Smart Solar Japanese Tea Gardens Birdbath

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$132.99

by Tim McDonald

If you are thinking of doing a few upgrades to your garden, have you ever thought of getting a solar powered pump birdbath? In fact, why buy one, when you can make it?

What are the benefits of having a solar powered pump fountain?

The pros to getting one are:

a: Fountains circulate the water, keeping the bird bath from going stagnant

b: It uses none of your main power supply

c: No inverter is needed since the pump operates on direct current.

d: The pump uses minute power (only 6volts) so very few solar panels are needed

e: The fountain usually operates during the day when the birds are out in the sun, so batteries are not essential

f: It is possible to make the entire system your yourself, helping you save money

g: The birdbath can be placed anywhere in your garden, without the need for unsightly wires.

And what does it take to make a solar powered pump birdbath?

The most basic method is to buy a working birdbath with fountain, and then wire up the solar panels.

The alternative is to, and more DIY approach is to buy a birdbath that is ready for a fountain pump to be installed (it has the right holes, and a place for the pump to be installed), and then add the various pump and power components.

If you decide to make your own fountain, you will need:

The Birdbath:

Here you have a choice of cascading fountains, copper fountains, terracotta birdbaths, resin fountains, or the conventional ceramic birdbath. Just make sure a pump system can be installed on the birdbath.

The Fountain Spout:

This attachment can be source from your nearby hardware store or garden center. It is an optional extra that helps make the water spout out of the top, instead of a small trickle.

Small Fountain Pump:

The next part is buying the small dc pump. A typical 6 volt pump should be adequate, but you may need to go bigger, if the birdbath or water feature is larger than normal.

Thin, Flexible PVC Pipe:

When buying the irrigation for the fountain, it is best not to get piping that is too wide, otherwise the right water pressure will not be maintained and the pump will not work properly. So before you buy the wrong tubing, get advice from your local garden center and see what they use in similarly sized birdbaths

Silicon Sealant:

This is used to seal all joins where the water could escape from, and also to insulate any bare wire from getting wet where it has been joined.

Solar Panels:

This is what makes this birdbath unique to your average water fountain. Depending on what size pump you buy, will need to get enough solar panels for the fountain to work properly. A a typical 6 volt pump, you will require solar panels with a capacity of at least 6 volts. But is better to be on the safe side and get a 12 volt solar panel instead, for times when it is cloudy and for late afternoons.

NB: To get the solar panels, you have 2 choices:

1 : Buy a small commercial portable solar power kit from a department store such as Target.

2: Make your own solar panel. This is actually much easier than people make it out to be. With the right instructions you could build your own panel in an afternoon. If you want to go the diy way, then keep reading…

For the solar panel to operate effectively it needs to be fitted in a frame and angled in the direction of the sun. Placing it under a tree will not help.

Can anyone build this birdbath?

With the right tools and parts and a the right attitude you could have a fully functional solar powered pump birdbath in an afternoons work. It really depends on your level of experience, but many of our friends (even housewives) have managed to make their own fountains.

A nice added extra is to hook up some batteries to the system. That way you can store any excess power, and the pump could run all day and night. If you do want the fountain to operate for 24 hours, then you will need the following:

1) The right battery:

Since the system is small, a 12 volt battery should be enough. This will be wired up between the charge controller and the pump.

Charge Controller:

This is not that important, but to protect the battery from over-charging and to maximize it lifespan, you should a charge controller that sits between the solar panels and the battery.

Over and above it being affordable to build, what I like about putting together my own solar powered pump birdbath, is that once the first one is finished, making the second or third one just gets easier. It could even be a fantastic gift for a close friend or newly wed.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Solar Power for your Home, 2E

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$5.74

by Simon Berrit

The sun shines brightly in the sky providing warmth for the earth. It is also this warmth that we can use to provide energy that is cheap and renewable.

The process is much easier than it used to be. You don’t have to have a strong technical background, or be a ‘techie’ or anything of the sort.

You will need to organize things a little to get yourself going. First requirement is a place that you can use that will be secure and that is exposed to sunlight. A roof being the obvious example. Next is a really high quality instruction manual.

When you are choosing the instruction manual, it would be hard to beat Earth4Energy, although there are many others around.

Once you have secured the instruction manual then you will have all the information that you need to know to get the job done. Much of the equipment is easily available and you may even have some of it lying around at home.

Anything else can be bought from the local Do It Yourself Store. The instructions are written in plain easy to understand English and should not take more than a few days.

