Power Your Home With Solar Ivy

1. Solar Ivy

Solar Ivy is made of recycled materials and was designed to meet the unique energy needs of homeowners. They are small solar panels created to look like ivy that grows down the side of buildings, and they work by generating electric energy through the conversion of solar radiation (light) via semiconductors, producing direct current electricity. Solar ivy is completely customizable and flexible. In other words, it can be installed in ways that allow it to meet your functional needs and aesthetic preferences. According to the makers of Solar Ivy, the color of Solar Ivy can be tailored to your home or building’s color and design, the spacing and amount of ivy “leaves” per strand is totally customizable to architectural and energy needs. Most importantly, the type of photovoltaic energy can be selected to meet your home energy requirements, and the panels on each ivy leaf can be easily swapped out to keep up with the advances in solar cells.

Solar Ivy Image by pablocomotion

2. The DOW Powerhouse Solar Shingle

The DOW Powerhouse Solar Shingle uses photovoltaic solar panels built just like asphalt shingles which allow homeowners direct control for the generation of solar electricity. The Powerhouse shingle is installed just like a normal asphalt shingle, and offers the same protection to your roof, so a regular roofing company can install it. Further, it decreases reliance on traditional forms of energy, as well as lowers maintenance costs. The POWERHOUSE solar shingle is just one of many green products that DOW has developed in the home renovation industry. DOW has long stated their corporation’s obligation to the convergence of technology, industry, and environmental responsibility.

DOW PowerHouse Solar Shingles

3. Solar Water Heating

Once a home is powered by solar, it becomes essential to think about the everyday needs of your home, and hot water is one such necessity. Solar hot water heaters are one of the most cost-effective ways to turn your individual appliances greener. Green home-builders can choose from two types of solar water heating systems: direct and indirect circulation systems. Direct circulation systems are most appropriate for a home located in a warm climate, while indirect systems work best in climates where water has the possibility to freeze. Solar water heaters work to advance energy efficiency and decrease heating bills. Solar Direct is a great resource that breaks down the different types of water heaters, and it links to different companies that make and install them.

Solar Water Heaters Save Big on Energy Usage

Image by JoePhoto

To conclude, a rising number of families and homes have a desire for sustainable and environmentally conscious ways to live, and the developments in solar technology, like the ones listed above, are providing very unique and exciting ways to power people’s lives.

Solar Panels 101

Transcript of Video

Sunlight is made up of tiny packages of energy called photons.

Every minute enough of this energy reaches the earth to meet the worlds energy demand for a whole year!

Photovoltaic panels consist of many solar cells, these are made of materials like silicon, one of the most common elements on earth.
The individual cell is designed with a positive and a negative layer to create an electric field just like in a battery.
As photons are absorbed in the cell their energy causes electrons to become free. The electrons move toward the bottom of the cell and exit through the connecting wire. This flow of electrons is what we call electricity.
By combining solar cells in photovoltaic panels we can produce just the right amount of electricity to perform a specific job no matter how large or small.

HyMini Deluxe Giveaway

The HYmini Deluxe Comes with a Solar Panel for Extra Charging!

Charge Your Gadgets with the HYmini Wind Turbine

We're Throwing in a Bicycle Clamp Too!

You can earn bonus points in the following ways (Be sure to let us know which bonuses you use in your comment);

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Enter your email address:

• PRIZE: A HYmini Deluxe solar and wind power charger and the HYmini bicycle mount (Approximate value $75.00)
• GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Tuesday, August 31st 2010 at 8pm CST
• NUMBER OF WINNERS: One – picked at random using random.org
• PRIZE SHIPS: USA or Canada
• THE USUAL: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. In the event of a tie the winner(s) will be selected using random.org and announced on Wednesday 1st September 2010. Good luck!

More Competition Info…

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Number 1: A Wonderful French Home with a Huge Solar Array;

images from http://www.flickr.com/photos/trebosc/

French Home Solar Install 1

The Solar Panels Being Installed

The Finished Installation

Number 2: A Small But Super Green Home in L.A.:

images from http://www.flickr.com/photos/clownfish/

Before the Solar Installation

Solar Install Completed - 100% Solar Energy!

Number 3: A Self Sufficient Log Cabin – Solar Powered:

images from http://www.flickr.com/photos/44244119@N08/

Log Cabin Solar Panels

Log Cabin Solar Panels - Off The Grid

Number 4: A Green Wedge Potton House:

This wooden timber construction home by Potton is green through and through

images from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikehales/

Green Wedge Shaped Home with Solar Array

The Green Stripe is Very Fitting!

The Home Has a Solar Well for Extra Light

Number 5: Suburban Home With Solar Panels Cut to Fit:

Proof that solar panels can be designed into any roof line….

images from http://www.flickr.com/photos/silas216/

Solar Panels Cut to Fit

We hope you were inspired by our list of home solar installations, we tried to include different examples from normal homes to the more modern super eco designs.

Let’s all go solar!

My Solio Classic-i Solar Charger Battery

The Solio Classic-i has an internal Lithium Ion 1650 mAh battery which can hold a charge for up to 1 year. It has three solar panels which fold out into a three blade design.

