Author Topic: Solar Energy  (Read 1136 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

tobadshah

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Solar Energy
« on: July 28, 2008, 05:40:31 PM »
I am from very arid and desert area (Rajasthan,western state) in India where sunlight available throughout the year.Would like to harness solar energy for home but have no idea how to pursue.Please provide me links,articles etc. It would be better to have something Do-it-yourself stuff.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2008, 05:40:31 PM by (unknown) »

motoman465

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 119
Re: Solar Energy
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2008, 05:17:50 PM »
Check out www.builditsolar.com. An awesome site covering anything solar you can think of.


Todd

« Last Edit: July 28, 2008, 05:17:50 PM by motoman465 »

dnix71

  • SuperHero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 2524
Re: Solar Energy
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2008, 05:19:34 PM »
Solar photvoltaic is easy to use. Direct solar heating for a steam turbine might not be a good idea where water is in short supply.


What is your budget? You can buy solar cells and a charge controller to run a bank of deep cycle batteries (like fork lift batteries).


My home setup is simple enough. You can see it here


http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj62/dnix71/


I run lights, computer and a fan from a very simple solar setup.


The more money you have, the more you can do. Solar water heating is easy.

http://www.discoversolarenergy.com/DIY/thermal.htm


You can pasteurize water or distill it, too to make it safe to drink.

http://www3.telus.net/farallon/


You can cook with it  http://www.solarovens.org/

« Last Edit: July 28, 2008, 05:19:34 PM by dnix71 »

Ungrounded Lightning Rod

  • SuperHero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 2866
Re: Solar Energy
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2008, 07:07:48 PM »
Direct solar heating for a steam turbine might not be a good idea where water is in short supply.


Unless money is in even shorter supply.  Photovoltaic is somewhat pricey, while steam can be condensed and the condensate reused if water is scarce.


If you have skilled labor but are short on funds you might still consider steam power.  Steam engines are 18th century technology and while there are risks working with high-temperature high-pressure steam they're well known and can be managed.


By the way:  If working with a solar concentrator there are a couple things to keep in mind - that don't show up in the literature very often:


 - A solar concentrator focuses sunlight to a dangerous hot spot even when it's only partially assembled.

 - A solar concentrator focuses sunlight to a dangerous hot spot even when it's not pointed directly at the sun.

 - The hot spot is invisible until there's something in it (like your head - hair, eyeballs, etc.)


So when constructing it, don't lean into it to put another piece of mirror on the backing when there is sunlight falling on the mirrors that are already present.  You might put some part of yourself into the hotspot (or the region near it) and thus blind and/or seriously burn yourself.

« Last Edit: July 28, 2008, 07:07:48 PM by Ungrounded Lightning Rod »

dnix71

  • SuperHero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 2524
Re: Solar Energy
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2008, 07:29:26 PM »
That's the reason why I don't even experiment with solar concentrators. Not worth the risk. If your array gets out of align you can have a hot spot outside the array.


Like government, any one big enough to give you what you want is also big enough to take it all away.

« Last Edit: July 28, 2008, 07:29:26 PM by dnix71 »