Are Alternative Energy Homes The Future?

What mail do you hate the most living in a western modern world today? Chances are that you hate your monthly bills. What do hate even more? You probably hate seeing these bills getting higher each and every month. But what can you do about it; you need electricity, water, gas and heat. You would not be living a comfortable live in a western modern society without your lights, air-conditioning, TV, microwave, dishwasher and all other appliances that make your live enjoyable.

You could decide not to pay these bills, but that will not resolve the problem. You can even reduce the number of appliances used to a minimum and not heat you’re your home. If you live on your own that would not be problem, but if you’re a part of a family these drastic measures will not make you popular. Lucky for you there are alternatives. Today there houses available known as alternative energy homes.

These are houses that use today’s technology to provide you with free electricity and heat. That doesn’t sound great, it is! These homes convert power from different natural processes into electricity and heating. Alternative energy homes make use of sunlight, wind and biomass fuel to power their energy needs. Let’s look at how they do this.

First let’s look at solar power. Solar power can be used for heat and for electricity. To produce electricity the solar panels are placed on the roof of the house. These panels consist of photo voltaic cells that can convert sunlight directly into solar electric. A modern pv cell can convert almost 80% of the sunshine into electricity. But what happens at night? The electricity that is converted during the day is stored into batteries. This allows you to use solar electricity when ever you need it, day or night.
Another step further is the use of turbines. The sun’s heat is then used to turn water into steam that runs turbines. The turbines then run generators, which produce electricity for the entire alternative energy home!
To heat a home a solar panel can be installed on the roof where water is heated. The hot water is then stored in a big tank which in turn is used for a central heating system and also for hot running water.
Another way to heat your home is to use solar collectors. The heat from the sun is then stored in special collectors. These systems are very effective. Some have even shown the capability to heat alternative energy homes in the middle of winter!

Second is wind power. To use wind power a windmill-type device is installed on the house or nearby. The wind-mill powers a turbine. This turbine produces the necessary electricity. And what happens when there is no wind? Just as with solar power, the energy is stored into batteries. These batteries ensure you with enough electricity.

By converting these widely available energy sources you can save a lot of money. The only upset is that you need to invest in equipment to convert these sources into the energy needed. This can be a substantial investment. In different countries and in the US you can receive tax credits or other tax benefits to reduce the total investment. But if you think of the alternative energy home as an investment you can’t go wrong. The price for your home will go up and your expenses are reduced and that’s what every home owner wants, increase the market value and reduce costs. Thus, your new energy provider is the future in more ways than one.

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Alternative Energy Explained For Home Owners

One problem for home owners today is the increasing price of the utility bill. This bill is feared every month, although we know it is coming and there is no way to get out of it. One of the utilities we most fear is electricity. Electricity is very important in our lives and will be in the future. It plays a very important role in our modern lives and we can’t live any more without it. Without electricity we are not save, we can’t produce the products we need and can’t use all the appliances we love so much. Most people feel that the price of electricity is too high for the amount they consume. Complaining will not be answer to lower the price. There are other alternatives to lower your monthly bill for electricity. One option is to make use of alternative energy. Let’s review the most used types of this ‘new’ energy source.

Although people think alternative energy is ‘new’ it really is not. We have used this energy source long before we even knew electricity. Just think about drying your washed clothes outside in the sun. In fact many of us still use this method to dry clothes and there is nothing wrong with this. Drying your clothes this way will save a lot of electricity!

Here we will list other types of alternative energy.

The first is wind energy. Today windmills are used in homes to run small generators. Using windmills is not a new concept. Windmills have been used in the past century before. They were primarily used to mill grain. Making flour from grain was hard work and using the power of the wind was an economical way to complete this task. Another use of the windmill was to pump out water from large beaks or lakes to gain land. One country which used this techniques was frequently used was the Netherlands. Acres of land were won this way and today home owners still benefit from this land.

Today the windmill has a renewed function and that is run small generators for home owners. These generators produce electricity to be used in running small home appliances. These windmills are commonly used outside the city area. It would be hard for home owner in the city to make use of technique because they are a few meters in diameter and a placed fairly high.

