The Alternative Energy blog – green renewable alternative energy

Regardless of whether you choose clunky roof panels or integrated tiles, the basic principle of solar panels is the same. Solar panels are made up of a series of photovoltaic cells, consisting of layers of a semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers causing electricity to flow. The more intense the light, the more electricity you generate - but remember, it's light and not heat that matters, so you're not totally at Read more [...]

UK supermarket chain Tesco has announced that it is sending its waste meat to be converted into renewable energy for British homes. The retailer has proudly revealed that it is recycling all of its meat waste to heat and electricity, stating that the 5,000 tonnes of out-of-date meat that it sends to biomass plants will generate 2,500 Mega Watt Hours of renewable energy each year – enough to power more than 600 homes for a year. But the innovative scheme has come under attack from vegetarians.The Read more [...]

To heat your swimming pool, you can use a combination of solar pool collectors and thermal arrays. Thermal arrays can be used to heat water tanks,. These panels collect the sun's heat. The heat is then run through a piping system inside that's filled with water or antifreeze. Thermal pool covers or solar collector are made of special solar rings that can heat the pool's temperature five degrees. Solar collectors pump the pool water through a piping system like that of the thermal array. The Read more [...]

This is a great book that tells  you how to build your own solar panels and save thousands on your home energy costs. Build your own solar panels. solar panels, DIY, alternative home energy Read more [...]

Concentrating solar power (CSP) involves using arrays of mirrors to focus large amounts of sunlight onto a small area. This creates extremely high levels of heat, which can be converted into electricity using a steam turbine or Stirling engine – or stored in tanks of molten salt to provide power at night or on cloudy days. The mirrors can be parabolic troughs or giant dishes. Alternatively, a large number of sun-tracking flat mirrors can direct sunlight to the top of a so-called "power tower". According Read more [...]

Great article in the UK's Guardian newspaper proving that even in rainy Britain home solar panels are a great investment. The Rewards of Solar Panels by Ashley Seager We live in an old terraced house on a cloudy, rainy island. Yet the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on our roof, put up two years ago, are supplying around 90% of all the electricity used by my family. The initial cost is high, but don't let that put you off. Two key developments in recent months have made it worth considering Read more [...]