solar system philippines Archives - Page 11 of 11 - Solar Panels Philippines

Solar-Powered Cars vs. Gas-Powered Cars

Saving the environment and minimizing the effects of global warming remains a daunting task even today. More and more people have been turning to renewable energy, and sources such as geothermal, wind, and solar have seen a significant rise in usage. Even here in the Philippines – where solar panel prices remain viable – renewable energy has established itself as the solid go-to alternative. Solar especially, considering the Philippines is a tropical country with sunlight in spades.

However, solar panels are not solely used for home power. Nowadays, technologies are being developed so it can replace the role of gas in your cars and vehicles. In fact, solar-powered cars are being refined so that it may eventually compete with the cars of today. Those that are powered by fossil fuels, in particular.

Gasoline-Powered Cars

Gasoline is being used to power vast quantity of internal combustion engines throughout the world in various industries particularly the transport sector. Several grades of octane rating produce gasoline. It is known to contain benzene and other carcinogens.

Today, most cars are being powered by gasoline and petrol. Diesel is one of the most commonly used gasoline to power a vehicle, as designed by car manufacturers from across the world. Unfortunately, both these fuels are causing air pollution and directly being blamed for contributing to global warming and climate change. One specific negative cause of these emissions is smog, which can be seen in places that uses high amounts of fuel like China.

The need for a more environment-friendly car has been expressed due to the dangers being brought by the harmful effects of petrol and gasoline. Currently, several vehicles have been manufactured using alternative fuels like ethanol and natural gas in order to answer this need.

Solar-Powered Cars

Makers of solar cars combine the technology being used in the automotive, alternative energy, bicycle, and aerospace industries.

Furthermore, these vehicles highly depend on a solar array which utilizes photovoltaic cells to be able to convert the light coming from the sun into electricity.

There are different kinds of solar arrays which can be used on a car; they include horizontal, vertical, adjustable, integrated, trailer, and remote. An optimization between vehicle mass, aerodynamic resistance, power output, and practical considerations need to be considered in choosing the solar array geometry.

More is being done for the development of solar arrays in the future. For example, they are being made to be thinner and more flexible.

Other solar-powered cars are using gallium arsenide solar cells or silicon solar cells instead of solar arrays.

Examples of Solar-Powered Cars

Most solar-powered cars today have been built and invented for the purpose of various solar car races around the world; although, there are some of them which have been designed for public use.

Solar Spirit 3, Solar Spirit 3, PowerCore SunCruiser, SolarWorld GT, PowerCore SunCruiser, Kaiton II, OWL, Stella, Stella Lux, UltraCommuter, and Apollo Solar Car Team are only a few examples of the solar cars from all over the world today.

It is true that only a small part of this technology have been made available for public and commercial use but this is a mark of what is to come in the future. After all, solar is a much cheaper option compared to gasoline.

All About Solar Panels

In tropical countries like the Philippines, solar power is abundant. More and more Filipinos and businesses are turning to solar power usage because of the benefits it presents. Solar power is natural, sustainable, and requires minimum maintenance.

What are Solar Panels?

We all know that solar energy comes from the sun. Solar panels, or PV panels, are used to convert light from the sun into electricity that can be used to power electricity-reliant devices and infrastructure. Solar panels can also be used for a variety of applications. These include powering telecommunications equipment, power systems for remote areas, and source of electricity for residential and commercial areas.

Before the development of solar panels, solar energy was mainly used for the production of steam to drive machinery. In 1839, French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered thee photovoltaic effect, which was the operating principle of a solar cell. The photovoltaic effect allowed the conversion of sunlight into electricity. With Becquerel’s findings, Charles Fritts, an American inventor, created the first genuine solar cell by coating selenium sheets with a thin layer of gold. What we know today as the solar panel began with this simple invention.

Russel Ohl, another American inventor, patented the world’s first solar cell made of silicon in 1941. His invention led to the production of the first solar panel in 1954. Solar panels were then used in space satellites. It was in the 1970s when people began to experience the first solar panel in their lives—in the form of their calculator.

Today, solar panels are used as power sources for many applications. Yes, they are still being used in calculators but they are also being used to provide entire homes and commercial buildings.

How do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels collect sunlight and convert that light into electricity. Solar panels are composed of several individual solar cells which are made of silicon, phosphorous and boron. Solar panels absorb the photons from the sun’s rays, initiating an electric current. This results into the energy from the photons hitting the solar panel’s surface, allowing the electrons to be released into the electric field generated by the solar cells. This entire process is known as the Photovoltaic Effect.

What Can People Get From Solar Panels?

