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Architect or Building Designer – Who Do You Choose?
Thinking of building a new home or complex? Will you use an architect or a building designer? Both are involved in the design of buildings – their appearance, layout, structure, and so on. But what’s the difference? The simplest difference is a...
Building A Foot Bridge
There is more than one way to go about foot bridge
construction. If you have decided to add a foot bridge or
two to your property you will want to know something about
foot bridge construction.
A foot bridge makes a nice addition to a garden...
Home Improvement Books
Home improvement books are just as common as magazines and
catalogues. They are not full of the same information though,
they tend to stick on true stories or architectural designers
stories! Home improvement books are more than light reading...
How To Conduct A Home Inventory
How To Conduct A Home Inventory *Quick Quiz* Name the brand and model of the television(s) in your house or apartment. How much did your computer cost, and where did you purchase it? What is the serial number on your camera? ...
The Advantages of Gazebo Kits
Want to see a gazebo in your yard or garden? Are you considering buying one, but aren’t happy with the hefty price tag? You can save money on construction labor and bulk shipping costs by purchasing any of a large variety of gazebo kits ranging from...
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Home Improvement - New Solar Technology
Solar panel systems have always been criticized as bulky and
unattractive. New solar technology is beginning to make such
criticisms a thing of the past.
Solar Advancement
While everyone agrees solar energy is a clean, cost-effective
energy source, there has always been one problem. The solar
panel systems tended to be large and rather bulky. Frankly, they
don't add to the beauty of a home. While solar panel designs
have improved over the years, a new development involving
shingles is getting a lot of attention.
Photovoltaic shingles are a major design breakthrough for those
who have a distaste for large solar panel systems. These
shingles are, well, shingles. The replace the shingles on a
roof, but have the physical appearance of a regular roof.
Although they are black, they do not standout from the roof in
the manner of panels. Instead, the they simply look like a
regular roof and many people cannot tell the difference.
Obviously, this seamless design is much better than the bulky
designs of panel systems.
The technological breakthrough that makes this new technology
possible is the invention of thin film photovoltaic cells. Known
as "amorphous silicon thin alloy technology", the designers
essentially stepped back from traditional solar panel designs
and did some thinking. What they realized is the materials used
in panels were not the only ones that could be used. Without
getting overly technical, the design team came up with a
solution where more efficient cells could
be built on a steel
substrate. Each super thin cell was tailored to capture
different spectrums of the sunlight. When layered on top of each
other, they became extremely efficient at producing power.
The ultimate result is a system that can sit directly on the
roof of a home or building, is more efficient than regular solar
panels and far more appealing from a visual perspective. If
you're excuse for not using solar in the past was the bulky
system, you need to rethink solar.
Will this new technology become the breakthrough we have been
waiting for in solar power? It already is if you consider just
the following:
1. The United States Army is building a solar powered community
using it.
2. Museums in Beijing, China are converting to it.
3. Habitat for Humanity is using the system on many of the homes
it builds.
4. Lockheed Martin is experimenting with the technology as a
power source for high altitude flights.
In the opinion of many experts, this new technology represent a
major breakthrough in solar energy. With energy prices
exploding, solar represents the best solution to decreasing our
dependence on limited oil and natural gas resources.
Fortunately, the sun will be providing free power for the
foreseeable future.
About the author:
Rick Chapo is with http://www.solarcompanies.com - a directory
of solar energy and solar power companies. Visit
http://www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar
electricity articles.
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