Solar Power - Projects and costings

Have you got a solar project, either existing or planned? Then we would like your help to put together real facts and figures, problems and issues, tips and advice for others interested in solar power, solar hot water, solare heating, photovoltaics and general solar energy issues. Your experience may help us all work towards sustainable living and reducing our carbon footprint.
If you can help

Click the links below to explore current information and data on real projects.

Solar Panels - an easy way to fill them
	This article describes how to fill your solar panel ciruit easily and quickly by incorporating three isolating valves into the circuit.

Solar water heating - does it add up?
	The answer to this question depends on what your intention is - do you want to save money or save the planet? This article is mainly concerned with the cost side of the argument but also looks at the environmental issues if sustainable living is your goal.

Solar Power - What realityGreen is about

realityGreen is where sustainable living meets reality. This is our solar power page where solar panels, photovoltaics and concentrating solar power takes centre stage. We believe that each and everyone of us must do our bit to ensure sustainable development for our future. Much is out of the individuals control on a day to day basis as we rely on governments to make the broad changes required but we can all take action and work towards sustainable development. realityGreen is all about helping you achieve sustainable living but with a modern lifestyle. Our solar power page covers news and articles covering this area of sustainable living.

Solar power offers hope

Living in the UK it is easy to think that solar power is not the most ideal form of renewable energy available but solar power is one of the most flexible offering solar panels for both solar water and photovoltaic solar cells. This puts solar power in a special position when it comes to our challenge to achieve a sustainable sustainable lifestyle.

Solar panels on a dull day

No-one will try and kid you that you that solar panels are going to give you a piping hot bath on a dull winters day when it’s dark at 4.00pm, but if we are to achieve sustainable living then it is the reduction in our use of carbon based fuels which is important in this instance. If solar panels can raise the base temperature in a solar water tank so less conventional fuel is needed to heat it then an environmental benefit can be seen. realityGreen's explores and analyses these issues.

Solar power - there is also CSP or Concentrating Solar Power

CSP really does hold the potential for mass solar power generation and green energy on a big scale. This is nothing to do with photovoltaic solar cells, CSP stands for concentrated solar power (sometimes referred to as concentrating solar power) which involves focusing the sun’s rays using mirrors onto a column of water. The water vaporises to steam which then drives a steam generator to produce power. What we like about concentrating solar power (or concentrated solar power) at realityGreen is that the technology is relatively proven. North Africa’s deserts offer the potential to solar power the whole of North Africa and Europe with green energy whilst at the same time desalinating vast amounts of sea water to allow large areas of the desert to be irrigated - food production is another key area of sustainable development. realityGreen will keep you up to date with all these developments, whether it’s concentrating solar power, photovoltaic solar cells or simple solar panels for solar water heating - Anything to do with green energy and sustainable living.

Welcome to realityGreen - the site specifically designed for those aiming for modern but sustainable living. Here you will find articles and links looking at both the environmental and economic benefits of systems and equipment available to those wanting to embrace sustainable living. If you are interested in individual sustainable projects, then the links to these appear below the news items under the various menu categories.

Sustainable Living - Solar Power

10/20/2010 6:54:51 AM	Britain launches smart grid project Plans for Britain’s largest smart-grid project have been released. The project encompasses 14,000 homes and businesses and will test the impact of low carbon technologies, such as electric cars and solar panels, on the grid, in order to ultimately help British homes and businesses cut their carbon footprint, reduce their energy use, and save significant money.

9/20/2010 7:59:42 AM	Sticker claims upto 10% improvement in solar panel performance New and unique ways of making solar panels more efficient in power generation are coming to light every day. This latest device is a large transparent sticker applied to the front of the panel which increases the power output by about 10%.

9/20/2010 6:28:18 AM	New venture to develop low cost plastic solar cells Cambridge Enterprise, the University of Cambridge’s commercialisation office, and the Carbon Trust today announced the launch of Eight19 Limited, a new solar energy company which will develop and manufacture high performance, lower cost plastic solar cells for high-growth volume markets.

8/24/2010 5:27:19 AM	Keeping solar panels clean in the desert Deserts are the obvious locations for solar power plants. The land is cheap and the sunshine is plentiful. Unfortunately so too is the dust, dirt and wind that leads to dirty solar panels that can take a big hit in efficiency. One technology being tried is self-dusting solar panels,based on technology developed for Mars.

8/18/2010 6:14:49 AM	Building integrated photovoltaics - are they gaining ground? This article from American website, Renewable Energy World looks at the developments of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and the potential to make the buildings construction generate power. With many European countries wanting new build houses to be either energy neutral or energy positive by 2020 this is obviously an area to watch.