Solar Montreal

short video describing a small solar power system that i set up at my house. it consists of twelve 1 amp solar panels (15 watts each for a total of 180 watts of power – per hour). i use it to run all lights (cfl’s), fans, tv’s, and stereos in the house. also the microwave, coffee maker, blender, can opener, sandwich grill, toaster, vacuum, computer and anything else i can think of. run time for lights/fans only is approx 8 hours. add in vacuuming, microwaving or toaster along with lights, tv and the fans and the run time is reduced to 4-5 hours a day. i bought solar panels, inverter (1000 watt) and killowatt meter at Harbor Freight tools, the batteries (deep cycle) from walmart and the battery cables from checker auto. total cost was about $1200 to $1300

If you own an RV, or thinking of buying one, one investment you might consider is a set of RV Solar Panels. They can greatly extend the amount of time you are able to spend camping with the full benefits of electricity. Once the panels are installed, you will not only be able to enjoy longer stays in your RV, but you’ll be doing the planet great service by using solar power as a clean energy source. When solar panels installed are installed in your RV, you rely less upon generators or batteries to power the lights and other electrical devices in your recreational vehicle. Some RVs can then stand on their own, without connecting up to external power sources. How Solar Power Works in an RV RV Solar Panels are photovoltaic panels that convert solar energy into direct current. These panels are connected to an inverter, which turns the direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). AC is the type of electricity you normally get from a home wall socket. You can use this electricity to power the equipment and appliances inside your RV – making it possible for you to spend several days away from RV camps. And there is no need to use a noisy generator to power up your RV. Types of RV Solar Panel Kits There are various types of RV solar panel kits available on the market today. Their outputs range from 50 watts to 440 watts. Their overall capacity will depend on a several factors, such as how much power you’ll need, and for how long you will need it. If you will only be out on the weekends, you won’t needs as much power as you might need if you live in your recreational vehicle for long periods of time. You can make a rough estimate of what your total power consumption will be, by reviewing the equipment you will use in your RV, how many watts each item uses, and the duration of use of each item. The more power you use, the more RV solar panels you will need to purchase. An electrician might be able to help you with a power computation. The type of RV solar panel kit that is right for you will also depend on the weather in your region. The solar panels will need sunlight in order to provide electricity. A system with an inverter and a built-in charger makes it possible to store energy in batteries, and then use that energy as a power source on days when no sunlight is available. Systems that aren’t set up this way can run out of power in bad weather. RV Solar Kits RV solar panels are usually available in DIY (do-it-yourself) kits. These kits typically include the following: The actual solar panels Mounting structure Charge controller Fuses Output wires Intermodal cables. If your energy requirements increase after you have installed solar panels on your RV, you can usually simply add additional panels. If you aren’t comfortable with installing the system yourself, you can ask the retailer of the RV solar kit to refer you to an installer. There are several installation centers across the United States.

Solar power involves harnessing the power of the sun to produce light and heat for buildings and homes. With today’s rising fuel costs, many people are turning to this alternative source of power as a means of heating their homes. The initial cost of setting up such as system may be more expensive, but the long- term costs are much less expensive.
You already have experience using solar power, even though you may not realize it. Calculators that will operate without batteries as long as they are close to a light source are very common examples. Greenhouses rely on solar power to help the plants to grow. They are usually constricted of translucent plastic that harnesses the power of the sun and transforms it into the heat and light that plants need.
This use of the sun is not a modern idea. Thousands of years ago the Anasazi peoples used the same technology in their cliff dwelling homes. Adobe homes are another example of how people have used the power of the sun throughout history. Today this age old technology is called passive solar heating. It simply means that the heat from the sun is collected and distributed throughout a home with using any means of pumping it through.
Different methods of solar power
There are several different ways of collecting and using power from the sun for your daily needs:
a. Photovoltaic roof tiles – These are special tiles that are used on the roof of a house to take full advantage of sunlight. The tiles are the material used for the roof covering and the cells in these tiles trap the sunlight and transform it into electricity.
b. Specially designed buildings – Buildings can have a special design in order to collect the heat radiated by the sun. They usually face toward the sun in order to take full advantage of every second of daylight. There are large glass windows in every room and in summer, balconies and large trees are used as shade to prevent the entry of too much of the sun’s heat during the day.
c. Heated Water Pipes – Using the heat from the sun to heat water pipes that run throughout the house is becoming the common method of using solar power. The pipes are painted black and placed in a type of greenhouse that will absorb the heat from the sun. This helps to keep water hot without having to use electricity. Having the pipes running through each room allows the solar power to heat the house in a manner similar to radiation heating systems.
d. Solar panels – These are panels placed on the roof of a home to collect the heat from the sun. They are designed to maximize the light and the heat and in so doing cut down on fuel costs for the homeowner.
Many countries of the world are beginning to realize the effectiveness of solar power, not just in terms of fuel costs, but also in the fight against pollution. There are no fumes or pollutants being released into the air with using solar power.