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on April 8th, 2012%
Thomas asks…
What should I do with my website?
I have a website named The First Generation. It is a basic forum website powered by SMF with a portal for an entrance page. It started off as an anything forum but five years down the road most of the members have moved on. I was wondering what you think would be a good fit with the site title.
Michael answers:
Well, the title would fit any original idea really..
The First Generation – of 75%+ highschool graduation rate in city, or w/e
You could really make it into anything
Lizzie asks…
can someone tell me wth this is?? (no spam)?
yeah, me and my friend were typing in her brother’s email address for fun to see what we could find on the internet and it came up with this….
RSCA
Runescape Cheating Asylum => Invite Code Requests => Topic started by: Dimsim654 on Dec 06, 2009, 12:20:29 AM
Title: Invite me plz 
Post by: Dimsim654 on Dec 06, 2009, 12:20:29 AM
Age: (can’t say)
Real name: (…)
Experience with coding: Tried to learn Java and starting my own script atm
Known scripting languages: Java
Known languages: English, Latin…
E-mail address: (said email address cause he’d be really pissed if he found his address on yahoo answers and would know it was us  )
Title: Re: Invite me plz
Post by: codegrabber on Dec 10, 2009, 08:00:28 AM
Post some examples of your coding knowledge here and it will really help you out getting an invite…
Powered by SMF | SMF © 2006-2008, Simple Machines LLC
so.. if u know what this is, please explain!!
@ Darkplanner ™
can you tell me what their development team is and what you do there, and is this all illegal??
@happycupcake
you do know me because u added me as your contact, not the other way around
Michael answers:
Its an application to join RSCheata.net ‘s software forum community.
Rscheata is a community based on the Runescape game and I suspect your brother wanted to join there development team for Java.
Understand?
Steven asks…
Need help with finding and setting up smtp?
Ok, i have a forum and the host it is using has a very low limit to how many emails i can send. I need to have a higher limit because my site is going to send a email when: you register for verification, when you receive a pm, when someone replies to your topic, when someone replies to your post, and when the site needs to make announcements.
The forum is powered by SMF and i have looked on their forum, and a lot of people say to use a smtp and a lot say google. Is this a good idea?
Is there someone i can talk to though email or yahoo Messenger that can help me get a good smtp and get it set up and run.
Michael answers:
Most hosts, shared, place a restriction on the amount of emails sent. If they didn’t, a spammer would set up an account and abuse the email servers.
Mine has a limit of 1000 per hour. Contact your host and ask their limit. If you believe it to be too small ask them within reason to raise it. Most will.
If you expect a huge amount then your prob heading for a VPS or a dedicated server. A shared host is just that. Many people sharing resources. It’s not fair to pay $60 a year let’s say and you have unlimited rights. You wouldn’t appreciate it if someone hogged the server you sat on.
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on April 7th, 2012%
Betty asks…
what happens to the silicon layers in the solar cell when the sun shines on it?
about solar panels
Michael answers:
Well, solar cells consist of four main substances which each serve a substantial purpose to the relatively efficient operation of converting light energy to electrical energy; these three substances are silicon, phosphorus, boron and copper. Silicon is essential to the function of solar cells because it is a semiconductor. The octet rule states that for an atom to become stable it must react or combine with other atom(s) to achieve a stable outer shell configuration of eight electrons. Because silicon has four valence electrons it can share its electrons with other silicon atoms to form a solid crystalline structure. However, this unique characteristic of silicon means that no electrons are free to move rendering silicon a poor conductor. This is why phosphorus is added to a piece of the silicon in a solar cell (known as a process called doping). Because phosphorus has 5 valence electrons, four of those electrons are shared with four silicon electrons but there is still one phosphorus electron free to move around so electrons can flow and electricity can conduct better. The resulting silicon from this addition of phosphorus is known as N-Type silicon (negative type) due to the prevalence of free electrons.
The other piece of the silicon is doped with the element boron because it only has three valence electrons (one less than silicon) which means that when a silicon atom and boron atom share electrons they will each have seven valence electrons which means that there is one gap for an electron fill. The resulting silicon from this addition of boron is known as P-Type silicon (positive type) due to the space available for electrons to fill.
However, if a solar cell is to produce electricity, there has to be an electric field to move the electrons; this is achieved by placing the P-type and N-type silicon pieces in contact with each other. When this is done, some of the loose electrons on the side of the N-type silicon in contact with the P-type silicon flow and fill some of the gaps available in at the edge of the P-type silicon. This forms somewhat of a barrier making it harder and harder for the electrons to flow from the N-type to the P-type silicon and eventually equilibrium is reached between free electrons and electron gaps. This is called the PN-Junction. Because the barrier offers too much resistance for all the electrons to cross; an electric field between the two silicon types is created.
