When I was in England, they had a sale on small solar batteries that you could use to power small electronic devices. I have used it since then to power my cell phone, MP3 player, a small portable game, and a few other things. The sun is there, and the energy is free for the taking, so why not use it? I am interested in finding more ways to harness the free things that are available to us, such as wind power, water power, solar power, and hopefully in our lifetime, solar powered roads like I just saw a video for.
I don't quite understand why solar power isn't such a big thing right now. It'd be cool to have solar powered outlets, cars, houses, ect... We need to start expanding and using more natural power... Wind, water, solar...
I think we will start seeing more and more alternative energy products in the near future. I am hoping they can make them affordable so most people can actually use them. I have seen the solar powered road before and that sounded so cool. It can generate a ton of energy and road signs could be imbedded in the road itself.
I would love to be able to power my whole home off of solar, but unfortunately it would cost me a small fortune to set it up!
I agree! But maybe they didn't find a way to recharge the car battery enough so it can be driven even when there isn't any sun! I don't understand much. I read somewhere that there are such cars but they are too expencive. About solar power it can be great business. European Union give money to those who want to built solar park. And in my country electric companies must buy this solar power from you! The only thing is that you have to have permission to do that and only certain people can have this permission!!!!
I love solar power, but some people do not understand exactly what it is. The other thing is many people think they have to buy the panels already made with the stores making a huge profit! I have a friend who has powered his entire master bedroom on solar power and it cost him three hundred bucks to build his own panels with enough to power this room. The savings alone on his electric bill is not much, but take a savings of thirty a month over time and you have a huge savings!
I just read that there is a breakthrough in the manufacture of solar panels. Apparently a scientist has invented a liquid which, when painted on a surface, would make that surface act as a solar panel. Maybe a future without total dependence on oil is not that far away.
After many years of witnessing the destruction of our planet by coal mines and oil drigs, it seems like a blessing that wind and solar power is being developed. Unfortunately, I am a pessimist in that I do not believe that the major corporations that are highly invested in oil or coal would be willing to lose any profits to wind or solar power units. Perhaps that is why it is not used as widely as it could be? I am also wondering if wind machines and solar panels would be "fried" when / if there is an electromatic pulse from a nuclear device or sun flare. It appears we are in a world that is focused on "going green" but also on preparing for survival when disaster strucks (natural or manmade). Somehow I think we are soon going to be heading backwards towards an age much like the original colonies where we will be building wells with windmills and communicating by handwritten letter carried by men on horses to each ranch or fortress.
I think solar power is useful to conserve energy. Solar power is not currently being explored by the average family. This could save hundreds on you electric bill if you had them installed. You can have some solar panels on the roof, and it would have enough power to run your whole house. I'm thinking about getting solar panels since you made this thread. I think companies should build electronics with is already installed, and you can switch back and forth between the two.
I currently live in an apartment so solar panels are out of the question for me but I would love to have solar powered items and eventually have a solar powered home when my husband and I purchase one. I am sure prices in the installation of these panels will drop in a few years and even so we will have a better opportunity and grasp of this solar powered notion. I would love to build some of our own but I would have no idea how to go about this
In 2002 I met someone who built a house in New Zealand that is 100% free energy. I think we need to learn how to create these structures ourselves. The so-called powers that be, that are collecting our monthly energy bills are not going to let go without a fight. Help is not coming from them. It needs to come from the consumer. Take the power. Build your own windmills, solar ovens etc...We are going forwards, not backwards...Nature does not roll like that. But only if we get on board...otherwise, as someone said earlier, backwards for them.
I just wrote an article about solar power, and there are a lot of neat innovations out there. There are solar generators that fit in a backpack. Even the apartment dweller could get some power with one of these if their home faced the right direction. Most people only know about the roof panels or the tiny calculator batteries. There are many sizes in between. Google it!
Solar power will really be a big time power source in the future. Not now. I know that research are still ongoing on how to maximize solar panels to save power from the heat of the sun. It is easy to set up solar panels but it is quite hard how to get much power from it to light a whole town or city. I have been into an island where they make use of solar panels to light their homes during the night. But that's just about it. They could not use electric powered materials because it consumes a lot of energy. Solar energy is a bit weak energy that's why experiments are still ongoing on how to improve ways to store solar power.
If you want to get solar powered items for your electrical things at home, it will cost a lot. Not only does it cost a lot, but you're going to need it maintained.
I definitely feel that we need to utilize solar power more here in Hawaii. I mean we have lots of sun but we still depend on fossil fuels to provide us with most of our power. We actually should be using solar, hydro, wind, and geothermal to power our homes instead of fossil fuels. I guess its human nature to use up a resource until it is no longer available before making a change.
I have been reading up on solar panels and how much money you save in the long run. I know it is a little expensive to set up but from what i have been told in another forum that you do save a lot of money and the investment pays off. This is something that I would really like to do in my next home to help save money.
I like this idea of using solar power very much. Too bad my house is built on an N-S axis, and I can't fit a solar panel on the south side, so that I can use it to heat up water. Anyone got any good deals online for solar power phone rechargers?
This is the main problem why we haven't been able to use solar power 24/7 for our everyday life. The sun comes out during the day, which powers the solar panels, thus powering your house. In the daytime, we don't use very much energy. We may charge some things and watch some television, cook, and use the computer. It's at night where people use more energy. Since we use more energy at night, and there is no sun during the night, you won't have power. The main problem with solar power right now is that we have not figured out a way to store this energy yet.
Well I think solar-power is great for places like Arizona and California but for places like Canada and Wisconsin it would be a huge waste of money. If I lived in a hot and sunny region I would definitely invest in solar-power since it would save me a lot of money in the end.
I've heard of this too. As I understand it the paint contains silicone nano tubes These tubes align into a grid in the paint as it dries. So you paint your house, hook some wires up to it and start collecting electricity. That would be so cool. GrandmaHugme, you are right about the coal and oil. It is because of them that solar is not more widespread in the US. Back in the early '80s, after Reagan tore Jimmy Carter's solar system off the roof of the White House, the oil and coal companies bought up as many of the solar patents as the could get their hands on and sat on them. Now that those patents have expired ans the technology has advanced we are seeing more and more solar and wind systems being installed all the time. And solar panels should do just fine in a EMP attack, their not magnetic.
