Tag: Solar Power

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Solar Power Solar Projects

Energy Saving Tips: How to Conserve Energy at Home

Conservation of energy is an essential and ideal thing to do if you want to get the best out of your utility bills most especially if you use a prepaid meter.

To conserve energy, you need to cut down the amount of energy consumed in your home. While this may sound like hard stuff to do, it is quite simple and easy to do if you follow the tips outlined and explained below 

 

Keep in mind that these tips will work for your home, office, and any other place where you need to conserve energy. So, let’s dive in.

 

9 sure-fire energy saving tips

1. Use LED bulbs

One way to conserve energy and get the best out of your payment is to replace all standard bulbs with energy-efficient light bulbs.

Standard bulbs consume a whole lot of electric current than the LED bulbs. Although quite expensive when compared to standard bulbs, LED bulbs are energy-efficient are a better choice in the long run.

2. Use a fan when possible

Continuous use of air conditioners also contributes to the high electricity bills you pay. Air conditioners consume a lot of energy and therefore are not ideal to use always.

A fan always comes as a perfect substitute for the use of an air conditioner. The fan helps conserve energy which is just what you want to do.

3. Purchase energy-efficient appliances

As with the bulbs, it is of high importance that you purchase only energy-efficient appliances. When purchasing appliances such as iron-dishwasher er, washing machine,e, and other appliances, ensure you go for energy-conserving ones.

They are proven to be energy efficient although they are quite expensive when compared to others and they are a good return on investment for you since they conserve energy and save you the stress of high electricity bills.

 

4. Poor connection/electrical issues

The poor connection could be one reason for energy loss in the home. To conserve more energy, you need to contact an electrician to run a check on all writing connections and repair all electrical issues.

 

5. Turn off all appliances when not in use bet you didn’t know how much energy has been consumed by the appliances you left, on the whole, going out. Or did you know?

Well, if you did Kudos to you and if you didn’t know, there’s how it works.

Leaving your appliance on when not in use contributes to the vast amount of energy consumed by you. So, the next time you aren’t making use of an appliance, do turn it off.

 

Even something as minor as your phone’s charger ought to be the end off when not in use as this enables you to conserve more energy.

6. Shut all windows and doors when using an air conditioner

When using an air conditioner, do ensure to shut all windows and doors to conserve energy and get the best out of the power consumed by the air conditioner.

7. Home audit

Once in a while, conduct an audit on your home energy. A home audit gives you insight into the best ways to improve the energy efficiency and quality of your home.

 

8. Watt rating

Perform an exact rating on all your appliances to ascertain which one consumes so much energy and map out strategies to replace high energy consuming appliances with low energy consuming ones.

9. Go solar

One way to reduce the amount you spend on electricity is to get the most out of the free energy made available by the sun.

Install a solar panel and save yourself the stress of high electricity bills. There are many benefits of installing a solar panel.

Installing a solar panel gives you an edge over others as you become independent of the utility company.

To find out more about solar panel installation, contact us here.

 

Final thought

Conserving energy is an ideal thing to do. As above, you can follow those tips to conserve energy.

I would love to hear from you, what other ways do you conserve energy at home.

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Solar Energy News

Benefits of buying a house with solar panels in Nigeria

Solar power has always been a good investment to make. Are you considering purchasing a new home and you are in between deciding on purchasing one with solar panels and one without solar panels?

 

A personal opinion would be to purchase that with solar panels. However, I wouldn’t want you to take my words for it. I would want you to explore further and acknowledge the benefit of having a home with solar panels.

Solar panels could save you the hefty bills you pay for electricity and apart from that, you get more and more out of the investment.

Over the last few years, solar panels have been installed in more houses than before. In U.S alone more than 12.3 million Americans installed solar panels in their home in 2018. That shows how beneficial solar-powered houses are. 

You may also read: Benefits of solar energy

Here are some reasons you should purchase a house with solar panels.

