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Green or renewable energy is a term used to describe energy that is derived from resources, like the sun and wind — resources that are continually available to some degree or other all over the world. We never run out of them. And their use or capture does not inflict any material damage on the environment.
Green or renewable energy is a term used to describe energy that is derived from resources, like the sun and wind — resources that are continually available to some degree or other all over the world. We never run out of them. And their use or capture does not inflict any material damage on the environment.
Sunlight is the source of most renewable energy power, either directly or indirectly. The sun can be harnessed to produce solar energy electricity for heating, cooling, and lighting homes, offices, entertainment complexes, airports, and a variety of other industrial structures.
Heat from the sun also produces wind, whose energy is captured by wind turbines and turned into electricity capable of powering entire towns.
In recent years one simple fact is coming to light. No matter how you look at it, our society simply can’t continue to rely on fossil fuels for energy. Pollution is on the rise and already some of the effects to our planet are irreversible. As a whole we simply don’t have enough resources to maintain the level at which we use them. That’s really just the beginning though.
There’s also the simple fact that rising energy costs are making it harder to keep up in our society. Power for our homes (and businesses) costs more than ever before. Gas prices are on the rise. And, the heating oil and natural gas which we use to keep our homes warm also costs more. When you begin to add these things up, living in our world today also becomes quite pricey.
With the current state of technology more and more people are looking for alternatives. Of course the alternative energy sources are out there, and they have been for a while, but traditionally these types of energy alternatives have been out of the price range that most of us are willing to spend.
Today that idea no longer holds true. Converting to green energy costs less than ever before, and if you know how you can almost do it for free. The parts required cost less, and governments are pushing green initiatives more now than ever before.
There are three main types of renewable energy that are currently being used to power our homes and there are a couple of other energy sources that you may have heard about. Solar and Wind power are the most common types of alternative energy. These are the two technologies that have advanced enough that it is now possible to convert your home yourself. There are also ideas like Hydro-Electricity and Geo Thermal power. In the case of hydro, location prevents this from being a viable option for most people (you would need to live beside a stream or river). Geo thermal energy is currently an expensive technology and again location matters so it isn’t a viable option for most people. This article will pay attention to solar and wind power as a source of green energy to power homes.
Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaics convert light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.
On an average day, the sun shines at a rate of 1000Watts per square meter. Collecting that energy is as simple as placing a photovoltaic cell to collect sunlight. These solar cells are simple devices that include a semiconductor (most commonly silicon) to convert the sun’s light directly into electricity.
Put simply – the sun shines on a photovoltaic cell. Inside that cell there is a semiconductor. The semiconductor absorbs a portion of that light and the electrons in the semiconductor get knocked loose and are then able to flow freely. Once this happens the electricity can be stored and then used to power electrical devices.
Solar cells are used in a series to create a solar panel, and usually those solar panels are used in groups to enable the collection of large amounts of solar energy at once. In a nutshell this is how solar energy works and it is the most common option for gaining free energy to power our homes.
Wind power on the other hand, is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships.
Wind power, as an alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, and produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation.
For our purposes, depending on your energy needs, a single windmill may be enough to power your entire home. The best part about using this option for power is that a windmill is cheap to build, and there is very little maintenance after you have it working.
Of course this type of home conversions will require more space than solar panels which can be mounted on your roof. Even if you live in an area where you have enough wind to consider this alternative – you should check your local laws to ensure that you are allowed to install a windmill.
Click here for a step by step manual on building and installing solar panels to power your homes and offices.
