solar panel, definition of

Global warming is the name given to the theory that there is increase in the average temperature of the Earth surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

The exact mechanism of warming is not precisely understood, although it is strongly suspected that Greenhouse gases are to blame, as increasing concentrations of such gases help trap heat in the atmosphere and so raise mean temperatures.

Wikipedia Entry

• Home Battery Storage Buying Guide
  Buying a Solar Home Battery Storage system can be a confusing undertaking, in this guide we examine the issues, clear up the confusion and give you useful advice.
• Cost of Solar-Power Storage Batteries
  The costs of solar-power storage batteries are explored in this article and how to get the best economies and long term reliability.
• How does solar power work?
  We explain how solar power works and how it can be used to provide clean renewable power.
• Solar Power Facts
  Establish the facts around solar power. This article explains the pros and cons of having a solar power system for your home, and how to work out the costs.
• Cheap Solar Panels - do they exist?
  What the cheapest solar panels are and if its clear you get what you are paying for...
• Solar Power - the facts about setting up Solar Power
  Solar Power systems installed at the home or office can reduce environmental impact. How solar panel systems work is described and how you and the environment benefit.
• What is convection and how it effects your heating costs
  Convection directly effects the cost of keeping your house warm in winter. This article explains what convention is and some practical tips on how to battle convection.
• The importance of building orientation
  Building orientation to the Sun is important to reduce energy consumption, keeping comfortable and saving money. This article explains how best to get building orientation correct. Through a combination of benefits and opportunities the correct building orientation could save you thousands.

