Do you experience high home electricity bills? The amount of money we pay for electricity is second only to our home bank mortgage. Many home owners understanding this issue and are sourcing for ways to reduce their home power consumption.

One option to reduce your home energy cost is to use renewable energy source such as solar. The fastest way to start enjoying free energy from the sun is by purchasing a residential solar power system.

However, this kind of system can be quite expensive. A cheaper alternative is with a homemade solar system.

If you are planning to build your own home solar system via a Do It Yourself (DIY) approach, here are 4 key components to consider.

1) Photovoltaic cells – When you are making the solar panel, the solar cells will be the most expensive component. It will take up more than 60 percent of the total project cost. To save cost, you can source for used or slightly damaged solar cells on Ebay.

2) Charge controller – The main function of the charge controller is to take care of the battery. The power from the solar cells will go to the charge controller and then directed to the battery units.

The key function of the controller is to prevent the battery from being overcharged. Overcharging a battery can drastically reduce its lifespan. When a battery is fully charged, the extra power will be dumped onto a power load.

3) Battery bank – The battery will be used to store all the power generated from the solar cells. The kind of battery suitable for residential solar power system is the deep cycle type.

Do not use automotive battery. A homemade solar system will require a battery to reach very low Depth of Discharge (DOD). A car battery will destroy itself if it was to be used with a solar system.

4) Power inverter – Deep cycle battery can only stored Direct Current (DC). Since most of our home electrical appliances use Alternate Current (AC), you will need a device to change the DC to AC. That device is known as a power inverter.

To start using power generated from the sun, connect your electrical equipment to the power outlet from the inverter. When you have multiple equipment drawing power from the solar energy system, you will see a reduction in your home electricity bill.

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Wind Energy: The Way Forward for Clean Energy

The growing need for clean, renewable energy sources has been a concern for many years. New technological developments in wind energy systems and increasing problems with our current power plants can only lead to the conclusion that clean alternative energy must be the way for the future.

Problems with Existing Energy Sources

Most of our energy is currently created using coal, gas, oil or nuclear power. These methods damage the environment and use huge amounts of water in the production process. With many areas suffering critical drought and low water tables, water needs to be conserved and used as efficiently as possible.

The United States imports more gas and oil than any other nation. Many of its suppliers are in troubled and unstable areas. Placing the nation at the mercy of these countries by being dependent upon them for essential power has many undesirable political and social repercussions. Being self-sufficient as a nation by generating wind power energy locally can significantly contribute to the security of the nation.

The Pros of Wind Energy

Wind energy creates electricity from the wind, so that it can be used as a power source. Spinning wind turbine blades rotate with the wind to turn a generator and the energy of motion is converted into electricity. A concentration of these wind turbines placed together is called a “wind farm.” Unlike traditional energy production, wind power energy can be produced and consumed in dry areas and in times of drought, conserving water for other essential uses.

Wind power is known to have little or no damaging effect on the environment compared to other energy sources. Emissions are negligible as no fuel is combusted. The mass production of clean energy using wind power has the potential to reduce global warming. It can reduce pollution known to cause acid rain, smog, haze and the high mercury contamination currently found in our water supply.

wind farm

Wind farms can be located offshore or on land, and the land can still be used for grazing livestock or farming. Wind energy was harnessed and used in ancient civilizations but during the Industrial Revolution, for economic reasons, oil was seen as a cheaper way to obtain energy. 

Coal, gas and oil prices have now rocketed. Once wind power energy has been established, it could stabilize energy prices. With the new wind turbine technology now available it makes renewable wind energy the cheapest and most economical way to create clean energy for all.

Learn how you can build your own wind turbines for $200 or less at Clean4Energy or Green Power Easy DIY Guide

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