When light in the form of photons are absorbed by the N-Type silicon exposed to the source of light, the silicon atoms absorb the quantum of energy; this causes the silicon atoms to release an electron. Because the electric field causing the electrons to want to travel from the N-type silicon to the P-type silicon is blocked by the electron barrier; copper wires are run through the solar cell so the electric field is channeled thought them causing loose electrons to be drawn through the wire. The flow of electrons produces electricity and the copper wires become the negative and positive terminals of the solar cell. When the electrons are released by light energy they flow through the wire and to the P-type silicon doing work on the way. Eventually enough electrons accumulate in the P-type silicon disrupting the equilibrium. This causes some of the electrons at the PN-junction to flow through to the N-type silicon and some of the free electrons in the P-type silicon to reform the barrier; so the equilibrium at the barrier is constantly maintained as the electrons flow. The current output of the solar cell depends on the flow of electrons and the voltage is determined by the intensity of the electric field.
Hoped this helped mate. Please remember to vote 
Ken asks…
MARS – Valles Marineris. Wouldnt it be nice to excavate the layers? Like we have done with the Grand Canyon?
And if its in my life time, please, fit window wipers to your solar panels .
Michael answers:
If we get to the point where humans are on Mars on a regular basis…I’m sure that could be a real possibility….after all….it’s all about the exploration of new places that drives the human spirit.
Daniel asks…
I’m trying to get my family to reduce their carbon footprint. Does anyone have any ideas?
My parents burn coal in the fire in the evening, I’m trying to get them to burn wood because wood is not a fossil fuel, because wood is friendlier to the ozone layer! Their argument against this is that wood doesn’t last long, whereas coal can last all night.
They also burn oil for central heating and I asked them if it would be possible to consider Solar Panels yet they say that they can not afford it, which is understandable.
Does anyone have any ideas at all that I can pitch to my parents to save energy and to reduce their carbon footprint. Any ideas at all! Even something as simple as “turn off unnecessary lights”.
Thanks to everyone who replys =D
Michael answers:
Tell them to stop buying things for you and that will help immediatly! No new clothes shoes or Bday presents! Im sure they can do that one!
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on April 6th, 2012%
Donna asks…
Biology help?!The stage of respiration that releases most of the energy in glucose occurs in the?
I struggle in Bio class and these questions confuse me? Help!
1.The stage of respiration that releases most of the energy in glucose occurs in the
A.
nucleus.
B.
chloroplast.
C.
cytoplasm.
D.
mitochondria.
2.How are photosynthesis and respiration related?
A.
They have opposite equations.
B.
They have the same equation.
C.
They both produce carbon dioxide.
D.
They both produce oxygen
3.Together, respiration and photosynthesis keep the levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the atmosphere
A.
fairly constant.
B.
constantly changing.
C.
constantly increasing.
D.
constantly decreasing
4.The energy-releasing process that does not require oxygen is called
A.
photosynthesis.
B.
respiration.
C.
fertilization.
D.
fermentation.
5.What captures energy from sunlight during photosynthesis?
A.
solar cells
B.
stomata
C.
chlorophyll and other pigments
D.
carbohydrates
6.Carbon dioxide enters plants through the
A.
pigments.
B.
chloroplasts.
C.
chlorophyll.
D.
stomata.
7.During what stage of the cell cycle does replication occur?
A.
interphase
B.
cytokinesis
C.
prophase
D.
mitosis
8.What is copied during replication?
A.
the cell’s organelles
B.
chromosomes
C.
the cell’s DNA
D.
two daughter cells
9.What are chromatids?
A.
identical strands of chromosomes
B.
identical daughter cells
C.
doubled rods of condensed chromatin
D.
pigments that absorb the energy in sunlight
10.The regular cycle of growth and division that cells undergo is called
A.
replication.
B.
the cell cycle.
C.
interphase.
D.
mitosis.
Michael answers:
Ill answer as much as i can from the top of my head
1. A: the nucleus doesn’t create energy/ its the info warehouse
B. The chloroplast creates glucose, it doesn’t get energy from it
C. Some energy transformations do take place in the cytoplasm, such as glycolysis, but not much
D. The mitochonidria is where cellular respiration occurs, including processes such as the electron transport chain and cytokinesis. So the mitochondria should be know as the place where most energy is created in nonplants.D is your answer.
2. I would say the answer is A. Respiration takes in oxygen and glucose and releases CO2 and energy. Photosynthesis takes in CO2 and energy and creates glucose and oxygen. Although the term “reverse” would be more appropirate than “opposite”
3. The processes work to balance it. So A. But keep in mind that global warming has caused problems for our plants that are trying to take in the increasing amount of CO2
4. D. Fermentation. Or anaerobic respiration could be another answer
5. C. Chlorophyll and other pigments
6. D. Stomata. I say stomata because the stomata are like little pores on the bottom of the leaf
7. A. Interphase
8. Im actually not sure about this one. We know its definitely not A. D is the product of the process but idk if thats what the question is asking. Chromosomes are made up of DNA. Read the damn book
i gotta go buddy. Hope that helped
Linda asks…
Biology Homework ~ Unsure if its right or not?