• Solar Batteries Comparison Table is Live
  The new solar batteries Comparison Table is now live.
• Solar Power Installers, what to look for..
  When looking for a solar power installer, it pays to do your homework and double check that you are getting the best.
• Last solar panel manufacturer in Australia, Silex Solar, stops making cells
  The last, of only ever two, solar panel cell manufacturers stops making cells in Australia..
• Medical Funding Research in Australia (NHMRC) budget needs protecting not cutting
  There could be plans to cut $400 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) budget...
• Solar Panel Calculator
  Solar Panel Calculator, given the size, power and number of panels works out total power, rated voltage and amps.
• Climate Fools Meeting in the UK
  The UK just had a meeting at parliament of key climate skeptics and MPs to help educate other MPs and interested people in the real issues.
• Surry Hills Library wins Sustainable Architecture Award
  The Surry Hills Library and Community Centre in Sydney, Australia was recently awarded the 2010 National Award for Sustainable Architecture by the Australian Institute of Architects.
• Ocean acidification $15B NGO cash grab
  The NGO Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans (POGO) is after $15B upfront, then $5B a year to improve our ability to measure ocean acidification on the basis of a 0.1 change in pH from 8.2 to 8.1. This is monumental waste of money and we explain why.
• Solar Panels for your home, with the reduced feed-in tariff, are they a sound investment?
  We take a more detailed look at solar panels and help you work out if investing your money in solar is the right thing to do for you and the environment.
• Feed-in tariff for NSW reduced to 20c/kWh
  New South Wales has reviewed its feed-in tariff and reduced it to 20c/kWh, we look at what this means.
• energy efficient homes and energy saving
  Energy saving is something we all want to achieve at home through better efficiency. We look at the options available to you.
• Chicago Climate Exchange drops 50%, new record low
  Basically, if it gets any lower it will be ZERO..
• solar power efficiency
  What are the factors that are important in efficiently harvesting solar power - we look at what they are..
• Special Interest Groups
  To make it easier to find information on certain important topics we have made a set of SIG's (Special Interest Groups)...
• New Rainwater harvesting calculator
  This new calculator allows you to work out the practical tank size given average per month rainfall, your roof area and expected monthly water usage.
• More Efficient Solar Cells with Selenium
  Researchers have discovered that just adding a minuscule quantity of 9% selenium with zinc oxide base radically improved the sun light absorbing efficiency of the material...
• Climate Change Policy in Australia
  With an election just around the corner the politically sensitive issue of how Labour is to deal with Climate Change has been presented as policy today.
• GE Ecomagination Challenge $200m for good ideas
  GE Ecomagination contest hopes to gather ideas for improving electrical grid technology.
• Call for tighter review of IPCC data
  Prof Jean Palutikof, who spent 5 years at the British Met Office preparing the UN report, Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, admitted the existing system was flawed because "quite a lot" of information had not been peer-reviewed by independent scientists before publication.
• IPCC conclusions fail under legal cross examination
  A cross examination of global warming science conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Law and Economics has concluded that virtually every claim advanced by global warming proponents fails to stand up to scrutiny.
• new low cost solar cell tech - dye films
  solar dye film cells will be available at a projected price of 3p per kw/h, a tenth of silicon cells.
• Give Curry to sheep and save the planet
  Strange but true, feeding sheep curry could save the planet...
• Solar companies receive $2 billion
  Two solar companies have been awarded nearly $2 billion in Recovery Act funding for solar projects in three states.
• New Square LED's more light directional
  A new LED fabrication technique produces squares of LED's that are more directional.
• Best Solar Panels for home
  We look at what are the best solar panels for home use
• Climatic Modelling - the problems with getting it right
  Climatic Models are being used more and more to demonstrate human induced climate change is happening; we look at the problems with this.
• Solar Power Calculator Updated
  Our solar power calculator has been updated..
• Gillard is in
  Julia Gillard is in as the new PM of Australia, replacing Kevin Rudd; what does this mean for the Green Agenda?
• Insulation, how much do you need?
  Working out how much insulation to install can be difficult, we show you how.
• Green Home Loan Calculator
  A home loan calculator that allows you to also work out what you can do to be more green, and pay off your loan quicker as well.
• Quantum dot solar cells - is this the breakthrough?
  Quantum Dot Photovoltaics look to be able to double solar electricity collection efficiency. Is this enough to improve the viability of solar power to be practical to more of the community and make it sustainable green?
• Buy Green Books and Products
  We now have an online facility to purchase green books and products.
• Resource Super Profit Tax is Super Stupid
  We look at the Resource Super Profit tax and show why it will not work as advertised.
• Climate Change: the ice is fine
  Electromagnetic survey to measure ice thickness uncovers vast areas of resilient "old" ice in the Arctic; leading researcher concludes, "Any talk about tipping points, a sudden drop and no recovery ... I don't think it is going to happen."
• Keeping Cool in Summer
  Keeping cool in Summer as always a challenge, we show you how to do it whilst being green.
• Wind Power, is it really Green?
  Can wind power be considering a really green alternative energy source in its own right?
• Time to comment on the IPCC
  The IPCC is awaiting your feedback, tell it as it is...
• A study: The temperature rise has caused the CO2 Increase, not the other way around
  Differentiating the CO2 measurements over the last thirty years produces a pattern that matches the temperature anomaly measured by satellites in extreme detail. That this correlation includes El Niño years, and shows that the temperature rise is causing the rise in CO2, rather than the other way..
• Sustainable House Day 2010 in Australia
  Sustainable House Day 2010 is on for Sunday 12th September 2010, we look at how this can help you been more sustainable.
• Sustainable House and Home
  Sustainable housing, we look into what you need to do to make your house more green and sustainable.
• Passive Solar