5 Solid Reasons You Should Purchase a House With Solar Panels

1. Generate your sustainable energy

Purchasing a house with already installed solar panels gives you the ability to generate sustainable energy. You become independent of a utility company and reduce your reliance on fossil fuels which is great for you.

In Nigeria, there is heavy dependence on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are used in powerhouses and they increase the carbon emission in the environment. If you purchase a house with solar panels, you are sure to be generating your sustainable energy which leaves no noise pollution or carbon emission on the environment.

2. Constant electricity

On a sunny day, you are sure to get the most out of the sun’s free energy which can also be stored for use on a cloudy day if you have solar panels already installed in your home. 

With good batteries added to the installation, you are sure to enjoy constant electricity which NEPA (or any other utility company) cannot give you. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and doing all you want to do with electricity all because you have a home that is powered by the sun.

That’s one advantage of buying a house with solar panels.

3. Save money

An average home in Nigeria spends nothing less than #10,000 on electricity bills per month and this doesn’t include the money spent on generator bills too.

Let’s do little calculations for the money spent on running a generator.

Taking that the price of petro is #150/liter and diesel is #190/liter. You use a generator which operates using petrol and you buy a minimum of 3 liters a day.

That alone sums up to #450/day, #3,150/week, #13,500/month and #164,250/year.

Looking at that of diesel using a minimum of 3liters daily gives #570/day, #3,990/week, #17,100/month, and #208,050 / year.

This a just a rough estimate of how much you spend in running a generator every day.

Investing in purchasing a house with solar panels is worth the money.

4. Little maintenance

Unlike the generator used in powering most homes in Nigeria, solar panels are easier to maintain. A typical generator will require monthly or bimonthly maintenance which could be expensive most times.

For solar panels, maintenance occurs 2-4 times a year and it is relatively cheap depending on the company.

5. Improved home value

If you are looking for a good investment to make, then you should purchase a house with solar panels. Homes with solar panels are valuable in the market right now. They are considered an asset that can be sold for a much higher price than was purchased at a much faster rate.

Final thoughts

Before purchasing a house with solar panels, you should find out about the size of the panels and how much electricity it generates. Smaller solar panels produce a small electric current which may not be enough to successfully power your home appliances.

 

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Solar Energy News

7 solar tips that can save you money when you know them

Solar power is the conversion of energy derived from the sun(solar energy) into electricity. This electricity derived from the sun can be used in powering your appliances at the home, office, farm, or any other place the installation was made.

 

One thing you should keep in mind is that the sun offers this free energy to you daily.

So, as long as there is sunlight, there will be solar energy.

An amazing fact about solar energy is that energy released to the earth by the sun in one hour can be utilized by everyone in the world in one year.

This means that there is an abundance of solar energy released hourly. This energy is of huge impact on the earth as it can transform the earth greatly.

Benefits of going solar

Here are some crucial benefits of going solar

  1. Installing solar in your home aids in improving your home value.
  2. It makes you independent of the utility company as you get to produce your own electricity using the right components.
  3. Going solar helps save the planet as you get to contribute to the reduction of carbon emission.
  4. It helps improve your health 
  5. Reduction in noise pollution and other kinds of pollution is another benefit of going solar.

While installing a solar energy system at home, your farm, office, or any other place you desire is a nice investment and an economical change to make, it is also necessary that you know solar tips that can help you get the most out of your investment and save you money.

Rather than spending money always, these tips will help you have more money and get the best out of your investment.

Solar tips you should know

1. Know how it works

The first thing you should know is the step-by-step basic process of how solar energy works. This is crucial because when you get to know more about a particular thing, you get to appreciate it more.

And hey,  you do not need to know much about the technical jargon or the whole electrical phrases and application.

All you need to know is the basic process of how your solar energy system works.

2. Heavy appliances during the day

 

During a sunny day, there is a release of so much free energy from the sun. One way to utilize this free energy is to use your heavy appliances during the day as the energy is being released.

