How To Live Off The Power Grid and Make Electricity

There are a lot of things that you can do to decrease your carbon foot print on the world. For starters you can recycle almost 90% if not more, can be recycled in your home. You can use the paper-bags rather then the plastic bag, even better use the go-green reusable bags that are on sale in just about every shopping store. Some other things that we can do in our houses is to change our bulbs to more energy efficient bulbs, you can follow link above or you can check with just about any local store that caries bulbs to see what there are, they come in many different styles and have many different brightness choices.

The first thing you need to do to go off the grid is to rid yourself of dependence on electricity from your power company. The most common way to do so is by using the sun and the wind to provide your power. Neither concept is new, but more people are turning to these constant power sources to help offset or replace their reliance on electricity fueled by burning coal.

Residential homes that use solar power typically have photovoltaic (PV) solar panels located on the roof or near the house. These panels contain cells made up of silicon semiconductors. When the sun's light hits the panel, these semiconductors collect the energy and knock electrons loose so they can flow freely. An electric field in the panel then takes these electrons and forces them to flow in one direction, creating an electrical direct current (DC). The DC is then passed through an inverter that simply converts this DC into the alternating current (AC) that your home uses.

Wind power works in a similar fashion. A typical residential wind turbine looks like an airplane propeller sitting atop a 50 to 120-foot tower. When the wind blows, the blades start moving and spin a shaft that leads from the hub of the rotor to a generator. The generator takes the energy produced from the rotation and turns it into electricity. Like solar cells, the energy created by wind turbines is converted into usable AC power with an inverter.

Many people pair their solar and wind energy with traditional power to create a hybrid system that will reduce their bills. In these cases, the energy created is stored by the utility company. If the energy you produce is greater than your consumption, 40 states actually allow you to sell your electricity back to the utility company. However, to go off the grid, you need to cut ties with the power company altogether. In this case, the energy you create is stored in a system of batteries as DC power and converted to AC power as you need it. The battery system is typically located in a garage or shed near the power source.

Wind power is the cleanest and cheapest energy technology in the world. The average cost per kilowatt hour for coal-burning electricity was 10.4 cents in 2006 [source: Energy Information Administration]. Wind energy can be generated for a scant three cents per hour in optimum conditions [source: Earth Policy Institute]. Add to this that there are no greenhouse emissions produced, and it's no wonder that wind power is growing so fast.

A solar collector consists of a network of pipes through which water (or in colder climates, antifreeze) is heated. Collectors come in various sizes, with 4 by 8 feet (1.2 x 2.4 m) the most common.

On a typical summer day (sunny and warm), the fluid in the collectors reaches 140 to 180°F (60-80°C). On a clear winter day (sunny and cold), it can reach 120 to 150°F (50-65°C). When it's cloudy and warm, it can reach 70 to 90°F (20-30°C), and when it's cloudy and cold, 50 to 60°F (10-15°C). As long as the temperature in the collector is greater than that of your incoming cold water (usually about 50°F; 10°C), your solar hot water system is saving you energy. Several types of solar collectors are on the market.

Flat plate collectors are often compared to skylights. They are thin (3-4 in.; 7-10 cm), black, and covered with glass to hold in the suns energy. In evacuated tube collectors, a glass tube surrounds each individual pipe in a va cuum. This nearly eli minates the influence of ambient air temperature. Evacuated tubes perform better than flat plate collectors in cloudy weather, and can achieve higher temperatures compared to other collector types, but are typically more expensive. All active systems and some thermosyphon systems may use either flat plate collectors or evacuated tube collectors.

A third type, called integra ted collector storage (ICS) or batch, combines the solar collector and storage tank into one unit. An ICS panel can resemble a flat plate collector with greater depth (6 inches; 15 cm). A simple batch heater can be a tank within a glazed box.

Hydro is a Greek word meaning "water", water has been used for electricity for centuries, making it the oldest form of reusable energy. Micro hydro power is probably the least common of the three readily used renewable energy sources, but it has the potential to produce the most power, more reliably than solar or wind power if you have the right site. This means having access to a river or creek that has a high enough flow to produce useable power for a good part of the year.
Many creeks and rivers are permanent, ie, they never dry up, and these are the most suitable for micro-hydro power production.

A micro hydro turbine can take several forms, the most widely recognized of which would be the water wheel, used extensively for grain grinding up until this century. Waterwheels are still used in some situations that do not require a fast-spinning turbine, such as for pumping water. However, other type of turbines have become quite common.

The most common of these newer turbines is the Pelton wheel, which is basically a series of cups attached to a hub. A jet of water is aimed at the cups, and the resulting force on the cups causes the turbine to spin.

Other types of turbines include the Turgo, Crossflow and various axial flow turbines, where the shaft through the center of the turbine runs in the same direction as the water flow, much like a boat propeller.