I did my homework and I am not sure if it’s right. I forgot my book at school so can you help me check the right answers? These are the only ones I had trouble with.
The chemical energy used for most cell processes is _____
The difference between ATP and ADP is __________
Carbon-based substances as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins (do/do not) directly provide ATP.
Although carbohydrates may supply the most ATP by molecule, _______ supply the most ATP by mass.
The carbon-based substance that supplies ATP the quickest is _____
Substances that do not use sunlight as an energy source use the process of _______
Organisms that perform photosynthesis are (producers/consumers)
Photosynthesis changes solar energy into _______ energy
The light-absorbing molecule in plants ___________
Photosynthesis I takes place in the _____ section of the chloroplasts.
Photosynthesis II takes place in the _______ of the chloroplasts.
What is the chemical reaction for the complete process of photosynthesis?
Energy is transferred by the _________________ to make the Calvin cycle work.
Michael answers:
The chemical energy used for most cell processes is (i would say ATP)
The difference between ATP and ADP is (ATP is ADP+P)
** not sure about this one
Although carbohydrates may supply the most ATP by molecule, (glucose?) supply the most ATP by mass.
The carbon-based substance that supplies ATP the quickest is (glucose?)
Substances that do not use sunlight as an energy source use the process of (Cellular Respiration/light independent reactions)
Organisms that perform photosynthesis are (producers)
Photosynthesis changes solar energy into (chemical) energy
The light-absorbing molecule in plants (chlorophyll)
Photosynthesis I takes place in the (if 1 refers to LDR, it’s the Stroma, if it refers to LIR, it’s the thylakoid) section of the chloroplasts.
Photosynthesis II takes place in the (if 1 refers to LDR, it’s the Stroma, if it refers to LIR, it’s the thylakoid) of the chloroplasts.
What is the chemical reaction for the complete process of photosynthesis?
* * = subscript
6CO*2* + 12H*2*O (yields, with sunlight and chloroplasts) C*6*H*12*O*6 + 6H*2*O + 6O*2*
Energy is transferred by the (not sure) to make the Calvin cycle work.
Hope this helps!
Nancy asks…
plz help biology… its not homework or test!?
Ribosomes are cellular structures that assemble large protein molecules from smaller amino acid molecules. The chemical reactions that occur at ribosomes are called: (Points: 10)
photosynthesis reactions
anabolic reactions
cellular respiration
catabolic reactions
2. All things on Earth, both living and nonliving, tend to become more disorganized over time. What is the name given to this natural phenomenon? (Points: 10)
the first law of thermodynamics
the second law of thermodynamics
the law of anabolic reactions
the law of the jungle
3. Lysosomes are cellular structures that contain enzymes used to break down food molecules into smaller pieces. These hydrolysis reactions are best called: (Points: 10)
catabolic reactions
photosynthesis reactions
anabolic reactions
polymerization reactions
4. In photosynthesis, plants make _____ in a chemical process that is best classified as a(n) ______ chemical reaction. (Points: 10)
carbon dioxide, catabolic
carbon dioxide, anabolic
glucose, catabolic
glucose, anabolic
5. When muscle cells contract, small strands of protein slide past one another so the cell can shorten. Which concept below is best illustrated by this example? (Points: 10)
photosynthesis
anabolic chemical reactions
kinetic energy
homeostasis
6. The energy stored in the flesh of an apple is categorized as _____ energy. (Points: 10)
kinetic
thermonuclear
potential
solar
7. According to the information presented in Digestive Systems in Different Animals, the function of the caeca in birds is: (Points: 10)
to digest cellulose
to remove water
to add digestive juices
to produce hormones
8. Since carbohydrates are broken down during respiration, the process is termed ______ . The goal of respiration is to produce the molecule ______ . (Points: 10)
anabolic; glucose
anabolic; ATP
catabolic; glucose
catabolic; ATP
9. According to the information presented in Digestive Systems in Different Animals, the function of the digestive ceca in insects is (Points: 10)
to digest cellulose
to remove water
to add digestive juices
to produce hormones
10. Living organisms can convert potential energy of food molecules into kinetic energy of moving muscles. What is the law governing this natural phenomenon? (Points: 10)
the first law of thermodynamics
the law of anabolic reactions
the law of supply and demand
the second law of thermodynamics
Michael answers:
I’ll take your word for it, but the whole “10 points per answer” thing sure looks suspiciously like a test to me.