This enables you to get the most out of your solar energy system. So, heavy appliances such as a heater, dishwasher, washing machine, and others should be used during the day.

3. Add a battery

The major duty of the solar battery is to store energy for use. Solar energy isn’t produced at night but adding a battery to your installation would make electricity available to you always even at night hereby preventing blackout.

4. Switch to energy-efficient appliances

One way to make your power last longer and save you money is to switch from using energy consulting devices to using energy-efficient appliances.

For example, instead of using the yellow bulb which could consume 40, 60, 80, or 100 watts, consider switching to an LED bulb which is more energy-efficient and can save you money in the long run.

5. Clean your panels

 

Dirty panels can cause a decline in the performance of your panels and the system as a whole. Solar blockers such as dust, leaves, water, sand, ice, bird dropping, and others can limit the functioning of your solar panels.

To maintain your solar panels, you should clean your panels regularly at least 2-4 times a year.

6. Avoid shade

Solar panels do not function effectively under a shade. To get the most out of your panels, you should keep them away from shade and install them in a place where direct sunlight can do justice to them.

7. Maintain your batteries

 

You should get to find out the type of solar battery that was installed for you and know the routine maintenance of such a battery.

Your batteries just like any other appliance purchased are prone to damage if you do not handle it the right way.

Therefore, you must learn how to maintain your batteries or you can contact your installer to conduct routine maintenance for you.

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Solar Energy News

How To Maintain Your Solar Panels

A lot of questions have popped up in time past about the cleaning of solar panels. While that is something to address, others are quite skeptical about the frequency of cleaning solar panels.

A perfect scenario is this, do you purchase an appliance without properly and frequently caring for it or maintaining it? 

The answer is probably a “NO”.

You see, solar panels just like any other appliance purchased by you need to be cared for and maintained. Maintenance makes it last longer and makes it more efficient.

Why should I clean my solar panels?

Your solar panels need to be cleaned regularly at least 2 – 4 times a year. Dirty solar panels cause about a 20% decline in the performance of your panels.

Solar panels take energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. To get the optimal performance of your solar power system, your panel needs to be clean enough to trap energy from the sun.

Common Solar Blockers

While your solar panels may be kept on the rooftop or ground level, some elements can hinder the proper functioning of your solar panels.

These elements block sunlight from hitting your solar panels and the amount of solar energy trapped by the panels becomes insufficient to power your appliance. Solar blockers include dust, leaves, water, bird droppings, snow, and dirt in general.

How to Clean Your Solar Panels

There are two ways to clean your solar panels. A. Do it yourself. B.Contact your solar energy company

1. Do it yourself

To clean your solar panels yourself, you will need something to clean it and water. Here are the steps to take.

  • First, you need to get on the roof of your house.
  • Apply water to the dirty panels and use your mop to clean till it is neat.

While this may look easy, it is not always a safe step to take.

2. Contact your solar energy company

A safe measure to take in cleaning your solar panel is to contact your solar energy company.

One reason you should do this is that they are professional and they would know how to render professional and safe services.

If you contact your solar company and discover that they do not render panel cleaning services, request they recommend a professional to handle your cleaning job.

Solar Panel Maintenance Tips

1. Never use an abrasive sponge or soap on your solar panel.

Do not clean your solar panel with an abrasive sponge as this can lead to a scratch on the panel.

When cleaning your panel, use water and a non-abrasive sponge.

2. Do not use harsh materials such as sandpaper, hard brushes, etc to clean your panels. Harsh materials can leave a crack on your solar panel and it isn’t an ideal condition for your panel.

3. Be safe on the roof

If you attempt to do your solar panel cleaning yourself, always be careful to ensure you do not trip off, injure yourself or crack your roof.

4. Look out for dirt. Always look out for the common solar blockers as mentioned earlier.

5.Keep your solar panels out of the shade. This is to ensure you get sufficient energy from the sun.

6. Clean periodically.

You should clean your solar panels at least 2-4 times a year. This enables the smooth working of your solar power system.

