With the rising concern for the environment coupled with high utility bills, people are looking for ways they can cut back on spending. The Department of Energy reports that one can reduce the amount of money you pay on energy bills by up to 30% by simply using a high efficiency air conditioner. Even homeowners [...]
A lot of homes are powered by electricity but you can also take advantage of natural lighting during the day. This will not only reduce your electricity bills but it will also allow you to enhance the ambiance of your indoors. However, you should note that the quality of natural lighting will depend largely on [...]
Solar thermal systems are systems that convert solar energy into useful heat. This heat is used in hot water systems for cooking, showers, laundry rooms, faucets and process heat in residential and commercial applications. These systems take solar radiation and convert it to heat by using solar thermal collectors, which then transfer that heat to [...]
American solar panel manufacturers are currently urging the government to further widen the tariffs so they would include solar panels that are partly produced in China. And it does not end there since the U.S. industry isn’t dismissing the possibility of more trade cases aimed at other exporters of solar panels from Asia.
The sun is the most unlimited and renewable source of power known to human kind. The largest solar power plant on Earth is located in the Mojave Desert in California and its power rating is 354 megawatts. In the United States, a residential photovoltaic system’s installation costs $3 to $5 per watt with an approximate [...]
More efficient models of solar panel are being held back from release by firms struggling to cope as price of existing stocks continue to plummet. P-type technologies are the most mainstream solar product being sold on the market, but competitive pricing and manufacturing has meant that the industry cannot afford to invest in research for new, more effective N-type technology.
This page will show the step-by-step instructions for assembling the circuitry associated with current monitoring. Current monitoring is controled by IC1 (on the schematic), with supporting hardware. The ability to monitor its own current draw is what allows the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to adapt and adjust as the peak efficiency point changes. [...]
This post assumes that you have already tested the power circuitry to verify the unit draws about 100 mA (1000 milli-Amps = 1 amp) or less (see the picture below). The Aruino should draw about 60 mA and the shield circuitry should draw about 30 mA when unloaded, but active. That’s how I’m getting 90 [...]