Anyway, let’s see what we can do:
1. Eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains, no matter how implausible, must be the truth.
2. Entropy.
3. See 1. Also, you do know the difference between cata- and ana-, don’t you? Just wondering.
4. CO2 + H2O => C6H12O6 + O2
5. Nice one! It might help to know what ‘homeostasis’ is.
6. Tricky! Potentially, one of the more amusing questions.
7. Nice and straightforward, this.
8. Is glucose a carbohydrate, or is ATP? Also, you do know the difference between cata- and ana-, don’t you? Just wondering.
9. Good thing you have that book to refer to, isn’t it!
10. What a nice guy! He’s just given you the answers to both 5 and 6 in this question! Now all you have to do is remember what these ‘thermodynamics’ Laws are all about.
Good luck!
Incidentally, my cat is constantly breaking things, but my cousin Anna keeps putting them back together. So it all works out OK.
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on April 5th, 2012%
Robert asks…
Is it worth fitting Solar Water Heater ?
I’m planning to fit a solar water heater in (Satara, Maharashtra, India). So I would like to know if it is worth taking loan from Bank ?
What are its Pros & Cons ?
Where can I get list of authorized dealers ?
Thank You!
Michael answers:
Even if you have to take out a loan from the bank, it will still make sense financially. Solar water heaters pay themselves off quickly, especially if you are heating with electricity now. If you are heating with gas, you will still get a good payback, but not as quickly as with electric.
There are very few cons to heating water with solar. You will have a back-up tank installed for when the sun cannot heat the water, so you should not experience running out of hot water due to the weather or time of day. The greatest Pro is that you will be heating your water with renewable energy. The sun rises everyday, and it’s warmth won’t run out for billions of years.
Try googling “solar hot water installer” or “solar hot water company.” Choose a company that has done lots of installations before and that is close to your home. A good installer should be able to tell you about any government rebates or incentives that will bring the cost of the system down, thus lowering your payback time.
You can learn more about how solar hot water systems work here: http://sunlightsolar.com/learning/solar-basics/solar-thermal-systems/
Charles asks…
can solar water heater be use to heat still water.?
im planning to heat 60 gallons of still water (the water is in a steel drum.) the water should reach 60 degrees celcius and be consistenly heat for 8 hours. are there any solar water heater which can be use to heat the water. for what i know, most solar water heater heat with a running water.
Michael answers:
The temperature is not a problem for a solar water heater. Consistent heat for 8 hours would depend on your location.
It sounds like you might be a good candidate for a solar-assisted conventional water heater. You would get a regular water heater, but the water in it would be mostly heated by solar. A small pump would move the water through the system, so the water would be moving in that sense. If the water gets too hot, the control system on the pump will shut the system down. If the water doesn’t get hot enough, the regular water heater will do its job.
Michael asks…
How is Vat Tax classified for different products?
I m Planning to open new shop, i will be selling / Trading Solar water Heater , Plumbing fitting & electron is , i want to know for which Product what Vat Tax is applicable
Can anybody help me….
Michael answers:
Vat is matter of state government .you can contact for vat Rate % in your local sales tax office there are diffirent tax catagary for diffirent state you can look it also your state governments website where you want to Open shop
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on April 4th, 2012%
Steven asks…
How much do Solar Shingles cost?
Michael answers:
I think it depends on where you are and what your installation will be. They won’t be cheap, I did see a new technology coming on line that they said will cut the cost by something like 3/4s, which is a pretty big chunk.
Michael asks…
What are the names of manufacturers of thin film solar?
We are looking into getting thin film solar shingles but cannot find any actual purchasing site. Just the info on what it is. Who is actually making and selling this stuff?
What I mean are roof shingles that collect solar energy the same way that solar panels do, only without the bulky equipment. I have seen segments on T.V. and also sites on the net, including government pages, that talk about it so I know it is a real technology.
Michael answers:
UniSolar made some a while back, but they were never popular.
I know of quite a few (hundreds) of residential solar installations, and not one of them used solar shingles. Pretty much, everyone goes with conventional panels that sit above the roof. These stay cooler than shingles, and give more energy. They also cost less, about 1/3 the price.
WIth solar shingles such as the unisolar type, the installation would still need to run conduit down to an inverter, and if you were off-grid, batteries would still be required. No savings on bulky equipment, there.
Every few years, there’s talk of AC solar shingles, with a little micro-inverter built into each one. The disadvantage would be that you have to drill a hole in your roof for the leads of each one, and wiring would be complicated. Also, having a micro-inverter would add $100-200 to the price of a small shingle, doubling or tripling the price.
The advantage of micro inverters is that if something takes out one of the panels, like a shadow from a tree, or a stray bullet, the others can keep operating. Conventional panels have answers to these problems, too: don’t put up panels where they will get shaded, or if a shadow is unavoidable on one, use bypass and blocking diodes. For the stray bullet, conventional panels are actually more easily repaired and/or replaced than shingles.