Water turbines have many advantages over solar panels or wind turbines, the most obvious of which is that they produce power continuously, 24 hours per day. However, they also have some associated problems or requirements. The most important of these is correct siting of the turbine and associated equipment so as to cause the least environmental damage as possible. Placing a large concrete dam across a creek or river can do considerable damage to the surrounding ecology. A general rule of thumb is to not divert more than 20% of the water flow of the creek through your turbine, and to return any diverted water back to the creek just below the turbine.

Other requirements that must be considered are flood protection for the turbine and how to transmit the power to the batteries, which may often be located a long way from the water source. http://www.ata.org.au/~ata/basics/bashydro.htm

Turning water's mechanical energy into electricity

Since the time of ancient Egypt, people have used the energy in flowing water to operate machinery and grind grain and corn. However, hydropower had a greater influence on people's lives during the 20th century than at any other time in history. Hydropower played a major role in making the wonders of electricity a part of everyday life and helped spur industrial development. Hydropower continues to produce 24 percent of the world's electricity and supply more than 1 billion people with power.

Evolution of Hydropower

The first hydroelectric power plant was built in 1882 in Appleton, Wisconsin to provide 12.5 kilowatts to light two paper mills and a home. Today's hydropower plants generally range in size from several hundred kilowatts to several hundred megawatts, but a few mammoth plants have capacities up to 10,000 megawatts and supply electricity to millions of people.
Worldwide, hydropower plants have acombined capacity of 675,000 megawatts and annually produce over 2.3 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, the energy equivalent of 3.6 billion barrels of oil.

Hydropower in the U.S.

With a capacity of more than 92,000 mega-watts- enough electricity to meet the energy needs of 28 million households-the U.S. is the world's leading hydropower producer. Hydropower supplies 9 percent of the country's electricity and accounts for 49 percent of all renewable energy used in the U.S.
The nation's largest hydropower plant is the 7,600 megawatt Grand Coulee power station on the Columbia River in Washington State. The plant is being upscaled to 10,080 megawatts, which will place it second in the world behind a colossal 13,320 megawatt plant in Brazil.

How Hydropower Works

Hydropower converts the energy in flowing water into electricity. The quantity of electricity generated is determined by the volume of water flow and the amount of "head" (the height from turbines in the power plant to the water surface) created by the dam. The greater the flow and head, the more electricity produced.
A typical hydropower plant includes a dam, reservoir, penstocks (pipes), a powerhouse and an electrical power substation. The dam stores water and creates the head; penstocks carry water from the reservoir to turbines inside the powerhouse; the water rotates the turbines, which drive generators that produce electricity. The electricity is then transmitted to a substation where transformers increase voltage to allow transmission to homes, businesses and factories.

Types of Hydropower Plants

Conventional
Most hydropower plants are conventional in design, meaning they use one-way water flow to generate electricity. There are two categories of conventional plants, run-of-river and storage plants.

Run-of-river plants-These plants use little, if any, stored water to provide water flow through the turbines. Although some plants store a day or week's worth of water, weather changes-especially seasonal changes-cause run-of-river plants to experience significant fluctuations in power output.

Storage plants-These plants have enough storage capacity to off-set seasonal fluctuations in water flow and provide a constant supply of electricity throughout the year. Large dams can store several years worth of water.

Pumped Storage

In contrast to conventional hydropower plants, pumped storage plants reuse water. After water initially produces electricity, it flows from the turbines into a lower reservoir located below the dam. During off-peak hours (periods of low energy demand), some of the water is pumped into an upper reservoir and reused during periods of peak-demand.

Building Hydropower Plants

Most hydropower plants are built through federal or local agencies as part of a multipurpose project. In addition to generating electricity, dams and reservoirs provide flood control, water supply, irrigation, transportation, recreation and refuges for fish and birds. Private utilities also build hydropower plants, although not as many as government agencies.

Benefits

Hydropower is a clean, domestic and renewable source of energy. Hydropower plants provide inexpensive electricity and produce no pollution. And, unlike other energy sources such as fossil fuels, water is not destroyed during the production of electricity-it can be reused for other purposes.

Obstacles

Hydropower plants can significantly impact the surrounding area-reservoirs can cover towns, scenic locations and farmland, as well as affect fish and wildlife habitat. To mitigate impact on migration patterns and wildlife habitats, dams maintain a steady stream flow and can be designed or retrofitted with fish ladders and fishways to help fish migrate upstream to spawn.

Potential

The best sites for hydroelectric plants are swift-flowing rivers or steams, mountainous regions and areas with heavy rainfall. Only 20 percent of potential U.S. hydro-power has been developed, but unfavorable terrain and environmental concerns make many sites unsuitable for hydropower plants.
However, since only 2,400 of the nation's 80,000 dams are currently used for hydropower, new projects do not necessarily require building new dams-many existing dams can be retrofitted to produce electricity. At existing hydropower plants, advanced technologies can be installed to increase efficiently and energy production. (http://www.nrel.gov/lab/pao/hydroelectric.html)

Now that you're getting your power from the sun and wind, it's time to get yourself off the city water and sewer line. The great thing about water is that it's everywhere -- it runs beneath your feet as groundwater and falls from the sky as rain. You can tap into both of these sources in order to go off the grid. According to the EPA, roughly 15 percent of homes in the United States get their water on their own, so there's no reason why you can't be one of them.

