The very life of every living thing on Earth is dependent on the Sun. Without the Sun, we would not have animal or plant life, which supplies us with food and companionship. Without the Sun, we would have died out in former days, without the Sun these days, we may last a while, but it would not be much of a life.

The Sun gives us much more too. What we now call ‘alternative, sustainable energy‘ was the only form of energy available to the world for thousands of years. In reality, nuclear and even oil generated energy should be called alternative, but we have forgotten a lot. Especially in the West.

It is not essential to go back to the ways of our farming ancestors and get up and go to bed with the Sun, although it is still the way of life of the majority of the world’s population. No, we have technology and we should use it. At the moment, we use sophisticated technology to find more lakes of oil and dig ever deeper in more and more inaccessible places to take it from the Earth. Or worse still, we go to war to steal or ensure supplies resulting in the death of thousands of young soldiers and the desolation of millions of ordinary, innocent citizens.

We have to use our fantastic advances in technology to produce electricity out of thin air. Literally. We already have the technology to create solar panels and wind turbines in order to create millions of kilowatts of electricity from the Sun and the wind. There is other technology that can make use of the movement of the oceans and the natural high temperature of the Earth itself, although some of these are only accessible in some areas. For example, wave power can only be taken advantage of, if you live on the coast.

However, solar and wind power can be used in any part of the world with differing levels of success. A permutation of the two types of power generators is perhaps best for most areas. These technologies have been developed more or less chaotically. What if we had spent our war chests of billions of dollars on progressing these technologies, instead of using them to level cities and kill people?

However, the technology is there to produce enough electricity to power a household. It is clear that we cannot wait for our governments to do much more for us. Their viewpoint is different, they do not want to harm big business. And the big electrical providers would be damaged if a significant number of people generated their own electricity and came off the grid.

The rich representatives in government are trapped between a rock and a very hard place. They recognize that oil is running out; they know that much more electricity will have to be generated from the wind and the Sun, but they do not want to harm the share value of big industry.

Imagine, what a hard time the energy producers would have explaining why the cost of electricity had to go up because he Sun or the wind had increased its charges. Whereas it is easy to defend when they say that OPEC has increased the price of oil. But, we are in OPEC, aren’t we?

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with a favourite topic – alternative power sources. If you are interested in Sustainable Energy At Home, please click through to our site.

categories: energy,global warming,climate change,alternative,sustainable,solar power,wind power,home,health,technology,science,other,uncategorised,fuel

Have you ever thought about building your own wind turbine? It is not as simple as building your own solar panels but it is not hard either. Making your wind turbine look attractive is a bigger problem than making electricity from it. The first thing you have to do is invest in a set of plans to make a wind turbine and then set about buying all the components.

Assembling the components is easy. The bits and pieces can be picked up cheap from vehicle scrap yards and your local DIY store. Just imagine being even only 50% self-sufficient in electricity? Add in a few solar panels or a second wind turbine and you could soon be off the grid altogether.

Everyone understands about the continually rising cost of electricity and that it would be a good idea to generate energy from the wind and the sun just for the cost of the generators – the wind turbines and the solar panels – so you may be wondering why it is not a good idea to just go out and buy what you need from a professional installer.

Well, the answer to that is expense. Professionally installed wind turbines can cost tens of thousands of dollars and it can take 20 years to recoup the cost. On the other hand you can make your own for between $200 and $500.

If the turbine saves you $200 a month then it is evident that you will have recouped your outlay within three months maximum, if you assemble the turbine yourself. This is a very good incentive as with a little regular maintenance it will last you 15-25 years. Let’s just say 15 years or 180 months at at least $200 per month. That is $36,000 or an 7,200% return on investment.

Wind generated electrical power is very green as it requires practically no fossil fuels to produce it. I say practically none, because it may need a little engine oil to keep the blades turning efficiently. And that is it. You may have to replace a bearing from time to time, but that is the extent of your maintenance routine. It is not severe. You will also have to put some water in the batteries from time to time as well, unless you buy the sealed models, which you cannot fill up.

It really is not so difficult to build a wind generator. The average DIYer can complete this project with everyday tools. There are detailed instructions and drawings available on the Internet or at DIY stores to build a wind generator in your workshop at home.

So why not start to make yourself a wind turbine today? Fix it on a roof or a pole and begin generating your very own free electricity. You could be off that grid faster than you know it and you will be doing more than your bit to help the planet too.

If you want to read more about home-made wind turbines and solar panels, there is plenty of advice on the Internet.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with a favourite topic – alternative power sources. If you are interested in Sustainable Energy At Home, please click through to our site.

categories: energy,global warming,climate change,alternative,sustainable,solar power,wind power,home,health,technology,science,other,uncategorised,fuel

Electricity created from wind powered turbines is one of the most prevalent forms of energy from alternative sources and it is the fastest-growing variety too. Wind turbines are turned by the natural strength of the wind, so make electricity without ‘burning up’ any fossil fuels in the procedure. The faster (harder) the wind gusts, the more electricity is produced.

Therefore, wind turbines are best located where there are prolonged periods of high wind. The coast line is often a good place to place wind turbines. In fact many coastal towns and cities are supplementing their existing conventional electricity supply with energy created from wind turbines.

You can still generate electricity from wind, even if the wind does not blow very hard where you live, but the return will be less. It may still be sufficient, but maybe you should check out solar panels as well. For instance, it may suit your location to have a wind turbine for the winter and a couple of solar panels for the summer and winter back up.

Making a wind turbine is not rocket science, most people who are good with their hands can assemble a wind turbine with the aid of a good set of DIY plans. The real trick is to get all the components that the plans say you will need before you start. That way, you can focus on following the plans without having to nip off every now and again to get a part.

One valid point is that you should not be worried about producing too much electricity, because many the energy companies in many countries are required to buy your surplus electricity back from you these days. This is not a complicated process, you just have to stay plugged into the grid and your surplus electricity will flow back into the grid changing the numbers on the meter automatically.

In this case your meter is read monthly or quarterly as usual, but you will be given a refund rather that a bill. The more wind turbines and solar panels you install, the bigger a repayment you are likely to receive. In some cases, the units of electricity that you sell back are worth up to twice the units you buy from the same electricity company.

Apart from the fact that you will not be receiving an electricity bill every month or that your bill will be hugely reduced, a very important point is that you will be one of the very, very few individuals who is not badly affecting our planet. You will not be so responsible for the greenhouse gases that are created by manufacturing standard electricity.

You have nothing to lose by learning more about generating your own electricity, coming off the grid and doing your bit for the environment. The very least that can take place is that you read the information and become wiser on the subject and you may not put into practice you knowledge that you have learned. This would be a real pity, but not a big financial loss.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with a favourite subject – alternative power sources. If you are interested in Sustainable Energy At Home, please click through to our site.