Electricity Independence: Let Solar Power Electricity Run Your Home

Submitted by: Nathan Sprott

If you are concerned about increasing energy prices, the vagaries of the oil market, and the risk of power outtages, then energy independence is now a viable solution. Solar power electricity can provide 100% of your home energy needs, and when used in combination with efficiency measures and passive solar water heating, can significantly reduce your costs.

Will solar be enough for my home?

The beauty of solar power electricity is the scalability of a system to meet your energy needs. If you do an energy audit of your current energy consumption, you will be better placed to estimate the amount of electricity you need to generate. There are many online tools for doing an audit.

How easy is it?

Installation of a complete household solar electricity system, while techically complicated for the novice, is usually taken care of by your supplier and factored into the price. Whether you lease of buy, installation will be handled by your supplier.

However, you can save money by installing your own system. Kits are avaialbe to take you through this process, with how-to videos and a help line if you strike difficulties.

An area that is just starting to show growth is the “plug-n-play” solar electricity system. Using your current AC wiring, a “plug-n-play” panel can connect directly to your house without any technical skill or need for an electrician. The system converts the panels DC power to AC and will supplemnt your current energy consumptions, reducing prices. Greenway Solar presently sell a 250w “plug-n-play” kit for $US1893 Clarion Technology are developing a stylish awning model that will be released in mid 2011. It is expected that the advent of plug-n-play will make solar technology more assessable for everyone.

Is it cost-effective?

New home developments frequently incorporate energy sustainability options in the U.S. Energy efficiency in itself will reduce your electricity costs, but combined with solar power electricity you can expect significant reductions.

Many new homes are being grid connected and supplemented with solar power electricity and hot water systems. If you are in a location that can't take advantage of on-grid solar, you can still have a grid-connected solar electricity system that will reduce your energy costs and enable you to sell excess power back to the grid. If you have a system that well supplies your needs, the energy companies will eventually be paying you!

Existing and owner-built homes can also benefit from installing a solar power system, this is especially cost effective if you live in an isolated area, where the costs of running power poles is prohibitive.

In recent years solar power electricity prices have dropped, while efficiency has increased. In addition, rebates and tax incentives that are offered in many United States locations mean that you may pay half the ticket price on solar power electricity systems. In some locations you may be able to sell excess energy production back to the grid if you choose a grid-connected option, further reducing your overall costs. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency have guide to rebates and incentives available near you.

The typical solar off-grid household system will cost between $US10,000 and $20,000 depending on your energy needs and how much of the work you are willing to do yourself. Self-installation can save you thousands of dollars and further savings can be made by purchasing DIY solar panel kits that can either work off grid, or make grid connection easy. Solar leasing is also becoming a popular option in the U.S. Environmental group, The Sierra Club have developed a convenient online tool for calculating the costs and saving of installing an off-grid solar energy system in your home or business.

Acquiring a solar power electricity system will mean that you can be partly or completely safe from the vagaries of the energy market, immune from outages and energy independent.

About the Author: For more information of how you can go green with solar panels or other house additions to green your home, please visit our green home renovation resource.

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Wind Turbines - How Much Electricity They Produce

Submitted by: Ryan Wiley

Building a wind turbine is a great DIY project, but how much power can one actually produce? When discussing how much power a wind turbine can produce, you have to understand three things: how much power is in the wind, how much of that power can be harnessed, and how much your particular wind turbine will be able to grab a hold of.

How Much Power is in the Wind

To find the absolute power inherent in the wind we use the following formula:

Power measured in watts = (.5) (rho) (a) (V^3), with “rho” representing air density, “a” representing the swept area of your wind turbine blades, and “V” representing the velocity of the wind in meters per second.

To find the swept area of your turbine blades, you must use the following equation:

a = pi x r^2, with “r” representing the radius of the circle made by your spinning wind turbine blades.

Let’s look at an example. We’ll say that we have an 8-foot wind turbine and 10 MPH winds (all figures converted to the metric system—meters/feet per second). Note: the radius (r) needed for this equation is easy to get—it is the length of one of your turbine blades.

Let’s get our swept area.

a = 3.14 (1.2192 m^2)

a = 4.666

Now we have the information needed to figure out the total power inherent in the wind using our specific wind turbine (the density of the wind [rho] is 1.23). We use the abovementioned equation.

Power measured in watts = (.5) (rho) (a) (V^3)

Watts = (.5) (1.23) (4.666) (89.338)

Watts = 256

So, we can produce 256 watts with our wind turbine, right? Wrong.

