global cooling.
"We will need this increase in agricultural productivity to offset the colder weather coming," he said. "It also follows that if the developed countries of the world want to be caring and sharing to the countries of the Third World, the best thing that could be done for them is to increase atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. It is the equivalent of giving them free phosphate fertilizer. Who would want to deny the Third World such a wonderful benefit?''
After Archibald's speech, Martin Craigs, president of Aerospace Forum Asia, went to the microphone and asked: "Don't you have Al Gore's e-mail address?" "How can you be right and 2,000 scientists wrong?"
After Archibald's speech, Martin Craigs, president of Aerospace Forum Asia, went to the microphone and asked: "Don't you have Al Gore's e-mail address?" "How can you be right and 2,000 scientists wrong?"
Buying a Travel Solar Charger for Your Next Trip?
The solar charger is the hottest technology item on the market today.
For helpful articles and information sources on why and what to look for when getting yours, please visit us at: http://www.solarchargertips.com/
