Archives: 2008 September

Our planet is blessed with a variety of alternative energy resources – many just waiting to be used. Most people immediately think of solar energy which utilises photovoltaic cells to capture energy from the sun and fortunately these cells are becoming more affordable. Solar energy power can be used for electricity, heating, and making hot water plus solar energy produces no pollution, as its input comes completely from the sun’s rays. Although there is still a great deal of work to be done to make this an economically viable solution for the long term. On problem still to be overcome is storage of the collected power for ‘night-time’ use and when there the sunshine is not at its best.

As of the moment, the most-invested-in alternative energy source favoured by many private investors as well as the government is the wind energy. Using the wind’s kinetic energy once its motion have been captured can greatly contribute to conversion of mechanical or electrical energy and this can be done through the development of “wind farms” which is the placement of great arrays of triple-bladed windmills all over the place.

The windmills used today are massive compared to those used in the past and much more ‘high-tech’ and often referered to as ‘wind-turbines’. The only downside to this form of power is when the wind isn’t blowing, you cannot produce power. Of course, the power we need can come from other sources when this happens so currently we cannot rely completely on wind power even if we had sufficient farms to cater for our needs.

Fossil fuels and non-renewable energy sources cannot last forever. We are simply running out of them, and prices are skyrocketing. We need to change the way we use energy and the way we generate energy in order to make sure our lifestyle remains sustainable over the long-term.

And many have already begun doing so. New engineering ideas are allowing us to produce sustainable energy at less and less cost.

With the right plans, even homeowners who currently don’t know a thing about producing their own energy can make energy by installing their own renewable energy sources, like wind power generators.

Homemade wind turbines can currently generate enough power to reduce the average household’s monthly energy bill by as much as 70% per windmill. With inexpensive plans they can also be built for as little as $200 using some recycled parts.

They can also be built with materials from a local hardware store and basic tools. An easy way to estimate how much power your wind generator can create:

Power(Watts) = (Wind Speed)^3 * (Blade Diameter)^2 * 0.00478

The speed of the wind is cubed, so it makes the most difference in your power output. For example, if you have a good average wind speed of 10mph and an 8 foot blade diameter, then:

W = (10*10*10) * (8*8) * 0.00478 = 305 watts/hour – x 24 hours and you can calculate 7.3 kWh generated per day by a wind power generator.

Solar power and many other renewable energy systems are gaining more exposure for a couple of main reasons. The first reason is that traditional fossil fuels that typically power our homes are becoming expensive. Indeed, constant increases in utility bills has caused people to look for alternatives. And solar power kits and other forms of renewable energy offer a viable alternative.

The second reason that these types of systems are becoming popular is because of the environment. A renewable energy system is exactly that. If you use the Sun’s energy or wind power, you will not deplete it. It will not diminish the more people use it.

Indeed, we are wasting the energy that can be gained from using the sun or harnessing the wind. And using these types of systems does not damage the environment and promote global warming as much as burning carbon based fossil fuels.

There are a variety of solar power kits available but they fall into two categories. they either provide heat or electricity to the home.

You need physical warmth to keep the home warm and habitable. You need heat for water to take a shower or bath. And you need electricity to power many things in your home. You may cook using electricity, you may warm the house using electricity. You almost certainly provide light to the home using electricity.

Solar power kits that make hot water generally use the passive approach of making it easier for the Sun to heat water. The solar kit is hooked up to the plumbing system of the home so that the hot water can be used in the home. However, the more well known solar kit is one that uses solar panels.