How Much Power We Can Really Get Out of the Wind

According to the Betz Theory, we can only extract 59.26% of the energy out of the wind. That figure, however, assumes that we have a perfectly efficient system, which we don’t actually have. How much of the wind’s energy can we extract? About 35%, if we build an efficient wind power system.

So, using the conditions outlined in our example above, we should expect our wind turbine to produce about 35% of our figure, which was 256 watts, giving us a total of 89.6 watts.

Important Facts to Consider

Did you notice that in the formulas above, wind velocity is cubed and turbine radius is squared? This is important to consider because making your turbine blades a little bit longer gives you the opportunity to harness much more of the wind’s power. Likewise, small increases in wind velocity mean much more power is available.

For example, it would seem, at first, that if the speed of the wind doubled, it would carry with it twice as much power. Look at these numbers, though.

Our original scenario was as follows:

10 mph winds gave us .5 x 1.23 x 4.666 x 89.338 = 256 watts.

Now let’s say we have 20 MPH winds.

20 mph winds give us = .5 x 1.23 x 4.666 x 714.708 = 2051 watts

That’s 8 times the power!

Now let’s see what happens when we double the length of our wind turbine blades.

Our original scenario was as follows:

10 mph winds and an 8–foot wind turbine gave us (.5 ) (1.23) (4.666) (89.338) = 256 watts.

Now let’s say we have a 16-foot wind turbine.

10 mph winds and 8-foot blades gives us (.5) (1.23) (18.664) (89.338) = 1025 watts

That’s 4 times the power!

As you can see, figuring out how much power your DIY wind turbine will be able to produce is not too difficult. You just use two simple equations and the radius of your wind turbine blades. For best results, complete a home energy audit to find out exactly how much energy you use throughout the year. Then use what you have learned above to figure out just how big of a wind turbine you need to build in order to satisfy all of your energy needs.

About the Author: Planning to make renewable energy at home? Be sure to stop by and check out my DIY wind Generator plans.

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All You Need to Know About Your Electricity Bill

Submitted by: Chris Carson

Comparing your electricity bill to others in the area, or nationwide, won't make it any lower or any less painful, but can be interesting. Also, comparing with the average in your area can help you recognize if you need to try some conservation measures to lower your energy consumption. The Energy Information Agency issues figures on a lot of issues related to energy.

The average electricity bill nationally is $95.66, with average consumption being 920 Kilowatt hours (kWh), and the average price per kWh being 10.4 cents. Compare how you measure in reference to others and it can suggest how you are doing energy-wise. If your bill is way above the average, look at kwhs used. If it is way above, then you might be wasting energy. But, that is not necessarily true. A number of factors affect both consumption and cost of electricity in your household and region of the country.

National average costs per kWh by state or region ranges from a low of 7.58/kwh to a high of 24.20/kwh. The overall average nationwide is 11.51/kwh. Different regions vary in average costs per kWh. This can be due to a number of factors, some being fuel costs to produce the electricity, whether energy must be purchased from other states, and the amount of consumption based on weather conditions.

The breakdown of average kWh prices are: New England--17.47; Middle Atlantic -14.84; East North Central - 10.92; West North Central - i9.14; South Atlantic - 11.32; East South Central - 9.61; Mountain - 10.18; Pacific Contiguous - 12.15; Pacific Noncontiguous - 21.31.

One factor that affects the overall amount of your electric bill is the source of the energy to produce the power. Cost is not the only factor, however. The ecological cost is a big factor. Renewable sources can save big so far as conservation is concerned. The renewable sources include: hydropower, biomass, biofuels, wind generation, geothermal, and solar energy. Each year these alternatives sources are used in increasing numbers. In 2008, the percentage of electricity that was produced from these sources was 19%. It is estimated that it will increase to 23% by 2035.

Remember to compare apples to oranges. Compare the amount on your electric bill to others in your state or region. If yours is well below the average, maybe you should teach a class in your area to help others. If it is way above that average, then maybe you should be taking that class. There are many ways to conserve energy. Check for options, and pursue them to decrease your charges. Even if you are near or below the average, if you can decrease it even more, go for it.

One possible solution to lowering your costs is to contact your power company. Most have excellent printed resources. They will have materials specific to the needs of your region. In addition, most all of them will do an energy audit to help you discover where your energy consumption is more than the normal.

You can also research online for energy conservation suggestions. It may mean you need to replace old windows, or old appliances that are not energy efficient. Tax credits are available to offset some of the installation costs. The changes can mean a lowered electric bill. Think of what you could do with that saved money.

About the Author: If you want to know more about kwh, you can visit our site to know where you can find wind energy.

