Archive for Living Off The Grid

Why Choose Solar Energy?

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the Sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. For every change in the world, one being had to advance lead the others joined. Even if you anticipate you cannot change the bearings all by yourself, do not worry. When humans acquisition you adequate the abundant advantages of application solar power, they will chase your example.

Solar panel is apple-pie and does not could cause any pollution. It does not bankrupt the earth’s accustomed non-renewable assets of energy, appropriately allowance to conserve the eco-system. Using solar ability can accomplish the apple a cleaner and bigger abode to reside in.

Solar panels may crave an ample bulk of amplitude area they can be set up, and added so if there are an amount of solar panels, the after-effects can be actual rewarding. You can save up to 90 percent on your ability bills. Once you complete the accession aspect of a solar ability unit, you can eventually go absolutely off the filigree and never accept to pay ability bills. You can adore charge less and ceaseless ability after annoying about the costs.

Solar energy is not acclimated alone for electrical ability generation. It can as well be put to an amount of added uses that are as abundant important. You can use solar energy to fry food, light solar bulbs, heat water, run solar buses and solar trams, run a centralized cooling or heating arrangement and abundant more. Appliances like solar powered calculators, attic fans, etc. are as well added examples that appearance you the advanced ambit of use for solar power.

Solar energy can change the atmosphere of your home into a cleaner and safer one.

Solar Attic Fans Add Comfort to Your Home & Save Money

We all want to feel as calm and comfortable as possible when we are home. It’s our castle, our inner sanctum. That level of comfort is not always possible. Little projects keep cropping up or long neglected issues rear their ugly head at the worst possible time. The best thing that you can do is to try and head these issues off. Solar attic fans can help you by preventing one of the most insidious of home invaders: mold.

Solar attic fans play an important role in the long term maintenance and and healthy environment of your home by eliminating the things that promote the growth of mold. Mold can only grow if you allow it. There are three important ingredients for mold growth: heat, moisture, and darkness. Solar fans remove two of the three. Every time you take a shower, do dishes, or wash the laundry, moisture is released into the air. This moisture eventually rises into your attic and settles in the insulation and on the framework of your roof. The same thing happens as your home warms up. Heat rises and gets trapped in the attic. It is already dark up there, so mold and mildew have everything that they need to grow.

Passive vents help, but do not provide the air flow needed to provide a cool and dry attic space. Electric attic fans are an improvement, but then you have the increase in your electric bill to deal with. These fans are further, somewhat limited because the thermostats that they are equipped with have a high temperature setting. Essentially, they do not run often enough to do a great job. Solar attic fans conquer both of these obstacles. Once installed they will not cost you a dime on your energy bill and installation is easy. Just put the new fan in the same hole that your old one was in. Your energy bill will not increase in the slightest. Solar fans also have a lower setting on their thermostats, because of that, they run more often and keep your attic cooler and drier year round. A cooler, drier attic leads to another energy savings. In the summer your air conditioning will not have to work as hard to cool your home. If your attic is cool, not as much of the chilled air will be leached into the attic; saving you money on those dreaded summer cooling bills.

Add lower energy bills and savings on installation to the impact that you will have on the future of our environment when you install solar attic fans. It has been estimated that if everyone could lower the settings on their thermostat by one degree, we could eliminate our dependence on foreign oil in just 10 years. That means greater freedom for future generations.

DIY Solar Power/ DIY Wind Power – Which is the Best Source?

Solar Energy /Wind Energy: which is the best source? The average American home produces average 41,800lbs (about 20 tonnes) of Co2 every year. By simple using a do-it-yourself approach to home solar power or wind power system that number can be cut in half! Imagine the impact we could have on our planet, people out there decided to convert their homes and remove part of your carbon footprint. Interested in learning how to DIY solar power or DIY wind power. They are clean, Eco-friendly and efficient energy sources for your home. If you want to save money on power, and be one of those who is working to save our planet.

Solar Energy

Solar energy from the sun can easily be converted into sunlight. The beams of light from the sun hit a photovoltaic (PV) module which responds by generating a current. This electrical energy is then carried into our homes. A home solar system is typically made up of solar panels, an inverter, a battery, a charge controller, wiring and support structures.

Wind Energy

Wind energy is the form of solar energy, there are some similarities. The wind blows the propeller which Rotor blades – the 5 large fin-like metal pieces that are blown by the wind. Often made of PVC or similar material in smaller systems. Shaft – As the rotor blades turn, they turn the shaft, that together collect kinetic energy from the wind. Generator – Using the principle of electromagnetic induction, generators cause magnets to rotate around a conductor and create electricity. For some systems you may also need a DC Motor, Charge Controller, Battery Pack and AC inverter. Ideally a wind turbine should be located in a place where there is a near constant flow of non-turbulent wind throughout the year.

