| Alternative energy sources are within your grasp, | | | | standard car battery. They collect the DC current, and |
| whether it is getting power from solar energy, or wind | | | | store it for later use. Wires connect to this bank, and |
| energy, or even a combination of both. It is important in | | | | then there are more from the batteries to the power |
| this day and age, when our natural resources are | | | | inverter. There is usually an switch of some kind that |
| being used up faster and faster, where we are seeing | | | | will automatically turn on and off depending on what |
| serious problems with fossil fuels, such as oil and | | | | power source the inverter is using. |
| natural gas, that we seek cleaner, greener, renewable | | | | Another set of wires comes off of the regulator, and |
| alternatives. | | | | runs directly to the power inverter. As explained earlier, |
| The first place to start is with solar energy, and solar | | | | this converts low voltage current into high voltage |
| power systems. Solar power is clean, abundant just | | | | current, and all of the electrical needs for your home or |
| about anywhere around to globe, and is totally | | | | RV are plugged in this box. It can have one plug, or |
| renewable. If you are still one of those people who | | | | many, and can convert power to 110 or 220 depending |
| don't know that much about solar power, this is a basic | | | | on your needs. |
| run down of how it works. | | | | Now wind energy is similar to solar energy, but |
| This first place to start is with a photovoltaic cell. | | | | different as well. Instead of getting power from the |
| These were first invented more that a hundred years | | | | sun, the wind causes a propeller type device to turn, |
| ago, but it took a long time to make them the efficient | | | | which turns an electrical generator. Now you have |
| little energy converters of today. How they work | | | | probably seen large wind turbines, ones that are high |
| basically is that when the sun's light is directed on them, | | | | off the ground, and take up a lot of space. |
| they convert solar energy into low voltage electrical | | | | These are called wind farms, and while they do |
| current. | | | | produce a lot of energy, they are not readily available |
| Now one of these cells doesn't do much, but | | | | for residential use, for obvious reasons. There are |
| connecting many of them together, that's where they | | | | much smaller versions which can be used for home |
| start to produce the kind of electricity that you can | | | | application, There are some disadvantages of these |
| use. | | | | horizontal wind turbines, there are more moving parts |
| Solar energy comes from panels that have many of | | | | than solar energy panels for one. |
| these cells working together to produce electricity. This | | | | You need at least 15MPH of wind, and they of course |
| is much different from wind energy, because there are | | | | have to be facing a wind source. Because of this, |
| no actual moving parts in a solar panel. The panels are | | | | vertical axis turbines are much more popular. The |
| then connected together to produce different power | | | | blades face upward, and can catch the wind from any |
| outputs, or wattage. | | | | direction. There can be less wind to make them work |
| Now solar power by itself is not going to run your high | | | | and a single shaft runs directly to the generator. |
| voltage power needs. A solar panel produces Direct | | | | So now, how does wind energy and solar energy |
| Current, or DC, while the electrical energy coming into | | | | apply to you? For starters, both of these complete |
| your home is Alternating Current, or AC. So how do | | | | systems are available to you. You can buy complete |
| you make solar power into the high voltage power | | | | packages, which include all the panels, or turbine, the |
| you need? With the help of an inverter, which switches | | | | bank of batteries, inverters, and the whole nine yards. |
| DC electricity into AC power. | | | | Now while some of these complete packages can |
| Put in simple terms that can relate to supplying all your | | | | cost thousands of dollars, there are also DIY kits, with |
| electrical needs to your home, solar energy is collected | | | | complete diagrams, detailed instructions, and complete |
| in the panels. Exactly how many panels depends on | | | | lists of parts and suppliers to make your own systems. |
| how much average energy consumption you use a | | | | You can make the solar panels as well as the wind |
| day, usually 2-4 or more 100 watt panels can supply | | | | turbines for just a few hundred dollars. The most |
| most needs. | | | | expensive part about the DIY kits is the batteries and |
| This energy is converted into electrical energy, flowing | | | | the inverters, but these are also cheaper and widely |
| through wiring into a voltage regulator. This regulator | | | | available for the average person to buy. |
| does two different things. One it controls the voltage | | | | By converting to solar energy, or wind energy, you can |
| output of the panels, and the other is it prevents the | | | | get completely off the grid, and not have to pay |
| batteries from feeding back into the panels. All the | | | | another electric bill every again. In fact, in most cases, if |
| systems are the same from here on whether you are | | | | you produce more energy than you can store or use, |
| using solar power, or wind energy. | | | | power companies have to buy it back from you. In |
| The next step in the process is a division of power | | | | many cases, you can qualify for energy tax credits, as |
| output. Whether you are using wind energy, or solar | | | | well as grants to help pay for these systems. You can |
| energy, there are going to be times when you won't | | | | use one system or combine both for as much power |
| have this power source, at night, or when there is | | | | output as possible if you want to, and the whole thing |
| simply no wind. In order to compensate for this, part of | | | | can cost you around 2-4 thousand dollars at the most, |
| the DC power goes into a bank of batteries. | | | | which will pay for itself in just a few years. |
| These are deep cycle batteries, much different that a | | | | |