Clean Energy Creators

Wind energy is an incredible option for many people. The cost of turbines is coming down, and you can even build your own turbines, if you're good at working with tools, and can follow instructions.

For most of us, the option of using wind is attractive because the setup is fairly simple, and the amount of energy produced can supplement or even replace the amount you require from your energy provider.

Depending on the size of your wind turbine, you can get anywhere between 250 watts up to 2 kilowatts of energy out of your home wind turbine. They range in price from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, so you'll want to figure out how much energy you use on a daily basis, and base your purchase on that.

When you purchase a wind turbine, or build one, you'll need a few other things for your setup as well.

You'll need some deep cycle batteries, as a start. These are basically big lead batteries sort of like a car battery, but bigger and heavier. They are used to store the energy your turbine generates, so you still have power even when the wind isn't blowing.

You'll also need a controller. This is what controls the charging of the batteries, so they don't get overcharged and explode. It's a fairly important component.

As always, please get a licensed electrician to connect your turbine into your electrical system.

Power-Talk Shows you What You Need to Know About Wind Turbines

For anyone looking into wind power, finding all the information you need can be a daunting task. Finding the right wind turbine, the right batteries, and the right controller can involve a lot of tough choices. A turbine that looks good can fail in high winds. Deep-cycle batteries can hold much less energy than expected. You need to know what kind of permits are required to have a wind turbine on your property, if any.

I've found great resource for that information over at Power-Talk.net. Their info will walk you through everything you need to know to make your decision about Wind Turbines.



Perhaps you're a Do-It-Yourself kind of person. You want to build your own turbine from scratch, and put together your system. This method is considerably cheaper than buying a ready-made kit. It does, however, require a considerable amount more time. If you're okay with that, WindPlans.com gives you all the plans you need for a fully functioning wind turbine system. Check them out. They're pretty awesome.

Wind Turbines for the Ultimate Do-It-Yourself Addict

For the ultimate do-it-yourselfer, the cheapest, and most difficult way to get a wind turbine up and running is to build it yourself out of recycled parts. With this method, you can make your turbine almost completely free, except for the time you'll spend repurposing the parts. If you want a great challenge, check out The Poor Man's Guide to Wind Turbines.

Solar panels are a great idea in a lot of locations, and have significantly come down in price over the years.

Panels can cost quite a bit though. A 200 watt panel will cost between $600-800, depending on the supplier. The upside is that they're fairly low maintenance, and with a few panels, you can completely power your home, and a little more besides.

The best part about solar panels is that they are relatively unobtrusive, and can be used on much smaller properties than wind turbines.

As with the wind turbine, you'll require the panels, some deep cycle batteries, and a controller as part of your solar system.

Geothermal energy is one of the most cost-efficient energies to use. Energy is collected by boring pipes into the ground, and running water through the pipes to collect heat, which is then used to heat your home, and to provide hot water.

The pump is the only moving part, and does not cost very much to operate.

The huge cost, however, is in installation. It can be a bit cheaper when installing it as part of a new home build, but when installing in an existing home, it can run you many tens of thousands of dollars, and require a fair amount of land to lay the pipes.

The energy savings are considerable though. Heating a particular space costs roughly 70% less with geothermal than with conventional heating methods.

Geothermal Heat Pumps

If you're looking to learn more about geothermal energy, I recommend this resource, collected from many different sources, that details everything you need to know about geothermal. It details the costs, the space requirements, the savings, and much, much more.

Of course, all of these ideas to create your own energy work well, but it's also a great idea to cut back on your energy usage.

There are several ways to do this.

There are the obvious ways, such as turning off lights when you're not in the room, turning off the TV and DVD player when they're not in use, or turning down the heat when you're not home.

Replace all of the lightbulbs in your house with energy efficient CFL bulbs, or even LED-based bulbs. They're a bit more expensive that incandescent bulbs, but the cost savings over their lifetime make them entirely worth the cost.

If you can, replace the thermostat in your home with a programmable one. It can turn down the heat when you go to work, and turn it up again so the house is nice and warm when you get home.

If you're doing home renovations anyways, or building a new home, use high value insulation. This can significantly reduce the amount you spend on heating and cooling.