7. If damaged, call your solar power company.

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Solar Energy News Solar Power Solar Projects

A Step by Step Process on How Solar Energy Works

How Does Solar Energy work?

You probably must have seen those huge panels on the roof of many houses and have asked yourself “oh man how does this thing work?”. 

Well, I will walk you through the process of this solar energy works. Firstly, you should know that solar energy is the most abundant type of energy in the world today and it is gotten from the sun.

That means the sun generates energy which is converted into electricity and used to power your home, office, farm, or wherever you need your installation to be made.

You can also read solar power for beginners

Solar power is of tremendous benefit to you. Once the installation is made, here are some benefits you would get

  • It improves your home value.
  • Solar makes you independent of the utility company.
  • You contribute to saving the planet by installing solar panels.
  • You have money too.

Component of solar

The solar panels installed on the roof are just one of the components that helps in utilizing the free energy generated by the sun. The components include

  • Solar panels

  • Inverter

Solar inverter

  • Battery

Solar Batteries

How Do Solar Panels Generate Electricity?

 

1. Absorption

Each solar panel possesses solar cells which can also be called photovoltaic cells. These cells are responsible for absorbing light from the sun. The panels are connected in a series for maximum effect.

2. Electric current

When solar energy strikes the photovoltaic cells in the solar panel, it energizes it and this results in electrons getting loose from atoms. The loose electrons now are put in motion which further creates an electric current.

3. Storage

The electric current generated is stored in your battery.

4. Conversion

The current generated from the sun is a Direct Current (DC) and it is stored as such in your battery. For use in the home or any other place where the installation was made, the Direct Current needs to be converted to an Alternating Current (AC). 

That’s where the inverter comes in.

The inverter converts DC to AC.

5. Ready to use

The converted electricity is ready to use in powering your appliances.

 

A Simple Illustration on How Solar Works

Let’s look at a simpler illustration of how solar energy works. For this illustration,

 

  • The sun is likened to be fuel
  • The solar panel is likened to be a gas pump.
  • The battery is the tank and
  • The inverter is the engine.

Full connection

Here’s how it works

The sun(fuel) hits your panels(gas pump) through a chemical process and the panels turn solar energy into Direct Current (DC).

Your panel determines how much current can be stored in your battery(tank). The bigger your panels, the more energy you get from the sun to store in your battery and the longer you can run your inverter (engine).

The energy stored in the battery is a Direct Current (DC). For it to be used in powering your appliances, it needs to be converted to an Alternating Current (AC) by an Inverter.

The inverter converts the current and sends it to your devices for use.

Final thoughts

Now you know how the sun can power your home and minimize cost.

Interested in installing solar panels for your home, farm, office,e or any other place?

Explore our solar products or contact us

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Solar Energy News Solar Power Solar Projects

Solar Power For Beginners

 

 

Solar energy is the most abundant type of energy in the world. It is the energy gotten from the sun. The sun helps us in different ways. For example, it dries our clothes, dries grains, keeps the temperature of the Earth balanced, and many other benefits.

As a beginner, this article will walk you through solar power and frequently asked questions about solar energy.

What is solar power?

Solar power is the conversion of solar energy which is derived from the sun to electricity. It gives you the ability to tap into the resources hidden in the sun. Instead of powering your home, farm, office, and other stations of yours with a generator or the grid, you can power them using the energy from the sun.

The sun which is 14.24million kilometers away from the Earth can release more energy on the Earth in one hour than can be used by everyone in the world in one year.

What does solar power involve?

To effectively enjoy the free energy distributed by the sun, there are some basic components you need to set up. They include:

  • Solar panels: solar panels can be likened to a fuel pump. It captures energy from the sun and stores it in a battery.
  • Batteries: The batteries are likened to a fuel tank that receives fuel from the pump. Energy is stored as direct current (DC) form in the batteries and when needed, it is converted from direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC) by an inverter converter, and electricity is supplied to your home, farm, office, or wherever your installation was made.

