BKC Solutions Corner

Solar energy for residential houses is nothing new.  It has just been banished to the background in lieu of increasing cost of real estate ; more recent more advanced building materials, design and the limitation of resources. 

Since man started building houses, daylight played a major influence in the design.  In fact, even in the more advanced urban planning method of the Ancient Chinese and Greeks, the orientation of the buildings is as much as humanly possible directed towards where it could capture the most sunlight. 

The ancients might not be as intellectually complicated then to use slogans as passive solar and thermal mass but when they build, they were building in compact proportion, employing overhangs, producing insulations and building in manners that direct the airflow within the structure and producing well lit, well ventilated spaces using the relative position of the sun to the orientation of their structures. 

Lately, as the conventional sources of energy became dearer, homeowners were once more turning to the sun for energy requirements. 

Since the 1950’s, harnessing the sun’s rays has been developing and today the solar cell technology has achieved very efficient levels that modern ( supposed green house ) designs apply the sun’s power to provide energy for the home. 

While solar energy is free, the device which will convert it to run our appliances isn’t.  To provide solar energy for the home, solar cells called photovoltaic made from semi-conducting materials, are grouped into modules.  These solar panels are mounted on rooftops, yards or open spaces where it can capture the maximum amount of sunlight. 

Whenever possible, the panels will be installed facing south to get the most out of the daylight but tracking systems are also used to follow the direction of the sun.  The solar panels collect the energy from the daylight.  The method basically is that when the panels are exposed to daylight, the electrons are separated form the atoms.  This movement of the electrons creates electricity. 

To store power, pumps are sometimes used – circulating water in the cells.  The water goes into a storage tank where the power is stored, prepared for use.  Sometimes, the utilization of gravity is used if it will just the same store the heated water in to the tank. 

In spite of all of the development in solar energy though, the utilization of this technology isn’t enough to provide power to the whole house.  The best technique so far can only fulfill about eighty percent of a homes power needs.  Using solar energy for the home will still need the employment of the standard power distribution technique. 

Powering the houses by solar means will still, for some time be augmented by a local power distribution agency.  To several, this is already a good starting point.  Homeowners that feel the high price of powering their houses through solar power, is justified when put next to the price that is now being paid for traditional electrification technique where horrendous amounts of CO2 are getting dumped into the atmosphere just to generate a pathetic amount of electricity. 

However, due partly to the rising costs of energy, the technology for solar energy has been undergoing rapid phases of development.  Experts are confident that within 5 years, powering the home thru the solar method will be made widely available for those who prefer it as its sole energy source.