The Solio Expands with Three Solar Panels

I’m always conscious of how much packaging comes with a green gadget and the Solio gets eco points for using minimal packaging with a “PaperFoam” molded packaging inside which is made entirely from recycled paper instead of Styrofoam.

The Packaging Uses "PaperFoam" Recycled Paper

The Solio solar charger can be recharged by simply expanding the three solar panels and placing it in direct sunlight. A simple pencil can be used to prop the charger up and face it towards the a light source;

The Solio Propped Up Using a Pen or Pencil

The Solio Classic-i has a charging cord which uses various adapters, I bought one which connects the Solio to my iPod and iPhone so that I can keep them charged up using renewable energy. I plan to charge my iPod and iPhone all year using the Solio.

Check out our Solio Classic-i review video below to see how the Solio works;

You can buy one of these Hymini systems directly from NerdSeven.com, they provided us with super fast shipping…

• Eco-Friendly wind turbine generates electricity
• miniSolar panel absorbs sun’s rays to charge Li-On battery
• Stores power using built in 1200mAh Lithium-ion battery
• LED charging indicator lights
• lightweight, completely portable charging

The product with a bicycle mount can be purchased for about $80.00 plus shipping from a great site called NerdSeven.com;

http://www.nerdseven.com/green_gadgets/hymini/hymini_deluxe_wind_powered_charger_with_solar_panel/

What a great product,  I’ll never have a dead iPod again!

This picture of me is included to show an unfortunately unforgettable example just how practical the strategies described in future posts to this column will be.  Real Problem ~ Solution stuff. “P ~ S”

In this case, the problem  was my fear of Sharks.  My job as chief hunter (Karen was chief gatherer) on our Sailing expedition forced me into the water almost daily.   My real instinct was to follow the plan endorsed by one of our cruising companions who claimed he had a deal with sharks, “If the sharks would agree to stay out of the Pubs he would promise to stay out of the water.”

Having seen many tearful interviews in which the victims, or their next of kin,  stated that the shark must have mistaken them, in their black wet suit, for a Harbor Seal or Walrus, I resolved to make sure that I did not – by proportion or color – resemble any standard selection on  “The Bull Shark Catch-of-the Day Menu.”

“P ~ S”.   “Problem ~ Solution”  Still alive and not so much as a close call.

In our sailing days we fitted out both of our boats with wind power and solar power and the deep cycle batteries to store all that we generated.  In future posts we will discuss those systems and power conservation strategies .  We even had a wind powered self-steering system to drive for us on long passages.

After our sailing days we moved to a totally undeveloped 10 acres situated 2 hours west of San Antonio Texas.  There we designed a super energy efficient  home, using passive solar principles and SIP Panels, that included a solar hot water outside shower, grey water system, tankless propane water heater, rain water capture system and a composting toilet.  We did all of the work ourselves.

Like on our boats, through research,  careful design and installation,  our homestead was very successful.  The climate in that area is desert-like. It gets over 100 degrees for days at a time and then down into the teens.  And yet, we never had an electrical bill over $100. and never felt like we were camping out.

Future posts will cover these green adventures and more.

See you then,

Jim

Our recent poll showed that while most people have already started implementing green technology like CFL and LED bulbs very few have been able to start using Solar Power systems. The main reasons people avoid installing a solar panel system seem to be;

1/ Solar Panels are Ugly! (To Some People)

Many communities will probably frown on people installing large solar arrays on their rooftops and buyers seem hesitant to change their roof line with large solar panels. This should be cured as Solar technology advances and we see more systems that blend in with the shingles of a traditional roof.

2/ Solar Power is Complicated

Solar power systems require a certain level of home wiring updates with additional power panels and circuit breakers as well as the complex inverter technology. Most people are scared away by the challenges involved in installing a solar panel system. A large number of companies are starting to thrive as dedicated solar power system installers and if you search for local solar power installers you will be surprised how many there are across America.

3/ Solar Panels are Expensive

This is true, solar systems are expensive, but the price of solar panels is slowly reducing due in part to the mass production of solar panels in both America and Europe. Many European countries granted allowances for residents to install solar systems which prompted many new companies to start manufacturing solar panels and also meant that existing solar panel manufacturers increased production. Some of the countries which previously subsidized solar installs have since withdrawn these offers and so the price of solar panels has dropped considerably.

So is there an inexpensive way to start using solar power for the average Joe? Many people have started using semi-portable 15W solar panels to charge higher power items by trickle charge. These solar units are already very affordable and have fallen into the gift price range of $100 – $200.

by docentjoyce

Many manufacturers such as “SunForce” are selling their products on Amazon, we found this example below retailing for around $108. This will definitely be on my Christmas gift list, and who knows, maybe my next blog posts will be written on a laptop powered by green solar power!

SunForce – 15-watt Solar Charger with 7-amp Charge Controller

We found an amazing site “GoGreenSolar” and they have a really cool selection of solar and wind power accessories for every home, checkout their latest products below;

Go Green Solar