The second form is solar energy. This energy source can be used in several ways. Most home owners use it to produce electricity. The solar power can be used to power small appliances. Other home owners used it to heat there home. This can be done passive and active. The passive form works like placing your car in the sun. The temperature in the car increases fast making the inside of the car very hot. For homes it can be done by making use of glass and positing your home to the sun. Your home can be heated up very quick. By using certain types of stone walls inside your home this warmth can be held inside the house. The active method uses solar energy to produce hot water for central heating. The hot water can also be used for running hot water, the washing machine and dishwasher. The efficiency by which we are now able to convert solar power into electricity and hot water is of such a degree that it is very possible to power a whole house and use for central heating! Solar energy is much easier to use in the city area and so many people in cities can lower their energy by making use of the energy source. The roof solar-panels that are needed can be placed on the roof out of sight. Some people think this is ugly view, but that is an individual taste.

The third is hydropower. By making use of the power of running water small turbines can run generators. These generators in turn can store electricity which can be used for running the home appliances. This technique is also used in the past where waterwheels were used to grind grain into flour, just like windmills. But like the windmills this form of alternative energy is not feasible to use in the city area.

The fourth technique is biogas. Biogas is produced naturally via the decomposition of different biological material. This can be from animals and from humans. Farmers can successfully use this method to produce biogas. The biogas can be used for heating to home or can even be used to cook. This form is also not common to use inside the city area.

There are more ways to make use of alternative energy than mentioned here. The forms mentioned here are very common today and are evolving. In the early days of solar energy the efficiency was poor but today it has improved dramatically. If you live inside the city area your options are limited to solar energy. The advantage with this energy source is that is very versatile. You can produce electricity and hot water.

When you decide to use alternative energy you accomplish more than only saving money you’re also helping to create a better world. The big reason not to use alternative energy is the price tag. The devices to convert the ‘free’ energy source are not cheap. You need to realize that you’re investing in your home. But after good calculations you will realize that you’ll be saving more than you’ll spend. Don’t forget to apply for tax credits or other benefits for investing in alternative energy.

Source: article circle dot com

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Learn How To Make Solar Power Work for You

by: Linda Allen

There has never been a better time than now to take advantage of the numerous benefits of solar power. Many states have made solar power affordable, cost effective, providing a 10% return on investment and in many cases solar power will pay for itself almost instantly.

The utilization of solar power has never offered more benefits than now. Not only can the installation of solar power pay for itself almost instantly, but given the current world political climate and the threat of terrorist actions to disrupt cheap oil supplies make it very prudent.

Many states offer a 10% return on investments to encourage its use. The simple fact is that installing a solar electric system in your home is now cost effective for the first time. And you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you have now become part of the energy solution as world oil supplies continue to dwindle.

In the state of California the cost of solar power in 1978 was well over $300 per watt. Today, with incentives offered by the state, that price has now dropped to less than $6 per watt- a staggering 98% reduction in cost of solar energy.

In addition to the reduction in cost of installing a solar power system, your home’s value increases $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills- this according to the National Appraisal Institute.

Therefore, installing a solar power system in your home costing $16,000 would increase you home’s value by $17,520. That’s a net gain of $1520 the day you install the system.

On April 25, 1950 Bell Laboratories introduced the first silicon solar cell. Bell called its invention “The first successful device (solar cell) to convert useful amounts of the sun’s energy directly into electricity.” The NY Times heralded it as “The beginning of a New Era, leading eventually to the realization of one of mankind’s most cherished dreams-The harnessing of the almost limitless energy of the sun for uses of civilization.”

99% of the world’s energy comes from sunlight or solar energy. Everyday enough free sunlight energy falls on the Earth to supply our energy needs for 4-5 years at our present rate of consumption. At the equator, the Sun provides 1000 Watts per square meter on the Earth’s surface.

The amount of solar energy we take today in no way diminishes the amount we can take tomorrow or any time in the future.

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