Save money & the environment

Save money and the environment

Now more than ever we are attempting to uncover ways to save money and we are more troubled with the outcome we have on our environment. Between the meltdown of the economy and the desire to 'go green' we are looking at solar power energy with more interest than ever before. Earth4Energy

There are many sources of renewable energy for you to use. Most of them can be inexpensive to start up, though there will be some initial expense and it will take time, usually only a matter of months, to recoup your initial investment.
Two of the most common sources of renewable energy for home use are solar power and wind power. Both can be set up fairly easily by you.

To generate power from the wind a wind turbine is what you would need. These look like windmills and they come in all sizes, and even different shapes. The wind is turned into electricity and can be stored in a battery for later use.
The downside is that in order to produce enough electricity for your home you would need to have a lot of turbines, and we are not at the point yet where we have an efficient means of storing and converting the energy.

Solar energy is another good way to save some energy costs. These consist of panels on the roof, or anywhere they will get a lot of sunlight, and they convert sunlight into energy. As is the case with turbines you will require a lot of panels to provide enough electricity to run your home.
Both of these sources of energy are real and practical for home use. Don't expect to get entirely off the grid just by putting up a wind energy turbine or two and some solar panels, but you can expect to save some cash.
As technology moves forward, the storage and conversion methods will get better also making these forms of renewable energy even more cost effective than they are today.
Using wind power energy along with solar panels can and will save you some money on your utility bills while at the same time serving to save our planet.
You can put these up in just a couple of weekends and it can be a fun family mission once you learn how to build your own solar panels and wind energy turbines.
To learn more about wind power energy, or information on building a wind powered generators visit Earth4Energy for all you need to know about renewable energy

General Solar Energy Facts

Several decades ago, solar energy was viewed as an over-priced fad that originated from environmental concerns which arose in the early 1960's. Today, it is being viewed as a dire necessity if there is any hope of improving the environment. It's no secret that the global environment has been abused and is in trouble due to the continual use of non-renewable fossil fuels used in the production of energy and power.

As a result, it has become incredibly important to understand the importance and relevance of using solar energy where the preservation of the global environment is concerned. In order to shed more light on the importance of utilizing solar energy, the following is a list of numerous solar energy facts that you may or may not be aware of.

General Solar Energy Facts
Solar energy is environmentally-friendly
Electricity production for the heating of water and production of electricity are just two ways in which you benefit from using solar energy. Drying your clothes in direct sunlight is also another benefit of using the sun's heat and light.
Solar energy can also enable you to heat up your swimming pool as well as power up small appliances or a vehicle.
You can cook your food with solar energy.
The worldwide demand for solar energy continues to grow on a daily basis and is currently bigger than the supply.

Solar Energy Facts Regarding Usage
Solar energy is typically measured in what is called "kilowatt hours" (kWh) or 1,000 watts, which equates to the amount of electricity necessary to light up a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours.
Roughly 30% of the solar energy consumption today is used for heating water.

Facts about Systems Used for Generating Solar Energy
Solar energy systems for the home consist of 6 components - a battery, a charge controller, an inverter, a battery, solar panels, a support structure, and wiring.
Solar systems for the home that are rated as a 1-kilowatt system usually take about 1 to 2 days for installation and typically cost $10,000 or even more depending on the size of the home that is being powered by the system.
A 1-kilowatt system requires a space of roughly 100 square feet for installation purposes and typically consists of 10 to 12 solar cells.
If your home receives an average of 5½ hours of direct sunlight per day, a 1-kilowatt solar energy system can generate about 1,600 kilowatt hours annually. That figure drops to less than half the output if you live in a climate prone to cloudy days.
A 1-kilowatt system eliminates the burning of approximately 170 pounds of coal, 300 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere, and saves up to 105 gallons of water consumption monthly.
Most of the solar energy systems on the market today feature a 5-year warranty although the life of solar panels has been estimated at up to 30 years.
Adding a battery back-up to your solar system ensures that you have electricity when the sun isn't shining.