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Solar Power Brisbane - Home Solar Power System Are Important Alternative Energy Solutions

Submitted by: Thomas Jones

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been used by humans since ancient times using a choice of ever-evolving technologies. Solar energy technologies comprise of solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture, which can make huge assistance to solving some of the most crucial problems the world presently faces.

Solar Thermal uses the sun’s heat directly to heat up another medium – usually water – without the condition to create any of that irritating electricity. Solar thermal systems use either flat plates or tubes to capture the sun's heat and move the heat into a fluid.

Solar thermal is in general used to intensify the creation of hot water. I use the word intensify, because there will always be time when you don’t have adequate sun to generate all of your hot water requirements, and the intensfying is performed by either an electric element, a gas fired heater or (less commonly) other fuel heaters such as wood fired stoves. You will have seen the 'solar thermal' systems on roofs which typically look like plate made of glass.

In the past 10 years, houses with rooftop solar arrays have gone from being rare to common. Getting solar systems in the typical residential market has proved to be difficult mission as it has usually been an high-priced technology to apply. But the technology has developed over the years and this has expected that the long term cost-cutting benefits without difficulty outshine the early cost of completing. Moreover, it gives clean energy with no greenhouse-gas emissions. A characteristic solar power system uses arrays of photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight straight into electricity which is then stored into high-energy density batteries via a charge controlling circuitry.

In Australia, the most important factor when choosing an installer is to ensure that they are “Clean Energy Council Accredited”. This is a prerequisite that they need in order for the government to pay out its rebates. And even more important than that is you can be confident that they have been trained in the safe installation of Solar Power Systems.

You can sign up for free solar quotes at a range of websites and judge the prices offered by them to install the solar panels. Also you can give with the right size of your house and they will provide with the proper information on what is the right size of Solar panels that are required for your home in order for you to be provided with continuous supply of electricity.

When it comes to costing, which is very important aspect, let it may not be the most significant factor in your purchase. Remember, this is a system that you will depend on every day for the next 20-40 years, so hence it is very important that you have a system that has a high quality and performance that you are happy with. As is true with most things in this world: you generally get what you pay for. If you have been offered a system that seems spectacularly cheap then you may want understand that there are drawbacks associated common to a lot of super cheap solar deals.

About the Author: Thomas is an expert in the field. For more information on Solar Power Brisbane, and Solar Power Quotes Please visit: http://www.solarquotes.com.au

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Save Money With Solar Power, 5 Ways To Use The Solar Power Around Your Home And Garden

Submitted by: Gavin Dye

There are many way you can use Solar Power around your home & garden, here a just a few that can get you started in saving money and helping the environment.

1. Solar Garden Lights

Why go through the expense of digging up your garden and laying cables, when you could use Solar Powered Lights. They are easy to install and an attractive way to use Solar Power. They charge during the day and automatically turn on at dusk. You do have to think about where you place them in the garden, so they can get a full charge during the day.

2. Solar Water fountains

Easy to install and they can be a charming addition to any garden pond. Having a fountain can also keep your pond healthy, by stopping the water in the pool from stagnating. The sound off running water is also known way to relieve stress.

3. Solar Battery Chargers

Why charge the batteries for all your gadgets like you mobile phone or Ipod from the mains when you could use a Solar charger wherever you are. Solar Panels now come in many shapes and sizes. Some varieties can be rolled up so are easy to carry; you can even get them built into rucksacks. You can get a charger specifically designed for the Ipod, which uses solar power.

4. Solar Pool Heating

Why not use Solar Power to heat the water in your pool and then keep that heat in the pool by using a solar pool cover. If you are still heating your pool using power from the mains, you are literally making your money evaporate into the air.

5. Solar Panels

Create power or heat water for your home to help reduce your heating bills in the long run, the Solar Panels can be fitted to your roof and the suns light is converted into electricity or used to heat the water for your home. This is the most involved way to use Solar Power in your home, if you want to go this route, I would employ professionals who will be able to advise you in what the best plan of action would be, and the possible savings.

About the Author: Gavin Dye is the webmaster and author at http://www.solar-power-4u.com where you can learn more about solar power and alternative energy. Check out his blog at http://www.solar-power-4u.com/blog

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Solar Power Melbourne – Solar Power Can Be of Great Benefit in the Long Run

Submitted by: Angela Dalton

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been used by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar energy technologies include of solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture, which can make large assistance to solving some of the most critical problems the world currently faces.

Concentrated solar power

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. The concentrated heat is then used as a heat source for a conventional power plant. A wide range of concentrating technologies exists; the most developed are the parabolic trough, the concentrating linear fresnel reflector, the Stirling dish and the solar power tower. Various techniques are used to track the Sun and focus light. In all of these systems a working fluid is heated by the concentrated sunlight, and is then used for power generation or energy storage.

