| The term "solar power equipment" may make some | | | | thousand dollars or so. Today, the amount needed to |
| immediately envision cumbersome panels teetering on | | | | do the same may only need to cost a few hundred, to |
| their rooftop, held by a few brackets with nuts and | | | | one or two thousand dollars. Solar power equipment is |
| bolts, wiring throughout the house, stacks of auto | | | | just more compact these days, fewer units are |
| battery cells in their cellar, and get instantly turned off | | | | needed, and the power output per cell in comparison |
| by the whole idea. But really, it isn't at all as | | | | to their predecessors is simply nothing short of |
| cumbersome as all of that there - perhaps it was | | | | phenomenal. |
| some decades ago, and if you are a do-it-yourselfer | | | | But the one thing great about solar power equipment is |
| who wants to build everything from scratch all by | | | | that it is indeed very simple and easy for |
| yourself from parts that you just find laying around, | | | | do-it-yourselfers to put together their own solar panels |
| then yeah, it might be a little like that, depending upon | | | | from components that are very easily procured, |
| the adeptness of your craft. But many developments | | | | making small arrays of about 3x5 feet in area that |
| have been made over the past decades since the | | | | power a laptop, an air conditioner and a stereo system |
| early-mid seventies when solar power enjoyed its first | | | | in their garage, doing it all as a weekend project... |
| initial big boom of popularity. How are things different | | | | usually for under a hundred bucks. This is also a great |
| today? Let's take a look... | | | | way to get involved with children and an opportunity to |
| Solar power equipment today is largely much more | | | | teach them the lessons of greener technologies, caring |
| compact than it used to be decades ago. For one | | | | for the environment, and even engineering, math and |
| thing, panels, even encapsulated ones, are much thinner | | | | basic electronics. Remember, it's inordinately simple and |
| and lighter. What's more is that the energy output of | | | | easy, and inexpensive, to turn to green technologies, |
| solar cells back in the seventies are rather laughable, | | | | using sustainable energy, and help the environment |
| honestly, compared to those now being created in the | | | | while saving tons of expenses on power bills every |
| twenty-first century. For example, the amount of solar | | | | month. There's no excuse not to, and every reason in |
| cells needed to more than power an entire home (that | | | | the world to do so. Get involved in this activity as soon |
| is to say, even generating a surplus of electricity to be | | | | as you can - the benefits greatly outweigh the minimal |
| bought back by the local power company) would cost | | | | time spent on implementing it in your home and your |
| within the general neighborhood of ten to twelve | | | | life. |