Alternative Energy For Home, Discover the Potential

It's important to understand that solar water heating systems have very low operating costs, sometimes zero. Maintenance costs amount to about two dollars per month.

A professionally installed system might run $1,500 to $7,000. The life of the system can be anywhere from fifteen to forty years. The system will pay for itself in three to eight years. You could have free hot water anywhere from seven to thirty seven years, minus the maintenance costs. Solar Direct.com

Solar water heaters vary in detail but essentially do the same things. They gather heat through solar collectors transfer the heat directly or indirectly to the water supply. Then store the heated water until it's used.

Solar water heating is not a new technology. This technology has been around for quite some time. The parts needed to transform an existing water heater into a solar water heater are readily available from your local hardware store. All it takes is a D.I.Y. guide to show exactly what kind of materials are required and how to implement them.

If you are a do-it-yourself type of person and you or a friend has a weekend place such as a cabin in the woods. You could install a hot water system at this place to test this technology, you might be impressed. You can purchase the required materials for about $100 + and of course your time invested will have a monetary value.

Take a simple design, add simple instructions and build a solar hot water system. Start with the solar collector, build the heat reservoir, fasten the collector panels and hook up the plumbing. All the information you will need to accomplish the task of building a low cost, low maintenance hot water system can be found in a $37 instructional guide. You'll find this guide at... DIY Water Heater.com, go ahead, check it out.

Okay, you know that the sun produces an extremely large amount of energy but do you know that only 1% of our (U.S.) energy comes from the sun? Somehow this potential has been overlooked, is it because we've grown accustom to the convenience of just paying utility companies for our source of energy? Yes, in days passed it was convenient to pay for an affordable source of energy but today this has become more of a burden to many folks, you may even know some of them.

According to engineers at the University of Wisconsin's Solar Energy Laboratory. An average family of four with an electric water heater needs about 6,400 kilowatt hours of electricity per year to heat their water. The average electric water heater is responsible for emitting eight tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually into the atmosphere.

The same family of four using a natural gas or oil fired water heater will emit two tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Wouldn't you agree that it is time we take better care of our environment? Let's slowly wean ourselves off dependency of utility companies and start switching over to an alternative, free energy resource.

Tweet

Although wind can be an unlimited source of power, you should consider these conditions before you install your windmill, also known as a wind generator.

The average wind speed needs to be 11 miles per hour. If this condition is not met, your wind generator will not produce enough electricity to be of any value.

Height of your tower

The height will vary, depending on the location. The tower must clear (higher than) any wind obstructions, such as a building. Don't, if possible put your windmill in a low lying area. If there is no other choice, than the tower will have to be taller. Ideally, taller than any surrounding trees. Note: If a flag will fly open at a given height, a windmill will work.

Location of your wind generator tower

Open areas and high ground. Typically, wind power systems are used in areas that spread over an acre. Remember to use the flying flag test. Also, using four or more blades on the propeller of your wind generator will increase productivity.

Learn how you can build a Wind Generator

In the early 1980's, alternative energy was here and quite sophisticated but expensive to implement. The available systems were usually installed in custom homes for people who could afford them. Even then, the investment in renewable energy paid for itself in eight to twelve years.

Today, an alternative energy investment makes even better sense because now common people such as you and I can afford a system that doesn't require the expertise of an engineer to install it. A system that uses solar panels, zero point magnetic generator, a geo thermal system or a mill type generator which utilizes the power of wind or water. A lower cost system that can offset the rising cost of electricity and natural gas. An energy system such as a windmill can pay for itself in less than two years.

However, I should mention the fact that there will be times of the year when the wind will not produce enough electricity. Regular electric utilities will still be required during this time. It's a good idea to choose a system that works best in your geographic area, whether it be wind, water or sun.

Electricity produced by renewable energy resources will most likely be DC (direct current). This will have to be converted to AC (alternating current) via a converter box. Then the electric can run to your meter. At times of the year when a windmill generator produces plenty of power, your meter will actually run backwards. This in turn will produce credits for you from your electric co.. When your windmill produces more electricity than you use, your electric co. will buy your excess electric, in the form of credits. But don't expect to get a check in the mail from your electric company.

Home made energy

You already know that the world is gradually marching towards a severe energy crisis with an ever-increasing demand of energy overstepping its supply. We know that the energy we use everyday is not unlimited, yet we take it for granted. Oil, gas, electric, even clean water has limited availability. Yet, we as resourceful individuals have not taken enough precautions to deal with a possible energy crisis. It's time to think beyond the box of fossil fuels.

Oil and gas is becoming too expensive and with the upheaval in the Mideast oil and gas may become more difficult to afford. There have been three major energy crises so far, the 1973 oil crisis, the 1979 energy crisis and the 1990 oil-price hike. Stay tuned, more to come.

Big energy companies here in the U.S. want to expand fossil fuel exploration, which would help economically in creating jobs but the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has put a strangle hold on their efforts. A blessing in disguise?

The price of energy will likely continue to increase, because of the ever-increasing demand, the manipulation of availability and increased taxes from out of control spending government.

At some point in time, the free world will be held hostage by oil rich nations of the world. The cost of fuel can have a direct influence on the economy. As the cost of delivering goods and products to the public rises, that cost will naturally be passed on to the consumer, causing inflation.

I don't know about you but I think the idea of using grain to produce ethanal is nonsense, because we're also heading for a global food crisis but that is a another issue all together.

How soon will it be all gone?

Are the oil company's lobbyists right in saying that we are making a mountain out of a molehill, is the energy crisis for real? Picture this: We have already exhausted 50 percent of the available oil. At the current rate of consumption, the rest of the oil will finish in 32 years! Imagine if the rate of consumption increases! We all know it is bound to increase. So, even the present generation will face an acute energy crisis in the later years, let alone future generations.

What are we doing about it?

Are we equipped to face the impending energy crisis? What can you and I do to tackle it? For starters, we need to understand the importance of energy in our lives and stop taking it for granted. We have to minimize the use of oil, gas, electricity, or any other fuel. We cannot afford to waste any available energy. It is also important to spread awareness about limited availability of energy resources. Simple things like joining a car pool, switching off car engines at traffic lights, and minimizing the use of gas and oil in everyday activities will help a long way in crisis-readiness.

An individual's alternate energy solution

As a world citizen, you've already begun looking for an alternate energy solution such as solar, wind or any one of many other forms of renewable energy. Employing an alternate power solution is feasible and can be cost-effective, dispite the nay-sayers. The question should be , "Which one"? No doubt, you'll have to do more research to find a system that fits your particular region, the amount of sunshine, wind, etc.

I've found that a magnetic generator is right for me, because I can house it inside and magnetic fields work pretty much the same no matter what the weather conditions are, excluding solar flares, which do have an impact on the earth's magnetic fields.

Wouldn't it be nice to can gain the ability to cut down on power bills? You too can generate power at home with any one of the alternative energy devices mentioned here in order to shrink or possibly eliminate your power bill. My suggestion would be to start small and see where it takes you, the potential is here but you must explore it.