There are more than 17 million homes in the United States that get their water from private wells [source: The Groundwater Foundation]. The principle is simple -- a hole is dug or drilled deep into the ground and a pump draws out the water. There are many regulations that apply to private wells, so you should only use a licensed well driller. It's easy for harmful contaminants to leak into your well if it's not installed properly. The cost of a private well ranges from $3,000 to $15,000, depending on how deep you need to go. The deeper the well, the more likely you'll find clean water. Install a filter for better-tasting water. Another benefit of a private well is that you'll be able to avoid local watering restrictions during periods of drought.

Another way you can provide your own water is by harvesting the rain with a cistern. A cistern is basically a tank that holds water. Home cistern systems have large aboveground or underground tanks made from concrete, steel or fiberglass. The water from your rain gutters is channeled into the cistern and then pumped back into your home as you need it. If your cistern is above ground and higher than your faucets, you can use the weight of the water as pressure to get it into your home. Belowground cisterns require a pump to get the water to you, much like a well. If you want a cistern, you need to live in an area that gets enough rain. If you live near a major source of pollution, like a major expressway or factory, then you should avoid going with a cistern. If you want drinkable water, it's best to have a metal or clay roof because it's cleaner than a shingled one. Shingled roofs can be used, but they require a pre-filtering system before the water is deposited into the tank. If you're interested in harvesting rainwater, consult your local green building professional.

A typical septic tank system configuration.


The best way to get off the grid's sewer line is to install a septic system. A septic system is basically a large metal tank that collects and releases your wastewater. Bacteria in the tank break everything down causing it to separate naturally into a top scum layer, bottom sludge layer and middle liquid layer. As new wastewater flows in, the liquid in the tank flows out into a series of buried perforated pipes that release the water over distance into a drain field. Soil acts as a biological filter, keeping the harmful bacteria buried beneath the ground until it's eventually absorbed as nutrients. The tank should be emptied and serviced by a professional once a year.

A composting toilet is an aerobic processing system that treats excreta, typically with no water or small volumes of flush water, via composting or managed aerobic decomposition. This is usually a faster process than the anaerobic decomposition at work in most wastewater systems, such as septic systems.

Composting toilets are often used as an alternative to central wastewater treatment plants (sewers) or septic systems. Typically they are chosen to alleviate the need for water to flush toilets, to avoid discharging nutrients and/or potential pathogens into environmentally sensitive areas, or to capture nutrients in human excreta. Several manufactured composting toilet models are on the market, and construct-it-yourself systems are also popular.

These should not be confused with pit latrines, and arborloo or tree bog), all of which are forms of less controlled decomposition, and may not protect ground water from nutrient or pathogen contamination or provide optimal nutrient recycling.

How It Works

There are many designs, the process factors at work are the same. Rapid aerobic composting will be thermophilic decomposition in which bacteria that thrive at high temperatures (40-60 °C / 104-140 °F) oxidizes (breaks down) the waste into its components, some of which are consumed in the process, reducing volume, and eliminating potential pathogens.

Drainage of excess liquid or "leachate" via a separate drain at the bottom of the composter is featured in some manufactured units, as the aerobic composting process requires moisture levels to be controlled (ideally 50% +/- 10): too dry, and the mass decomposes slowly or not at all; too wet and anaerobic organisms thrive, creating undesirable odors (cf. Anaerobic digestion). This separated liquid may be diverted to a graywater system or collected for other uses.

An approach that is becoming more common is the "dry" toilet, or urine-separating (also: urine-diverting) toilet. Where solar heat is used, this might be called a "solar" toilet. These systems depend on desiccation to achieve sanitation safety goals features systems that make use of the separated liquid fraction for immediate area fertilization.

Urine can contain up to 90 percent of the N (nitrogen), up to 50 percent of the P (phosphorus) and up to 70 percent of the K (potassium)) present in human excreta. In healthy individuals it is usually pathogen free, although undiluted it may contain levels of inorganic salts and organic compounds at levels toxic to plants.

The other requirement critical for microbial action (as well as drying) is oxygen. Commercial systems provide methods of ventilation that move air from the room, through the waste container, and out a vertical pipe, venting above the enclosure roof. This air movement (via convection or fan forced) will vent carbon dioxide and odors.

Most units require manual methods for periodic aeration of the solid mass such as rotating a drum inside the unit or working an "aerator rake" through the mass. Composting toilet brands have different provisions for emptying the "finished product," and supply a range of capacities based on volume of use. Frequency of emptying will depend on the speed of the decomposition process and capacity, from a few months (active hot composting) to years (passive, cold composting). With a properly sized and managed unit, a very small volume (about 10% of inputs) of a humus-like material results, which can be suitable as soil amendment for agriculture, depending on local public health regulations.