Solar Power Your Home For Dummies

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$9.98

by Evans D. Smith

If you have tried researching solar electrical systems and you have found that the physics behind the system is far too difficult for you, do not fret as you can still benefit from residential solar power without understanding the calculations and details of solar electricity physics.

Many folks are interested with investing on a residential solar power system as it allows you to produce electricity without air pollution and noise while using a renewable source of energy. Simply put, a solar electricity system never runs out of fuel, which assists in reducing gas emitted by coal or other harmful elements. For the advantages that you can receive, residential solar energy systems are becoming the greatest energy resource for the 21st century.

Why should I Buy a Solar Electricity System?

The technology behind solar energy works by converting sunlight directly into electricity. Meaning, solar energy will work each time the sun is shining, while intense daylight produces more electricity. Since a solar panel does not use heat in manufacturing electricity, the semi-conductor materials of a solar panel generate electricity from the electrons emitted by the sun.

Residential solar energy systems typically generate around 10 watts per square foot, depending on the dimensions of a solar cell mounted on a home’s rooftop. However, the number of southerly exposure available ( or the area that remains un-shaded during the day ) decides the maximum amount of electricity from solar cells. As a consequence, your home solar power system may produce roughly electricity compared to your neighbor’s system.

If you are planning to change to solar electricity, remember that this kind of electricity is dearer than utility-supplied power. However, financing a residential solar power system can provide you with incentives and rebates, while allowing you to spread the costs over several years. Though you are like paying for years of electricity when you invest in a solar electricity system, solar electricity becomes more affordable and practical in the long run.

Folks select to invest in solar electrical systems for several reasons. While some people wish to reduce air pollution by saving the natural fossil fuel from the earth, others find the energy-producing investment saves them money from paying monthly electrical utilities. Without regard for private reasons on selecting solar power over normal utility-purchased electricity, each consumer who purchases home solar electricity systems can avoid possible rate hikes in the cost of utility-purchased electricity.

Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator

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$690.00

by Brian Bradley

The cost of a wind turbine is a vital consideration, but it is rarely answered by the currently available information sources.

The idea that you could construct a wind turbine for around $50.00 is not feasible unless you already have many of the parts on hand.

Here’s what you’ll need to build your own wind turbine in your backyard, and how much each part will cost:

1) A generator is necessary. An Ametek 30-40 vdc generator can be purchased on Ebay at a price between $30 and $50… This is a great choice, especially in lower wind speeds.

3) Next, go to your local hardware store and get some sheet metal (for the tail and body of your wind turbine) for $5.

3) You’ll need PVC pipe to make the rotor blades for your wind turbine – this is available for around $10, either online or at the hardware store.

4) To connect everything together, you need a “hub” – get it at your hardware store for $10, or make it yourself using circular metal alloy.

5) A Shaft or tower for support can be made out of old satellite TV towers or other materials purchased for around ten dollars.

6) As with all clean energy projects, you’ll need a deep-cycle batter for energy storage – pick it up for free at the golf course, or get it online for $10.

7) A charge controller to protect your battery from the elements is also a good idea – expect to spend about $25.

A dump load for the reception of any extra energy will not cost you anything if you have an old water heater or back-up battery pack around.

9) If AC power is being used, you need an AC Inverter. If you need one, you can get one for between $50 and $75, depending on the wattage needed.

10) Finally, you need the appropriate hardware to attach the blades to the hub, as well as tools like screw drivers, sockets, and sandpaper – allot $10 to this.

Adding up all these items, you see that the cost comes out to $160 to $225 – and if you already have a few of these items, you might get this as low as $100.

World leaders and environmentalists are singing the praises of the future of wind generated power. Countries around the globe are investing in new technologies and considering wind farms both on and off shore. The United States, Great Britain, and Australia are just three such countries committed to realizing the benefits of wind generated power.

Wind farms are housed both onshore and offshore. Off shore wind farms are a relatively new occurrence with the largest being off the coast of Scotland. The turbines are placed in rows along the ocean floor in shallow waters close to shore. California’s central valley has been home to wind farms for almost 30 years. The wind generated in the central valley is fed into the public energy grid. Because wind is an intermittent energy source it is often used as an energy supplement.

Great Britain plans to have the country powered by wind energy by 2020. This would be possible in major part to the topography of the ocean floor surrounding Great Britain. The floor is shelved and shallow making the cost of installing turbines manageable. The ideal spot for an offshore wind farm in the United States would be Cape Cod. The pacific coast of the United States is steep and treacherous making onshore wind farms a better option.

Offshore wind farms are attractive mainly because of the weather conditions produced by the ocean. Strong winds are regularly experienced, larger turbines can be installed and so more energy can be produced. On shore wind farms are also attractive for midland states like Montana and Kentucky where winds howl off the plains.

Wind power has the capacity to produce more than 100 billion kilowatt hours worldwide yearly. The main hindrance to this wind generated power technologies lies in the cost of the turbines. The rate at which the turbines pay themselves off however is faster than any other power producing mechanism.

European nations are already utilizing wind generated power to accommodate a portion of their population’s power needs. The United States, Denmark and Great Britain are leading the way and are pointing to the benefits of wind power for developing nations.

Funding for wind generating power projects come from a number of sources including, government, research groups, foundations and power companies. The outlook for wind farms is good in the United States. In a time of economic crisis it is estimated that government sponsored initiatives in alternative energy will produce jobs at a rate of 4.8 jobs for every mega watt of power installed.

Is wind power the solution for you to be power self sufficient? Some parts of the world have enough reliable wind to generate enough electricity to serve everyone’s needs.

What would you say if your neighbor told you she was going to install a residential wind generator? You would be impressed – right? The truth is that it is not difficult to install these devices and many homeowners are taking the challenge to install their own residential wind generator as a cost-effective means to utilizing renewable energies.  It isn’t exactly snap-your-fingers easy to build residential wind generators either, but with the proper plans and a motivated installer you can be installing one in no time.

When setting out to install a wind generator, you will need to do some research and purchase an instruction manual or guide to follow.  Remember that you get what you pay for when it comes to instructions.  Make sure you find a manual that is easy to read with detailed instructions.  There are also many online resources and forums to help guide you through your wind generator installing process.

Familiarize yourself with the basics when starting your residential wind power project. There are four basic components to residential wind generators to consider.  You must be familiar with the towers, the batteries, the turbines and the tail and propeller assembly.  The tools generally required to build a home wind generator are simple: you will need wrenches, a saw and a drill along with a few more tools.

One essential item that will need to be purchased when you decide to install a home wind generator is the motor.  The motors on residential wind generators do require regular maintenance and oiling for continued efficiency, but this is a small price to pay for the cost effective energy these systems provide.

A home wind turbine does require a fair bit of real estate for mounting and installation. You will need to consider height, width and ultimate accessibility for periodic maintenance.  Depending on your target energy output, your propellers or blades could get up to 8 feet in diameter (4 ft blades).

It takes a little work to install residential wind generators, but there is really nothing overly complicated about the process and in the end can be fairly inexpensive. Once you are operational and you see your electric bills getting smaller each month, you will realize that it was all worthwhile.

So learn how to install residential wind generators for yourself and take advantage of the opportunities free electricity can provide.