12:04 AM

Solar Inverter for Home

Solar Inverter for Home:

Introduction to Solar Inverter:

We see many people using Solar inverters these days which proves that its necessity has been increased in the current years. A Solar inverter is similar to a normal electric inverter but uses the energy of the Sun i.e. Solar energy. A solar inverter helps in converting the direct current into alternate current with the help of solar power. Direct power is that power which runs in one direction inside the circuit and helps in supplying current when there is no electricity. Direct currents are used for small appliance like mobile e phones, MP3 players, IPod etc. where there is power stored in the form of battery. In case of alternative current it is the power that runs back and forth inside the circuit. The alternate power is generally used for house hold appliances. A solar inverter helps devices that run on DC power to run in AC power so that the user makes use of the AC power. If you are thinking why to use solar inverter instead of the normal electric one then it is because the solar one makes use of the solar energy which is available in abundant from the Sun and is clean and pollution free.

Solar inverters are also called as photovoltaic solar inverters. These devices can help you save lot of money. The small-scale grid one have just two components i.e. the panels and inverter while the off grid systems are complicated and consists of batteries which allows users to use appliances during the night when there is no Sunlight available. The solar panel and the batteries that are placed on rooftops attract Sun rays and then convert the Sunlight into electricity. The batteries too grab the extra electricity so that it can then be used to run appliances at night.

Working of Solar Inverter:

Now after knowing what a solar inverter is, let’s talk about its working. Solar panels produce direct electricity with the help of electrons that are moving from negative to positive direction. Most of the appliances that we use at home work on alternative current. This AC is created by the constant back and forth of the electrons from negative to positive. In AC electricity the voltage can be adjusted according to the use of the appliance. As solar panels only produce Direct current the solar inverter is used to convert the DC to AC.

An inverter produces square waves or a sine wave which can be used for running lights, televisions, lights, motors etc. However these inverters also produce harmonic distortion. Expensive inverters make use of lots of steps to produce a sine wave and thus are found in residential solar inverters. Basically inverters should be a large one so that it supplies enough power to all the necessary appliances.

An inverter s easy to buy but choosing the right solar inverter for your appliance is more important. Thus you must always consult a solar professional before buying on. We know that the energy derived from sun is solar energy which is one of the cleanest sources of energy. Also it can be used to provide lighting to houses.

You can make us of the photovoltaic tiles that attract energy from Sun and converts it into a clean form of electricity which can be used to light, houses, industries and companies. The cells of photovoltaic consist of positive and negative silicon that is placed underneath a slice of glass. When the protons of the Sunlight hit the PV cells they knock the neutrons present in the silicon. Now the negative charged neutrons get attracted to the silicon but then are held inside a magnetic field. The wires attached on the silicon catch hold of these neutrons and while connecting to the circuit, current is formed. This then gives space for direct electricity and for converting that into alternate electricity an inverter is used so that the house appliances can run. As mentioned before major of the house appliances work on alternate current hence an inverter is used to convert DC to AC.

Solar power apart from making your home appliances work can also be used to heat water and swimming pools too.

How to Make a Solar Inverter?

The energy derived from Sun is a renewable one and is totally free of cost. We have learnt how the solar inverter helps in providing electricity and now we shall learn how a solar inverter is made. A solar panel is capable enough to convert the heat or energy of the Sun into direct current.

Solar Inverter Design:

To easily understand the construction of a solar inverter lets discuss the following construction sample:-

According to the circuit diagram initially do the assembling of the oscillator part which consist of the small components & IC. It is finely completed by interrelating the part leads itself and fusing the joints.
Now place the power transistors into the acutely pierced aluminum heat sinks. This is crafted by cutting aluminum sheet into specified sizes and bending their sides, so that it can be hold tightly.
Make use of mica isolation kit to fix transistors in the aluminum heat sink, evade short circuiting & direct contact of the transistors from ground & each other.
Fasten the heat sink congregation to the bottom of a properly ventilated, strong, thick gauge metal enclosed space.
Also fasten the power transformer next to the aluminum heat sinks by making use of screw & bolts.
Now join the suitable points of the assembled circuit board & power transistors on the aluminum heat sinks.
At last connect the power transistor’s productions to the subsequent winding of the power transformer.
End the assembly by fastening and interlocking the outer electrical fittings such as switches, mains cord, fuses, sockets, and the battery inputs.
A voluntary solar power supply circuit and a transformer may be added within to charge the battery when necessary (check diagram).