How long has solar been around?

Solar has been around for a very long time as the concept of photovoltaic was discovered far back as 1800’s. The first commercial application of photovoltaics was called solar batteries and was used in 1955 by Bell labs. They were used mainly in remote areas to power telephone switches.

Do solar panels generate electricity when it rains?

Yes, they do.

All the panel needs is a little bit of light. Somewhere about 6:30 am is bright enough to produce electricity from your patterns to charge your panels.

One thing you should keep in mind is this, during rainy days, you may not produce maximum electricity. Getting more solar panels can remedy this situation. However, it is expensive so the best you can do during rainy days is to turn off all appliances and let the sun charge your batteries or you use a generator to recharge your batteries.

Can I power my refrigerator with solar?

Yes, you can. A system of about one and a half kilowatt can power your refrigerator, freezer, lights, television, and fans without any problem.

Can solar power an air conditioner?

Yes, solar power can power an air conditioner. Although, it isn’t advisable to run an air conditioner when you have a limited solar budget because it requires more storage (more solar panels and batteries) which can be expensive.

Is the power gotten from the sun as strong as the power that comes from the grid?

Yes, it is.

The power produced is a pure sine wave which is similar to the energy produced by a good quality grid. This doesn’t allow you to get the noise you normally receive from the grid due to poor transformers or cheap generators. It also produces a constant voltage which makes your appliances happy and makes you feel comfortable.

What kind of batteries does AWPS use?

At AWPS, we use lithium ion batteries only. They can be discharged to 90% and will last for 10 years or more. They are backed by a 10 year warranty

Solar is quite expensive. Why should I buy?

Of course, solar is expensive. 

Some reasons you should consider buying solar is this

  1. It saves you from noise.
  2. When you consider the money spent on fuel, (it is quite outrageous). Solar saves you from this expense.
  3. Solar reduces noise and environmental pollution
  4. Health-related hazards that are caused by exposure to fumes are minimized.
  5. Solar saves you from poor practices that can lead to permanent disability.
  6. Maintaining a generator is expensive which isn’t the same as solar. When you install solar, you pay once, and you are covered for a long period.

Yo‏u may also like benefits of solar panel installation for your home.

Solar or inverter?

An inverter is an uninterrupted power supply. It is charged by the grid or your generator. The grid and the generator are expensive

At AWPS, our systems are designed to be a permanent backup. The circuit board of the systems are thicker, they possess cooling fans so they can run for a longer period.

Solar requires no generator unless you purchase a minimal system or run days of cloudy weather. Our system charges using solar, generator, or grid power supply.

 

There you have it, a beginner’s guide to solar power. Have you got questions about solar power?

 

 

Do well to drop them in the comment section.

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Solar Energy News Solar Power

10 Stunning Benefits of Installing Solar Panels for Your Home

Having solar panels at home and getting the most out of the free energy provided by the sun each day is a wonderful decision to make.

Solar energy is renewable energy derived from the sun. Unlike other non-renewable ways of producing electricity such as oil, coal, gas, etc, the sun replenishes the energy released by itself.  A solar panel when installed traps the energy from the sun and this energy is being converted to electricity for your house use.

 

Installing a solar panel in your home which produces sufficient electricity to power your home is an economical and life-changing step to take.

Don’t take my words for it. You can have a look at the importance of solar energy and why you should install a solar panel in your home. When you are through, you’d finally be equipped with the right information which will direct your purchasing decision.

Benefits of Installing a Solar Panel for Your Home

1. Saves you money

The money spent on the use of electricity, purchase of diesel, petrol, oil and all other things required to power a generator or install a transformer is quite tremendous. While spending your cash on all of these, sometimes you still aren’t sure of the possibility of having a 24hours power supply especially if you reside in Nigeria.

The installation of solar panels at your home saves you so much money that would have been spent on other expensive means of generating power.

2. Improves home value

Installing solar panels at home gives your home a new experience which helps in improving the quality of your home.