Mary asks…
PLEASE ANY INFO ON SOLAR POWER SHINGLES!!?
As the headline says, I would VERY much appreciate any info on solar power shingles. I’m researching their:
prices
materials
companies that make solar power shingles
but can’ t find any….
and any other info is certainly welcome,
Thanks!
GreenDay
Michael answers:
DO NOT BUY NOW.
They just found a new way to make a more powerful solar cell that have an output of 6 times the standard solar cell, and they are much more cost effective then todays solar cells.
It won’t be on the shingle market for another 5 years.
I saw it on the science channel.
The cells are based on a semi transperant chemical coated film that collects full power and at the same time allows 80% of the light to go throught the film. The chemical they put on the film is electrically reactive.
Since the film allows light to go threw it, they put another layer of film that will collect full power minus 20% loss from the first layer. The third layer only get 60% of the light and so on.
Anything below 50% light is not practical, however nasa is working on solar lensing which puts more light into a small area. When they combine these two sciences they will be able to achieve 6 layer which will be 6 times the standard cell.
The advantage of this method is solar cells will take up much less room with more power output.
In other words, today you would have to cover your entire roof with solar cells to power your house. With the new solar cell you would only need about 8 foot by 8 foot square of cells to power you home. It cost 1 dollar for the new cells for every 100 dollar you spend to manufacture the old cells .
It’s about time.
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on April 3rd, 2012%
Mark asks…
are solar panels a reliable source of energy, cost efficient?
i’m looking to install solar for helpwith my utilities. an 6.6kw system for 4400.00 which they say will do aprox 67% of my bill or a 9kw that will do aprox 78% for 5500.00. i live in ca. that includes the rebates. can they be bargaind with? it seams a little high. thanks n lj
Michael answers:
$4400 seems very low, unless subsidies involved. If it is a good system, and the calculations are accurate, it sounds great deal as long as you save more than about $60-70 a month. Your payout for the system will break even in less than 10 years, and you will help the environment.
Paul asks…
How much does electric heat cost?
How much does it cost to have one of these systems installed? If you combine this system with solar energy, is it cheaper than heating oil or gas? As far as the labor and parts, are electric baseboards, systems cheaper than oil baseboards?
Michael answers:
Right now it is cheaper to run electric heat in my area. My highest electric bill during the winter was 275 or so. I have customers that have same size house but use gas that had bills for 400 or more per month. As far as install cost electric is much much cheaper than gas. 20kw electric furnace would cost about 1500 to put in maybe more gas is about 2500-3500 depending on BTUs
Susan asks…
what’s the cost difference between solar and regular electricity? ?
does anyone know any good websites that can give me some information about the cost difference for solar/wind energies as opposed to what we usually receive from the electric company? or maybe differences in our elec. bill if i had solar/wind systems installed?
Michael answers:
Carrie,
If you are looking for a simple answer, you aren’t going to get it because there are just too many variables involved.
How do you want to deal with the high initial cost of the solar system?
For instance, I could make the case the solar generated power is essentially free for the life time of the panels. Let’s bring some actual cost figures into this discussion. I live in the Southwest with a lot of solar energy, but I have a large cooling load and a fairly large house needing cooling. Lets assume I need a 12 kilowatt solar panel to provide for my electrical needs.
Http://www.americanpv.com/pdf/res_on/prices.pdf
Without incentives, that system will cost me $83,000. Even after all the federal, state and local incentives, the panel will still cost me $22,000. Now what is the cost of money?
If you are looking for the most simplistic like answer, you will note that they give you such figures at the bottom… But just be aware that they are a number of implicit assumptions being made to arrive at this “guess”.
Steven asks…
solar energy to run my computer?
how much solar energy do i need to run single desktop computer?
and how much does this solar powered electrical system for my desktop usually costs?
Michael answers:
Good question. I have heard that the average desktop computer uses aproximately 65 watt/hours of electricity. This may be more or less of course depending on your computer. (seems to me to be a little understated) but it’s a stat.
Unfortuneately, it would be very costly to implement something like this. If you looked at some retail solar panels:
http://www.solarpanelstore.com/solar-power.small-solar-panels.html
you will see that for aproximately 30Watts of power, the unit itself costs around $225. You would probably need about 3 of these as a minimum …. Up to $675 – not to mention any of the back end things you need to hold the power etc.
I sure hope we get better technology soon. Hope this helps!
Lizzie asks…
Does any one know of any government funding for renewable energy systems?
we live in the country and are looking to live “off the grid”. We are looking into a turbine in conjunction with a solar system, but the outright cost are VERY high!
Michael answers:
Kudos to you! Some states offer an incentive incentive programs for home owners who generate solar energy and contribute to the power grid. For example, in Massachusetts, the state has a program that pays for 50% of the up-front costs of installing a solar power system. Programs vary from state to state.
