Bay Area Solar Group

Why is wind power important?
Wind power makes sense in these times when the demand far exceeds the supply. The convention ways of producing electricity make use of the non-renewable fuels, not only making such resources scarce but also affecting the environment negatively. The power generated by wind proves beneficial in the following ways:

? Free source of energy ? The wind power makes use of wind energy which is absolutely free, thus saving the non-renewable sources of energy for longer.

? No environmental hazards ? The generation of wind power is extremely environment-friendly. It does not emit harmful gases nor does it have any other environment-damaging impact.

? Cost-effective ? Using a free energy makes wind turbines extremely cost-effective. Moreover, there remains no worry of sky-rocketing electricity bills.

? 24/7 uninterrupted supply ? The wind power ensures that you never have power outages in your house and farm.

? Self-dependent source ? Making use of wind power makes you independent. You no longer depend on the government and its agencies for power.

How can we make power from the wind?
A wind turbine is employed to make use of the abundant wind energy. A wind turbine converts wind energy into mechanical energy for mechanical work. Such a wind turbine is generally referred to as a windmill. A wind generator is a wind turbine that further converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy.

A wind turbine typically consists of blades, a tower, a shaft, a base, and a generator. The blades of the wind turbine rotate in the wind to generate mechanical energy. The two pre-requisites for installing a wind turbine are a large area of at least one acre and an average wind speed of 11 miles per hour.

What are the uses of wind power?
The uses of wind power are many. Let?s look at some of the popular ones:
? Running all possible electrical and electronic appliances
? Pumping out water
? Grinding grains and stones

By employing a wind turbine at your home or farm, you definitely make the world a better place. The wind power is a green solution to the power crisis. It does not harm the environment in any way. Moreover, it does not make use of any fuel, thus promising a future of no power-crisis.

This article will briefly illustrate how a simple home power genrating system can be set up. It is not intended to be an expert treatise or technical in nature but a simple illustration of a type of system to power the average home.

Solar power generation.

Solar power is generated using solar panels. Often these are placed on the roof of the property but this is not a requirement. Space permitting they can be sited at ground level.

The solar panels are generally made up of two layers of silicon – n-type (negative) silicon and p-type (positive) silicon.

The upper level is made up of the n-type silicon which absorbs photons from sunlight. The photons pass through the n-type silicon layer into the p-type silicon layer where they give up their energy to electrons. The electrons pass back up into the n-type layer and “escape” through attached cable into the electrical circuit and on to the charge controller as direct current (DC).

The charge controller then feeds DC either to batteries for storage or as a DC supply.

When the power stored in the batteries is required it is fed on to the inverter where it is converted into and supplied as alternating current (AC).

Wind power generation

First there is the “windmill”.

The windmill turns a spindle that is connected to a generator.

The wind power generator produces electricity which is fed on to the charge controller as direct current (DC).The charge controller then feeds DC either to batteries for storage or as a DC supply.

The power is stored in the batteries. When required it is fed on to the inverter where it is converted into and supplied as alternating current (AC).

Cost

The huge technological advances with solar power and wind power generating equipment have resulted in tumbling prices. Combined with the detailed but easy to follow d.i.y. guides available on the internet home alternative energy generating systems now fall within the financial means of most homeowners. The r-e-systems website provides a great deal more information together with an introduction to an excellent d.i.y. guide, which also provides sound advice on how aqnd wheer to obtain the best value “parts”. With potential electricity bill savings of 80% or more you really shouldn’t miss the opportunity to find out more about renewable energy systems.

With the World slowly and surely moving into a dreaded energy crisis, it is important for us to now think of other sources of energy and reduce our dependency on non-renewable sources. The so-called non-renewable sources are becoming extinct. Some reports suggest that the present Oil reserves will deplete by 2050 at the present rate of consumption.

Solar power & wind power are the two environmentally friendly choices that most people consider when thinking about trying to get started producing their own electricity at home. I think it’s a good idea to think about options before making such a decision and that’s why I am writing this article.

Solar power is also commonly known as solar energy. It is a method which harnesses the incredible power of the sun (which is 93,000,000 miles away from earth) to create electricity.

When most think about solar energy they think of solar panels. These are also known as solar cells and by their more technical name photovoltaic cells. These are devices which take light and turn it into electricity using something called the photoelectric effect.

While most people think of solar panels as a rather new invention, this is actually not the case at all. The first solar panels were created by a man named Charles Fritts way back in the 1880s and they’ve been used to power satellites since 1954!

The amount of sunlight that you receive where you live should obviously be a consideration when deciding whether solar power is the right choice for your “DIY” renewable energy source. If you live in an area where there are far more cloudy days than average (such as in Washington State) then it may not be advisable to go the solar route, perhaps a windmill may be more suited for you.

Wind power currently makes up very little of the world’s electricity production. Currently it only accounts for about 1% of the worldwide electricity produced. But although it’s usage is still quite low, it has been increasing rapidly over the last 8 years and most assume that it’s use will increase further in the future, particularly with new President Barack Obama taking office looking to take America’s economy in a more “green” direction.

Either wind power or solar power (or perhaps even both together) would be a good choice for most people who want to power their homes themselves. Both choices create environmentally friendly renewable energy that is great for the environment.