Solar Inverter Circuit Diagram:

To understand well how to construct a solar inverter, it is vital to study how the circuit operates through with the help of following steps:

N1 & N2 gates of IC 4049 are employed as an oscillator. It carries out the key role of providing square waves to the inverter division.
N3 to N6 gates are employed as buffers so that the circuit is not dependent on load.
Continuously changing voltage from the buffer phase is useful to the bottom of the current amplifier transistors T1 & T2. These transistors perform in harmony with the practical changing voltage and boost it to the bottom of the output transistors T3 & T4.
These producing power transistors swing at a full oscillation, providing the total battery voltage.
This energy produced is from solar panel & is employed to power the output load.

Solar Inverter Advantages:

After knowing in detail what a solar inverter is and how different useful it is to make appliances work at residential and industrial levels we must discuss about the many advantages of the device.

Solar energy has always helped in reducing global warming and green house effect.
Also use of solar energy helps in saving money many people have started using solar based devices
A solar inverter helps in converting the Direct current into batteries or alternative current. This helps people who use limited amount of electricity.
There is this synchronous solar inverter that helps small homeowners and power companies as they are large in size
Then there is this multifunction solar inverter which is the best among all and works efficiently. It converts the DC power to AC very carefully which is perfect for commercial establishments
This inverter is cost effective i.e. less expensive than generators
Apart from solar inverters there are other devices too that make use of solar energy namely, solar cooker, heater.
Solar inverters are the best way and they are better than the normal electric ones. Also their maintenance does not cost much money

Solar Inverter Disadvantages:

Initially you need to shell out a lot of money for buying a solar inverter
It will work effectively and produce direct current only when the Sunlight is strong.
The solar panels that are used to attract Sunlight requires lots of space
The device can work efficiently only if the presence of the Sun is strong.
Solar Inverters can work when there is no Sunlight but provided their battery is charged fully with the help of Sunlight.

After counting on some of the disadvantages of solar inverter we can state that when a device is very useful at some point of time it too requires proper maintenance and when it comes to a solar device the equipment of solar energy is must. So buy a solar device only if you have plenty of solar energy available.

REFERENCE // Electronics Hub

11:57 PM

Solar Power for Homes

Solar Power for Homes:

With cost of living going up every day, it’s time to change things & become aware about the efficient usage of our natural & earthly resources. As the cost of electricity is boosting, let us now think to make use of solar energy for homes. Since Sun will come up daily, it will keep our solar appliances getting charged and remain fully charged and when it’s winter season or raining days and Sun veils away, still it would be better enough to get all the way through till next dawn or so, otherwise we can make use of regular power as backup.

When in general talking about that why I require using electricity formed by solar energy for my home, you would also consider that every appliance that is functional with the help of electricity will be bringing into play solar power electricity. If you want that every appliance in your house run on solar power then you will require solar panels, solar grid-tie, Inverter or charger and Battery.

Why We Use Solar Power for Homes?

When deciding for being solar, every home owner will have their individual precise grounds for making use of solar energy for home, but the maximum of the home owners can be classified into 3 main categories –

Environmental Impact
Financial Benefits
Energy Independence

Comprehending why solar energy usage is vital for you will assist you to develop a solar energy plan that can fetch your solar visualization to existence.

1. Environmental Impact:

Many home owners make up their mind to use solar energy just because of the positive impact it gives to our environment. Global warming and climatic alterations are some major problems which the world is facing now a day… and you can be a fraction of the way out by captivating benefits of solar energy!

Not like fossil fuels, solar energy does not bring into being the injurious pollutants liable for raising the greenhouse effect which directs to global warming. Solar energy is a fresh and prolong energy source that you can bring into play for solar heating, solar electricity, solar lighting and solar cooling. By making use of solar energy, you –

Will decrease your carbon footstep,
Can experience a satisfaction about being an environment friendly responsible citizen.

2. Financial Benefits:

An additional key reason for home owners bearing in mind solar energy is the monetary feature. The financial gains of solar energy can be observed in condensed utility expenditures as you bring into play solar energy for electricity, cooling, lighting and heating. Additionally, by sinking your domestic operating expenditures you are also escalating the rates of your residence. As you can witness, captivating benefits of solar economics will –

Save you a lot of funds in present as well in future,
Endow you with a sturdy investment for your upcoming future.

3. Energy Independence:

A final answer to the query “Why make use of solar energy” is the energy freedom it will provide you.

By bringing into play solar energy, you will decrease your reliance on the utility firms. You no more require having electricity supplies to your residence as you will be capable to manufacture your individual solar power electricity. Solar expertise will also liberate you from making use of customary energy supplies for heating as well as for cooling, etc. All of this implies you will at last be liberated from increasing utility prices & bills!