Furthermore, if you plan to invest in renewable energy, consider staying connected to the power grid and participate in a program known as “net-metering.” Some solar power home owners who currently have solar power contribute their excess power back to the power grid.
In return, they get a price break in their electric bill. Also the excess solar power helps reduce the dependency on fossil fuel and nonrenewable energy in the large scale.
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on April 3rd, 2012%
Jenny asks…
So Im going to cut a 14 inch hole in the roof of my van, any helpful advice?
I want to install a turbokool air conditioner that runs off solar panels. I think I will use a jigsaw for metal. I have lights that run down the center of the van. Im thinking to cut the square hole in the back left. How do I know where the wires are?
Michael answers:
First an answer, then a suggestion. You don’t know where the wires are. So you’ll have to disconnect the battery first. If you should cut a wire, it’ll be easier to fix the wire if the battery isn’t shorting out. You’ll also have to consider how to fix the roof fabric. And the biggest consideration will be rain. Hope the turbokool unit has a flange that you can screw into the roof. I’d get some gasket material- maybe 3/32″ thick rubber and use plenty of waterproof gasket sealer so your installation doesn’t leak. Might not hurt to have some stiffener around the hole so the screws will have something to bite into. Plywood might work, but maybe something like Lexan would also work. As long as you’re making a huge hole in your van, you shouldn’t hesitate to attach the PV panel next to the fan unit. Think about a switch, maybe under the PV panel? Lots of glue and screws, plus lots of waterproofing. You might also consider a small controller and using the PV panel to trickle charge the van’s battery. But that’s up to you. … Take care!!
Mary asks…
Does this solar panel/battery configuration make sense?
I know nothing about electricity but am willing to spend a good amount of money. Below is the setup I am thinking of (please let me know if I’m forgetting something or doing something retarded).
Purpose: To power a 50 Watt laptop, 90 Watt table lamp, 100 Watt fan, and a 2 Watt cell phone for 6 hours a day
Solar Panel: Sunforce 37130 130W monocrystalline solar panel (ideally designed for 12V batteries)
+
Charge Controller: Sunforce 60032 30 Amp digital charge controller (intended for use with 12V solar panels, handling up to 450 Watts of solar power)
+
Battery: 12V Concorde Sun Xtender (Absorbent Glass Mat, ideally designed for solar systems)
+
Xantrex 851-0700 XPower Plus 700-Watt Inverter (DC to AC)
The solar panel would be mounted flat on a roof in Washington, D.C. and exposed to the standard weather conditions 24 hours a day. Everything else would be inside. I am choosing to run the appliances on AC power because I’m not interested in buying DC adapters for every appliance I might potentially use. I know this is not cheaper than just getting electricity from the utility company but that’s okay with me.
Michael answers:
A) Your solar panel outputs max 130 W and without any losses you need 242 W total, that’s a problem…
B) What if it rains? Do you get power from the grid, or do you want to be self-sufficient.?
You need to know mAh rating of your battery. A 12V 1Ah (1000mAh) battery can provide 1A for one hr (12 W). So, if you know your Ah rating, you can figure how long you can last with no sun.
Thomas asks…
Does this solar panel/battery configuration make sense?
I know nothing about electricity but am willing to spend a good amount of money. Below is the setup I am thinking of (please let me know if I’m forgetting something or doing something retarded).
Purpose: To power a 50 Watt laptop, 90 Watt table lamp, 100 Watt fan, and a 2 Watt cell phone for 6 hours a day
Solar Panel: Sunforce 37130 130W monocrystalline solar panel (ideally designed for 12V batteries)
+
Charge Controller: Sunforce 60032 30 Amp digital charge controller (intended for use with 12V solar panels, handling up to 450 Watts of solar power)
+
Battery: 12V Concorde Sun Xtender (Absorbent Glass Mat, ideally designed for solar systems)
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Xantrex 851-0700 XPower Plus 700-Watt Inverter (DC to AC)
The solar panel would be mounted flat on a roof in Washington, D.C. and exposed to the standard weather conditions 24 hours a day. Everything else would be inside. I am choosing to run the appliances on AC power because I’m not interested in buying DC adapters for every appliance I might potentially use. I know this is not cheaper than just getting electricity from the utility company but that’s okay with me.
Michael answers:
Let’s start with the most simplistic calculation. The panel can produce under ideal sun conditions 130 Watts x 5 hours of sunlight = 650 Watts-hour DC. Let’s assume that charging the battery + converting DC to AC will waste 20% of that power (the waste will be converted into heat). This leaves you with 650X0.8=510 Watts-Hours.
Your consumption is (50+90+100+2)X6=1452 Watts-hour. Unfortunately, the law of energy conservation tells you it is impossible to spend more energy than the energy available.
