Tips to Find the Best Energy Auditor for Your School in Melbourne

Tips to Find the Best Energy Auditor for Your School in Melbourne from Enhar Pty Ltd

How is Solar Energy Used on Earth?

The uses of solar energy are expanding fast with the development of modern technologies. Here are the different ways that are used to capture and use the energy of the sun.

How is Solar Energy Used on Earth? from Lili Rose

A Breakthrough in Solar Energy Has Been Announced By the Australian Scientists

Researchers in Australia have developed a new way of configuring commercial solar panels, which has broken records for conversion of sunlight into electricity – at costs which may be affordable.

The new PV system is created by the researchers of UNSW (University of New South Wales). It converts over forty percent solar energy into electrical energy, which represents a fifteen percent increase over other top panels.

The lab tests have proved that the solar cell process can convert up to forty-six percent of the energy of the sun into electricity. The new method works with the regular commercial PV cells stacked to absorb different wavelengths. This breakthrough could makesolar plants more competitive with low cost sources of energy including coal.

Martin Green, the professor of UNSW said, “This is the highest efficiency ever reported for sunlight conversion into electricity. We used commercial solar cells, but in a new way, so these efficiency improvements are readily accessible to the solar industry."

Green also said that the production of traditional solar energy only makes use of one solar cell, whichrestricts the conversion of sunlight to electricity to about thirty-three percent. But the new technology that has been developed by UNSW distributes sunlight into four various cells, therefore increasing conversion levels.

The advancement involved two important steps-3 solar panels were stacked for capturing the energy from sunlight of various wavelengths and then excess light from cells were reflected by filters and mirrors and directed to the 4th PV panel. Hence, earlier unused sunlight was used and contributes to the increased level of efficiency.

Solar researchers of UNSW have made many advancements in solar energy in past 40 years, including the first PV system for achieving a conversion rate of more than twenty percent in 1989. However, the latest development doubles that achievement.

This new technology can be used with PV power towers, which make use of sun tracking mirrors for focusing the sunlight on a tall collector building. Green however, hopes to use this technology on domestic solar panels on homeowner’s roofs in the future. Domestic solar panels presently have only fifteen to eighteen percent efficiency. “The panels that you have on the roof of your home, at the moment they just have a single cell but eventually they'll have several different cells... and they'll be able to improve their efficiency to this kind of level,” Green said.

ARENA (Australian Renewable Energy Agency) is providing funding to solar energy researchers at UNSW. Ivor Frischknecht, the CEO of the agency said in a statement, “We hope to see this home grown innovation take the next steps from prototyping to pilot scale demonstrations. Ultimately, more efficient commercial solar plants will make renewable energy cheaper, increasing its competitiveness."

ARENA is an independent Commonwealth authority, supporting the innovations, which increase the competitiveness of renewable energy technologies and improve the renewable energy supply in Australia.  ARENA has narrowly escaped abolition thanks to the intervention of the Palmer United Party whole leader made a public pledge alongside climate hero Al Gore.

For installation of solar PV on homes and businesses, the Australian Renewable Energy Target (RET) is still in place, offering 15 year ‘deeming’ for projects below 100kW.   Businesses in Australia wanting to benefit from a solar installation are pushing ahead to have their solar feasibility confirmed and purchase and install systems before mid 2015, which is likely to be the earliest date the Coalition government could reduce the RET scheme.

For energy efficiency projects, there are various financial support programs presently available in NSW and Victoria, including rebates, energy efficiency grants in Victoria and subsidies that support energy audit services such as Future Proofing Geelong.

Benefits of Solar Farm Developing in Australia

Do you own a land in Australia? If you want to generate energy from it, without thinking much diversify into solar energy. Being a landowner you will get the opportunity to receive guaranteed, regular income for years without any extra labor or expense. You can earn money for hosting a commercial solar farm. Your income level will also be more. It will compensate the loss that you made for halting your agricultural production.
 

Basically, 10MW solar farm can produce enough electricity for supplying 2800 homes displacing 16,000 tonnes greenhouse gas emissions each year. This is equivalent of taking about five thousand cars off the road.  Solar power after all doesn’t produce greenhouse gases or any kind of hazardous waste.

Moreover, in response to the climatic change, the Australian government has set a renewable energy target for encouraging more electricity generation from the renewable energy sources. The aim is to get twenty percent share by next six years.
 

