Cool Solar Information

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope that you are all able to have time to spend with the ones you love!
Here is some cool information that you may have not heard about.
Three key elements in a solar cell form the basis of their manufacturing technology. The first is the semiconductor, which absorbs light and converts it into electron-hole pairs. The second is the semiconductor junction, which separates the photo-generated carriers (electrons and holes), and the third is the contacts on the front and back of the cell that allow the current to flow to the external circuit. The two main categories of technology are defined by the choice of the semiconductor: either crystalline silicon in a wafer form or thin films of other materials.

Solar energy is dependent upon nuclear power. Solar Energy's nuclear power plant, though, is 93 million miles away.

An average crystalline silicon cell solar module has an efficiency of 15%, an average thin film cell solar module has an efficiency of 6%. Thin film manufacturing costs potentially are lower, though.

A Megawatt is 1,000,000 Watts; a Gigawatt is 1000 Megawatts.

The earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than the world uses in a whole year.

Two billion people in the world have no access to electricity. For most of them, solar photovoltaics would be their cheapest electricity source, but they cannot afford it.

Crystalline Silicon cell technology forms about 90% of solar cell demand. The balance comes from thin film technologies.

Approximately 45% of the cost of a silicon cell solar module is driven by the cost of the silicon wafer, a further 35% is driven by the materials required to assemble the solar module.

Save Money Now! Power Save Product's in Stock!

Hello all! Ask Doug The Electrician here! I just wanted to remind you about an immediate way to save money on your electricity bill AND increase the life expectancy of any motor driven appliance in your home or business. Our Power Save devices take about 1 hour only to install and as soon as it is turned on, its saving you electricity and money! The Power-Save unit's reduce the amount of power drawn from the utility by storing electricity otherwise lost from the motors in your home. The unit supplies this stored electricity back to your appliances, decreasing demand from the utility. Decreasing demand means less usage and lower electric bills!

Our Power-Save Solar Attic fan removes hot air from the attic keeping your home cooler while maximizing your air conditioner's efficiency. The solar powered fan draws no electricity from the utility and will cost you nothing to operate!

We also stock radiant barrier insulation. This is the insulation that is generally in you attic space helping keep the temperature in your home tolerable. In a test with standard R-19 insulation and the Power Save R-19 with radiant barrier, there is a difference of 59.3 degrees F between the two within a half hour. This difference is due to the Power-Save Radiant Barrier's ability to reflect radiant heat away from the insulation!Fiberglass re-inforced (perforated) aluminum foil insulation; Fire retardant; Reflects 95% of radiation heat Perforated aluminum foil radiant barrier to eliminating sweating; Use for attics, roof and walls ; Easily stapled into place in attic on ceiling joists or rafters, sealed with aluminum tape; Adhesion Good on clean and dry surface; No Discoloration Resistance Excellent resistance to water, water vapor, oxidation and weathering.

I hope this information helps you out! Thank you for stopping by Ask Doug The Electrician! Feel free to email anytime if you have any questions or concern.
Doug

Solar Lowers Your Carbon Footprint

Hello again from Ask Doug The Electrician! Just a quick note, by going solar, you can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. Each solar kilowatt hour (kWh) offsets more than a pound of carbon dioxide (CO2).

For example, by installing a 4kw PV (photovoltaic) system, the average size for a California household, you can reduce your carbon emissions equal to driving more than 12,000 miles in an average passenger car, or equal to the amount of C02 absorbed by ~1 acre of trees.

Plus, solar systems are extremely reliable, able to produce clean energy from the sun for up to 25 years! There is quite a big difference in potentially changing the way we use electricity, so feel free to look into the possibilities of helping.

See you next time, thank you!
Ask Doug The Electrician!
Doug

OUGLAS DOHERTY ELECTRIC NOW INSTALLING RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE BAY AREA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATTENTION BUSINESS EDITORS

RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR ALL BAY AREA HOMES, BUSINESSES AND VACATION HOMES
November 20, 2009
San Jose, California



Douglas Doherty Electric, a local residential niche electrician, is now providing renewable energy solutions for the local Bay Area. Recognizing the existing increasing demand for "On Grid" power supply, Douglas Doherty is taking a stand towards creating and installing innovative technology here and now, as a standard for our future.
As a dealer of renewable energy materials, Douglas is able to offer optimum products, pricing and service. To include solar panels and accessories, fuel cell's, wind turbines, home surge protection devices, electrical panels and disconnect units. All consultation's, city permitting and federal incentive paperwork, and installations are completed by Douglas himself.

Please contact Douglas Doherty at 408.499.1307 for an appointment.
doug@douglasdohertyelectric.com
DouglasDohertyElectric.com

Solar System Types

Hello again, thanks for stopping by Ask Doug The Electrician!
I have been asked recently what types of Solar systems are there and which one is best for a home in the local Bay Area. By harnessing the power of the sun, wind or water, people all over the world produce their own pollution-free reliable electricity. As more families, individuals and businesses generate their own renewable electricity we will reduce pollution, provide more electricity for all to use, reduce the use of fossil fuels, and make the electricity on the grid “greener”!
So, there are basically three types of renewable energy systems. Grid tie Systems, Grid tie with battery backup systems, and Off grid systems.
Grid tied systems do not use batteries! The panels work by producing DC power during sunlight hours and converting it to AC power through an inverter. The inverter then feeds the load required by the home, before pushing the remaining AC power through a "net meter" out to the grid.
Net meters are provided by your utility company when you install the system. The net meter is a bi-directional electric meter that spins forward as usual when you are using more power in your home than you are producing with your panels (at night, for instance), and spins BACKWARD when you are producing more electricity than you are using in your home. This is how you generate credits with your utility!
A grid-tie system with battery backup feeds excess solar electricity
to the grid and provides backup power when the utility
grid is down. With this type of system you sacrifice some power
generation efficiency in exchange for having power when there
is a utility power failure. The amount of backup power you
have depends on the size of the battery and electrical loads
that draw on them.
This type of power system is independent of the utility grid. It
can use solar modules, a wind generator, a micro-hydroelectric
generator, or a combination of any or all of them to produce
your electric power. Owners of this type of system often use
a gas or diesel generator for backup when the power system
does not meet all of the needs.
I hope that this helps you understand solar systems a bit better. There are also wind powered systems, fuel cell systems, and water systems. I will discuss these with you soon!
Thanks again for checking out Ask Doug The Electrician!

Solar Tax Incentives

Hello all, thanks for stopping by Ask Doug The Electrician!
Federal Tax Incentives On Residential Solar Thermal Systems Now Uncapped
The new economic stimulus plan passed by Congress, and signed by President Obama, removed the cap on residential solar hot water systems. Residential PV systems and commercial solar thermal systems now qualify for a 30% federal income tax credit with no cap. This means that customers now get the entire 30% of the cost of their system back, instead of the $2,000 limit that was previously in place.

Solar Backpacks

Hey, its Doug The Electrician! Check out these solar charging backpacks! Come on, you cant beat just walking around and generating free electricity!!! Keep your laptop running while you are waiting for the train, or plane or automobile!
http://www.voltaicsystems.com/