Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Charge Controllers for Home Solar Systems
Energy prices are rising. Many people are fighting back by using solar power systems for their homes. If you are thinking of doing the same, you may need to know about charge controllers.
Solar panel systems are popular for homes. It is key, however, to understand systems can be defined in two ways, those with batteries and those without. If you go without batteries, you are feeding energy into the local utility grid and don’t need to read the rest of this article. If you are using batteries with or without the utility grid, read on…
A solar panel system is somewhat wild. By wild, I mean that it produces energy so long as it is sunny. This is, after all, the value of a solar system. Free energy every day for as long as the system functions. Most systems function for 20 to 30 years.
There is one draw back to this free energy. It just comes and comes. Why is this a problem? Well, your batteries can only handle so much. If you just keep pounding energy into the batteries, their useful life will be shortened or they may just fail outright.
To save your batteries, you need to have a charge controller. The controller has one function. It is to prevent your solar panels from overcharging the batteries. Batteries for solar panel systems are expensive, so the importance of the controller cannot be understated.
Traditionally, controllers have been pretty simple systems. At their outset, they literally just created a mechanical disconnect between panels and batteries. These days, they are much more sophisticated. They can analyze systems and even kick out data logs if you are so inclined to read them.
The key to buying a charge controller is voltage. You need to select a system that matches the voltage of your batteries. Fortunately, most controllers now can be adapted to different voltages, but make sure before you buy.
Most people are going on grid these days with solar systems. The financial incentives for being on grid are just to great with tax credits, rebates and such. If you go off grid, however, or use batteries with your on grid system, a charge controller should be used. It will save you a lot of money over time in battery replacement costs.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - your source for solar power articles.


The Fundamental Elements of Wind Turbines
Wind power is the fastest growing renewable energy platform in the world. Ah, but just how do wind turbines work. Well, you have to understand the key components.
At its core, a wind turbine converts the energy in wind into usable electricity. Wind, of course, is a form of solar energy. As the sun heats surfaces at different rates, hot air rises and cooler air rushes in to fill the gap. This rushing process is wind. A turbine positioned in the appropriate area catches this wind.
As you might imagine, the first key component of the wind turbine is the blade. In modern horizontal turbines, there are usually three blades. The blades are often made of a plastic and fiberglass composite, but some are still wood. The blades are concave, but off center to catch the wind and spin efficiently.
The blades are connected to a double rotor assembly. The blade rotor is connected to the blades and spins as they catch wind. The blade rotor is then connected to a magnet rotor through a pulley assembly on larger turbines or directly on smaller ones for homes.
The magnet rotor does not turn anything. Instead, it spins around a magnetic alternator. This creates a magnetic field. As it passes over the wires of the alternator, an electrical charge is created. The electrical charge is then fed to a controller that converts the untamed electricity to usable DC power.
To maximize energy production, the turbine platform is fairly sophisticated. The turbine is not stationary at the top of the supporting pole. Instead, it sits on a bearing that allows the turbine to rotate towards the direction of the wind. This obviously makes it much more efficient.
To make sure the rotation is done correctly, all horizontal turbines come with a tail. Often called a boom or vane, the tail looks like something you would find on a model airplane. It is a pole out the rear of the turbine. At the end is a flat, vertical surface. This surface automatically turns towards the wind, which causes the blades on the other end of the turbine to do so also.
To the surprise of many, wind turbines are also built with a breaking system. Why brakes? Well, you may need to work on the turbine or turn it off if very high winds are expected. The brakes are often electrical in nature. The essentially break the current being fed from the turbine. They are not a way of stopping the blades from turning.
Wind power is growing in popularity and is proving to be a valuable energy source. This is particularly true for rural or underdeveloped areas. The next time you see a wind turbine, you can tell the people with you exactly how it works.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - get more information on wind power and renewable energy.


Why Hiring a Private College Consultant Makes Sense... And Can Also Save Money
Four years of college at many private colleges currently costs between $180,000 and $200,000. Next to a house, college is the most expensive purchase most people will make during their lifetime. Despite those costs, many students choose a college without adequate investigation into what would be the best college for that student. As a result one out of three college students leave the college where they started and five out of ten require five or more years to earn their degree. With thousands of choices, it can be difficult to find the right college for any student. Hiring a private college consultant can help students avoid these costly mistakes by finding the right college the first time.
For many students the work to find the right college often creates stress for both the student and their parents. The student is trying to balance the college search with homework, extracurricular activities, friendships and just being a teenager. Finding the right balance can be difficult. At the same time, parents worry about ensuring the best future for their child and put additional pressure on the student when they least need it.
Working with a consultant can take some of that pressure away. A good consultant can take a step back and help the student address those issues related to the college search process without being a nagging parent. Parents are left to provide the nurturing they can do best.
A private college consultant can also help to understand what is needed to gain admission to colleges as they have become more selective. Even those schools once considered safety schools by many students have gotten more selective in their admissions and can no longer be considered safety schools.
The days are gone when high grades and test scores alone could guarantee admission to many colleges. Colleges now look at the student’s extra curricular activities, their interests and their volunteer efforts. They evaluate how well the student communicates through their essays and often how the student presents themselves in the interview process. The college consultant knows how to help the student effectively communicate who they are to the college admissions office.
However, it is not just top students that need help finding the right college. Finding the right college for the less competitive student is just as important. Many less competitive colleges have higher drop out rates and lower graduation rates than some of the well known colleges. It is common to find colleges with four year graduation rates less than 50%. These students often need help to find a college that can help the student learn and yet graduate in a reasonable period of time.
Another group of students that often benefit from the help of a private college consultant are those with unusual circumstances. Students with special needs and learning disabilities need to find colleges that have certain resources not available at all colleges. Home schooled students can also benefit from an experienced private consultant. Many colleges are unsure how to evaluate a student without traditional grades and this can put home schooled students at a disadvantage. A college consultant can work with the student to communicate their strongest qualities in a way that the colleges will understand.
Many students rely on high school guidance counselors to help them in the search for the right college. Some students are fortunate to have an experienced college guidance counselor with whom to work. Even these hard working professionals, however, do not have the time to work one on one with those students who want such support.
More commonly, many guidance counselors just don’t have the time to spend helping each student with the college search process. With an average ratio of almost 500 students for each counselor, many high school counselors can’t take the time to help students with individualized college counseling. Because of time constraints it is not uncommon that many of these busy counselors only know about in state schools that they deal with on a regular basis. They often don’t have the time to familiarize themselves with highly selective colleges or colleges for the student with particular needs.
Given the many issues that must be examined in finding the right college, and the costs involved, it is not surprising that it is common for students at top colleges to use a private consultant to help them find the right college.
Todd Johnson, a lawyer and college consultant, is the principal college admission consultant for College Admissions Partners. Todd provides personalized service to help students and families through the complete college admissions and financial aid process. He can be reached through the website College Admissions Partners