Australia has a great supply of sunlight and it shines brightly during daytime when electricity demand is at its height. Harnessing the solar power for generating electricity provides a clean source of energy which is secure, reliable and safe.
 

At Enhar we are going to carry out an assessment on your land. We will do solar monitoring to determine whether the land is suitable for developing of solar energy. If we find indications to be positive, we go ahead by providing a detailed solar feasibility report with view to submitting the planning application.
 

After the application gets approved, the solar farm will be established within a year. The process of construction is a series of activities that will be planned in association with the landowner in order to minimize any kind of disruption to farming or other kinds of activities. However, after its development, it will be fenced off for facilitating secure operation of equipment and for enduring safety of livestock and people. 

How Can Your Business Be Benefitted Using Solar Energy?

Solar energy is a good source of renewable energy. This is widely used in domestic purposes around the world but is generally not utilized vastly in commercial sectors. In Victoria region of Australia this trend is getting changed. Many business houses are installing solar panel for getting better benefits and interrupted flow of energy. Apart from providing unstoppable energy there are some other positive points as well. Australian Govt. provides energy efficiency grant in Victoria to encourage usability of the renewable energy. These grants come as some incentives or financial benefits for installing solar panel. Here I have discussed some of the benefits of using solar energy for businesses.
  

1. Solar power reduces the dependency on electrical supplies from power houses. The best benefit of using solar energy is producing your own electricity. You need not have to depend on any other resources. If your business needs constant flow of energy for smooth operation you can trust on solar power grids. These grids save the extra amount of solar energy which is not used in normal times.
   
   
2. Solar energy is a cleaner source of energy. It does not emit green house gases. Thus you can proclaim your business as a green business. This feature will add extra goodwill to the brand name of your products. More people will be interested in buying products from your organization.
   
   
3. Modern solar panels are easy to maintain. Though the older ones still require a great deal of maintenance, the latest panels are easy to maintain. You just need to install it properly to get the utmost amount of energy.
   
   
4. You can get good amount of deductions from government ends if you use solar panel for your business. There is a solar credit scheme available in Australia introduced by Government. This scheme helps to save some money and make the world a better place to live in.
   
   
5. If you do not want to install your own solar panel then you can subscribe it from various solar power suppliers in Victoria. You need to pay a monthly rate which is still much less than your normal electricity bills. 

Above all are some good benefits of having solar power supply for your business. It will be a smart business decision to utilize the solar power for producing manufacturing products, lighting up the business areas and many more. 

Why Should You Choose Solar Power for Your Commercial Establishment?

There are a number of reasons why you must choose solar energy for your business. Given below are the reasons.

Feel secure that you are protected from the rising prices of energy

Once you have the solar system installed on the roof of your office building, you will see that it will keep on producing free electricity from sun, which means you can significantly reduce or eliminate the electricity bills to a great extent. This is going to give you a peace o mind that you are doing whatever is good for the environment and that you are able to keep the bills low while still enjoying the advantages of all devices which electricity powers.

Incentives from government

The government may pay you for the extra electricity that you produce and is not able to use. The government sometimes even provides thousands of dollars in buying a system for commercial use. If you stay in Victoria, you can make use of these government grants by taking the assistance of Enhar. This company generally helps with preparing application related to energy efficient grant in Victoria.

Substantial investment returns

There is not any financial investment better than solar. From the first day of installation you will be able to save on your electricity bills. This translates into a return on an initial investment of fifteen to thirty percent per year for several years to come and the solar energy is going to pay for itself in about three to six years, depending on the size of the system.

Increases your property’s value

Energy efficient office buildings are sold at a large premium in comparison to the commercial establishments that are less efficient. Imagine telling the buyer that they are going to receive cheques every two months rather than an electricity bill. With the rise of prices in electricity, the buyer is surely going to increase his or her focus on energy efficiency and solar while considering which commercial establishment to purchase.

Being environment friendly

Less energy from grid is drawn when electricity in your office is generated through the solar system. This means less amount of coal will get burnt at the power stations reducing use of biggest source of pollution. Installing a solar panel is the most efficient step that can be taken to reduce the carbon footprint. 

