Archive for January, 2011

What types of Solar Panels are there?

Once you have decided what size solar panel system you want, the next step is to work out what type of solar panels will meet your needs. This shouldn’t be decided based solely on price, as power efficiency, lifetime, warranty, and space needed are all important factors.

Too often people base a purchasing decision on cost alone, and then in two years wonder why no-one picks up the phone at the “fly-by-night company” they purchased their solar panels from when the inverter dies or its output is cut in half. It’s also very important to know that there are different qualities of panels on the market and you should compare “apples with apples”.

There are 3 main types of panels: Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, and thin-film or Amorphous, and it’s important to recognize the advantages and disadvantages of them all. If your main hurdle for buying panels is cost, then I suggest you compare “like with like”. It’s silly to compare the price of Mono with the latest Amorphous panel and make your purchasing decision according to cost alone.

One very important distinction to make with regards to solar panels is the differing wattages on the market. Watts are related to the output of each panel, so a 200W panel would output 200 watts per hour. Expect to pay double the cost of a 100W panel.

Warranties
Solar PV (photo-voltaic) panels have a performance warranty that may last up to 25 years, and a guarantee of five to ten years. As well, your specialist can provide a warranty on workmanship, which will typically be five years. Ask your solar specialist who will be providing the warranty, the name of the importer and/or manufacturer, and what steps are likely to happen if something fails.

If a cheap solar panel importer stops trading sometime in the future, their warranty obligation ceases. You’d probably feel far more comfortable with a well-known brand which has service agents for warranty work in Australia.

The following describes the three main types of solar panels available, each with their own benefits:

Monocrystalline Cells
Monocrystalline panels are a proven and reliable technology, used for the past 50 years and still popular today. They have the best conversion efficiency at 12-18% of all sunlight. Because these have the highest power to size ratio, they’re the best option if you have limited roof space. They also degrade very slowly, generally losing 0.25 – 0.5% per year. Their lifespan can be 25 years, and even up to 50 years if taken care of.

Disadvantages:
Monocrystalline cells don’t perform as well as other panels in shady conditions, and they are reasonably fragile. They are more expensive to manufacture due to their complexity.

Polycrystalline Cells
Polycrystalline compares fairly well in performance and longevity to monocrystalline, and provides an efficiency of 12-13%. Well known brands include BP SX, Sharp and Kyocera.

Polycrystalline panels provide excellent longevity (around 25 years). They work best at 25 degrees C but will lose some efficiency at higher temperatures (over 50 degrees C), which is typical in the Australian summer.

Amorphous Thin Film
Thin film panels typically have a lower efficiency at 6%, however, Cadmium Telluride Thin-Film panels (CdTe) have progressed to 11% efficiency. These are more suitable for inland Australia conditions where space is no problem and temperatures are hot. Amorphous panels don’t lose energy in higher heats.

Disadvantages are: Lifespan is reduced; there is a 3-6 month breaking-in period; and they typically require 2-3 times the roof space for the same output of crystalline cells.

When choosing your solar panels remember to focus on the aim of recouping your set-up costs through savings in electricity. The more efficient and higher watt panels can achieve this faster. However, if you are looking at solar farms in Outback Australia where temperatures regularly climb above 40 degrees celcius and there is some cloud cover (these panels also work much better in the shade}, then these panels may well be for you.

The Requirements of Solar Panels
With the various types of solar panels, the owner must ensure they are kept free from dirt and shade, because these things have a bearing on solar power output.

Panels are placed facing north and at a roof angle of a minimum 10 degrees. Do the solar panels you’ve budgeted for physically fit in the space you want to install them? Each solar panel is about 1.6 m long by 0.8 m wide. A 1.5kW solar panel system requires around 12 m² of north-facing roof space. As mentioned, this footprint varies depending on the type of panel. Don’t worry if you can’t work out the amount of unshaded space the roof has for your panels, because your specialist can calculate it precisely when quoting. You may want to be conservative with the space, however, in case you wish to add more panels later to cover more of your energy needs.

My Solar Price specialise in solar power, solar hot water, and solar pool heating quotes. For three free quotes you can visit My Solar Price.

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Sydney - Australia’s Harbour City

If you consider a night out in the Harbour City is mainly clubs and pubs, think again. Use your imagination and you’ll find another side to Sydney nightlife. There are several spooky evening options in this most historic of Australian cities – a history of ghosts! One of Sydney’s haunted and historic areas is The Rocks, the early favourite gathering place of whalers, sailors, convicts and gangs.