You stop being bothered about the nuisance caused by generators, the inconsistent power supply, and you focus more on the free energy that is provided for you by the sun daily.

 

When solar panels are installed in your home, it improves the perception of your home. If in any case, you feel like selling your home in the future, be rest assured that you could make a lot from the sales as solar panels improve the reselling value of your home.

3. Independence

The use of solar energy at home makes you independent of other sources of power supply which are quite expensive in the long run. For example, you stop being dependent on the utility company to provide power supply, you become independent of the high cost of petrol, gas, oil, etc and you receive uninterrupted power supply.

4. Contribute to saving the planet

The use of fossil fuels to power homes contributes to the large emission of carbon which is harmful to the environment, plant, and human health. 

The installation of solar panels at home can help lessen the production of carbon and limit pollution of the atmosphere which in turn means a healthy planet. 

Your home can be a source of hope to the planet and make it a better place to live in if you install solar panels and tap into the free energy produced by the sun daily.

5. Renewable energy

Solar energy is renewable energy. It had unlimited use. Unlike other non-renewable sources such as coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy which cannot be renewed, solar energy which is gotten from the sun can be renewed and it will never run out of supply.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory emphasized that the sun releases more energy on the Earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. This clarified that solar energy is bountiful and cannot get scarce or run out.

6. Healthy Legacy

The installation of solar panels in your home enables you to leave a healthy and green legacy for the future. You help in combating the emission of greenhouse gases which are harmful to the health of humans, plants, and the Earth at large when you install a solar panel.

7. Control

The use of solar energy gives you much control over the electricity in your home as you typically stop the use of every other money consuming means of producing electricity. You also have control over the kind of appliance you want to run and which you do not. The use of solar panels at home ultimately gives you control over cost and consumption.

8. Low maintenance

Unlike generators which require you to spend cash monthly or quarterly servicing and maintenance, solar panels are relatively easy to maintain. They do not require a lot of maintenance, all you have to do is keep them clean.

9. No noise, less pollution

Solar energy when converted into electricity produces no noise and reduces pollution. Unlike generators which produce noise and air pollution, solar panels don’t produce any noise while it runs neither does it produce any other form of pollution.

This attribute when compared to the use of generators makes it a healthier option for your home, environment, you, and your family.

10. Prevents global warming

Global warming as defined by NASA is an unusually rapid increase in the Earth’s average surface temperature. It is attributed primarily to the greenhouse gases which are released when burning fossil fuels.

The installation of solar panels in your home helps reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and the consumption of fossil fuels.

 

Final Thoughts

While some persons write about the pros and cons of solar panel installation in the home, we think that there are no disadvantages with solar panel installation.

Apart from the initial investment of purchasing and installing a solar panel which can be quite expensive, solar panel installation is a bold step for anyone who wants a constant power supply while saving the planet.

 

As a bonus tip, the installation of solar panels extends the life of your roof. It fosters longevity as they protect the roof from snow, rain, and debris which could affect it negatively.

Now, it’s up to you to choose to install solar panels at your homes or ignore the useful benefit of this free energy.

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Solar Energy News

New Solar Collector Tech Could Lower Costs for Concentrating Solar Power

solar eclipse

A new solar collector is starting a trend when it comes to concentrating solar power (CSP) technology. For the first time ever,

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Solar Energy News

First African Solar Powered Airports Launched in South Africa

african solar powered airport
african solar powered airport
A solar-powered airport in South Africa. Photo credit: Northeastern University

With more than 2,500 hours of sunlight every year, South Africa has embarked on a mission to tap into this unused local resource by creating solar-powered airports across the country.

So far, there are six

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Solar Energy News Solar Power

Australian Businesses rush to install solar systems to combat high power prices

Australian-solar-power-installation

Large available roof areas and improvements in solar PV technology are making l solar arrays more viable for companies looking to reduce overheads and take control of their energy future.

Australian National University