What are Solar Water Heaters?

A solar water heater isn't like your everyday water heater. Instead of it being operated from pure electricity that is sent to your home from a power plant that is using fossil fuels to fuel it, your energy comes straight from the sun. In other words, your energy is 100 percent natural.

It doesn't have to travel through electrical wires to make your water hot.

Instead of electricity, solar water heaters have solar thermal collectors and a system that

consists of fluid that moves heat from the thermal collectors to the usage point.

The system may have to use electricity in order for the fluid system to work, but the amount of electricity that is used is very minimal. It is much less than what would be used if the entire system operated off of electricity itself.

The solar water heater will also have a reservoir that will store the heated water for use. Homes, businesses, and industrial environments can use solar water heaters to heat their water.


Systems can be constructed to be different sizes to accommodate the particular structure that

the heated water is for.

So what are the benefits of using solar water heaters?

· You are doing a great service to the environment by using minimal electricity. Minimal

electricity means fewer fossil fuels being used. Not using so much in fossil fuels means a

safer environment for you, a safer environment for your family, and animals can continue

to enjoy their natural habitats.

· There are tax incentives that you can take advantage of. When you install something in

your home or business that uses renewable energy, you'll find that you can get a tax

credit on your next tax return.

You also save money because you're not using as much electricity. Electricity is

beginning to get very expensive. It seems like power companies are looking to increase their rates more often now than they used to.

Between the tax incentive and the money saved from using so much electricity, your solar water heater is going to more than pay for itself. You're going to feel really good about what you are doing for the environment.

You're also going to feel rather great when you see the tax incentives and can take advantage of them. So not only is the world becoming a little more beautiful, but so is your wallet. Actually, your wallet may actually grow from using renewable energy.

New Energy Technologies aims to turn windows into solar panels

US firm claims new solar cell technology can turn ordinary windows into a source of energy

A Maryland-based firm has developed a technology that it says can turn windows into solar panels.

New Energy Technologies says that its new SolarWindow product can be directly sprayed on to windows at room temperature to turn them into solar energy generators.

Currently in the prototype stage, it has been demonstrated powering LED lights and the blades of a small model helicopter from the energy generated, say executives.

The product adheres to glass while keeping it transparent, according to the company, which says that it can generate electrical current and voltage from artificial light in addition to sunlight. This makes it suitable for generating electricity from the fluorescent lights found in offices, New Energy Technologies said in a statement.

"Engineers modeling a 40-story building, similar to Tampa's landmark 100 North Tampa, estimate annual cost-savings of $40,000 to $70,000 when installing New Energy’s SolarWindow to exposed window facades," said the firm in a statement on Monday. "In contrast, mounting today's popular poly-crystalline silicon modules on the rooftop produces only $20,000 in energy savings per year. "

Following a public demonstration of the technology, the company plans to publish comprehensive performance data based on independent, third-party measurement and engineering tests.

John A Conklin, president and chief executive at the company, said the product was only a few steps away from a full commercial launch. "I'm eager to aggressively advance this technology towards commercial prototyping in preparation for eventual full-scale production to capitalise on our market of more than five million commercial buildings and 80 million detached homes in America," he said.

New Energy Technologies is developing a reputation for outlandish renewable energy projects. It is also developing a product called MotionPower, which would harvest the kinetic energy from vehicles as they passed over it.
source businessgreen.com