Solar energy also provides you a plane of dependability and safety that other energy resources cannot counterpart. When your neighbors do not have electric power owing to an outage, you would not be concerned as your residence produces its individual electricity and heat (this is also acknowledged as micro generation). Additionally to the individual safety you will get free from your neighboring utility firms, you will also facilitate to eradicate our dependence to overseas energy manufacturers which, in present day’s world, is dangerous for national safety.

Solar Energy (Solar Panel) Installation for Home:

Installing a photovoltaic (solar or PV) power structure is an awesome technique of imprisoning the Sun’s vast solar energy to produce electricity for our individual homes. Once your solar system is fitted properly, it will facilitate you to lessen your electrical energy bills and together with will lend out your hand to keep your environment clean & green. Solar power arrangements are also low at maintenance and can boost the cost of your home.

Solar power systems can be coupled to the main electricity network or can be set up as a separate structure. If you attach solar power system to the main grid you still have to pay an electricity bill. If you are yet utilizing some electricity from the main electricity network, think about purchasing Green Power so that your residence electricity supplies are fulfilled from renewable resources. If you get installed a solar power system at residence, you might be entitled to obtain renewable power benefits in the outline of STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates).

How to Install Solar Energy Systems:

Find out where the installation of your solar panels will be appropriate. To get the maximum out of the solar energy system, you are required to maximize their exposure to the Sunlight so that they may get direct as well as maximum daylight all year round.
Make certain that all your solar panels are mounted on a rafter.
Fasten the solar panel mounts to the roof with sturdy lag bolts. Position mounts in such a manner that solar panels will have a minimum of three inches of air-flow underneath them. This checks the system from getting overheated.
Fix metal flashing above the solar panel mounts to evade leakages. Fasten the metal bars to the mounts with steel screws.
Fix the solar panels above the metal bars. Unlock the connection box on each & every solar panel and attach the boxes by uniting their cables collectively on the suitable terminal bolts. The cables will keep the panels together in series. Run the cable on the very last solar panel to the charging controller for the solar panel unit.

Once your system is installed successfully, set up the final inspection and here you solar energy is ready to be used. So, it is actually an easy and uncomplicated course of action. The only significant point to make a note of is that you should bring into play a MCS licensed solar power systems in order to avail the benefits and grants. That’s a compulsory condition.

REFERENCE // Electronics Hub

11:49 PM

Solar Energy Advantages and Disadvantages

Solar Energy Advantages and Disadvantages:

What is Solar Energy?

Without the sun, living life on earth is indeed impossible. Sun as we known is a ball of fire that gives us light and heat. The energy that we receive from the sun is called as the solar energy. With the help of this energy serious problems regarding energy that is needed everyday can be solved. Solar energy means capturing the rays of the sun and storing and its heat. This heat can be converted with the help of solar panels into heat or electrical energy. When we talk about solar energy, there are two kinds of solar energy namely, thermal energy and electrical energy.

Thermal energy is something which we can find everywhere and is totally free of cost. It helps us ding our daily chores like dries things, clothes, heats water, and many other things. Water can basically be heated in two ways i.e. actively and passively. In active method, when a heating element inside the solar hot water system heats the water during hot season. In the passive method the water is pre heated and flows through a cold inlet that of a conventional electric geezer.

Talking about electric energy, the power of the sun is used to produce electricity with the help of solar cells. It can be used through a solar home system that helps in conducting electricity where there is no power supply. Apart from that it can be used a system where the electricity supplying utility is connected to the property and lastly it can be used as a backup system where there are frequent load shedding problems.

Importance of Solar Energy:

As mentioned before solar energy is required and is important for survival of life on earth. Not only human beings, plants, animals everyone requires solar energy every day. Plants require solar energy to produce oxygen, prepare food i.e. photosynthesis. Solar energy is required to produce both pure and saltwater in oceans as it is the only source of melting the frozen ice formed on the mountain caps. Apart from that the electricity which we get to run various machines is all gained from the solar energy, thus its importance and existence is very important on a planet where there is life.

Solar energy is a clean and renewable energy. Also it’s versatile and can help in producing power for watches and calculators that do not run on batteries. It’s a clean energy because it is received directly from the sun. The fossil fuels and other gas and oil that are extracted from the mines are non renewable energy. Also they are costly and cause lot of pollution. But solar energy is something that is renewable and can be used for lots of activities. Also it is available free of cost. As fossil fuels and other oils are soon going to disappear solar energy which is available in abundant should be utilized well and hence is important.

Advantages and Uses of Solar Energy:

As we know solar energy is one such energy that is abundantly available and is free of cost, let’s have a look at some of its advantages.