If you get yourself into any trouble at any time then if you choose a manual from a company like earth4Energy , they have a support team that will be able to help you.

The end of the process involves getting the batteries connected to the whole system which will allow you to store the power once you are collecting the sunlight. This is of course absolutely vital to the whole process and you will not be able to store your energy with out doing this. If you like you can stop after one panel or continue to build more and more and even get involved in wind turbines and renewable wind energy.

Solar Power Your Home For Dummies

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$8.47

by Evans D. Smith

If you have tried researching solar electrical systems and you have found that the physics behind the system is far too difficult for you, do not fret as you can still benefit from residential solar power without understanding the calculations and details of solar electricity physics.

Many folks are interested with investing on a residential solar power system as it allows you to produce electricity without air pollution and noise while using a renewable source of energy. Simply put, a solar electricity system never runs out of fuel, which assists in reducing gas emitted by coal or other harmful elements. For the advantages that you can receive, residential solar energy systems are becoming the greatest energy resource for the 21st century.

Why should I Buy a Solar Electricity System?

The technology behind solar energy works by converting sunlight directly into electricity. Meaning, solar energy will work each time the sun is shining, while intense daylight produces more electricity. Since a solar panel does not use heat in manufacturing electricity, the semi-conductor materials of a solar panel generate electricity from the electrons emitted by the sun.

Residential solar energy systems typically generate around 10 watts per square foot, depending on the dimensions of a solar cell mounted on a home’s rooftop. However, the number of southerly exposure available ( or the area that remains un-shaded during the day ) decides the maximum amount of electricity from solar cells. As a consequence, your home solar power system may produce roughly electricity compared to your neighbor’s system.

If you are planning to change to solar electricity, remember that this kind of electricity is dearer than utility-supplied power. However, financing a residential solar power system can provide you with incentives and rebates, while allowing you to spread the costs over several years. Though you are like paying for years of electricity when you invest in a solar electricity system, solar electricity becomes more affordable and practical in the long run.

Folks select to invest in solar electrical systems for several reasons. While some people wish to reduce air pollution by saving the natural fossil fuel from the earth, others find the energy-producing investment saves them money from paying monthly electrical utilities. Without regard for private reasons on selecting solar power over normal utility-purchased electricity, each consumer who purchases home solar electricity systems can avoid possible rate hikes in the cost of utility-purchased electricity.

Mr. Light Stained Glass Design Solar Projection Lantern with Bronze Plated Finish

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$23.74

by Michael Edwards

You would not believe what we at Green Products found (and no they are not UFOs). Can you imagine a field planted with silver balloons as far as the eye can see, or a hillside covered with silver balls? It’s not Christo’s latest pop-art install, but rather, a solar farm. This is what Cool Earth out of Livermore, California envisions in the very near future. The solar collection concept is not new, but the concentrator is different from anything seen before on any renewable energy product.

One of the areas of concern with the current flat-panel solar design is cost. Flat-panel designs require metal cases, rigid mounting hardware, heavy glass and large amounts of cell material. The cost per watt for solar panels is generally 5 to 7 times greater than conventional power plants. This is no longer true with the solar balloon system.

One side of the balloon is made from reflective silver Mylar plastic. The other half is transparent to allow in sunlight. The silver material is parabolic-shaped to concentrate the sunlight on to a single point to achieve maximum light concentration. This is why high performance solar cells are used.

This unique design can concentrate the sunlight so well, it produces 300 to 400 times more power per square inch of solar cells than traditional flat-panel solar systems. By regulating the air pressure inside the balloon, they can focus the concentrated sunlight directly on the photocell. The air regulating system is designed to maintain the proper balloon size as the outside air temperature increases or decreases.

The basic structure of each orb is simple. It has a lightweight circular metal frame with an arm that holds the solar cells near the top of the clear side of the orb. Even though the balloon is eight feet in diameter, the frame is the only rigid component of the basic design. It connects to a point where external hardware is attached for mounting.

Like all solar designs, the system will not be used as a base power plant because the energy collected during the day cannot be economically stored for nighttime operations. On the other hand, the system will be an ideal “peaker” power plant to be used during the hot summer months when energy demands are high.

Another of the aspects we find most interesting at Green Products is how the balloons are linked together with wire, wood and sheet metal. We are also impressed at the lack of limitations that are imposed when the systems are installed and how they eliminate the destructive heat that destroys most solar cells. Soon this system will be installed and go online. Check it out.

