Modern day energy conservation is imperative. The shortage of power, the rapid consumption of non-renewable energy, the ever-increasing demand for power supply, and the daily warnings about our environment are enough signs to tell us that it’s time we do something.
So, what can we do? We can begin taking steps to getting off the grid. This may be a surprising proposition for most people that depend on the power company to provide electricity, but let me assure you that it is possible. Not only would living off the grid save you big bucks every month when the electric bill stops coming, it also would be beneficial for the environment. Now, those are tangible benefits that will make you feel good about your role on this earth as well as the savings to the family budget.
Home solar power systems are incresing in fame across the United States and around the globe. The reason for this trend towards DIY-how to make your own energy is easy to see, using renewable power will save you big bucks and it benefits the environment.
Another way you can take advantage of renewable energy is to build wind power turbines and produce electricity from wind yourself. There are a couple of different ways to make your own wind powered electricity, either purchase a kit which can be costly or you can make wind power turbines yourself. If your handy around tools, then building your own unit is the better way to go, but if not, buying a kit is an option if not as affordable. It is relatively easy and cheap to build wind power turbines in your own backyard.
Taking into account these advantages, it seems only reasonable that we would all undertake a DIY wind and/or home solar power systems project.
Renewable resources are accessible every annually, unlike non-renewable resources which are in the long run used up. A straightforward contrast is a coal mine and a forest. Although the forest could be used up, if it is managed properly it represents a continuous supply of energy, vs the coal mine which after it has been used up is dead. The majority of earth’s available energy resources are renewable resources. Renewable resources total greater than 93 percent of total U.S. energy reserves. Annual renewable energy resources were multiplied times thirty years for contrast with non-renewable energy resources. In other words, if all non-renewable energy resources were uniformly used up in 30 years, they would barely account for 7 percent of accessible resources each year, if all accessible renewable resources were developed.
In 2004, renewable energy supplied around 7% of the world’s energy utilization. The renewables sector has been increasing drastically since the last years of the 20th century, and in 2005 the complete new investment was estimated to have been 38 billion US dollars. Germany and China lead with investments of about 7 billion US dollars every, followed by the United States, Spain, Japan, and India. This resulted in an additional 35 GW (gigawatt is equal to one billion watts) of power during the year.
Solar power info:
Renewable energy sources are even bigger than the traditional fossil fuels and in concept can easily supply the world’s energy needs. 89 PW (petawatt is equal to one quadrillion watts) of photovoltaic power falls on the planet’s surface. Despite the fact that it is not possible to capture all, or even nearly all, of this energy, capturing less than 0.02% would be sufficient to satisfy the present energy needs. Barriers to further photovoltaic generation consist of the high price of producing photovoltaic cells and dependence on weather conditions to make electricity. Also, solar energy does not produce electricity at night, which is a specific problem in high northern and southern latitude countries; energy requirement is greatest in winter, while availability of solar energy is lowest. This could be conquered by buying energy from countries nearer to the equator throughout winter months. Globally, enrgy generation is the fastest growing source of energy, seeing an annual average growth of 35% over the preceding few years. Japan, Europe, China, U.S. and India are the foremost growing investors in solar energy. Advances in technology and economies of scale, together with mandate for solutions to global warming, have led photovoltaics to become the most likely candidate to take the place of nuclear and fossil fuels.
The accessible solar energy resources are 120,000 TW (terawatt is equal to one trillion watts). Less than 0.02% of these obtainable resources are sufficient to completely supplant fossil fuels and nuclear power as our source of energy. Assuming that our rate of usage in 2005 stays stable, we will deplete conventional oil in 40 years, and coal in 154 yrs. In principle neither will actually be depleted, as natural constraints will make production to decrease as the remaining reserves dwindle.
In 2007 grid-connected solar electricity was the fastest increasing power source, with installations of all solar cells growing by 83% in 2009 to bring the total installed capacity to 15 GW. Almost half of the increase was in Germany, now the world’s major user of solar electricity (followed by Japan). Solar cell production increased by 50% in 2007, to 3,800 MW (megawatt is equal to one million watts), and has been doubling every two years.
The world’s most powerful solar power plant is the 20 MW Beneixama photovoltaic power plant in Spain, while a 116 MW plant is being built in southern Portugal, one of the sunniest places in Europe. The biggest photovoltaic facility in North America is the 18 MW Nellis Solar Power Plant.
Wind energy information:
The accessible wind energy estimates range from 300 TW to 870 TW. Using the lower estimate, just 5% of the obtainable wind energy would supply the present global energy needs. The majority of this wind energy is available over the open ocean. The oceans cover 71% of the earth and wind tends to blow stronger over open water because there are fewer obstructions.
According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the installed capability of wind power improved by 27% from the end of 2006 to the end of 2007 to total 94.1 GW, with over half the growth in the United States, Spain and China. Doubling of power took about three years. The total installed capacity is just about three times that of the real average power produced as the nominal capacity represents greatest output; actual capacity is generally from 25-40% of the estimated capability.
Information for 100% off the grid power:
Solar energy is not accessible at during hours of darkness, making energy storage an crucial matter in order to supply the constant availability of energy. Both wind power and solar power are sporadic energy sources, meaning that all available output must be taken when it is accessible and either stored for when it is needed, or moved, over transmission lines, to where it is needed. Wind energy and solar energy can be complementary, in locations that experience greater wind in the winter and greater sun in the summer, but on days with no sun and no wind the deficit needs to be made up in some manner.
Off-grid PV systems have usually used rechargeable batteries to store excess electricity. With systems that are still connected to the electrical grid, surplus electricity can be sent to the transmission grid. Net metering programs give these grid-tied systems a credit for the electricity they deliver to the grid. This credit helps pay for electricity supplied from the grid when the solar and/or wind power system cannot meet demand, effectively using the grid as a storage device. Credits are as a rule rolled over month to month and any remaining surplus is refunded yearly.
Make the future of your future generations secure by helping to give them a greener, healthier world. Cut down on the usage of non-renewable sources of energy.
If you are assuming it is not very practical to take steps to go off the grid, look for DIY wind and solar power system tutorials and you will be surprised to learn that these energy alternatives are not only cost-effective but also very feasible to build yourself. For more information check out my Residential Solar Power – Build Home Renewable Energy blog.
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