An energy that is totally free of cost and saves your money as the Sun is always going to be there.
It is an environment friendly energy and hence does not create pollution.
Provides electricity that is helps in producing electricity with the help of solar panels.
A silent energy provider as the solar cells do not create sounds while extracting heat from the sun and producing electricity.
Solar energy helps in reducing the electricity bill.
The solar energy system can work independently without any connection and can be utilized and installed in remote areas too where there is no sign of electricity.
Solar energy helps in decreasing the harmful gasses and does not contribute to acid rains, global warming, forest destruction and other natural disasters.
No maintenance is required for solar energy and also it does not have any specific life span
Solar energy is used for ventilating homes i.e. ceiling fans need electricity which is gained from solar energy
Solar energy can be used to boil water instead of suing water heaters you can make use of the solar energy. Though you need to spend initially you will gain good benefits out of it in future.
Solar energy can help in heating your homes and charging batteries.
It can also be used for cooking purposes by using solar oven
It can be used to heat swimming pools. Suppose you have a swimming pool outside you house you can make use of solar blanket to heat water during extreme cold seasons.
You can use solar energy for indoor and outdoor lighting at night as it will help you see the entry door and walkway clearly.

Apart from these, solar energy can be used for commercial and industrial purposes too.

Disadvantages of Solar Energy:

Solar energy can be used only during the daytime i.e. when the sun is shining bright
The solar collectors, panels and cells that are used to absorb heat from the sun are very expensive
In case of cloudy climate, there would be no signs of sun and solar energy which is difficult.
The solar batteries that are charged or needs to be charged are very heavy and require large storage space. Replacing it is also difficult.
Its low in efficiency and requires lots of land area
There is no consistency because the devices that require energy of the sun will only work if the delivery of photons is consistent.
Replacing the solar energy panels is also a very difficult job.
Installation of solar energy requires large area so that the system can provide good amount of electricity. This is a great disadvantage in places where the area is small
Pollution can be a hindrance to solar panels as pollution can degrade the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells. Clouds can also affect solar energy.
The technology that is used to create solar energy is changing from time to time and we hope it makes lives better and more cost effective

Applications of Solar Energy:

The applications of solar energy can be bifurcated into three types i.e. Power, Domestic and Agriculture. Few popular applications that can be listed under these are as follows:

Solar water heater
Tank collector
Portable solar still
Solar cooker
Solar steam cooker
Portable solar dryer
Solar PV street light

These are some applications apart from these are many and are used on daily basis for different purposes. Let’s have a look in architecture applications. Under these applications we have the heating systems, cooling systems and the ventilation systems.

Architectural Purpose:

Architecture makes use of solar energy to a great extent. Architects require equipments that are required to produce solar energy. While deigning buildings. Thus for converting the sun’s energy into solar, solar cells and panels are required. Solar energy thus needs to be integrated for designing for the home.

Industrial Purpose:

Few industries are located in places where there is no power supply. In that case solar energy can be used as it can be generated in rural areas too until there is enough sunlight coming. Solar energy is used for radio, television, micro waves etc. Apart from that is also used for transportation purposes too.

Rural Vacation Homes:

Homes that are located in rural areas do not get proper electricity. In that case solar energy can be used. The houses can be deigned to use solar energy so that the vacations can spend their holidays well even if it’s placed in a rural area.

REFERENCE // Electronics Hub

11:42 PM

Working and Benefits of Solar Power Plant

Working and Benefits of Solar Power Plant:

What is Solar Power Plant?

Solar energy is the energy that is available from the sun in abundance. Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. As electricity plays a key role in our day to day life we need it in abundance, as sunlight is clean, and is available for free solar power is created from it. A solar power plant is basically a system that supplies electricity to wide areas. The solar power tower system has many sun tracking mirrors installed that helps in tracking sunlight into a central receiver. In the solar thermal power system, the radiation of the sun heats the therm-oil that flows inside the receivers to a temperature of 400 degree Celsius so that the downstream heat exchanger can generate steam. The stream is then pressurized into the turbine that drives the generator. Thus the heat collected by the receiver is used as electricity for performing various activities and purposes. The method of this will however be explained in detail below.

Solar powers plants that are being for some time now, helps in supplying energy. They act as a source of energy which is total pollution free and environment friendly. The traditional solar plants that were used before were solar thermal plants. However, the solar power plants can be made very easily in few years as they are made readily available materials. These solar power plants are huge and hence require lots of pace. Thus the perfect place for their setup would be desserts and other barren unoccupied lands

Apart from the solar power plant that makes use of tracking mirrors we have the photovoltaic cells that help in converting the sunlight into electricity directly. These cells are made of semiconductors i.e. crystalline silicon which are cheap and work effectively. On the whole solar power plants are being built in all the developing countries even though the installation charges are expensive.

