A Few Sound Thoughts on Getting Started With Alternative Energy
Of all the factors that have functioned to bring green or renewable energy to where it is now, the top reason given by most home, and business owners is the price. That is that unlike years past, it now costs less over the long-haul to buy the system necessary to get your power from your own private renewable source than it does to buy it from a local provider.
It’s a plain fact. Also it’s only going to get worse over time, and the reasons are all quite basic. The era of huge hydroelectric power projects has long since ended and it’s certainly no secret that crude oil prices only continue to rise. At the same time, in spite of the fact that coal is abundant in the UK, and the US, it’s not cheap either and coal fired plants spew too much green house gas, so they’re costly to run cleanly.
So now it seems that almost everyone who can add up the numbers is trying to figure out how to get their home hooked up with a steady source of renewable energy. Even so there are a few things that you need to know, and do before you even think of shopping for solar panels, or a wind turbine. Items that you may not have even considered.
Item number one is you need to seal and insulate your home properly, and also do a complete energy audit aimed towards minimizing power usage. You see, what you need to understand, is that unlike your present connection to your local utility provider, alternative energy sources do come with certain limits.
As an example, if you end up relying totally on a solar power system, you’ll need to realize that the sun goes down at night and you won’t have optimal exposure every day of the year. Then again if you base your power generation off of a wind driven system you will have days when the wind itself isn’t blowing like you would prefer.
The fact is that even if you could produce an unlimited surplus of power, you would definitely want to direct what ever that is back into the power grid to offset the cost of your system. You need to come to terms with the fact that you will no longer be an energy consumer in the way that you used to be and that means that you need to readjust how you view, and use power in your home.
Another thing to think about is your roof, if in fact you plan on mounting your system up on top of your home. This is all too often an aspect that far too many homeowners fail to take into account but you may want to consider having a new roof installed along with your solar panel system, for a few good reasons.
Something to consider is if the roof on your home is reaching the end of its service life, a flush mount system is one of the better ways to go for standard solar panels. It eliminates the need for protruding brackets, as it also offers maximum protection from high winds as well. Be aware though, that a flush mount system must be installed as a new roof is being laid down.
Want to find out more about solar home power, then visit Sandi Feris’s site on how to choose the best solar power homes for your needs.
Saving Energy is Easier With New Energy Saving Products
Now no one likes the idea of power that they are paying for simply going to waste in their home or business but the fact is that its pretty much unavoidable. Just the same what you may not realize is that there are areas in your home where power that you pay for is essentially leaking out. Areas where its being wasted for no good reason at all.
I’ll take your television set as a prime example because are you aware that it may be consuming a full 75% of the power it uses when it’s in fact turned off? You read that right because when you click the remote to turn it off, it remains in “standby mode”. It’s still gulping power, believe it or not!! So then what’s the solution?
So then how can you stop this needless waste? The answer is surprisingly cheap, and incredibly simple. They’re called standby savers and they function just like a normal TV remote with one difference and that is that standby savers shut off the power “at its source”. So the power is cut completely to the TV or home appliance, cutting off the waste.
Then there is the new electricity monitor and what’s so amazing about this device is that it took so long for it to be invented, and brought to market. Believe it or not, all they do is measure and make available on a screen the amount and value of the power your home, or individual appliances are using. That’s it!
Would you believe that the average savings that home and business owners who use this device are reporting, is 25% on their first months utility bill alone? Then over the long term, by allowing them to measure and better manage the volume of electricity that their individual appliances and buildings use, that savings often climbs to as much as 50%, and even more.
Have you ever stopped to consider that you are paying to keep forty gallons of water piping hot 365 days a year with your standard water heater. Just think how much energy that takes up but the fact is that you do need hot water and there is just no getting around that fact. Even so is there some way that you can ease this constant financial burden?
If your water heater does not have a nice snug fitting water heater blanket then go out and buy one. In fact you should buy two, and give it a double wrap for twice the savings. Then again, while they are nowhere near as cheap as a blanket, new tankless water heaters eliminate the burdonsome tank all together. They heat the water only when you need it.
The last item on the list is energy saving light bulbs and it’s just amazing that some folks still don’t use them. The problem is that they used to be a lot more expensive then they are now and also a lot of people simply don’t realize how many bulbs they have in their home, or business. You can also buy them in bulk packs now for even more savings.
Want to find out more about saving energy at home, then visit Sandi Feris’s site on how to choose the best electricity monitor for your needs.
Photovoltaic Panels vs A Wind Turbine: Which Should You Choose
Do the math. If you were to add up all 12 of your monthly electrical bills then multiply that figure by 20 what you will find is that at today’s costs you would most likely be better served by purchasing a 20 year solar, or wind power generation system. You see, it’s not just the “green” thing to do any more. It’s also the financially sound thing to do.
Now when you consider that the price of power only continues to rise, the financial equation becomes even more tipped in the favor of going with an alternative energy system. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how much you will be paying for gas, and electricity 10 years from now? Or; what about 15 years from now?
If you are like most home and business owners today though, your problem is financing. Sure you’d like to install the very latest renewable energy system on your home but for the time being your local power company has you hooked. With them you don’t need to buy any equipment. All you have to do is simply pay the damn bill that arrives at your door each month.