  Passive Solar is often banded around as a good thing to do to make your house more green; we look at it in more detail.
• Bilderberg 2010
  Bilderberg 2010, a meeting you have never heard of, full of people you have never heard of - trying to manage the world without your say..
• Rain fall and rain harvesting calculator
  A new calculator that uses some publicly available rain fall data to help work out your monthly rain fall and hence collectible rain water.
• Green Directory
  New Green directory service on line.
• Architects held to be "Fit For Purpose"
  Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Bill (No. 2) 2010 will seek to remove an exception requiring Architects and Engineers to comply to a 'Fit for Purpose' warranty. We think this is a good thing.
• The Skeptic Global Warming Conference
  The Fourth International Conference on Climate Change is taking place in Chicago, Illinois.
• New Scientist, in denial on denial
  New Scientist has just published a 'Age of Denial' special edition..
• Kids test with added global warming propoganda
  The recent NAPLAN test in Australia has caused an outrage due to it containing an inaccurate article that pits roo meat against beef & the coal industry in terms of environmental impact.
• Is Cap and Trade really the way to care for the planet?
  I reckon Cap and Trade is not the way to go..
• Is Climate Change caused by Photoshop?
  We look at the images used in the media to portray climate change and find quite a few have been run through PhotoShop..
• Home Sustainability Assessment - do you really need one?
  Home Sustainability Assessments, are they actually assessing your home or assessing your ability to pay for more green modifications...
• Most convinced global warming not man made
  It appears that down in Australia that there is an outbreak of common sense occurring.
• Hot Water Heat Pumps - are they a rip off
  We have a quick look at the cost benefits behind heating hot water using a heat pump...
• Lets the climate models tell the truth we want to see..
  Climate models are just that, a model, based on assumptions and theories. Their accuracy is limited not only through the complexities of the climatic systems they model but also by the conclusions researchers want to see from them..
• More exact monthly means...
  Following up with more data set pairs showing the difference in accuracy between min/max daily monthly means and taking the mean of all hourly measurements in that month..
• What exactly is a monthly mean?
  A lot of climate analysis is done using the monthly mean temperature. Given that data is quite often available for hourly measurements I thought I'd have a look at whether creating a monthly mean straight off all the hourly measurements would produce a difference; initial findings indicate it does.
• Australia has a growing obesity problem
  Australia has a big problem, obesity is now the #1 preventable cause of death..
• Global Warmings unscientific method
  Peer review seems to be more about peer pressure when trying to publish anything that goes against the Global Warming group think.
• Australian Bureau of Meterology tweaking the climatic data?
  Its seems that the Australian Bureau of Meteorology might have been tweaking the data a bit to show false warming..
• Climategate Parliamentary Inquiry in the UK, the whitewash results are in
  The parliamentary inquiry into ClimateGate has just published its report, we have a look.
• heathrow expansion stopped due to climate change?
  It appears that a UK judge seems to have swallowed hook line and sinker the 'settled science' of climate change and stopped Heathrow from being expanded..
• Green Environment Blog Network - a closed blog ring?
  It appears that the Guardian and sites like realclimate.org have been engaging in closed content sharing ring..
• Earth Hour - the flop?
  Although Earth Hour left people with a nice warm glow, did it actually make a difference...
• Climate Change caused an island, erm sand bar to disappear..
  "Climate change sunk my sandbar..." hmm
• Earth Hour - lights out, minds alight
  On March 27th, 115 countries will put their lights out for one hour. We discuss what this means and what you should do long term to help the environment.
• Missing, one weather station
  It seems Australia is having a bit of a problem with missing weather stations.
• WWF's Amazon carbon trading cash cow
  It appears the World Wildlife Fund could be on its way to securing up to $60 billion in carbon credits from 'saving' the Amazon - more like 'cashing in' on the Amazon if you ask me..
• Costs overruns for school buildings
  It appears that the Australian school building program is having its fair share of 'cost overruns'..
• Climate Rage
  Climate Rage - don't get mad - get even.
• The Green Web Directory is Online
  Our Green Directory is up and running
• Solar Power - hidden costs
  Solar power is all the rage at the moment, we had a look at some quotes and found it is not as good a deal as it looks.
• Climate Change killed my cat..
  It seems that everything from Floods through to Fires through to droughts is being blamed on global warming and climate change. I think this is oversimplifying the story and ignoring local changes we have caused.
• Is keeping data private 'normal practise' in climate research?
  It seems Phil Jones thinks its perfectly normal to do research and publish said research whilst withholding data.
• Yet another Climate Change department?
  Seems the AU government are busy producing yet more Co2 via civil servants for climate change.
• Act on Co2 - the advert..
  Ofcom in the UK is investigating a climate change advert which really takes things too far.
• Met Office proposes to make Data Set Verifiable
  The UK Met Office want to put in place a collation of station data that is publicly accessible.
• Cover-More, you drink and its cover-less..
  If you have Cover-More insurance, don't travel and do any drinking if you want to remain insured - thats the finding of a recent Today Tonight special.
• Is ETS a lame duck?
  The Emissions Trading Scheme looks to be stuck in the Senate. Does this mean it will fail?
• A failure to insulate
  It appears the Rudd governments insulation rebate scheme is beyond repair...
• Climate Change bullies?
  Climate Change Scientists seem to believe they are being bulled...
• Sydney transport - oh what a fine mess!
  Yet more politically motivated tweaking of the Sydney transport system..
• National Climate Change Forum response
  This is in response to the National Climate Change Forum being held in Adelaide.
• What is the fuss with biochar??
  Given the sudden interest in the media on biochar one would think a way of really saving the world has been discovered...
• Bush Fires and being Green, can you do both?
  Given that bush fires cause a lot of destruction and environmental damage, can we manage them and be green at the same time?
• Is the Australian Stimulus package green enough?
  