Costs

First of all, both system are costs involved in order to produce a PV module or wind turbine. In some ways obtaining electricity from wind power or solar power is easy and a great way to cut long term costs. A few decades ago, only back-to-the-land types made serious use of solar panels and windmills, but today renewable have gone mainstream. The latest technology has brought the price of renewable down dramatically. With this market growth-and all of the environmental benefits that come with it, making them more cost-competitive.

Efficiency

Solar Energy is measured in kilowatt-hour. 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts. 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) = the amount of electricity required to burn a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours. If you having solar panels covering your roof will give you enough energy to generate electricity in your home, as long as you are careful about usage. Another ways is relying on the battery back up, a solar energy system can provide electricity 24×7, even on dull days and at night.

The turbine needs to be in a position where it gets maximum benefit from the wind available, although the wind will never stop blowing, thereby providing an endless source of wind energy if we harness it correctly, with the appropriate back-up generators.

How to make a complete home solar/wind power system with as many solar power panels as you want depending on your financial position to go partially or go totally off the grid. You have to find a way to generate your own energy without reliance on public utilities for thing like electricity. First thing is to being mindful of how to use your resources is the first step towards energy independence. When you decide to build your own alternative energy system you stand to save money by choose with the right instruction, so that you are not putting out a huge expenditure at once.

Cost of Solar Panels

Overview of costs today

Photovoltaic solar panels have come a long way since their first inception in the 1970s. With crystalline panels reaching their theoretical limit of 30% efficiency in labs and the emergence of thin film panels, manufacturers are now looking for ways to reduce manufacturing costs of panels to give consumers the most bang for the buck. Over the past decade, great strides have been made in reducing the prices of solar panels and photovoltaic systems in order to make them affordable to residential users.

Manufacturing Costs

According to the US Department of Energy, the average price per peak watt of crystalline solar module in 2008 was $3.80 and the average cost of a thin film module was $2.82 for manufacturers.

First Solar, the leading manufacturer of thin film panels, has led the way in reducing the manufacturing price per peak watt of photovoltaic cells to 98 cents per watt in 2009, with further goals of reducing it to 65 cents per watt by 2012.

Retail Costs

The average retail price of PV modules dropped significantly over the past year, from $4.84/watt in January of 2009 to $4.30/watt in January 2010, according to Solar Buzz.

Installation Costs

According to the report, Tracking the Sun II, released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the average cost of residential PV installations in the United States during 2008 was $7.90/W, significantly greater than $6.90/W in Japan and $6.10/W in Germany. The cost of installing in Japan and Germany suggests that installation costs can still be lowered. However, the net installation costs of residential systems in the US dropped to $5.40/W after incentives and rebates.

Summary

With manufacturers finding innovative ways to give consumers more watts per dollar and installers finding better methods of installing panels, the costs to the end user should keep going downward. With more Americans tying to the grid and economies of scale coming into effect along with greater incentives in the future, the cost of solar panels is expected to continue to decline.

Electrical Energy Conservation – Unplug Things You're Not Using

Another quick and simple energy conservation tip is to unplug energy consuming stuff that just sits around unused. Not every home appliance uses electricity while sitting idle, but many do. Some are clear to see, and others aren’t.

The microwave, alarm clock, VCR, DVD, stereo system, night lights, plug-in air fresheners, television and many other appliances all provide what’s known as a “phantom load.” That’s a device that consumes electric power but isn’t apparent on the face of things. Nevertheless, it’s evident if you closely monitor your home energy system or examine your electric bill.

I’m not suggesting that everything be unplugged when you’re not using it, but there are probably many electricity consumers in your house that could be eliminated if you took a good look around. Try these on for size:

  • The old “instant on” television in the basement that isn’t used but every few months. The reason it’s “instant on” is simply because it’s always on. The circuitry is always on standby and ready to go.
  • A personal computer that runs all day long because it takes too long to boot up or come back out of hibernation.
  • Clocks in the basement or shop that once were convenient, but are now rarely used.
  • The spare refrigerator or freezer that barely has enough in it to justify running.
  • Night lights that are always on, or night lights that can’t tell the difference between a dark hallway and nighttime.

If you want to make your own list, then I suggest you start at your wall outlets and work your way back along each electrical cord. Sometimes it’s the only way to make certain you spot them all. When it comes to energy conservation, only you will care. The power company charges you whether you put the electricity to good use or simply let it spin a clock in the basement that no one ever sees.