Q:If you buy everything you need for a grid-tied solar set up, can you install it yourself or is it required that a professional installs it?

By an utility approved qualified individual. The utilities really hate it if their maintenance people working on the power lines gets electrocuted because some solar powered inverter didn't shut off when they shut the line off.

Q:Please, I want a good definition. :DD

The previous answer stating that a solar panel is a method of collecting, and converting sunlight into electricity is correct, however once sunlight has been converted into electricity, it has to have a way to be stored, so that it can be used. This is accomplished by the use of storage batteries. It is stored in a DC or Direct Current form, and may then be converted to AC (alternating current) through the use of an inverter.

Q:How about using Solar Panals to provide the electrical power to separate the H2 from the O? H2 would be fed into the engines carburator like a gas/air mixture ratio, but H2/air mixture ratio instead. How would you control the exact measurements?

H2 has more energy per weight – but requires twice the volume of fuel. It is unsafe to transport as a liquid or gas (usually in a carrier medium of some sort) Solar panels are expensive (low output per $) and expire after some use. They are dirty and energy inefficient to make too. However: hydroelectric, wind, and sea technologies may offer some improvements in costs with oil prices as high as they are.

Q:My family has been interested in solar technology for a long time. I want to know how to save money so I can get as many solar panels as possible. I know the government has different discounts/ grants, and there may be tax incentives. I am not looking to sell energy to the energy company I want to use the energy directly.

Depending okorder /

Q:I have a solar energy panel that works in every room except mine. I have those severely bright, energy efficient bulbs and it doesn't work at all.What do I do? Is the bulbs really causing this? Why?

get a voltage tester and test the output from the panel if it is a 24 volt output which is then inverted the reading should be that of the inverter. however if you solar panel installer installed an LCD panel that controls the electricity you can monitor any faults from the panel. Make sure that the panel you feel is not working is producing the same amount of electricity as the others. As for the bulb buy a new one from a different make and see what happens but by testing the output voltage and power you are bound to find the fault.. I have just thought of this the panels supply electricity to big batteries that then distributes power to all the house perhaps the battery supplying power to your room is faulty or the connections to the inverter might be faulty. BEST option if you can afford it because it will be expensive is to buy a solar monitoring system that control the panel and batteries you can even connect it to your laptop and control all the power.

Q:Can solar panels be installed on factories or manufacturing facilities?

Yes, solar panels can be installed on factories or manufacturing facilities. In fact, many industrial plants have started adopting solar power as a sustainable and cost-effective energy solution. Installing solar panels on rooftops or open spaces of factories allows them to generate clean electricity, reduce their reliance on grid power, and lower their carbon footprint. Additionally, the vast areas available in manufacturing facilities often provide ample space for large-scale solar installations, making them ideal candidates for solar panel installation.

Q:Can I use a regulator from a car to regulate the voltage from a solar panel to a battery?

solar panels will naturally produce a certain DC voltage which is what your battery needs - the current will vary based on the sun light. You need probably 4V to have some over voltage. So based on your specs look at having at least 4 V but not too much over that (tells you how many panels you need in series) I would have blocking diodes (probably the solar cell has them built in) to insure the battery does not discharge thru the panel.

Q:but is that per day, per hour or minute?How much watts does the average AC unit use?How much does an energy efficient lightbulb use?All in all let's hypothetically say we no longer use the electric company for our energy source, How many of these panels do you estimate it would take to supply our small home?

To calculate an estimate of your power usage, follow the first link below. Although you can have whatever sized system you want (at a cost) those on solar power generally keep their power usage down by cooking on gas, not using an electric kettle, using low energy light bulbs. Powering AC would up your power requirements considerably. We run a medium sized house on 860 watts of panels in southern Spain (plenty of sunshine). That includes the washing machine, pool, and running two laptops and wireless network all day,and a ceiling fan on summer nights. Hower we cook on gas, would not consider AC, and the fridge runs on gas (though if the fridge had to be replaced I would buy electric and add an extra pv panel). For an overview of the equipment required and what it does, check the second link below.

Q:a fiber optic network could distribute solar energy from warm states to the rest of the country. Using a Federally created program,the energy would be used through a trust program to benefit all of our citizens equally. It would create thousands of jobs and help us with our dependence on foriegn oil supplies. This is no different than work programs created by the Feds during the 930's depression era.

This is a great idea, but there are some intrinsic difficulties with the theory: First, the average US household uses 27.4kWh of power per day= aprox. 0,000 kWh per year. Solar panels create kWh/m^2/day. Therefore you would need 27 m^2 (290 ft^2) of solar panels per household. Not only does that use a lot of space, but it would also cost a fortune. We also have to take into account that the government does not want us to become dependent of oil for many reasons. Therefore it is unlikely the government would ever consider paying for it. Lastly, for power grids to stay functional at all times, backup power plants must be kept 'hot', to replace solar power stations as they stop producing. There is an energy cost to keep plants 'hot', which includes (in the case of coal plants) the burning of coal. Unfortunately, if the country is not willing to accept brownouts, the carbon footprint of any large scale solar project will have to accept the 'hot' non-producing power plants carbon emissions as their own. The continued advances in the ability to store electricity will greatly impact the successful implementation of a large scale solar power station being, carbon footprint free. However, it would be possible for every household to have their own solar panels. Since they would need about 290 ft^2 (or 5ft x 5ft), then it does seem reasonable that they could have this much on their roof or land somewhere. Any additional energy you make from the solar panels you can sell back to the power plants and make money. They could then use this extra energy to cover in brown out situations, etc. In order for this to work though, we would all need to be responsible for purchasing and installing our own solar panels. It would be nice if the government would offer greater incentives to do so.

Q:I have created a solar setup in my shed i have 2x.5w solar panels i am hoping to charge my 55ah car battery how long would it take to charge the battery and how many watts could i used a day

I don't think so, but if it did, it would take a very long time. You need enough wattage or amps to push the power in the battery and 3w may not be enough. You would be better off with a small 2v battery, maybe the type they use for emergency lights. I would use a sealed battery for this type of setup because car batteries are designed for heavy charging with alternators from 60 amps and up.