Solar And Wind Power For The Home |
|
|
|
| Written by Adrian Fletcher | |
| Thursday, 27 November 2008 | |
|
The two most popular alternatives in renewable energy for the home are solar and wind power. When the two are used in concert they can provide a constant energy source that is environmentally friendly. You can even mount them onto a system that is connected to a utility grid so that most of the energy to your home is supplied by the system and the grid is used as a backup system. A solar power system will supply electricity generated by the rays of the sun. Solar panels lined with a semiconductor which generates electricity whenever the rays strike it can be installed either using a roof, pole, or ground mount. Such mounts are usually equipped with motors which let the panels be tilted during the course of the day so they can follow the sun's path. The electricity that is generated by solar power systems is then routed through a regulator/controller to an inverter or battery bank depending on your installation. The inverter converts the current to alternate current that can be used in the home for all your major appliances. Electricity follows the same basic path in a wind power system with the exception of the generation portion which takes place in the body of the turbine, which most of us consider the "giant fan" which spins away at the top of the enormous towers they are sometimes mounted on. Wind causes the blades of the turbine to rotate. The center of the turbine is connected to a generator which creates electricity as it spins around. The electricity is then collected and sent into your structure's electrical or storage system either to work on its own or supplementing any solar power available. With wind power, the most significant cost is the wind turbine. Still, the turbine will be more inexpensive than the total solar equipment you'll be required to purchase. The downside is that the turbine must be located in a spot far off the ground, usually needing to be mounted on top of a tower of some sort which can be expensive. The installation of solar power will probably require zoning authorization from the municipality and significantly more planning. When you connect a solar power system with a wind power system, each part can operate in tandem to compensate and complement each other. Wind power can be produced at any time while solar has its natural limits based on the hours that the sun shines and bad weather. Conversely bad weather for a solar system maybe good weather for a wind generator. Both these systems can be built quite cheaply depending on the amount of power you want to create. Some guide suggests this figure could be as low as $400. However a professionally designed and installed system would cost much more than this. |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
