If you are seeking a great way to go green at home, while also saving money on your energy bills, you may want to consider switching over to solar energy. Solar power is among the most popular clean energy alternatives for today’s homeowners. When you install solar panels for your home, you will be able to harness the power of the sun’s rays. A company offering solar power systems in The Villages, FL will be able to answer your questions about the benefits of solar. Read on for an overview of some of the different sources of alternative energy that are available to you.

Solar Energy

When you are in search of a plentiful alternative energy source, you can simply look to the sun. In fact, solar energy is among the most popular alternative energy sources in the world. With solar panels, your home’s electrical system can transform UV rays into electrical power for your household. From solar water heaters to solar lights and more, there are many uses for solar energy in your household.

Wind Energy

Wind energy is another popular source of alternative energy. In order to harness energy from the wind, a windmill must be used. As the wind blows, it will spin the windmill, which will create electrical power that is stored in a generator. Wind energy is typically harnessed in areas that experience high winds on a frequent basis. Since today’s windmills are very large, they must also be placed in wide open spaces.

Geothermal Energy

Another alternative energy source is derived directly from the earth. Geothermal energy comes from heat that is generated deep underneath the earth’s crust. As this heat energy rises to the surface of the earth, it can be stored and used to generate electricity. One of the advantages of this alternative energy source is that it generates no pollution or harmful environmental side effects. Your solar expert can answer all of your questions about alternative energy sources.

The summer season has arrived, and now is a great time to think about switching over to a solar pool heater. When you use solar energy to heat your pool, you will be able to keep your pool water at a comfortable temperature, while also relying on clean energy for your pool heating needs. There are several factors to consider when you are shopping for solar systems in The Villages, FL . First, you will want to evaluate what size of solar pool heater will be necessary for your pool. For example, if you have a very large pool, you will want to shop for a larger solar pool heating system. Additionally, you will also want to make sure that your solar pool heater is up to the codes and regulations that are in place through your city or county authorities. If you have questions about solar pool heating, a solar company in your area can provide you with additional information.

If you are considering adding solar panels or a water heater to your home, you may be wondering what to look for in a solar company near Leesburg or North Central Florida. Finding the right company for your needs is the best way to ensure exceptional service and a quality solar system installation.

When choosing a solar power company, you should look for establishments that have a long history of providing homes and businesses in the area with excellent service and consistent quality. The ideal solar energy company will use only the most technologically advanced and energy-efficient products for collecting and converting solar power.

Before selecting a solar company, ask about any quality guarantees and system performance assurances that they offer. Find out what financing options are available, and if any supplied quotes are firm or merely an estimation. Finally, ask how much energy a system is likely to produce for your home, and how much it could potentially save you on energy costs.

Solar panel systems capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity. If you’re thinking about installing solar panels for your home near The Villages or North Central Florida, there are a few helpful facts that can help you determine if solar power is right for you. Contrary to popular belief, solar energy can be harnessed to power your household nearly anywhere in the United States, and solar panels can be installed on your roof or the ground near your home.

Home solar panels create an eco-friendly and inexhaustible source of energy due to their ability to convert sunlight into power. During the day, solar cells inside of the panels absorb the sun’s energy as they are exposed to the light. Inside of the cells are circuits which convert the collected energy into direct current electricity. Finally, because most homes run on an alternating current, the direct current is sent through an inverter which transforms the power to an alternating current. At this point, your house can be powered by the electricity created from the collected solar energy.

If you’ve heard about the benefits of solar power near The Villages and North Central Florida, you may be interested in learning that the use of solar energy is not a new concept. In fact, people have been harnessing the sun’s power for centuries.

Solar Ovens

Solar-powered ovens rely on the sun’s heat to warm foods and drinks. The first known use of solar ovens occurred in 1767. The invention of a Swiss physicist by the name of Horace de Saussure, these solar ovens consisted of an insulated box fitted with three layers of glass that were used to collect and trap heat. Today, solar ovens are popular in locations where electricity is difficult to access, and are powered by sunlight alone.

Solar Electricity

In the year 1873, Willoughby Smith, an English engineer, discovered that selenium, a chemical element, demonstrated photoconductivity (increased electrical conductivity in the presence of light) while in its solid form. Three years later, Professor William Grylls Adams and his student Richard Evans Day were the first to see an electrical current move through a material that was exposed to light after they attached electrodes to a plate of selenium.

Solar Radiation

Although it is one of his lesser-known achievements, Albert Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize for his formulation of the photon theory of light. Developed in 1905, the theory describes how the photons contained in solar radiation can transfer their energy on a metal surface.

Solar Cells

Also referred to as photovoltaic cells, solar cells are devices which convert solar radiation into electricity. The first designs for solar cells were created by the American inventor Charles Fritts in 1883. However, it was three researchers from Bell Labs by the names of Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and David Chaplin who are credited with the creation of the world’s first solar cells in 1954. Over the following years, they managed to improve their device’s conversion efficiency from 4% to 11%. Their first successful trial using the cells in solar panels occurred in 1955, and Bell Labs later supplied solar power for one of NASA’s Vanguard satellites in 1958.

Are you interested in harnessing solar energy to power your home? A solar hot water system near Clermont and North Central Florida can prove to be a cost-effective and energy-efficient method of providing your household with hot water. This type of system is fueled by solar power alone and can be used in any climate.

Active Solar Water Heaters

A solar water heating system consists of solar collectors and storage tanks. These heating systems fall into two categories: active and passive. Active systems utilize circulating pumps and controls, and can be either direct or indirect. Direct circulation systems function best in climates that rarely reach freezing temperatures, and their pumps circulate water into the home through the collectors. Indirect circulation systems are a popular choice in colder regions that tend to reach freezing temperatures. These systems heat the water flowing into the home using a non-freezing heat-transfer fluid.

Passive Solar Water Heaters

Often less costly but also less efficient than active systems, passive solar water heaters do not use circulating pumps and rely upon one of two other systems instead. Integral collector-storage passive systems are best suited for areas that do not freeze. The second option, thermosiphon systems, are typically more expensive and reliable. These heaters depend on the rising of hot water to the top of the storage tank so it can be pumped into the home.

Solar Water Heater Collectors

The collector’s role is to absorb the sun’s energy that is to be transferred to the water. The three types of collectors used residentially include flat-plate, integral, and evacuated-tube. Flat-plate collectors are weatherproofed and insulated boxes that use a dark absorber plate. Integral collector systems feature black tubes or tanks within an insulated box. Cold water passes through the collector, is heated, and is then pumped into the backup water heater. Evacuated-tube solar collectors consist of clear, glass tubes which contain a metal absorber tube. Attached to the metal is a fin whose coating absorbs the solar energy to transfer heat to the water.