Again, like with solar power, you need to consider where you live before deciding if wind power is right for you. If you live in a place that is particularly windy then you should definitely consider it, on the other hand you may want to think twice if your area is more calm than most. Check weather websites online for comparisons if you are not sure.

Some people worry about their power going out when the sun goes down or when it the wind stops blowing and decide against going this route. But that’s really a nonsensical fear because these types of systems are equipped with batteries for storing excess energy created when it’s very sunny or very windy so that it can be used when it’s not so sunny (like during the night) or when it’s not s windy.

It may also be a better choice economically because with a renewable source of energy, a home owner will no longer have to send money to the electric company for the electric bill every month. In fact, many electric companies will actually buy any excess electricity created by DIY home based solar panels and windmills.

Imagine that having the electric company pay you instead of you paying them and saving the environment while you do it. That’s exactly the admirable position where many people using solar & wind power at home find themselves today.

The energy crunch is a real worldwide crisis as fossil fuel supplies decrease and populations increase. Utility costs are going up in pace with the increasing demand for electricity. It’s no wonder that the alternative energy arena is a quickly growing market with millions of dollars invested every year. And of these great clean renewable energy sources, wind and solar power show the most promise.

What is really exciting is the realization of the incredibly high level of abundance of energy that is radiated by the sun. The amount is actually quite unfathomable. Studies have shown that the amount of energy received from the earth by the sun in just one hour is enough to satisfy the entire world’s electricity demand for an entire year! It really puts in perspective the grandeur of this almost endless source of energy.

When you think about it, the sun is really the source of all life on the planet as well as the driving force for all the weather patterns on earth. It is also the driving force behind every web of life and all of the earth’s cycles. This leads us to the other nearly endless abundant source of energy: Wind.

As long as the earth spins on its axis and the sun radiates upon it, weather patterns and the winds that are produced will always occur. Weather patterns consist of the complex and often chaotic relationship between water, the sun’s energy, and the cooling and heating of air masses throughout the atmosphere. It’s a constant interaction and clashing of cool (low pressure) air masses and hot (high pressure) air masses with water molecules usually in vapor or condensed states. It’s a very complex dance, but the result in many parts of the world is constant wind. One of the many places where winds blow constantly is the Great Plains region of North America, from northern Texas all the way to Canada.

Constant winds and the very simple yet efficient technology of wind turbines lead to a very clean and renewable source of electricity. Once again, the abundance of the source of energy is so great that it is difficult to put it in perspective. A study by Stanford University in 2005 showed that there is enough wind energy worldwide to satisfy 7 times the global demand. And that’s if only 20% of all the wind is captured!

So why is it that the human beings on the planet have not collectively headed toward using solar wind energy to meet global demands on a large scale and fully replace fossil fuels? Why haven’t large energy corporations and all governments invested trillions in wind and solar power by now? We all have a pretty good idea why, but that’s a whole other article. The purpose of this article is to inspire a call to action for solar and wind power, and to inform the reader that the revolution toward renewable energy starts with you the individual! How you may ask? By making your own solar wind home energy system.

Making your own solar wind energy system is totally doable today in a very cost effective way. Home solar power systems these days can run between $20 and $50 thousand depending on capacity. But there is a resource where you can learn how to make your own photovoltaic panels and your own wind turbines for under $200. If you are interested or inspired to supplement your electricity and cut down costs, you have to check out Michael Harvey’s manual for generating your own electricity. Remember the massive abundance of these energy sources, and you’ll be inspired to help yourself and the earth as well.

In this day and age, the two most important things, which need proper attention are the environment and the economy. This is due to the fact that the environment seems to be powerless already because of the high-level of pollution nowadays and the economy is on its critical condition by now because of the increasing inflation rate every year. Thus, you have to act now and do your duty as a responsible human being. You have to do something which will benefit both the environment and the economy. As a matter of fact, one of the very best ways, which you can consider to help the two most important things here on earth is to try building your own solar and wind power systems.

It is quite undeniable that solar energy and wind energy are a renewable types of energy. When you say renewable energy, it simply refers to a type of energy which naturally comes from the environment. Such type of energy can be easily replaced as well as beneficial not only the human race but also to the environment. Hence, building your own solar and wind power systems is a very good thing for you to consider in these days. You just have to be aware on how to get started.

The following are the ways which you can consider in building your own solar and wind power systems:

1. Purchase a DIY solar and wind power system kit. There are so many DIY solar and wind power system kits available in the world market today. You simply have to carefully choose a kit which can be very helpful on your part. In addition, you also have to purchase a kit which is not too expensive but irrefutably effective. In doing so, you can surely save yourself from any regrets in the long run.

2. Carefully read all the instructions. All of the DIY kits on how to build a solar or wind power system include instructions on how you can do such task without the help of any experts. You just have to carefully read all those instructions in order to be truly successful in building your own solar and wind power systems.

3. Be patient and take your time in building your own power system. Patience is absolutely a virtue. Thus, you have to make sure to be very patient in constructing your homemade power system. You have to instill into your mind that you cannot construct your own power system in just a snap of your finger. This only means that you have to exert much of your effort so that you can come up with a very effective power system at the end of the day.

Indeed, building your own solar and wind power systems is not just a simple child’s play. Hence, you really have to bear in mind all the aforementioned ways in building or constructing your own homemade power systems. In this way, you can be sure that you can successfully construct your power system sooner or later, save the dying environment and somehow save a certain amount of money for your own sake.