Solar panels have proven themselves as practical ways of producing electricity. Off-grid living, which means living in a location that the main electric utility guild does not cater to, is being used by people who live in remote areas and/or in cabins. They don’t have to pay for the installation of electric utility poles just to connect to the nearest main grid. A solar electric system is arguably less expensive and can provide power for a long time if properly maintained.

Another thing that people can enjoy from solar panels is that the fact that they can enjoy the use of solar power. This type of energy is clean and renewable, making it ideal as an energy source especially since global warming is rampant. It is essential that mankind must do what it takes to reduce the degradation of the atmosphere from the greenhouse gases’ emissions.

These are some facts about solar panels. Indeed, we should be thankful for the invention of these devices as they allow people to harness energy without putting too much damage on Mother Nature.

On-Grid/Off-Grid Systems Suitable For Your Home

Many people have now made the choice to adopt solar energy in the Philippines due to the abundance of sunlight all over the country, making it an extremely viable choice when it comes down to it. Not only is it efficient, but using it also helps in the world’s efforts in mitigating the effects of climate change.

When adopting this kind of technology, though, keep in mind that it can come in three kinds: grid-tied, hybrid, and off-grid. Take your needs into consideration before choosing which one you’d rather go with.

Take a look at their differences in the article below:

Off-grid

Off grid systems are those that can stand alone. To be able to have electricity all the time, off grid solar systems should be connected to batteries that store the power, or in case of an emergency, a backup generator. In order to keep the system in good condition, battery banks that store the power harvested from the sun should be replaced every ten years. Aside from batteries, you are also going to need charge controllers, which will control the current of electricity going to the batteries and prevent them from overcharging. When the sun sets, you’ll be running on the power stored in the batteries.

Grid-tied

Grid-tied means that when you install your PV system, you use the electricity generated from the PV system in the day, but use the electricity from national grid at night. When your or any other homeowner’s PV system generates more electricity that you consume, some utility companies buy that electricity. Better that that let it go to waste, and better sell it than store it in batteries that you’ll have to replace every ten years.

One of the good things about being tied to the grid is that if your PV systems fail, you have back up and your house will immediately switch to consuming electricity from the national grid. This prevents any sudden interruption of power.

One of the other things you’ll need for this PV system is a solar inverter or grid-tie inverter. These regulate the current you receive from your solar panels by converting the direct current your solar panels generate into alternating current which is what electrical appliances utilize.

Hybrid

Hybrid means that you both have batteries to store your power in like off-grid systems, but you are also connected to the national grid. However, you don’t have a backup generator because you’re already connected to the national grid. If your PV system generates more than you consume, the power is stored in the batteries, or you can put it on the grid and sell it. You can also program your home to get off your PV system or the grid during off-peak hours.

You’re going to need most of the components for the off-grid and grid-tied for the hybrid except for the generator.

The type of system you want to install is ultimately up to you. So which kind of system do you think is perfect for your home? Either way, investing in green tech is never a bad idea.

Germany and Its Solar Energy

Germany is one of the 177 countries (as of July 2016) that signed Paris Agreement. In it, countries from all around the world have agreed to actively fight global warming by reducing their emission of greenhouse gases. These countries, quite literally, want to save the world. In order to do so, we don’t have to turn to unrealistic solutions and extravagant technologies; the simple way to do it is to juts use more renewable energy.

Renewable energy

There are many sources of renewable energy: solar energy, where energy from sunlight is harvested and converted into electricity using solar panels; wind, which can be harvested using wind turbines (or windmills); tidal, which can be harvested by the turbines that spin from the movement of waves; wave, where seawater movement compresses air and spins the turbine; geothermal, where cold water is pumped into the ground and comes back up as steam which is used to power the turbines to create electricity; hydroelectric, where energy is harvested from the movement of water through bodies of water such as rivers, and dams; and biomass, where energy is harvested from chemically treating animal waste or decaying organic materials, but is only considered renewable energy if crops or organic materials are replanted.

Advantages

One of the advantages of renewable energy is that it will never run out. That’s why it’s called renewable – because the source of the energy is sustainable which allows it to be used continuously. The energy that can be harvested from nature is potentially infinite. Another is that when power produced by converting the energy is used, there is no waste products, unlike non-renewable energy sources that release pollutants or greenhouse gases when burned through to be consumed.

Germany’s surplus of energy

On the 8th of May, all of the power suppliers of Germany, from solar, hydro, biomass, and wind plants, were providing Germany with 55GW of the 63GW, or 87%, of the power being consumed by the market. Because of this overabundance of renewable energy, the prices went negative for a few hours, which means that the power suppliers of the country had to pay the people to use the electricity they were generating.

According to Agora Energiewende, last year, 33% of the power came from renewable energy, and they hope that the number will rise when they launch the wind turbines. Agora has also mentioned that every year, the share of renewable energy rises every year, and 8th of May showed that having a power system that supplies large amounts of power from renewable energy works just fine.

