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Sunday, January 09th, 2011 | Author: admin

Renewable Power For The Home...solar And Wind

If this is your first venture into renewable energy for your home, there are a few key facts that you should be aware of. From a pure money saving prospect solar is your best bet. Even for those of you who live in extremely windy areas, it is still best to combine the two alternatives. The reason has to do with a few factors of nature. Did you know, for example, that the small amount of the suns rays that hit your roof, greatly surpass all the energy that is transported through the utility company electric wires? So if we look at solar panels and wind turbine rotors as merely collectors, you can see that the amount of electricity that is produced is based on the collectors area. It is for that reason that the proper solar energy system can more than handle all your electricity needs. Here is another fact that will astound you. The entire total of fossil fuels on Earth can be matched by the solar energy output of the sun on Earth, in less than three days. So you can start to see why in most cases' homes and small business are powered by solar, because the amount of electricity produced by the sun, is much greater than that produced by a small wind turbine.

Another major reason to consider solar over wind is the cost. Considering that most homes do have more than one energy source, the average household consumes about 1,000 kWh of electricity per month, or about 12,000 kWh per year. Depending on your wind resource and the tower height required to get the wind turbine above the trees, a wind system designed to generate that kind of electric capacity would have to have a very large rotor. The price tag could easily exceed $50,000.00 to install. Another option could be to have multiple smaller turbines. This of course would depend on the space you have available to erect the amount of towers needed. That same scenario would have your complete solar energy system installed for $25-$30,000. Before you stop reading, I will tell now, that these figures are based on contractor estimates. There are ways to do-it-yourself for laterally

pennies on the dollar. At this time, however, I'd like to cover the advantages of a complete solar energy system.

Before we tread into the idea of designing the perfect system for your solar energy needs, you must first understand what it is that the system entails. A solar panel is merely a collector. So the amount of area you have will determine how much energy is produced. It is for this reason that the recent advancements in Photovoltaic applications become so important. Photovoltaic, also referred to as PV, is according to Wikipedia, the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting solar energy (sunlight, including ultra violet radiation) directly into electricity. The development of transistor and accompanying semiconductor technology, has drastically increased photovoltaic power and efficiency. Today, commonly available solar panels are 12% efficient, which is four times greater than only a few years ago.

A solar energy system has no moving parts to break down, and requires very little maintenance. Another very important aspect is that contrary to most contractors' misconception it is not a difficult installation. For those of you who live or are considering living in extremely remote or rural areas if electricity is available it is usually expensive. In those cases solar power is undoubtedly the right way to go. However, even in areas where power lines are nearby, solar may still be a viable alternative to being connected to a power company. An average home has more than enough roof area to produce enough solar electricity to supply all of its power needs. All that is needed is an inverter, which converts direct current (DC) power from the solar cells to alternating current (AC), which are what most home appliances run on. A solar home, except for the obvious changes to the roof, will look and operate just like any home does when it was connected to the power line.

If you have decided to seriously look into solar power for your home, there are some guides available to help you save thousands of dollars, by doing it yourself. You must be careful however, because many instructional books and guides are confusing and have complicated diagrams. So before getting started you must find the correct step-by-step instructions. You don't need to be a builder. Anybody can make solar panels. It's really quite easy to make solar panels once you know a few industry secrets. You must make sure that the guide you chose has step by step instruction, detailed diagrams, plenty of pictures and video teaching aids.

So, how much will it actually cost, to make your own solar panels? You can, with the right instruction, build your solar panels for less than $200 each. I suggest that if you don't have the time or you're just not willing to put in the effort, you can hire a couple of competent handy men to implement the project, and still save thousands. Real people, not corporations, have come up with efficient and extremely affordable programs that walk you through step by step instructions, on how to build and install renewable energy for your home.

My own extensive research has helped me narrow down the best of the best instructional guides, complete with blueprints, photos, and in the case of my number one choice, video for that do-it-yourself solar power project you might be considering. Obviously, I can't go into great detail in this article, but if I have piqued your interest, you can get all the facts of this or many other ideas on how to go green at my site Possibly GREEN.

There you'll find the right ways to live a greener life, including up to date articles and information on Renewable Power for the Home...Solar and Wind. At Possibly GREEN you will find the right ways to live a greener life, including information on how to convert your car inexpensively, grow an organic garden, live chemically free, and even find green jobs in your area.

About the Author

Now in my late 50's, I consider myself to be a Jack Of All Trades And Master Of a few things. I was a struggling actor for 25 years. During that time I learned a little about a lot of things, and would like to pass along some of that knowledge. As a person that deeply cares about the environment, I feel that we should do all we can to pitch in to save our beautiful planet with Renewable Power for the Home...Solar and Wind.

"Andalucia" Jenschottler's photos around Seville, Spain