Flashing LED On Electricity Meter
If you have had an electricity meter installed in the last few years, and certainly if you taken advantage of the feed in tariff to have a solar PV installation, your electricity meter(s) will be electronic with an LED which flashes. The rate of this …

Solar Greenhouse Heat Sink
The Greenhouse provides gardeners in a cool climate such as that in the UK the opportunity to grow a wider range of fruits and vegetables and also to extend the growing season. To maximise the benefits of a greenhouse some form of heating is required …

Make a Simple Solar Air Heater
Using the sun to heat water is a very cost effective way to save energy. Typically payback on even the most expensive systems is under ten years, with DIY Solar Water Heaters paying for themselves in just a few months. Similar techniques can be used …

Measuring the Power of a Solar Panel
Most PV solar panels are labelled with their peak power output - this is the maximum power (measured in Watts) which that panel can generate in full sunlight. If this label is missing, or if you would like to confirm that the figures provided are …

Use Solar Panel As Darkness Detector
In this article: Light Dependent Resistor we showed had a small light detector can be used within a circuit to turn on something (typically a light bulb) when it is dark or light. This is a very simple circuit with minimal components, however, there is …

Solar Water Heating Pump Controller
A solar water heating pump controller is a key component in most solar water heating systems (DIY or otherwise). The controller is there to turn the pump on when the fluid in the solar panel is hotter than the water in the hot water tank …

Solar Powered Wireless CCTV
Tiny wireless CCTV cameras such as the one pictured below have many uses from security surveillance to wildlife observation. Thanks to electronics miniaturisation, the images which can be obtained are excellent despite the physical size of the camera, and can be viewed on a laptop …

Diodes and Solar Panels
Diodes are components which allow current to flow in just one direction. It is often recommended that a diode be fitted to prevent reverse current flow back through a PV solar panel at night time (dark current). As current passes through a diode there is …

Water Heating with Surplus Solar PV
Using solar photoelectric (solar PV) panels to heat water is very inefficient. It is far better to use dedicated solar water heating panels. However, if you have an array of solar PV which is exporting electricity to the grid for which you are being paid …

How Do PV Solar Panels Work
Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panels generate electricity by the Photovoltaic Effect. Discovered in 1839 by 19 year old Edmund Becquerel, the photovoltaic effect is the phenomenon that certain materials produceelectic current when they are exposed to light. PN Junction Semiconductors For traditional PV solar panels two halves of …

Evacuated Tube Solar Water Heating
Solar Water Heating has been used for hundreds if not thousands of years to heat water. With advances in technology solar water heating systems have become more and more efficient, withEvacuated Tube Solar Water Heatings offering efficiencies of well over 90%. That means that more …

Build a Concentrated Solar Water Heater
On the REUK.co.uk site there are already instructions on making simple solar water heaters - for example a basic solar water heater which is ideal for camping and can be made in a few hours with cheap components. These home made solar water heaters are …

Pumps for Solar Water Heating
Unless you have a Thermosyphon type water heating system, Solar Water Heating is an active rather than a passive system. Therefore it is necessary to pump the water heater in the solar panel around to the hot water tank, swimming pool, or hot tub etc. …

Solar Battery Charging
One of the simplest DIY solar projects is to make your own solar battery charger using a small Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel to charge up some AA or AAA cells. Just a few readily available components are necessary for this project (click the links within the parts …

Solar Declination
While most people have never heard of solar declination it is absolutely key to understanding PV solar generation and solar water heating potential over the course of a year. The Earth's Tilt and the Seasons The Earth rotates around the Sun like a spinning top. Each time …

Solar Water Heating Swimming Pools
A swimming pool (if you are lucky enough to have one) is the perfect application for solar water heating system. Most pools are located somewhere sunny, and depending on the swimming pool size and design, they are very expensive to heat with electricity or gas …