Just what does a total system cost then if you should decide to finally cut the line from your local power grid and go independent? Then again, you may like to know how much you can look to spend on the separate components themselves as you decide on what’s going to go into your system. Finally, you will have to decide if solar panels, or a wind turbine is your best choice.
The straight forward answer in the simplest terms to the first above listed question, is that for the average sized family in an average sized home, the cost of going “completely” solar is somewhere in the area of $20,000. Now bear in mind that it can be less, or more depending on individual circumstances.
On the other hand, if you have a good source of steady wind then a wind turbine system of such a size that it can supply that same sized home will run you in the area of $15,000. Now what most people fail to take into account, is that a wind turbine system does require a tower to mount it in and how tall your tower has to be has a big impact on its cost.
Now if you have already heard that local utility companies will buy back your extra power, it’s the truth. In fact by law they have to. Even so, it’s well worth checking out to see just how much they pay because power companies are allowed to set their own “buy-back” rates, and while some companies pay a good price, others most definitely do not.
If you’re in luck, your local utility company pays a fair price for domestically generated power, and you have steady wind blowing year round. If this is your case then while you sleep your turbine can be pumping electricity right back into the grid system and making you money. Now it tends to be a little more difficult with a solar system because photovoltaic panels stop functioning as soon as the sun sets.
So there is a lot to consider as you ponder your choices and of course there are more complicated issues to be covered than what was laid out here. Even so, keep in mind that right now people everywhere are switching over and turning the tables on their local utility provider, so it’s not out of reach. Also don’t forget that you can set up a “dual system” that reaps the benefits of both solar, and wind energy.
Looking to find the best deal on solar panels, then visit www.123gogreen.co.uk to find the best advice on solar panel installation for you.
Getting Optimum Performance From Your Solar Panels To Produce More Electricity _ How To Do It
You can definitely produce power by using solar panels. But just how much your panels produce is dependent on several important factors.
First and maybe fairly obvious is to consider how much sun your area gets. Now if you live in the desert or in the mountains, you are in luck. But for people living in other areas, an important consideration to be aware of is how bright the sunlight is. Brighter is better.
For a solar panel to harvest enough light from the sun to produce a good amount of power, you really need bright, full, shadow-free sunlight. So your panels will not generate as much electricity if your region tends to have a lot of cloudy weather.
The biggest problem that homeowners face with solar panels is shadow. Even a very small amount of shade can dramatically affect output. When a module or part of a module is shaded, voltage output becomes very low.
During certain times of the day shadows are to be expected, like early or later on the day. This is not a concern because at these times the sun is at an extreme angle, so there is little power being generated anyway. However it is important to avoid shadow during the midday hours of between about 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. when the sun is directly overhead.
It’s best to install panels on mounts angled toward the sun. When you do that you are ensured of getting optimum production from the modules. It’s also a good idea to adjust the angles of these mounts seasonally since the position of the sun varies from season to season.
Lastly, you will need to properly maintain your solar panels. Don’t worry though because it’s a breeze. Because panels don’t have moving parts the only maintenance you need to do is to keep them clean.
Rain can take care of this maintenance for you as long as it falls on a regular basis and lasts for a few hours at a time. Otherwise, you can use a hose to easily clean the panels. Never use a hose during the hottest time of the day to avoid problems. The best time to clean the panels is in the morning or during the evening.
Generating electricity with solar panels can save you money once you recover the cost of the panels. But did you know that it’s cheap and easy to build and install solar panels for your own home? Visit http://www.goinggreensavinggreen.com to find out how.
DIY Wind Turbine – Make Money From The Wind
There is absolutely no concern about it, more and more people around the globe are generally embracing alternative energy solutions to generate electrical power for their homes. Setting up a DIY wind turbine and DIY solar panels are, as most people are learning, is something they are able to do for themselves as well as for comparatively little money. These tasks can be done along with easily accessible parts that you could obtain from your local home improvement store and with tools that you really more than likely currently have in your home.
Just about any able-bodied individual can get the required plans from the internet and use those plans to create wind turbines and solar panels.
Ready-made wind turbines built by manufacturers can be quite costly working within the thousands of dollars. So if you are packed and want to save some effort and time then go ahead and obtain a preconstructed windmill.
We will be finding more and more people taking advantage of available renewable resources such as the sun and wind to power their homes. Across the world in pretty much every civilized country everyone is turning to DIY wind turbines and solar panels. Not merely there is a substantial savings in generating your own personal electricity but there is also a palpable satisfaction derived from knowing that you are engaging in your part to reduce your own carbon footprint.
Wind turbines run through kinetic energy that simply means the fact that blowing wind captures the blades of the rotor and makes it turn. That energy coming from that rotating motion is captured and converted into electricity. The electricity that is certainly captured can be stored and will supply energy even when the wind is not blowing and the blades of the turbine are still. Many people report that they save up to 80% with their DIY wind turbine. Several also produce sufficient electricity from their wind power system to absolutely cover their own electricity bill each month. And what is the best scenario of all? One can produce sufficient power from your wind turbine in order not to pay your own utility expenses but to also sell the excess electricity to your utility company.
If you’ve enjoyed all the infos you read about wind turbines then definitely you’ll love everything else you can discover at an alternative energy home. .
