What is the most efficient way to harvest solar energy?
Question:
Answer:
Aside from buying more efficient cells (which cost a lot more than standard cells) or putting tracking motors on your solar panels (and have the panels rotate during the day which would actually be surprisingly easy to do) there isn't really going to be much you can do.
You could use the sun for water heating directly as others have suggested but that's about all you can do with your home.
A solar thermal could have higher efficiency if you can get the temperature up high enough but those are for big power stations.
I think it would also be wise to look at where the electricity where you live comes from to see if you really need to use solar power because if you've already got a grid connection it may be cheaper to just use it all the time (and if you're not going to have batteries you'll end up using it when the sun don't shine) and if you're doing it for environmental reasons I think that you should know how much you're helping.
I did manage to find out that in the state you're looking at it's mostly fossil fuels so you will help out quite a bit (even if you don't get batteries the baseload you'll use when the sun isn't shining will have a higher proportion of nuclear than in the day time when the gas plants are operating so the power you use then might be better).
contact Uni-Solar.you also may want to get a rainwater collection system.free water can be used for drinking.
If you want to generate electricity, solar PV panels are your only real option. There is building integrated panels, where the solar panels are built into building materials, mostly roofing.
For water heating you are still very limited but newer systems have the tanks in the roof space or at ground level, similar to gas or electric systems and this helps with aesthetics.
If you are building your home, it is also a good idea to look at solar passive design. This allows you to use energy from the sun through correct house design and orientation. This can help to reduce the need for heating in winter and can provide for protection from the sun in summer, reducing the need for cooling.
solar cooker, solar cells, solar current batteries are aveliable and water heaters so you can build your home
whith use full to nature
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