To explore another part of Sydney at night, walk Kings Cross. Kings Cross has a rich social and cultural history and yet is a notorious suburb. It is dotted with true crime scenes and clubs, with exciting tales of wheeling, dealing and corruption.

If your idea of a good night out involves something with a lighter theme, head to Luna Park. The amusement park is well lit up and you can be thrilled on the wild rides.

Thrill seeking of a different kind awaits those who are game to venture high above the harbour with a bridge climb. For an evening on the harbour rather than above it, hire an experienced skipper who will sail you to a secluded bay in the harbour and drop anchor. You may dine in wonder when the lights of the city reflect magically on the water, and witness the wonderful views of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

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Wilderness Escapes in Tasmania

If anyone loves getting out into the wild, surrounded by native life, then they should absolutely go to the Australian island of Tasmania. For holiday information about the island including places to stay, sightseeing attractions and things to do, visit the Tasmania Visitors Bureau. This island is lucky to have a wonderful combination of lush wilderness escapes, a long and captivating heritage and endless beautiful vistas. International travellers should make prior arrangements for accommodation and transport, so planning is necessary. The Tasmania Visitors Bureau saves travellers from going through all those hassles connected with holiday bookings. Fast and comprehensive answers to the questions regarding your visit to Tasmania are given gratis.

Travellers who love high impact sports and other adrenalin-pumping activities will enjoy Tasmania. Activities like rafting, jet boating, diving, horse riding, sea kayaking, climbing/abseiling and cable hang gliding are available to keep groups busy and in high spirits. Rafting can be done on a few rivers in Tasmania including the Derwent River, Arthur River, Picton River and Franklin River. A special mention needs to be made about white water rafting on the Franklin River as it is a wonderful multi-day adventure spot. A minimum of 10 days can be used to complete a full trip along the Franklin. On this trip adventurers will come across the incredible rapids present at the Great Ravine. Travellers interested in a one-day rafting adventure from Hobart, can do this at Picton River.

If horse riding is your love, there are lots of trail-riding experiences over the Tasman Peninsula, Central Highlands, Strahan, Ben Lomond and Coles Bay. Sea kayaking is yet another activity that is extremely popular in Tasmania and kayak availability can be located in Strahan, Hobart, Freycinet, Bathurst Harbour and Bruny Island to name a few. The Tasmania Visitors Bureau also details such adventure sports as abseiling/climbing, caving, and cycling/mountain biking. Tourists who are looking for the abseiling/climbing thrill in their holidays should check out the guided trips in places like Tasman Peninsula, Coles Bay, Cataract Gorge (Launceston) and Ben Lomond. For avid cyclists, bikes are available for hire to cycle around Hobart. Bikers can also trek through the mountains and the national forests of Tasmania.

Many visitors may not be keen on adventure sports and they can look at fishing and cruising opportunities. Cruising provides a great, relaxing experience for visitors and is an enjoyable way of exploring the wonderful rivers and harbours of Tasmania. Gordon River Cruises is one of the most popular tours on the island. A trip to Tasmania is incomplete without a captivating sail on the beautiful Gordon River. For visiting heritage locations and finding the best fishing opportunities, tourists are advised to travel to the West Coast of Tasmania.

The Tasmania Visitors Bureau are the specialists for Tasmania holidays and cheap package deals. Tasmania holiday packages not only take the pain out of planning a vacation but save you time and money also. Great deals for Hobart accommodation are in good supply too.

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The Development of the Diesel Engine

The principal outstanding feature of the diesel engine is its efficiency. By compressing air instead of using an air-fuel mixture, the diesel engine is not limited by the preignition problems that plague high-compression spark-ignition engines. Thus, higher compression ratios may be achieved with diesel engines than with the spark-ignition variety; commensurately, higher theoretical cycle efficiencies, when compared with the latter, can often be realized.

It should be noted that for a given compression ratio the theoretical efficiency of the spark-ignition engine is greater than that of the compression-ignition engine; however, in practice it is possible to operate compression-ignition engines at compression ratios high enough to produce efficiencies greater than those attainable with spark-ignition systems. Furthermore, diesel engines don’t rely on throttling the intake mixture to control power. Therefore the idling and reduced-power efficiency of the diesel is far superior to that of the spark-ignition engine.

