Solar Energy Information To Help You Get Started
When it comes to solar energy, there is no question that it is very beneficial to the environment. However, many of you may not understand how exactly solar energy works and how to install it in your home. The following article will serve to answer any questions you may have. Read on and learn.
Do your research before you buy or install anything. It is important that you know what you're allowed to have in place, what is the best choice for efficiency and what sort of a budget you're working with. Once you have those answers in hand, you'll be able to go forward with your project.
The efficiency of your solar panels depends on their density. Panels with a higher density are usually more expensive but their cost is justified since you will be able to produce a lot more power with these more performing products. Carefully evaluate the density and efficiency of all options before making a purchase.
Consider your home's outside design when thinking about solar energy. Having solar-powered pathway lights installed outside is an easy way to use solar energy at home. If you're building a home, positioning it so that it can take advantage of the sun's rays is also beneficial. Well-oriented homes filter in winter sun rays in the south-facing windows and that can reduce heating bills.
If you own a pool, consider using a solar water heating system to keep it warm in the cooler months. Solar heating is much less expensive than electric or even gas heating, and it is relatively easy to install. In the first year alone, you can save about thirty percent over the cost of heating your swimming pool with electricity.
Look into portable solar energy battery packs. These can be extremely useful when you are somewhere that does not have access to power. For example, it could be used to charge your cell phone while you are camping in a remote location. It has recently become very popular, and because of this, it is relatively inexpensive.
One great way to take advantage of solar energy is by constructing a heat well just inside the south facing windows or patio doors of your home. This well collects heat from the sun during the day and releases it after dark. This form of solar energy is completely passive and requires no maintenance.
Before signing any agreement for installation of solar energy products, get at least three estimates. Once the estimates are in your hand, read each one carefully to ensure that the installation is up to your standards. Each estimate should include a time frame of completion, a list of materials and the estimated amount of labor charged.
Before signing any agreement for installation of solar energy products, get at least three estimates. Once the estimates are in your hand, read each one carefully to ensure that the installation is up to your standards. Each estimate should include a time frame of completion, a list of materials and the estimated amount of labor charged.
Are you thinking about how you can use everything you've read to save yourself some money? Who wouldn't be thinking that? It is time you put these tips to good use so that you can fully benefit from everything that solar energy has to offer you as an energy source.
Germany marks first ever quarter with more than 50 pct renewable electricity
Germany produced more than half of its electricity with renewable power in the first three months of 2020, the first full quarter in which renewables covered the majority of the country’s electricity needs. The numbers were driven by record wind and high solar production in February and March and a dip in overall energy use tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Combined with high renewable power generation in 2019, the numbers put Germany on track to meet its 2020 green energy targets, despite an overall slowdown in the renewable energy expansion.
Germany produced nearly 52 percent of its domestic electricity consumption with renewable power in the first three months of 2020, marking the first full quarter in which renewables covered more than half the country’s power needs, utilities association BDEW and the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) reported. That’s up from about 44 percent in the first quarter of 2019. The numbers were driven by record wind power production in February, unusually high solar production in March, and a dip in overall energy use tied to the coronavirus crisis. Because of those unusual circumstances, BDEW warned it’s too soon to project whether the numbers might hold going forward. "The performance of renewables is very encouraging. However, we should always bear in mind that this is only a snapshot and includes many one-off events,†BDEW head Kerstin Andreae said in a statement. But BDEW also noted that the numbers reflect several underlying policy shifts, including the shutdown of nuclear and coal power plants that were taken offline in late 2019.
The numbers, combined with increased renewable generation in 2019, put Germany on track to meet its 2020 target for increasing renewables' share of total energy consumption (which includes not just electricity, but refers to all energy, for example fossil fuels used in transport and heating). Germany has pledged to produce 18 percent of its total energy consumption with renewables by the end of the year. "The EU renewable energy target of 18 percent in 2020 is within reach,†economy minister Peter Altmaier said in the statement. “We must now work to ensure that we achieve the targets on a sustainable basis and further increase the share of renewable energy."