You must have at least 1452/650=2.25 solar panels (130 Watts each) to have enough energy.(Let’s round it to 3 panels). The charge controller is the right size, the inverter is a bit over sized. I can not establish an opinion about the battery size because I don’t know it Amp-hour capacity
Look into this reference to see how to properly size an off grid system
http://www.solar-energy-for-home.com/off-grid-solar-power.html
Linda asks…
How powerful is one watt?
How powerful is one watt, for example, your answer = x amount of watts is strong enough to power a cable remote. This info is vital to me purchasing my single bedroom house with a living room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry room/area, attic and basement in Canada. I was going to have solar panels installed onto the roof of my house so I can get free electricity.
Michael answers:
I would forget about how much your house uses as the cost to cover all possible load combinations would be prohibitive. Best to work out what the biggest system is that you can afford, price wise and what the efficiency is in you location,ie sunlight hours available. Just use this output to reduce your bills is the best way to go. Don’t forget when it’s night you don’t get any power at all and when it is cloudy or the sun angle gets low in winter then the output is really reduced allot.
Chris asks…
Do you think Electric or gas powered Tuk Tuks will happen in Bangkok?
Do you think Electric or gas powered Tuk Tuks will happen in Bangkok ?
I have seen only 1 Electric powered Tuk Tuk
Now an idea has occured that maybe a solar powered tuk tuk would be a good idea as they have a large roof area for a solar panel and lots of Sun to power them along
I claim this as my Idea : )
Michael answers:
Solar panels in their current form would be far too heavy for the roof of a tuk tuk. It would move the balance point too high, so the tuk tuk would become far too unstable when cornering.
I think that gas powered tuk tuks have a greater chance of occurring than electric ones – at least until nanobatteries and flexible (and cheap and lightweight!) solar cells become available.
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on April 3rd, 2012%
Donald asks…
what is the percentage efficiency of wind and solar power?
Michael answers:
Solar power efficiency gives only 10 percent to 20 percent efficiency… (atleast the commonly used cells)
im not aware of the wind power but it would be high when strong winds blow otherwise very low…
Mandy asks…
how can i calculate the power output of a solar cell?
what are all the things i need to know to calculate power output (in KWh) for different solar cells with different efficiencies,
i know i need to know the number of hours of sunlight, watts produced, amp hours, efficiency of the cell
how do i put it into the form of an equation
Michael answers:
Power (watts) is simply current (amps) x voltage (volts).
Power used has to take into account time so that is where something like KW hr comes into play. It is simply watts x 1000 x time (hrs). So if something uses (or produces) 1000 watts of electricity for 1 hours, this equals 1 KW hr.
Efficiency is another thing altogether. Hopefully you would have some literature telling you the cell efficiency otherwise you will have all sorts of issues trying to calculate it with accuracy as the size of the cell comes into play, as does the sun angle and your latitude, cloud cover or even just smog in the air, etc.
If all you really want to do is calculate the power output of a solar cell, then most of the things you mention in your question are not necessary and you just need the current and voltage for a particular load.
Linda asks…
If this energy could be collected and converted to electrical energy with 25.0 % efficiency how large an area?
(in square kilometers) would be required to collect the electrical energy used by the United States? (1.0 X 10^19 joules per year). And iff the solar collectors were arranged in a square array, what would be the length of its sides in kilometers(km) and in miles(mi)? The sun transfers energy to the earth by radiation at a rate of approximately 1.00 kW per square meter of surface.
Michael answers:
25% = 1/4
1/4 10^19/(365*24*3600) J/s or W = 1000 W * Area
Find area, Take sqrt to find sides of square. About 6 miles by 6 miles. Not that big!!
Daniel asks…
Question regarding solar power?
If you had a rocket that was harnessing the power of the sun (traveling in the same orbit of Mercury), how big would your solar panels have to be to create 1.06 x 10^13 watts of power (assuming 45% efficiency) ?
Michael answers:
Bigger than a breadbox.
Jenny asks…
Solar energy conversion?
Solar energy is converted naturally into wood biomass with an efficiency of about 0.1 percent. Suppose a wood lot of 100 hectares (10 to the sixth power m squared.) is located in Missouri, where the average annual solar flux is 200 watts/m squared. Given that heat for wood is 12 MBtu/ton, how many tons of wood can be produced by this property each year?
Michael answers:
A lot less than you think as some light does get through the trees to hit the ground, flower and grass and not all the energy received becomes wood, a lot is used by the cells to live.
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on April 2nd, 2012%
James asks…
Science Homework Help?
The source of heat for a (an) _____ system is electricity.
Glass is a _____ conductor of heat.
In a solar heating system, heat is transferred to water in a storage
tank by means of a
a. cooling tower.
b. solar collector.
c. heat exchanger.
d. radiator.
Michael answers:
1. I dont know
2. Poor conducter, cuz its non-metal.
3.cooling tower
Thomas asks…
All of the following are in tune with green marketing except:?
