Renewable Energy | Wind | Solar | Micro-Hydro

The first thing that springs to most peoples mind when Renewable energy is discussed is Solar Power.

Solar Panels are manufactured in hi tech plants in sterile clean environments. As a means of providing electrical energy solar panels are unequaled in terms of versatility, technological elegance and future potential. They are the most common form of renewable energy generating device. They are relatively cheap and the work just about anywhere. Australia is blessed with some of the best solar resources in the world and most places in Queensland can expect to receive about 5 to 5.5 Peak sun hours per day.

Solar Panels are rated according to their output measured in watts, however as the panel gets hotter then the rated power will drop off. Physical size is an indication of power output. The bigger the panel the more power it can produce. There are many different sizes of panels on the market suited to different purposes.

Between the solar panels and the batteries should be a device called a Solar regulator or charge controller. This device ensures that your batteries do not get overcharged which can shorten their life, however modern regulators use switching electronics to do much more. They have sophisticated charging algorithms that keep batteries in top condition, and some have data logging capabilities to record not just the charge from the sun or wind but also the amount of power you have used in the last 24 hours. Some store this data for 30 days or more making system maintenance and troubleshooting much easier.

A stand alone power system is similar to your bank account. Because all of your power is stored in one place (batteries) you can only draw out what you put in plus a little bit more to allow for inefficiencies. In a normal system provision is also made for 'rainy days' to get you through the occasional inclement periods.

The solar panels, wind turbine or micro hydro generator capture the energy from nature and this can either be used directly to power loads or appliances or it can be used to charge batteries where it is stored to be used later.

At night or in bad weather power can be drawn from the batteries to run the lights or computer. If the period of bad weather continues for some time it may be necessary to recharge the batteries from an external battery charger. This can either be via a generator and battery charger or using one of the new DC motor chargers which provide high power for low fossil fuel input.