Effect of Temperature on Solar Panels
All PV Solar Panels are affected by heat. The hotter the solar panel, the lower the power output - but how significant is the effect. We decided to test one of our small 6V 250mA Solar Panels to find out. Reproducing the kind of temperatures solar …

Effects Of Shading On Solar Panels
When deciding to install a solar photovoltaic system, the positioning of the solar panels is vital. It is pretty obvious that the solar panels should be orientated such that they face the sun at the time of day when the sun is highest in the …

Heat Transfer Fluid in Solar Water Heating
In a direct solar water heating system, the fluid which transfers the heat from the solar collector panel to the hot water tank is the water itself. For closed loop systems - pictured above - in which heat is transferred to the hot water tank via …

Greenhouse Heatsink Connection Diagram
In our article Solar Greenhouse Heat Sink we introduced a simple method of keeping a greenhouse frost free at night, and also a little cooler in the day when it can otherwise get too hot on sunny days even in the winter. In this article we will …

Solar Panel Mounting Angle
A photovoltaic solar panel will generate the most electricity when solar radiation hits it directly - i.e. the sun's rays are hitting the panel perpendicularly (i.e. at a 90 degree angle, face on). As the sun appears to move across the sky from east to …

Solar Roof Tiles
A fantastic recent innovation is the solar roof tile. Rather than put a standard tiled roof on a property and then fit solar panels on top of it, it is possible to purchase roof tiles with built in photovoltaic solar cells. These tiles can be used …

Solar Tracker
Most photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are fitted in a fixed location - for example on the sloping roof of a house, or on framework fixed to the ground. Since the sun moves across the sky through the day, this is far from an ideal solution. Solar …

Voltage Doubler for Solar Battery Charger
PV Solar Panels have typical voltages of 3, 6, 12, 24 Volts etc. In this article we will look at how a simple electronic circuit can be built which will increase the voltage output from a small solar panel so it can be used to …

Solcam Solar Powered Wireless IP Camera
In our article Solar Powered Wireless CCTV we had a quick look at how a simple DIY solar powered wireless camera system could be set up. For those interested in taking a more professional approach, a new product has come onto the market which will …

How are Solar Panels Made
Photovoltaic Solar Panels are the main source of domestic renewable electricity in Europe. Costing more per watt of electricity generated than wind power, solar panels have no moving parts and a lifetime of 30-40 years making them ideal for professional installation with virtually no maintenance required …

Direct Solar Water Heating System
There are two main types of water heating system - direct and indirect. In an indirect system fluid such as anti-freeze is heated and then passed through a heat exchanger fitted to the water tank. The heat from the fluid raises the temperature of the …

Solar iPod Charger
Making a solar charger for an iPod is no more difficult than making our Solar battery charger. Built in iPod batteries are 3.7 Volts with the capacity (measured in mAh) dependent on the type of iPod - e.g. 1,200mAh for a 2nd Gen, 850mAh for …

Solar Insolation
Solar insolation (aka solar irradiation) is a measure of the amount of INcident SOlar RadiATION directly hitting a given surface area somewhere on the earth. Knowing the solar insolation value in your location gives you a way of estimating the amount of power a photovoltaic …

Simple Solar Tracker Concept
In our article Solar Trackers we looked at how keeping PV solar panels facing directly into the sunshine all day greatly increases the total amount of electricity generated. Achieving this goal automatically requires a solar tracker - an electronic device which locates the direction of …

Solar Charge Controllers on eBay
In our article Solar Charge Controller we introduced some of the devices used to control (or regulate) the amount of charge going from PV solar panel(s) to the battery bank. Batteries can easily be damaged by overcharging or excessively discharging them, so a good quality …

Solar Hot Water Heat Exchanger
While there is huge interest in solar water heating thanks to increased awareness of our impact on the environment and the surge in the costs of gas and electricity, there is often one major stumbling block - the hot water tank. Dual coil hot water tanks …

