If you want to install the system in a cabin, pump shed or boat, you can skip this step. Purchase a 12 volt DC meter. This will cost you around $25. Purchase a DC input. The triple inlet model is recommended. You can purchase this for only $10 at a car parts store. The device will be good for powering DC appliances like lights, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners. Blindness from Solar Energy Another danger that could stem from using solar energy to power up your different gadgets and electronics at home is that it could cause blindness if you were to expose your eyes to too much radiation from them, just like staring directly at the sun for too long. Solar Energy Fire Hazards Since most solar collectors basically concentrate the sunlight that they are able to collect from the sun, it can be a fire hazard, especially since fire can very easily start if there were very high concentrations and levels of solar energy. There are many solar applications that a homeowner can rely on to get the most benefits out of passive solar energy like passive cooling, passive solar heating and daylighting. Active solar energy involves the use of mechanical devices in collecting, storing and distributing solar energy inside the home. There are two kinds of solar water heating systems namely direct and indirect systems. Direct systems heat the current household water in solar collectors. Water is pumped to a tank after heating. Indirect systems use heat transfer fluid. The fluid is heated in solar collectors, then pumped to a storage tank. The main idea behind passive cooling is to reduce the impact of the sun by orienting the landscape and the house so that you get the most benefits out of cool breezes. The home also has to be designed to reduce barriers to air paths through the home to let natural ventilation in. You need to use the right type and size of windows to reduce the heat during extra hot days. The uses of solar energy are only limited by human ingenuity. Some of the other uses of solar energy include space cooling and heating via solar architecture, solar hot water, solar cooking, potable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting and high temperature process heat for industrial functions.