"Photovoltaic"

Photovoltaic / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Solar thermal collectors

Product of the month: Solar water heater with overheating protection

Solar thermal panels in cold climates are at risk of freezing in winter, so in the North, we use a glycol mix as a heat transfer fluid. This prevents panels from freezing but introduces new problems in the summer months when they are at risk of overheating. There are two main types of residential solar thermal heate...

Solar thermal collectors

All about solar thermal collectors

...photovoltaic solar panels and using the power they generate to heat water with a traditional water heater. This is due to the continually advancing technologies and dropping costs in the photovoltaic industry, while solar thermal collection technology and cost has remained fairly stagnant over the same period. They’re ...

Solar photovoltaic

Using reflectors to increase the yield of solar panels

...photovoltaic cells; the goal being to increase the watts produced per panel. Joshua M. Pearce, professor of engineering at Michigan Technology University, recently published an article in Green Building Advisor that demonstrates the results of his research on this. Working in conjunction with a study group in Canada, h...

Solar photovoltaic

Lithium-ion solar home batteries

...photovoltaic solar over the last 10 years Now you know about home batteries and power storage. Read more about moving away from fossil fuels and how to reduce your carbon footprint in the following pages and in the Ecohome Green Building Guide. Building a near Zero Energy home on a budget 10 questions to ask a...

Solar photovoltaic

Choosing between solar trackers and fixed solar panels mounts

What to consider before buying a home solar power system Update your appliances and get your demand down as low as possible. Convert any appliances that you are intending to convert (such as installing heat pumps to replace those that use fossil fuels). Replace any incandescent bulbs with LEDs. Now you are ready to ...

Solar photovoltaic

Ten questions to ask a solar panel contractor

...photovoltaic (PV) solar panel system on their home. But at some point, you need to hand the reins over to a trustworthy contractor. To get to that point of trust, you need to ask questions to confirm you’re getting the best equipment and service for the best deal. Don’t be shy when it comes to grilling your solar insta...

Renewable energy

Solar heating and energy generation

...Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels Without getting overly technical, Photovoltaic solar panels essentially convert the sun’s rays into electricity. Systems can be large enough to provide your entire home power needs, and be either stored in batteries or fed back into the power grid. When you hear the words ‘net metering’, ...