Michael

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by Jim Martin

Did You Know? You can create energy efficient solar powered home even if you don’t know much about an alternative energy. Find out how.

The traditional fossil fuel energy sources have resulted in considerably increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This, in turn, has resulted in global warming in large degrees. Indeed, most countries of the world perceive this issue with grave concern, and are unanimous in their opinion that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has to be brought down. This can be done by using only solar energy as the source of generating electricity. In fact, America has really shown great zeal in this regard. The government of the US is encouraging every family to utilize solar energy in their homes. The California Solar Initiative-organized “Million Sole Roofs program by 2017″ provides great incentives so that every home starts using solar power by 2017. Such steps have, unfortunately, not been witnessed in other countries.

Generally, two alternative ways can be adapted to access residential solar energy. Traditional solar panels can be installed at strategically important points, such that the panels receive sunlight during all parts of the day. The solar panels used in this method make use of clusters of photovoltaic cells, which, in turn, can be of several types. On the other hand, houses can be built, keeping solar panels as part of their edifice. Let us now look into some of the photovoltaic cells that are used in the earlier method.

The Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell panel comes with a plate glass surface that is transparent, a back layering of Tedlar, and uses, as encapsulate, ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA). These components are arranged properly by the exterior aluminum frame. Now, as soon as sunlight hits these solar panels, the organized structure of the atoms results in the sunlight being transformed to DC power. This DC output is then converted to usable 120 volts of AC electricity, by using inverters. The battery banks present in these panels help to store away any surplus electricity that might remain. This unutilized electric current can then be sold off to nearby utilities, provided the panel is grid-tied.

Lesser amounts of semiconductor material go into the manufacture of the Thin Film Solar Panel. Consequently, these solar panels are cheaper as well. Three primary formats are used in the mechanics of this panel. They are: a) amorphous Silicon (a-Si), b) cadmium telluride (CdTe) and c) copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS). All of these modules count high on efficiency measures. They can also improve the modular effect of a house, since these panels can be directly setup on the roof shingles.

String-ribbon can also be used as a source of residential solar power, at certain instances. String-ribbon is basically a combination of the thin film technology and the traditional crystalline silicon method. It generally offers a two-fold power yield, unlike the conventional solar panels that were set up. This is facilitated by a high temperature and a molten process that is used.

The basic items of all photovoltaic cells are the solar panels. However, these cells also need a flexible, mounting structure because this helps ensure that the panels receive as much sunlight as possible. The sunrays are effectively trapped, and DC current is obtained as output. An inverter is kept in tow that converts the DC output to usable 120 volt AC electrical power, quickly and automatically. Any surplus amounts of electricity should be kept in reserve, so that they can be used at night. This is done by the storage appliances of the system. A charge controller, that can be easily used, is also provided, so that the battery performance can be maintained at the optimum level.

Grid-tie solar systems are generally the more preferred types of photovoltaic systems. This is primarily due to two reasons: a) When solar power generation is at a low level (in case the sky is not clear) or is, indeed, zero (at night), these systems are useful in drawing up power. More importantly, the grid-tie systems allow users to effectively store unutilized electricity. This electric power can now be sold in exchange of money, by transferring the former to the grids or utility. Hence, the customers can earn a significant amount by selling off surplus electricity, and this often matches the amount they have to pay for electric power consumed. Thus, electric bills are reduced to a great extent.

In faraway regions, like log cabins in forests, homes in desolate places or tents in the woods, off-grid residential solar energy is used. These systems primarily function as standalone systems for power generation. During the night, or when the sky is cloudy during the day, battery backup is required to ensure the flow of power. Gasoline, diesel and propane are also used as last resorts in certain off-grid photovoltaic systems, in order to generate power.

Governments, both at the federal and the state levels, are considerably encouraging the usage of residential solar energy in all homes. Solar power uses a freely abundant raw material (i.e., sunlight). Nor are there any running costs of using solar energy. In view of all these benefits, more and more people are gradually starting to use solar power for domestic purposes.

However, it is advisable to study an instruction manual before actually starting to use solar energy at home. Such a manual would provide instructions on the setup of the system and the place where it would work. Queries regarding the availability of free batteries as well as other parts (at relatively low prices) can also be solved by studying this manual. The manual would also describe the use of wires and the recommended safety measures. Once such knowledge is acquired, you can easily set up a residential solar power system at your home.