Solar Panels on eBay
For most people, the cheapest place to buy solar panels is eBay. Therefore this article describes some of the different types of PV solar panels available at this time (December 2012) in the United Kingdom. Prices per Watt of power are provided for comparison. February 2014 …

Virtu Hybrid Solar PV Water Heating
In our article Effect of Temperature on Solar Panels we showed how the efficiency of electricity generating PV solar panels is greatly reduced by the temperature of the panels. The hotter the panel, the lower the efficiency and the lower the power generated - not …

Fuse and Solar Panels
It is essential to fuse the wiring between a solar panel set up and the battery bank for safety. Why Use a Fuse With the positive and negative cables securely fastened to the battery terminals, and the solar panel outside and exposed to the elements, any cable …

Simple Solar Water Heating
Solar Water Heating is a fantastic way to obtain free hot water and to save fossil fuels.The following simple design for a solar water heater requires no pump or difficult to find materials, and it can be built in just a few hours by anyone …

DIY Solar Panel Kits
Back in 2006 when we first published this article, the title was Make Your Own Solar Panels for $3 per Watt - a price which compared very favourably with the retail price of commercial photovoltaic solar panels of around £4-5 per Watt ($6-8) at that …

Solar Charge Controller
A Solar Charge Controller (or Regulator) is a device which protects the batteries in a solar electric system from being overcharged or being over-discharged. Overcharged batteries have a much shorter life time than well cared for batteries since the electolyte is boiled off as gas and …

Simple Solar Water Preheating System
There are many different solar water heating systems possible, many of which are described in the REUK.co.uk website (links to related articles are provided throughout this article). Almost all new homes and many older homes now do not have a hot water cylinder, and so …

40 Percent Efficiency PV Solar Panels
Spectrolab - a subsidiary of US giant Boeing - has set a new world record for terrestrial solar cell efficiency at 40.7%. Using similar technology to that used in space-based solar cells (multi-junction solar cells), these new photovoltaic (PV) cells convert concentrated sunlight into electricity better …

Steca PR 0505 Solar Charge Controller Review
The Steca PR 0505 is a solar charge controller (aka solar charge regulator) for small 12V solar home systems of up to 60 Watts power (5 Amps) with a maximum load of 75 Watts. Made in Germany by Steca, this product is available in the …

Put Together an REUK Solar Lighting Kit
At REUK.co.uk we are often asked to put together bespoke solar powered shed and garage lighting kits. Many of the components required are listed for sale in the REUK Shop, however many other necessary parts are also available with pricing on request. We prefer not …

Solar Powered Wireless Range Extender
Most people with wireless internet have experienced problems with the range of their wireless router. Often it is not possible to connect to the internet reliably from all the rooms in a house, and rarely throughout the garden and/or in a garden office. The product …

Solar Powered Nestbox CCTV Camera
A wireless CCTV camera fitted inside a nestbox of birds or small mammals offers a view into a world normally visible only on wildlife television documentaries. Installation is very simple and the use of a small PV solar panel with rechargeable batteries makes this a …

Introduction To Solar Water Heating
One of the biggest uses of electricity, gas and oil is the heating of water in the home, and in offices, schools and hospitals etc. Solar water heating is a very simple and efficient way to grab energy from the sun and use it. Solar …

SolarVenti
Day to day living increases the level of humidity in a property - from breathing, cooking, ironing, washing, showers, baths, and so on. Once the air becomes very damp, moisture starts to settle on cold surfaces and in corners and crevices often resulting in problems …

The Effect of Air Mass on Solar Panels
In our article Solar Panel Mounting Angle we briefly touched on the effect of the atmosphere on the solar generation. As the Sun's rays pass through the atmosphere, the energy of some photons of light is absorbed and scattered by particles in the atmosphere. The …

Solar Oven Cooking
A simple solar oven can be made with very cheaply available parts very quickly and heat food up to hundreds of degrees farenheit - hot enough to cook and to kill bacteria. They can be used to cook delicious food, or to dry food for storage. …