How Solar Power Plant works?

Electricity can be generated in two ways with the help of solar energy or sun’s energy. It can be generated Firstly, with the help of photovoltaic electricity and secondly with solar thermal electricity. Photovoltaic electricity is a method that uses photovoltaic cells to capture direct sunlight. The photovoltaic cells are nothing but solar cells. The solar thermal electricity on the other hand makes use of a solar collector which has mirror for reflecting sunlight into the receiver that heats up the liquid and the heated liquid produces steam which is used to produce electricity.

Working of Photovoltaic Plant:

As mentioned above, this is the working of a thermal plant but, apart from this the working of a thermal power plant can be categorized into three methods:

Parabolic Troughs:

In this method a solar field consists of many parallel rows of solar parabolic trough collectors. They make use of parabola shaped reflectors that reflect the sunlight. This method is used to heat a fluid and as mentioned in the above diagram steams the steam emitted by the heated liquid helps in generation of electricity.

Solar Power Tower:

This system makes use of sun tracing mirrors which are called as heliostats for reflecting and concentrating the energy of the sun. The energy can be concentrated for almost 1500 times. This concentrated energy is later is used for heating the air in the tower to more than 400 degree Celsius. The heat is then captured inside a boiler for the production of electricity with a steam turbine.

Solar Pond:

In this method there is a pool of saltwater which collects solar thermal energy. It makes use of the salinity gradient technology. The bottom layer of the pond is hot and hence it acts as a transparent insulator for trapping sunlight so that heat can be stored for future use.

Efficiency of Solar Power Plant:

Solar power plants are very efficient for providing electricity as they make use of the energy of the sun. As solar energy is used in abundance for various purposes, constant efforts are being to improvise the efficiency of solar panels, solar power plants and other systems. For measuring the efficiency of a solar power plant you first need to measure the density. Also a solar power plant should be efficient enough to supply power when there is no electricity.

Solar power pants supply or generate more amount of electricity when earth receives maximum density of sunlight. The power plants however also make use of fossil fuels the conventional power plants burn the fossil fuels for the production of steam, which then drives the turbines for generating electricity. As solar power plant‘s main aim is to supply good amount of power when a person needs it the most. Also solar power plants are installed as back up of electricity. In spite of certain drawbacks, the solar power plants make the right use of the sun’s energy and have till date been successful in supplying electricity all over the world.

Benefits of Solar Power Plant:

Generating electricity with the help of sunlight is something which is going on since many decades. The sun’s energy i.e. solar energy helps in carrying forward lot of activities. Electricity makes life easy and that electricity comes from the sun. Solar power plants help in supplying huge amount of electricity. Solar power pants make use of solar energy which is renewable for creating electricity hence it has in hold many benefits.

They help in keeping the environment pollution free
Help in generating electricity easily
Though the initial installation for the solar power plant is expensive due to the advancement in technology the price of these plants are dipping down
It is a brilliant way to store energy and use it for future
It is a great way to save money as most of the electricity is consumed from the power plants it can help you to reduce bills
As solar power is a renewable source of energy it available free of cost everywhere
It can be used for lighting, mobile charging, security cameras, park lighting etc
When there is no power you can use the electricity generated from solar power plant
A solar power plant requires very low maintenance and at the same time have long life span
It works in the best way when the location is a remote area
Using photovoltaic system helps in increasing the value of your home
As the fuel for running this system is free, you once gain need not worry about emptying your pockets.

Using a solar power plant has always been beneficial and it will help you live an easy life.

Types of Solar Power Plant:

We have been talking about what a solar power plant is. Now after knowing what exactly it is, in easier terms it can be stated that it is a method that makes use of the energy of the sun for providing electricity for the working of different appliances.

As mentioned before there are basically three main types of solar power plant namely –

Photovoltaic Solar Energy Plant:

This as mentioned before makes use of photovoltaic cells or solar cells as it is called for generating power. It is used for house wiring and powering electrical appliances.

Thermal Energy Solar Power Plant:

This can be used for heating water and drying clothes. Also this system is used for heating houses during cold days.

Concentrating Solar Power Plant:

This type of solar power plant is very similar to the photovoltaic one. However, the only difference is it makes use of mirrors and lenses for trapping sunlight. The trapped sunlight will then be directed to the photovoltaic cells that will convert into heat energy. These plans are used by big companies and industries.

REFERENCE // Electronics Hub