Top 3 Benefits of Solar Energy

According to the modern lifestyle, energy has become an integral part of our lives. Right now we cannot make a single step forward without the help of energy. Modern technology and advanced mechanism has led our life more convenient and easier than ever. Energy is required to charge our latest gadgets, browse through online, watching TV at home or cooking in the kitchen.

There are two basic kinds of energies available to the consumers. One is electrical energy and another one is renewable energy. Electrical energy is the one that we get from the power stations. There are various types of electrical energy like thermal, hydro etc. Renewable energy is a better option to use for commercial and domestic houses. Among all renewable sources, solar energy is the most popular one and is being widely used too. There are various benefits of using solar energy. In this article you shall see 3 major benefits of using solar energy.

Saving money in long run:

Initial cost of installing solar panel might be higher. But it will definitely payoff in long run. Before installing please check the solar feasibility report. If you generate more energy than your requirement then you can sell them through the grid that is attached with your solar system. Many houses in Victoria are saving good number of dollars by selling extra electricity. Also there are some rebates and tax exemptions available if you install a solar panel on your house. 

No more power shortage:

Most of us face power outage in our homes, offices, shops etc. If you install a solar panel on your house you need not have to think about any power shortage or cut off ever. It will provide constant flow of electricity to run all the appliances, gadgets and electronic goods. Even if there is lack of sunlight during winter and rainy season you can use the excess electricity which is saved in the grid of your own solar system. 

Protect environment:

The benefit of using solar energy is the protection of the environment. It reduces our dependency on burning of fossil fuels. Thus by using it we give our future generation an opportunity to utilize natural resources in a convenient way. 

Common Mistakes That Home Owners Do While Buying Solar Panel

It is always special to have installed a solar panel on the roof of your house. By doing it you can reduce your electricity bill. You can even show how environment friendly you are. The decision of installing solar panel is a noble one but you should know the norms and the regulations from a solar energy grant in Victoria before making the final decision of installing it. If you take the decision of installing it, you must know the common mistakes that people make when they go solar.

Do not reduce consumption before going solar:

Installation of solar panel is a costly affair. After installing it you need to reduce the consumption of the energy to save the cost of installation. But most of us do not go in that way. You should also do home energy audits by a certified agency to identify your biggest energy losses and how to minimize them.  Good behavioral can save up to 30% of the energy. That will indirectly save your money.

Buying cheap quality items:

With the increased craze of solar energy there is no lack of supplier of solar panels. People tend to go for the options which are cheaper and come with a discounted price. These are cheap initially but on long run they suck hell lot of money from pocket. Sometimes they come with flaunty promises (works on cloudy weather). Take a full survey before buying them. Look for third party approval or certifications etc before paying for them.

Buying before setting the load:

While deciding the load of the unit people make a roughly calculation based on previous months’ consumption. This is not the right way to do it. Electricity consumption is not same throughout the year. If logically calculated you can see there is a constant growth in the consumption. Also the solar panels lose its efficiency on each year. You need to keep all these factors in mind before selecting the load of the panel.

Various Uses of Solar Energy and Solar Panels

With the devastating effect of fossil fuel global warming is increasing. Therefore a vast use of non-conventional energy is growing up. Non conventional energies refer to turbine, solar PV panel and hydro electric panel etc. Among all the alternatives of renewable energy solar energy is widely used.
 

While planning for the installation of a solar panel one must check the solar feasibility report for that place. That will give him a clear idea about the various factors like continuity of sunlight, daily usage etc.

  

Application of solar energy

The list will be endless for the application of solar energy in our daily life. Here I have given some common uses of solar energy.
 

Solar heating for pool:

In winter it’s hard to use your favorite pool. But with the help of solar energy one can heat up the water of the pool. This has become a very common practice in most of the countries. Various clubs and amusement parks use solar panel to generate heat for their pools. 

Using for domestic water heating:

Needless to say that most of the homes around Australia use this technique to warm up the water for bathing, cooking and other purposes.
 

Generate direct current for home:

Some devices like laptops, MP3 players, and mobile phones can be charged from the electricity that has been generated from solar energy. Also PV cells are used for lighting up the in house lighting panels. 

Generations of AC currents:

Solar heat can be concentrated and used for generating steams from water that can revolve a turbine. This turbine will generate AC electricity which can be used for supplying electricity for a large area. This kind of energy is used for housing complex, theaters, shopping malls, small manufacturing units, bakery etc.