REUK Poultry Lighting System
Over the last two years since we published our article Solar Powered Poultry Lighting we have designed and put together over 100 successful poultry lighting systems ranging from one bulb one hen hen houses to commercial poultry houses containing 1000's of birds. During that time we …

How To Fit A Small Solar Panel
We are frequently asked for advice on the best way to fit small photovoltaic solar panels, so in this article we will look at some basic solutions to what can sometimes by a difficult problem. Many small solar panels (<30 Watts) are supplied with no fittings …

Concentrating Solar Voltaics
PV Solar Panels are still very expensive - mirrors and lenses are not. Therefore many researchers are trying to find ways to concentrate the sunlight landing on a large area and focus it onto much smaller super-efficient solar cells. To replicate the power output from a …

Multi Junction Solar Cells
Multi-Junction Solar Cells are the future of PV solar electricity generation. While the current industry average for solar panels is 12-18% efficiency, the latest multi-junction cells already offer efficiencies of 40% (for example, these 40% efficiency solar cells from Boeing subsidiary Spectrolab). Common silicon PV solar …

SunSaver 10A Solar Charge Controller
The SunSaver range of Solar charge controllers are the biggest selling small solar controllers for industrial and leisure markets. The SunSaver 10 Amp (SS-10) can be used to manage the current flowing into an out of the battery bank of a PV solar power system …

STDC Temperature Difference Controller
For the last five years we have been selling our simple (and economical) solar water heating pump controller which measures the temperature difference between a solar water heating panel and a hot water storage tank, and runs the pump when appropriate. While our solar controller is …

Solartwin Solar Water Heating
Solar Twin Ltd are a UK based company with almost 10 years of experience of installing solar water heating systems in the United Kingdom. The Solartwin water heating system can be installed in a day by a two people - with a full system installed for …

Solar Hot Hose Shower
A hot hose is probably the simplest form of solar water heating possible. A good length of standard (ideally black) hosepipe is left in direct sunshine to heat up and the water it contains, when heated by the sun, can be used for an hot …

Solar Bread Box Batch Heater
There are many different types of solar water heater ranging from simple solar camping showers to whole house evacuated tube solar heating systems. Each type of system has its benefits and disadvantages and of course the variation in price can be extreme. In this article we …

200MW Solar Tower
SolarMission Technologies are developing the world's first commercial Solar Tower (aka Solar Chimney) to be built in Australia. It will have the capacity to generate up to 200MW of electricity - sufficient to power 200,000 average households. What is a Solar Tower A Solar Tower uses the …

Test a Concentrated Solar Heater Design
Basic building instructions for a concentrated solar water heater are available by clicking here. Construction of such a system is well within the capabilities of even the most limited DIY enthusiast and only a few common tools are required. If the pump used to move anti-freeze/oil …

Concentrated Solar Power
While virtually everyone has heard of PV solar panels, Concentrated Solar Power (or Concentrated Solar Thermal Power) is a technology which has remained out of the public domain. Though increasingly popular in the 1970's and 1980's - falling oil prices stopped most development of (and …

SunGuard 4.5A Solar Charge Controller
A Solar charge controller (aka solar charge regulator) is a device which manages the current flowing into and out of the battery bank of a solar power system. The SunGuard range of solar charge controllers are manufactured by MorningStar Corporation of the USA who sell some …

Drayton SHR52120 Solar Thermal Controller
For all but the simplest solar water heating system, a pump controller is a vital component. A solar water heating pump controller constantly measures the temperature of the solar panel (aka solar collector), and the stored hot water tank (aka hot water cylinder) to decide …

Tesco Plan Worlds Largest Solar Roof
UK supermarket giant Tesco are to install what will be the world's biggest solar roof on their new 820,400 square foot Riverside, California distribution centre. Taking advantage of the Sunshine State's sunny climate, the 2MW of PV Solar Panels will generate in excess of 2.6 …

