PV panels / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

...PV solar panels for providing their own power, or they included technologies that weren't improved within the program. However, even homes that weren't approved for the pilot provided helpful insight for fine tuning the program in the future. For any builder, understanding the next wave of building science is essential...

...panels is based on the assumptions of very specific energy input. If more light is fed to the panels through a reflector, the temperature variations of the panels themselves will be greater, and the energy output is less predictable. According to Pearce, many manufacturers are unnecessarily concerned about this leading...

Home battery systems have recently improved in two substantial ways, and the first big improvement is in the batteries themselves. Lithium-ion batteries on the market today are much more robust and functional than the lead-acid batteries we have relied on in the past. Discharging a lead-acid battery beyond 50% capacity...

...panels face? The most common answer is ‘south’, but there are variables to consider. Depending on how much you rely on solar panels to meet your demand and whether or not you have batteries to store power will determine the optimum orientation for your panels, and the best direction for you is not necessarily due south...

...panels, and panels for satellites that can be folded up for launch and unfolded to put them into operation. According to Murat Okandan, CEO of mPower Technology, conventional solar panels "are brittle because they're crystalline". He goes on to say, "If you bend or flex them, at some point they'll just break and shatte...

...PV panels. In comparison to the 'standard' home, our place brings the energy demand down by over 70%. Off grid homes energy modelling & HERS rating   The rough breakdowns in energy use in kWh/year are the figures that I find most interesting here. Our home is projected to use a grand total of 19,271 k...

This is the fifth piece in a blog series written by Craig Anderson as he documents the design and construction of an off-grid LEED Gold passively-heated home. See post 1 of the off-grid homes blog here, the overview . or post 2 in the off-grid homes blog here covering design and construction choices. or here see post 3...

...PV & sustainable building in the Ecohome Green Building Guide and these pages here: Build your own solar air heater - see our DIY guide All about solar panels - the different options & how they work Ten questions to ask a solar panel contractor Solar thermal collectors - direct 'free' hot water from the...

...PV solar panels work on cloudy days as well, but less effectively. Government incentives are sometimes available, but that seems prone to change with little notice. Investigate that before you make any decisions. Cons: PV panels cost more than solar thermal panels, grants and incentives can provide some relief. ...