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Making Your Own Electricity – What Are Your Options?

  With rising energy costs and heightened environmental concerns, more and more homeowners are looking to alternative options to supply their home’s energy needs. Twenty or more years ago, if someone mentioned the idea of getting off of the power grid, they might have been perceived as being slightly excentric and today the same idea is becoming an excepted alternative of our future. Along with the homeowner seeing his electric rates  increasing at an alarming rate, there has been more public awareness over global warming and the depletion of the earth’s ozone layer so many have been starting to ask about using clean energy or renewable energy. In this article I am writing  about using solar panels and wind turbines to supply electricity to a home along with some of the options and considerations the homeowner should be aware of.

  Grid Connected Or Off The Grid

  There are two basic types of systems, the grid-tied or grid connected and independent or off-grid. In a grid-tied system the solar panels or wind turbines(or both) connect to an inverter that converts the direct current(DC) they produce, to alternating current(AC) that can be used by the home or fed back to the utility grid. Grid-tied systems may or may not have battery backup systems. Check to see if your utility company is part of the net-metering program which means they will by back any surplus your system produces. An independent or off the grid system is meant to supply all or most of the electrical needs of a home or building and these systems include batteries for backup for nighttime use or days when there isn’t sufficient wind for the wind turbines. Many systems also includ a gasoline or diesel powered generator to provide backup power. An independent system would be common in rural areas where utility connections are expensive.

   How Much Do I Need?

  The amount of electricity a person would need to produce using solar panels or wind turbines depends whether they will be using a grid-tied or off the grid system. In a grid-tied system any amount of electricity produced by the solar panels or wind turbines will reduce the electric bill for the home by that much. It might be a good idea to produce enough electricity so that in the event of a power outage there is enough to supply certain appliances and equipment. In an off the grid system, an assessment has to be made of a home’s electrical consumption which is not an easy task because it is always fluctuating so a person must take an inventory of every electrical item in a home to determine how much power the home draws in watts. For more information on sizing a solar panel or wind turbine system check the government’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program.

  Information On Solar Panels

  The technology in solar panels or also known as photovoltaics(PV) have come a long way over the last 30 years. A PV system has no moving parts and should last indefinitely. A system using batteries for backup will need to be periodically maintained and the batteries will need to be replaced about every 10 years. A 3kw system might have as many as 16 batteries. Typically the solar panels are mounted either on the home(usually the roof) or are ground- mounted. The important thing to consider of course is where do you get maximum exposure to the sun. Some ground-mounted systems come with tracking mechanisms that will track the sun across the sky to achieve maximum efficiency. How much roof area do you need for a PV system? According to the EERE about 100 sq. ft. for every 1kw.

   Information on Wind Turbines

  You would most likely find a wind turbine in a rural area instead of an urban residential area because of the height and location requirements to be most effective. It is recommended that a wind turbine tower be installed with the bottom of the blades at least 30 feet higher than the tallest obstacle such as homes and trees, within 300 feet. It is not advisable to mount a wind turbine tower on the roof of a home because it produces a considerable amount of vibration. A wind turbine needs winds of at least 10 mph to produce electricty and before considering a wind turbine system it is advisable to check your local zoning laws(many have height restrictions). Be shure to check out the government’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program website for more detailed information installing a wind turbine system.

   Is Solar And Wind Power For You?

  Back in 1975 I entered I science fair( I was 12 years old) and the title of my entry was ” The Incredible Solar Cell”and back then people walking by were amazed that I powered a radio with 3 small solar cells. Technology of solar power has come a long way since then and thereis much time and research currently being invested to make renewable sources of energy such as solar panels and wind turbines more efficient and economical so it is not a matter if these eco-friendly sources of energy are for us, but a matter of when will they be a common part of our lives?

 Are you interested in saving money by producing your own electricity? Click on the image below for more info!

  Slawek Polinski – Home Sense

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Slawek Energy electricity, going green, Home Energy, solar power, wind power