All of the following are in tune with green marketing except:
a. solar powered parking meters
b. Ford’s hybrid offerings
c. the NJ Science Center’s wind turbines
d. slim plastic water bottles
e. geothermal heating systems for buildings
Michael answers:
D seems the least green in marketing terms, but marketing and product design can be applied to anything. Disposable water bottles are not thought of as green, but a reusable bottle might be.
Chris asks…
what would happen if our sun was flung out of the galaxy?
I know that if the earth ever left the sun’s orbit, we would all freeze to death because the sun heats the earth and allows liquid water to flow. But what would happen if our entire solar system somehow left the galaxy? would we float through space with a lone star, but continue life as normal? Or does the galaxy provide some sort of life support to our sun that if we lost it, we would suffer negative effects?
Michael answers:
We would die nomatter what
Daniel asks…
I need help with earth systems?
1.Compare and contrast the heating of land and water??
2.What Three things may happen to incoming solar radiation?
please help!!
GOOGLE DOESNT HAVE IT
Michael answers:
1. Water is a much better conductor of radiation than land, so water heats up and cools down much faster than land (that’s why water is used as a coolant and not rocks!). Seasonal temperature variations are due to changes in hours of daylight, but the land acts as a heat-shunt, delaying seasonal temperature variations, depending on your latitude. In coastal regions, water can cool the local environment during the summer months, and conversely warm the local environment in the winter months.
2. Not sure, maybe (i) absorbed by the Earth’s surface, (ii) reflected back into space by clouds and pollution, (iii) trapped by the Greenhouse effect ?
Michael asks…
When Earth becomes inhabitable in about 2 billion years, will humans be able to survive in space?
do you think we may develop technology to survive in the middle of space with our own sources of heat, water, etc.?
(might we be able to survive by drinking our own urine?)
or will we need to travel to the next solar system, some 4.3 light years away?
@Watchful: I think they actually have discovered some earth-like planets. do a google search.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/sep/29/earth-like-planet-gliese-581g
Michael answers:
We’ll probably be extinct long before then.
If, by chance, some descendent of ours happens to still be around we can be pretty sure that it will be a very different creature from us – so much that we wouldn’t even recognise the organisms as our descendents.
And yes, these organisms could very well inhabit another world – perhaps one of the Gliese 581 planets.
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on April 2nd, 2012%
Donald asks…
how much a solar-powered house costs to me ? i am in new york city?
5 bed rooms , 3 bath rooms one lobby , one store and a park and solar-powered house ?
Michael answers:
It depends upon your electricity consumption, on how many appliances do you have, how many electric lights, everything that needs electricity. I would suggest that you should consult the nearest expert, there are some solar companies that would offer free consultation.
Thomas asks…
who do I talk to about converting my whole house to solar power?Thank You!?
Michael answers:
Hi Her is a website that might be of some help to you. Http://www.the-mrea.org
Sandy asks…
I want to run my house fully on solar power including AC’s?
6 indoor lights + 4 outdoor lights + 3 Fans + PC + Printer + TV +Wataer Pump + Wataer Heater.
Michael answers:
You need to do a loads list that lists how many watts each of those components draw, and for how many hours a day. You also need to consider if any of them run on 220V instead of 110V (in the US), often the water heater and pump are 220V. You can do that on this calculator, http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/load_calculator/. Once you know how many watt hours you need a day, you can enter it in the off-grid calculator at http://www.altestore.com/store/calculators/off_grid_calculator/.
Alternately, if you are buying electricity from the electric grid now, you can look at your electric bill and see how many kilowatt hours (kwh) a month you use, and divide it by 30 days to see how much you use a day. Then enter that number in the off-grid calculator.
If you do have access to the electric grid, it doesn’t make sense to disconnect from the grid, it is less expensive to continue with them, sell them any extra you make and buy back any more that you need. You would use them as your battery bank.
Also, and most importantly, instead of using solar electric to heat your water, you should get solar water heating instead of using electricity to heat it. It’s much more efficient and less expensive. You should also be using CFL or LED lights instead of regular incandescent lights. It’ll save you a fortune.
Paul asks…
Can I get Solar power when renting a house?
Just wondering? I would love to save money, and by getting a solar panel..seems the way to go, is it possible??
Michael answers:
You need the Landlords permission before you do any work in a rented property. Solar panels are expensive to install and just one is not effective enough to make any noticeable savings which will take about 7 years to recoup the expense for the installation alone.
Daniel asks…
how much it costs to run your 5 bedroom house on solar power?
Michael answers:
Gather 1 year of power bills and add up the total kWh used and cost.
Look up your location for solar radiation. Google World Solar Radiation Map.
Run these values through a calculator.
Get results in square metres of solar panels.
Other answers include target solar power size goal and savings expected over 30 years.
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