The main drawback of diesel engines is the emission of air pollutants. These engines typically discharge high levels of particulate matter (soot), reactive nitrogen compounds (commonly designated NOx), and odour, compared with spark-ignition engines. As a result, in the small-engine category, consumer purchase is low.

The diesel engine is started by driving it from some external power source until conditions have been established under which the engine can run by its own power. The easiest starting method is to allow in air from a high-pressure source, about 1.7 to nearly 2.4 megapascals, to each of the cylinders in turn on their normal firing stroke. The compressed air becomes heated sufficiently to ignite the fuel.

Other starting methods involve auxiliary equipment and include releasing blasts of compressed air to an air-activated motor geared to rotate a large engine’s flywheel; supplying electric current to an electric starting motor, similarly geared to the engine flywheel; and applying a small gasoline engine geared to the engine flywheel. The selection of the most suitable starting method depends on the physical size of the engine to be started, the nature of the connected load, and whether or not the load can be disconnected on starting.

Looking for cheap cars? Brisbane can offer cheap cheap cars for students, workers and visiting backpackers. Pool together and share the costs.

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Which method of carpet cleaning gets the best results?

carpet cleaning brisbaneCarpet is such a valuable addition to any Brisbane home, but just like all textile products, the looks and longevity of a carpet mainly depends on proper cleaning and maintenance.

Generally, proper carpet care involves regular vacuuming and cleaning using these methods: shampooing, foam cleaning, dry cleaning, bonnet cleaning, and steam cleaning, or hot water extraction.

Now, the question is, which one of these methods deliver the best results? Most carpet makers, including professional carpeting and cleaning organisations, are unanimous with their answers.

They deem that steam cleaning or hot water extraction is the most thorough way to clean even the dirtiest carpet. Steam cleaning is the most common technique used by professionals. In fact the Australian Standard even states that other methods are only interim cleaning methods and that hot water extraction is the primary method.

Steam cleaning uses a hot water cleaning solution that is sprayed on the carpet via a high pressure jet spray. A truck-mounted or portable machine is then used to thoroughly extract the solution (together with the dissolved dirt). However, note that the truck-mounted equipment is more powerful than the portable one and should be used where possible.

Steam cleaning also consists of a number of phases - from pre-vacuuming to remove the dry soils in the carpet before wetting and turning to mud, treating stains and spots (if any), pre-spraying with a cleaning solution, agitation (hand or machine operated) of the cleaning solution into the carpet, hot water extraction, rinsing with a neutralising aid, and speed drying.

But why is it considered the best? Because only steam cleaning does the following:

  • The high amount of heat it uses kills bacteria, molds, fungus, and dust mites, making it the most hygienic process to clean carpets.
  • It doesn’t leave any residue if done correctly, making your carpet soft, fresh and clean once dry.
  • It is the only method that has the vacuuming process used the entire time which means more “nasties” are removed from your carpet.

As we all know, carpets are very expensive - so you want them to always be in great condition and to last as long as possible.
Highly recommended by professionals, steam carpet cleaning is the best way for you to maintain your valuable investment in soft floor coverings.
Now that we know the best method for keeping your carpets clean the question most asked is how long will my carpets take to dry after cleaning?

The time frame for carpets to be totally dry depends on several factors, such as the level of soiling and the cleaning method used. Generally, it can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours. The Australian Standard states that up to 24 hours is acceptable.

If you use steam cleaning or hot water extraction by a professional, drying should take 2 hours to 12 hours. Take into consideration the following factors to determine how long it will take for your carpet to dry, and what you can do to make it dry much faster.

The type of fibre- This is by far the most important thing. Wool carpets take a lot longer to dry then synthetics. Wool carpets are about 30 % absorbent compared to the few percent range for synthetics.

Thickness and Weight of the Carpet – The heavier the carpet, the longer time it will need to dry.

Exposure to Air – If your room doesn’t have windows, or if the windows are shut, to create ventilation, evaporation will be lessened. Turn on the fan in your room to improve air flow, making your carpet dry faster. During warmer seasons, turn on the air conditioner instead.

The Humidity and Weather conditions- Obviously the higher the humidity the longer it will take for carpets to dry. Is it a hot fine day or a cold wet day for example?

Now, if you really need your carpet to dry at a much faster rate, opt for professional carpet cleaners that offer speed drying services on top of state of the art equipment and years of experience.

Carpet Cleaning Brisbane specialise in carpet cleaning Brisbane as well as other associated services. Carpet Cleaning Brisbane are highly trained, professional Brisbane carpet cleaners.

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