Harness energy from the sun!

Hey everyone, this is David from Team Hi5. My focus will be on solar energy. As this is my first blog, I figure what better place to start than with the basics. I don't claim to be an expert on solar energy, but I hope to share what I have gathered from working in the industry as well as things I have read on my own. Like I said, I have worked installing solar panels for a small local business on O'ahu. The two main forms for panels that we installed at people's houses were water heating panels and photovoltaic (PV) panels.

Water heating panels are a great, simple way to start harnessing energy from the sun and saving money at the same time. Homes that don't have water heating panels heat their water with electricity. This, obviously, costs money, whereas once a heating unit is in place, your water gets heated for free. People also use this technology to heat their pools. In places of the world where there are dramatic changes in seasons, solar water heaters had a slight downfall. But here in Hawai'i, this is not a problem! Our year-round great weather makes a perfect application for solar energy.

The other type of solar panel I mentioned is photovoltaic panels. These are panels that reduce our electricity bill from other sources, such as lights, AC/heat, electronics, etc. Each panel only produces a limited amount of power so people usually instal a bunch at a time. I have never installed less than 15 on a single family's roof. How much a home needs is determined by how much electricity they use. For example, it's pretty safe to say a home with just a husband and wife will need less PV panels than one that lives a family of five.

I know you're all probably thinking, "Well, how much does it cost?" While solar panels can be fairly pricey, there are government rebates that homeowners get for purchasing solar panels which greatly reduces the cost. Also, the whole theory behind solar panels is that besides being eco-friendly, they will pay themselves off over time with the money saved on utilities.

This is just a brief introduction to get you thinking about solar energy and it's potential impact for you. I'll provide more information next time, so until then keep reading our blog, keep spreading the word, and keep living green!

Also, check out this short video (2min) for a little more information!