Harnessing Residential Solar Energy
Solar energy is
a renewable source of power for many residential
homes these days. With the increasing cost
of electricity, residential solar energy is
now fast catching the attention of many residential
home owners. Solar energy is a practical and
cost effective alternative way to heat water,
cook food and warm residential homes.
The Solar Home
There are actually many residential houses
built today that exploit and harness the power
of solar energy. The HVAC or Heating, Ventilation
and Air Conditioning designs of residential
houses all incorporate and maximize the potential
of solar energy using thermal mass materials.
This means that when a residential solar energy
house is built with thermal mass materials,
solar energy is stored at daytime and is released
during cold periods. Using the right amount
of thermal mass materials for residential
solar energy is the key to providing an acceptable
indoor air quality and comfortable indoor
climate while still reducing power and electricity
costs. Home designers are also incorporating
residential solar energy in their designs
to maximize the use of natural lighting.
Solar energy can also be harnessed by integrating
PV products into residential solar energy
roofs and replacing opaque glass windows with
PV glasses that are aesthetically pleasing
to the eye and yet still provide the homeowner
with electricity. Solar homes are now becoming
more popular because of the savings they provide
in the long run.
Pooling the Heat
Photovoltaic cells are also known as PV cells
are good source of solar energy. To make it
easier for homeowners, they can use this to
switch solar energy into electricity. This
will definitely help residential homes in
all their essential needs. In the United States,
solar energy is in demand for heating swimming
pools. It is considered to be a dependable
equipment compared to appliances and vehicles.
Aside from that, it also comes with warranty
coverage on every installed solar pool heating
equipment.
One of the major problems of residential homes
is having high electric bills due to water
heaters. With solar hot water heaters, electric
bills can be cut down. Residential solar energy
to heat swimming pools can extend the swimming
season up to the colder months—and will
also remove any maintaining heating costs
for pools during cold season.
Not Just for Pools
Hot water heating in residential homes use
great amount of energy. In single family homes
hot water accounts for about 25% of all electricity
costs making it the single most energy hungry
appliance in the household. Using a residential
solar energy water heater can help homeowners
save up to 85% of their utility bills just
by removing the electrical water heater and
replacing it with a residential solar energy
water heater.
The most common residential solar energy water
heater uses the flat-plate and evacuated-tube
collectors which provide the most efficient
water heating properties at low temperatures
(around 25-70 degrees Celsius).
Having a residential solar energy household
provide homeowners with a renewable source
of electricity and power without the guilt
of contributing to the greenhouse effect.
Besides, wouldn’t it be cool to have
a totally “wireless” house?
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