PV Gap

Albert Said:

Solar Panel costs and sizes?

We Answered:

Have a look at this...
http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural…

Beverly Said:

Solar Panel costs and sizes?

We Answered:

To figure out how big the system must be, you need to find out how much they use. You may be able to go to your school administrator and ask how many kilowatt hours (kWh) a month they use. Once you find out, you can put the number and your location into an on-grid calculator to find out how many solar panels are needed. http://store.altestore.com/calculators/o… Keep in mind most systems don't make 100% of the use, they can just make some to offset their usage, and buy the rest from the electric company.

There are tax incentives and grants available to help pay for solar systems, you can find them at www.dsireusa.org.

Rick Said:

what do i need to know when purchasing solar panels?

We Answered:

http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/sol…

Do a Google/Yahoo search : solar panels buyers guide

Paula Said:

Can Solar Panels Power My Whole House-Including A/Cs?

We Answered:

Aircons use a lot of power, and many types draw a large surge of electricity when first turned on, which can be quite destructive of batteries, inverters, etc.
We have a medium sized solar system, which is our total supply for the house. Initial cost about $25 000 Australian. Our fridge is a gas one, can't run even a small fridge on solar even in midsummer. No freezer. We do use the TV, computer, lights and washing machine. Little else in the way of electrical stuff. Cooking is all gas. Heating in winter is woodfire, Cooling in summer is by portable evaporative cooler.

Regarding point 2, the systems which link to the existing grid are much cheaper, as you don't need batteries, but still not cost effective except in those countries which are particularly generous about paying for the power you put back into the system - Germany is particularly good on that point. No idea about Brazil, I would suspect not. If the payback is good, it might well be worth it considering you aren't there a lot of the time.
Try hunting down some forums on Renewable Energy, you might get sound advice from them.

Priscilla Said:

Solar Panel costs and sizes?

We Answered:

Without them providing the amount of energy your school uses then it's impossible to know how many panels you would need. Just phrase it in the form of how much space or how many panels would be needed to create (X) amount of power. Ask the amount the school uses then go from there. Let's put it this way, with today's solar technology you would probably have to cover most of the roof of the school with solar panels and it still wouldn't be enough to run the school entirely. Never mind the cost of out-fitting a building of that size, it would take far to many years to pay off and would probably never offset the cost of electricity they are paying now considering maintenance, upkeep and replacement costs associated with these systems. If it was that easy and cost effective, they would have already done it. Make sure you squeeze that into your report somewhere. Find out how much electricity costs in your area, its on any electric bill, it should show the cost per Kw/h somewhere (If separated by peak time and non-peak time, your school would be peak time). After you get that and how much the school uses, do the math and include a graph comparison showing the cost of both. You should be able to find the costs of solar panels online somewhere. Do a side by side comparison from start up cost, upkeep and all versus using the current source. Good luck on your report.