Lanitis Solar Systems

The sun is a great source of energy. It does not create pollution or harmful emissions, is plenty and is FREE. By installing the Lanitis Solar System in your house, you can collect, store and use that powerful energy as electricity. This system is very productive in countries with sunny days and especially in my country Cyprus where there is strong sunshine almost every day of the year.

They started utilizing the solar energy in Cyprus in 1960 as solar heaters. Now solar energy is also used in other non thermal applications as powering telecommunication receivers and transmitters at remote areas, where the electricity grid does not reach. The Cypriot Telecommunication Authority has also installed solar cells on telephone kiosks which are not easily assessable by the electricity grid.

There are two basic systems you can install. The Grid- connected system and the Stand-alone system. Both systems start with a Photovoltaic panel on the roof of the house. Photovoltaic cells collect solar energy and convert it to direct current. There are three basic types of photovoltaic cells: 1) Monocrystalline cells, 2) Polycrystalline cells and 3) Amorphous or thin film. They are mainly made of a semi-conducting material, common silicon, which has the ability to free electrons when sunlight photons hit it.

In Stand-alone system the DC electricity produced by the photovoltaic cells runs throw a charge controller and then is stored in solar batteries in order to use it at a later stage when required. The final stage of the system is an inverter which converts the direct current into alternative current. The system’s lifetime is very long and is usually installed in remote areas, where there is no main grid or any other source of power supply to use.

The Grid- connected system is directly connected with the public utility grid. The grid acts like a battery with an unlimited storage capacity. It also includes an inverter for grid-connected systems, an EAC production utility meter and an EAC consumption utility meter.

According to the European Union directives, each member state and EEC accession candidate will have to generate 12% of its total energy consumption from renewable energy sources by the year 2010. So Cyprus provides significant grants (55%) on the total system cost. The remaining costs paid by the owner are being paid-off through the proceeds generated by the sale of electricity to the utility company only with the Grid- connected system.

One of the most important things about these systems is that you contribute directly to the reduction of CO2 emissions as a 5 kW (kilowatt) photovoltaic solar energy system will save a minimum of 10,500 kg of CO2 per annum or 315,000 kg over its entire life span.

Cyprus is an island of natural beauty and clean atmosphere and sea. This project of solar systems makes me personally involved as I would like to keep my country clean and away from pollution. I consider solar energy a sustainable energy resource with long – term effects. I am planning to explore in depth the potentials of using solar systems which have now become a part of a new sustainable technological development. Lanitis solar company is based in Cyprus and this can give me the opportunity, in the near future, to visit them and obtain valuable information not only for this project but for my course of study in general.

For further research sources:
http://www.enfotonsolar.com
http://www.lanitis-solar.com