Combine The Power Of The Sun and The Wind
Many people today have realized the dream of being completely off the grid by combining wind and solar energy. Small sized affordable wind generators are available today for the home user, and they are being combined with photovoltaic cells for power generation. It’s obvious that fossil fuel energy costs are going to keep on rising making it harder to afford getting power from the grid. The time is more than ripe for solar wind energy to be one of the solutions to rising energy costs, and to take us off of fossil fuel energy dependence.
Wind Turbines
Wind turbines are actually very simple machines. They consist of 3 parts: rotor blades, a shaft, and a generator. The rotor blades act like a propeller that turns the shaft when the wind flows through them. The shaft then turns the generator and a current is generated. About eighty-five percent of all off-grid systems use solar wind energy.
The new micro as well as mini wind turbines are very popular with sailors, and are now starting to be more popular with home owners in Europe and the UK. Mini turbines are very cost effective and will only cost about $1,500 to $2,500. They are perfect for generating electricity if you live off the grid in remote rural areas. It’s satisfying to think about having solar wind energy provide for all your energy needs and also knowing that you never have to depend on utility companies.
Photovoltaic Cells
The typical home solar power system consists mainly of these:
a)Photovoltaic Panels
b)Charge Controller Module
c)Batteries (optional)
d)Inverter
Photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into an electric current. The type of current generated by a photovoltaic panel array is DC or direct current. For this current to be usable in most common households, it has to be converted into AC or alternating current. That’s where the inverter comes in. It’s job is to convert DC into AC current.
Solar wind energy systems are also called hybrid energy systems because the use a combination of solar and wind power to generate electricity. The wind turbines are mostly used during the winter months (in the northern hemisphere) when the sun’s vertical rays are mostly directed toward the southern hemisphere, and days tend to be short and cloudy. During summer months, photovoltaic cells would supplement greatly along with the wind turbine.
By using hybrid solar wind energy systems, a homeowner has the option of using or omitting batteries for storage. Homeowners also have the choice of being “Grid-Tied” or “Net Metered”. This means that your solar wind energy system has the ability to provide electricity not only for your house, but the power company as well. This way, if your solar wind energy system generated more energy than was used, the energy can be sold back to the power company. When you’re selling energy back to the company, your power meter runs backward. The “net metered” system therefore is highly recommended. The grid also works as your “battery backup” when your hybrid solar wind energy system doesn’t provide for your power demands.
Net-metered systems are also recommended because they are easier to install, cost less, and offer better performance.
Related Articles
- How Much Can A Homemade Wind Turbine Save You? In this age of going "green" it might be time to investigate the possibilities of generating your own power from wind. If you live in an area where the average
- Reduce Your Electric Bill With A Wind Power Generator With oil prices starting to go up again, now may be the time to start looking into alternative energy sources again. President Obama put several billion dollars in the latest
- Truths About Solar And Wind Power The creation of solar and wind power energy for home is becoming increasingly popular today due to the cost of electricity constantly rising. Unfortunately because of this a large amount
- Earth4Energy Review – Is Making DIY Solar Panels and Wind Turbines Really This Easy? Earth4Energy is one of the most comprehensive guidebooks to building your own solar and wind power system obtainable in the market today. With an in-depth eBook, comprehensive video
- Review Articles On Solar Power A lot articles have been written concerning solar power, its benefits and its advantages. In this article you will find just a summary of most of the information discussed about
- To Build a Wind Generator at Home With the world facing a real energy crisis, it is wise to look to an alternate energy system for the home. It not only helps the government battle the energy
- Wind Power At Home Home wind power is an excellent means of generating electricity. There is a great deal of interest in home made energy all over the world today due to the low
- Solar & Wind Power Alternative Energy Sources For Your Home The green renewable energy sources are becoming more popular. Governments are looking & investing in renewable energy sources, lessening their dependence on fossil fuels. However, it can be debated they
Comments
Leave a Reply