Freeloader Solar Charger
There are now many solar chargers on the market which can be used to provide power on the move for mobile phones, iPods, PDAs, GPS units, and other electronic devices.The Freeloader is the best selling solar charger in the UK, and also one of the …

Solar Pump Controller for Swimming Pools
We have been selling our solar water heating pump controllers now for a few years - see here for details: Solar Water Heating Pump Controller. While this controller is suitable in most cases it is not ideal for use with swimming pools. One key difference is …

Zephyr Solar Powered Plane
Powered only by PV solar panels with rechargeable battery backup, The Zephyr is an ultra-light solar powered aeroplane designed to fly as high as 25 miles for weeks or months without landing. At such heights it will fly far above most weather and the commercial air-lanes …

Solar Power for Europe from Sahara
Arnulf Jaeger-Walden of the European Commission's Institute for Energy has declared at the Euroscience Open Forum in Barcelona that European carbon emissions could be slashed by generating solar electricity in the Sahara Desert. Scientists have calculated that if just 0.3% of the solar energy falling …

UK Feed In Tariff To Be Cut By 50 Percent
The UK Government will announce on Monday (31st October 2011) their intention to slash the feed in tariff paid to owners of domestic solar photovoltaic installations which qualify after December 8th 2011 by over 50%. NEW(January 30th 2012 Update) - Following protracted legal wrangling, the government …

Nevada Solar One
Nevada Solar One will be the first Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant built in the USA for fifteen years. The 64MW plant will generate enough electricity to power 40,000 households during the daytime and will join the 354MW of solar thermal power plants built in …

Solar Powered Security Spotlight
A security spotlight is typically made up of two components - a motion detecting PIR sensor and a bright spotlight. When movement is detected within 20 metres of the PIR sensor, the spotlight is automatically turned on for an adjustable length of time - typically …

SunPower SPR 315 Solar Panels
25.10.06 SunPower Corp are about to start marketing next generation solar panels offering an incredible 22% photovoltaic efficiency, more than double the efficiency of many solar panels available today. Built using 96 their new Gen 2 Solar Cells, these SPR315 panels will enable you to generate …

Feed in Tariff
A feed in tariff (FiT) is is a means for governments to set above-market rates for electricity generated from renewable sources. By obliging electricity utility companies to buy renewable electricity at a fixed price for a fixed number of years, renewable installations become cost effective …

First European Solar Power Tower
At the end of March 2007, Europe's first commercial concentrated solar power plant was inaugurated in Seville, South West Spain. A total of 624 large (120 square metre) moveable mirrors called heliostats track and focus the sun's rays to a single solar receiver at the …

Sunny Boy SB 700 Inverters
The Sunny Boy range are the best selling grid tie solar power inverters in the Europe. Offering efficiencies in excess of 93%, and expected lifetimes of over 20 years, they offer the highest levels of reliability. All Sunny Boy Inverters have been tested and comply …

Top Solar Photovoltaics Awards 2006
ENF (Energy Focus) a specialist Chinese solar power market analysis company have identified the top photovoltaic brands in the world. 297 directors of PV installation companies from 45 countries around the world submitted responses to an online questionnaire which covered such topics as price and …

Solar Water Heating Pumping Station
Aztec Ltd supply complete DIY Solar Water Heating systems across the UK as well as installing in the South East. Aztec have put together a unique system which they call the Pumping Station which collects all major control and maintenance components together centrally. The Pumping Station The …

Solar Trade Association UK
The Solar Trade Association (STA) is a group of producers and installers of solar water heating systems in the United Kingdom. The STA work to promote the use of solar energy technology and to encourage their members to provide the highest levels of quality and …

REUK Feed in Tariff Calculator
Since updating our Feed in Tariff article with the latest information on the feed in tariffs on offer in the UK from April 2010, we have received emails everyday taking issue with my statement that "If you are lucky enough to have £10-12,500 in the bank …