Photovoltaics

A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell (PV), is a device that converts light into electric current using thephotoelectric effect. The photons which make up light bombard the solar PV panel and dislodge electrons from their resting places. These electrons randomly flow around inside the silicon leaving holes in their place. Due to the laws of physics, the electrons then recombine. During all of this activity, energy is released and is what we capture and is called the photovoltaic effect.

What are its benefits in Australia?

Australian government has introduced subsidy for homeowners, businesses and community groups by the name of "Solar Credits" to bring down the cost involved in installing solar panels. It was passed into law on 20th August 2009, but the policies keep changing the details of the rebate (usually reducing it with very small notice period!). The more you collect the Solar Credits more is the benefit you get from the government. This helps in actually reducing the cost involved in installing the solar power plants in your place.

Of course the cost will vary by a few thousand either way depending on various brand of panels and inverters each supplier uses, and their overheads, but if you feel that the current prices are beyond your expectations, then solar may not be for you right now. But if you add the system cost to your mortgage it can be surprisingly affordable. Also if you take rising electricity costs into account than you can be assured of one thing that in a long term, you will be refunded with all your initial cost. There is a solar payback calculator here for you to make your own mind up. Usually, typical cost of an installed 1.5kW solar system can be around $6,500 which can prove costly, but you get government Rebate of $3,000 making your actual cost to you for 1.5KW of solar power to Approx $3,500.

In Australia, the most important factor when choosing an installer is to ensure that they are “Clean Energy Council Accredited”. This is a qualification that they need in order for the government to pay out its rebates. Even more important than that is you can be confident that they have been trained in the safe installation of Solar Power Systems. You can sign up for free solar quotes at various websites and compare the prices offered by them to install the solar panels.

One thing is for sure that being a part of the world responsible for clean environment makes you feel proud. I am sure you will also like to be one of them.

About the Author: Angela is an expert in the field. For more information on Solar Power Melbourne, and Solar Power Rebate Please visit: http://www.solarquotes.com.au

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Universal Solar Power - 'Solar Tres' and Commercial Solar Thermal Energy

Submitted by: Chris Woolfrey

After the success of Solar One - the world's first large-scale thermal solar power plant - and its update, Solar Two, Europe has now entered into the race for sustained solar power.

Solar Tres, located West of Ejica in the Andalusia district of Spain, has been modeled on the Solar One and Two projects, which were developed and updated in the Marstow Desert, California, in 1981 and 1995. Like its American predecessor, Solar Tres will produce energy through heliostats: large mirror assemblies that track and reflect the sun's rays throughout the day. From there, it is bounced onto a central column, named the 'Solar Power Tower', which absorbs and stores the energy, to be converted into thermal power.

What marks Solar Tres above its prototypes is that it uses molten salt as its conducting fluid, so that the energy can be stored in molten form and converted at any time. It means that the new European Solar Power Tower can be operational 24 hours a day, allowing for greater energy storage and conversion, and it outstrips its US counterparts, which ran on oils, and so had a lower capacity for storage after conversion.

It also looks to expand on the size of Solar One and Two, with a heliostat field that is three times larger than Solar Two at its optimum. It means that Solar Tres has a potential capacity of 15MW, where Solar One and Two could reach a maximum of 10MW. Not only can it run more efficiently, then - working right round the clock - but its output is greater, allowing for sustainable energy that is produced more quickly and in abundance.

By all intents and purposes, it is a larger and more ambitious project. With the backing of the EU Commission, who have provided 5 million Euro through the EU 5th Frame program, it has the potential to move thermal solar power into the competitive energy markets.

After the relative success of the original US Power Tower Plants, the improvements to Solar Tres mean a bold step towards sustainable energy in the world at large. With a project of this scale, it signals a move from personal sustainability initiatives - the efforts made, from individuals to family units - to a potentially full-fledged commercial representation of universal solar power in the community.

It now means that two of the world's major political powers - The US, and the EU - are committing themselves to the importance of sustainable energy. Whilst Solar One and Two are now closed, they represent important first examples of what Solar Tres can now make possible.

And that is not to say that the US have abandoned the pursuit; upon the closure of the original Solar One and Two site in 2001, they commenced production of Nevada Solar One, which became operational in 2007, and boasts a maximum production capacity of 75MW. With three major Solar Power Tower Plants built since 1995, moves to a genuine production of solar power are being implemented on both sides of the Atlantic. Sustainable energy is a real possibility. Let's hope other nations follow suit.

About the Author: Chris Woolfrey is the solar panels expert at www.EcoSwitch.com The environmental social network EcoSwitch

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