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Introducing Your Family to Solar Energy
By: Jim Fritz, Fri Mar 3rd, 2006
One of the difficulties that solar and renewable energy have faced in the past is that it requires people to
learn about it. People are busy and they are also reluctant to
change and learn. It is much easier to get energy from
traditional sources that seem to “magically” transfer power and
electricity to homes through the wires of the electricity grid.
However, we are becoming increasingly aware of problems with
this entrenched attitude. We seem to hear almost daily about
power blackouts and brownouts, along with warnings about
dwindling energy supplies.
One way to begin to educate yourself and your children about
energy and electricity is to purchase one of many different
kinds of small solar energy systems. From solar toys to solar
lights to portable solar panels, small solar electric systems
make it easy to learn some of the basics of energy. You can
learn about the generation of energy and get an idea of how it
is limited by certain factors. Your kids can use a small solar
toy or solar energy kit to see directly the relationship between
energy generation and availability. From your solar light, you
will learn that a sunlit day will make the light shine
powerfully that evening. Conversely, you will notice a
relationship between cloudy days and dimness or lack of light
from your solar light. While a small portable solar panel
provides energy for your boat or RV, it can also teach the need
for energy storage (the battery) and conservation. Even a solar
light gives you a micro-version of all electricity systems: the
panel generates energy, the wires transfer it, a battery stores
it and the light bulb uses it.
One of the unfortunate effects of the convenience of the energy
grid is that people remain largely unaware of aspects of energy
production and the need for its proper management. When we plug
into a wall and get instant energy, it’s easy to forget that
that energy is finite and inhibited by circumstances.
The effect of holding a small solar electric system in your hands
takes some of the mystery out of energy and power. Energy is no
longer something “made” at a distant generating station or power
plant. The effect is, well, empowering. It’s similar to the way
that personal fitness and some styles of alternative health give
you a measure of control over your own health. Build on the
knowledge you get from a small solar electric system, learn
about generating your own energy and you will have increased
authority over your household power, a vital area of your life.
Purchasing a small solar electric system like those found in
solar toys or other gadgets can be a simple and efficient way to
introduce both you and your family to solar energy. This
knowledge just may come in handy in the coming years, as solar
energy and other kinds of renewable energy systems become a
bigger part of grid generation and more popular as the publicly
owned “power plants.”
About the author:
Jim Fritz has been researching the benefits of solar energy for
several years and is a contributing writer for
http://www.thesolarguide.com/ - a site that offers information
about solar energy,
solar panels, information about the costs of solar
energy and much more.