Germany aims to achieve 100% renewable energy by year 2050. Denmark is already generating so much electricity from their wind turbines that they’re exporting the extra to neighboring countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Norway.

Solar Flares: What Are They?

There is no shortage of solar energy in the Philippines since the sun is out all the time. However, just because the sun is out and shining, doesn’t mean we can actually look at it the way we admire the moon at night; and just because we can’t actually see what’s going on on the sun’s surface with our naked eye the way we can see the craters on the moon, it doesn’t mean nothing is happening there. A lot is actually happening there.

One of the things that happen on the surface of the sun is a solar flare. In other stars, these flares are called stellar flares

Solar flares

Solar flares happen when magnetic energy is built up and suddenly released into the solar atmosphere which results in a flash of brightness, like a whip cracking, on the surface of the sun. These solar flares are made up of atoms, electrons, and ions, which are released into the corona, the outermost layer of the atmosphere of the sun which can be seen by the naked eye during solar eclipses. Solar flares are caused by the interaction of charged particles with plasma. These charged particles of magnetic energy move in loops, turns into kinetic energy, and is released when the energy is built up. These flares usually occur on the most active parts of the sun where magnetic fields are much stronger. They also happen in all layers of the atmosphere of the sun. Plasma is heated to millions of Kelvin, and the charge of ions can go as fast as the speed of light.

Effects of Solar flares on earth

When solar flares are released by the sun, the flares release clouds of particles which reach Earth in about two days. Because the Earth is protected by the atmosphere and magnetic fields, these harmful clouds full of radiation can’t reach her children. These clouds from the sun are full of charged particles and radiation, primarily x-rays. Other types of radiation that flares produce are gamma rays, and radiation from across the electromagnetic spectrum.

The atmosphere stops these clouds and radiation from reaching the surface of the Earth, but they do disturb the ionosphere which also disturbs the communication. These clouds also carry with them ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which makes it more difficult for satellites to stay on orbit, meaning their life is reduced.

These flares can also cause geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms happen when flares from the sun disturb the Earth’s magnetosphere. These storms can cause errors in the information provided by global positioning systems and cause disturbances and can change the pathways of radio signals, and other navigational systems such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and can harm power grids that rely on geomagnetically induced currents. Even though these storms sound quite frightening, they do cause some beautiful auroras.

Don’t underestimate the star closest to us! Sure the sun is beautiful and helps life thrive on earth, but it can also be terrifying for he can take that life, too. Remember to wear sunblock every day!

4 Cool Solar Powered Gadgets

Solar power is known to provide cleaner and more sustainable electricity. Based on the increasing number of solar powered objects in the market, it is obvious that its popularity is growing. In fact, there are establishments that use solar panels in the Philippines and all over the world. It might be a good time for you to start using solar power in your house as well. Listed below are 4 devices that will help reduce your power bill and reliance on fossil fuels:

Solar Powered Flashlight

A solar powered flashlight is extremely helpful especially if you don’t have spare batteries nearby. All you need to do is charge the flashlight under the sun for a few hours—depending on the instruction of the product—and then you can use it the minute there is a power outage in your neighborhood. Truth be told, you may find having a solar powered flashlight better than a battery-powered one.

Solar Powered Charger

More and more people are discovering the perks of having a solar powered charger. Since it can be charged under the sun, you can simply leave it by the window sill or any sunny spot in your house. There are chargers that can store up to 5,000 mAh and most phone batteries are approximately 1,800 mAh. This means you can have 2 full charges from a single solar charge.

Solar Powered Backpack

There are a few companies who are making solar backpacks. Although they are rather costly, these backpacks come in simple colors, clean lines and an unobtrusive solar panel. They might not look too stylish but they do have a lot of perks. You can charge your phone, tablet, camera or any electronic device while simply walking around in the sun. They may look a little dorky but you can carry many things in these packs.

Solar Powered Cars

While it is not a gadget per se, these cars contain sports roof-top solar panels that concentrate solar power and provide hybrid plug-in benefits. The first solar powered car in the Philippines is called “Sinag”. It was inaugurated on January 27, 2007 at NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Solar powered cars are not commercially available but if the solar trend catches on, these vehicles may be ruling the highway before we know it.

Saving money is not the only goal of using solar power. It’s also about changing the world by supporting solar energy producers so it shows that solar is important to consumers as well.

Using solar power isn’t all about saving money. It’s also about changing the world by supporting solar energy producers and showing the government and power providers that solar is important to consumers. Some solar powered items may be expensive but that does not mean you can’t start powering your home with solar energy. If you have the devices above, you can charge your phone and gadgets, light up the dark, listen to music, and carry around your things with solar power. That is a great first step to a cleaner world.