• Solar Panel Calculator
  This solar panel calculator will, given the Watt rating of a solar panel, its dimensions and number of units calculate the total power you can expect and roof space taken up. It will also tell you the rated voltage and ampage, useful for correctly sizing an inverter or regulator.
• Solar Wiring Size Calculator
  Interactive Solar Panel Wiring Size Calculator. Makes sure your wiring is the right size for a given distance, power and voltage drop. Works in metric or imperial.
• Solar Power Calculator
  Calculate the power solar panels will generate each season based on latitude or nearest town or city worldwide. Also works out off grid energy savings of going solar powered..

• Did you know these surprising solar panel facts?
  Solar panels are by far the best applicable technology for converting solar energy to usable electricity today. With the sun available to us around the year, it is only reasonable to consider taping its energy for domestic use. Even so, the currently...

Related Tags: solar, energy

Solar Panel Efficiency is a percentage measure of how Solar Energy from the Sun hitting a solar panel is ideally converted into useful electrical power. This is often given assuming perfect conditions; i.e. no shade, maximum sun and cool. In practice the actual rate of conversion can be somewhat different due to:

• Shading - even partial shading can have a dramatic effect on the energy produced.
• Heat - the hotter a solar panel becomes the less efficient it is at converting solar energy into electrical energy.
• Sun Strength - akin to shading, but if the Sun is behind clouds or low in the sky you will get dramatically less power.
  

• Solar Panels for your home, with the reduced feed-in tariff, are they a sound investment?
  We take a more detailed look at solar panels and help you work out if investing your money in solar is the right thing to do for you and the environment.
• Feed-in tariff for NSW reduced to 20c/kWh
  New South Wales has reviewed its feed-in tariff and reduced it to 20c/kWh, we look at what this means.
• energy efficient homes and energy saving
  Energy saving is something we all want to achieve at home through better efficiency. We look at the options available to you.

• SunPower nabs record for world's most efficient rooftop solar panel
  Solar panel efficiency is the holy grail of the solar power world, and SunPower just propelled the industry further with the "most efficient rooftop solar panel" in the world...
• With a special glass coating, these solar panels can capture sunlight from almost any angle
  When it comes to boosting efficiency in solar panels—that is, increasing the amount of the sun’s energy each photovoltaic cell can harness—researchers have tried a lot of tricks...
• New Software Allows Developers to Create Super Efficient Solar Parks
  In 2012, Siemens developed a software that allowed them to design ultra-efficient solar parks in just a few seconds, but at that time only Siemens had access to the tool...
• Study Discovers That Solar Panels Have a Cooling Effect on Buildings
  It turns out that solar panels can do more than provide you with renewable energy - they can significantly cut down the power needed to heat and cool your building as well...
• Off-the-Shelf Dyes Increase Solar Panel Absorption
  The hippies were the first to push solar energy en masse in the 70’s, so it’s a wonder we haven’t thought of this before — it turns out the same stuff used to tie-dye t-shirts can increase the efficiency of solar panels...

Related Tags: solar power, solar energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, solar cells, green energy, solar panels