Home Wind Turbines – Cut Your Energy Bill
Energy costs keep sky rocketing with no end in sight. Pollution levels are increasing and our planet is facing a warming trend that could have devastating results. So the question is what can the average citizen do to save money and help the environment at the same time? One great way to help is to lower the amount of electricity your home purchases from the utility company by creating your own power. There are a few ways to do this, and wind power is one of the easiest and more reliable ways to produce energy at your home.
What is a Wind Turbine?
A wind turbine is a simple machine that collects kinetic energy produced by wind currents and converts this energy into power that can be used in the home. Wind turbines are installed on high towers; these towers are usually around eighty to one hundred and twenty feet high. Towers must be high enough to allow the turbine to be above any turbulence generated by objects on the ground. The higher the altitude also results in higher wind speed and in turn, a higher amount of energy can be produced.
How do Wind Turbines Work?
Wind energy is used to create mechanical energy. Turbines have blades that are turned by the wind; these blades turn a shaft to which they are connected. The shaft is then connected to a generator; the mechanical energy is transferred into the generator through the shaft and converts the mechanical energy into electricity. This electricity can then be used in the home for any electrical need. Homes that are using wind turbines to produce power are still hooked up to the power grid. Being hooked up to the power grid allows the home to still have power when wind currents aren’t strong enough to produce electricity. Another benefit of continuing to be connected to the power grid is that at the times your wind turbine is producing more power than your home can use, the utility company is absorbing the extra energy and paying you for it. This can lead to very low electric bills. A wind turbine can lower your power bill by 50-80% depending on the amount of wind in your area.
Types of Wind Turbines
There are two main types of turbines: horizontal- axis turbines and vertical-axis turbines. Turbines also come in different sizes as well. Utility companies use wind turbines that can range in size from 100 kilowatts up to several megawatts. These larger turbines are found in groups on wind farms. If you ever drive over the Temecula pass in California, you can see large wind farms along the highway. It is a spectacular site. Small turbines, 100 kilowatts or less, are used at homes. These are place on towers on the homeowner’s property and then used to provide some of the energy needed to run the home. Since the size of the tower is quite large, they are usually used in areas where the home is on one acre or more. There are very small turbines on very small towers that may be able to be of use in urban areas or on smaller lots.
The Future of the Wind Turbine
In September of 2008, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that grants a one-year extension of the renewable energy production tax credit. If passed by the U.S. House of Representatives the tax credit would be available until December 2009. Wind power is a viable part of the solution to lessen our dependency on fossil fuels. Wind power is a renewable resource and produces no harmful pollutants. The future looks bright for wind power and hopefully, as a result, there will be a bright future for our planet too.
Detlef runs Wind Power Savings, where you can learn more about saving energy in your home.
The Two Most Popular Green Energy Sources
Many people dream of becoming energy independent. They see green energy sources not only as a way to greatly reduce their energy bills each month, but they also see it as a way to power their homes in a way that does not burn the Earth’s resources, and does not harm the environment.
The green energy sources that are the most popular are solar energy and wind energy. While there are other forms of green energy, these are the most popular because they are the two sources that are the most readily available. You do not have to relocate to take advantage of these sources, and they are both relatively inexpensive to get started with. While making a complete change-over in your home can be a serious investment, it is possible to get stated on a smaller scale, and make a gradual change-over as you can afford to.
Solar Energy
The most popular form of green energy is solar energy. It collects sunlight using solar panels that convert that light into electricity. One reason this is so popular is because the system, once in place, is relatively low maintenance. Other than keeping the solar panels clean, there is not much to do to keep your solar energy system running. Because there are not any moving parts to wear out, breakdowns do not typically happen with this type of system.
The disadvantage of a solar energy system is that it requires a lot of direct sunlight to see real benefits from the system. If you are unfortunate enough to live in an area that has considerable cloud cover on a regular basis you may not see the same benefits as someone living in a sunny location.
That does not mean that you should discount solar energy as a good energy source, it just means you will need to take steps to make the most of the times the sun is shining brightly. By increasing the number of panels you will be able to generate more energy in a shorter period of time. If you have your solar generators hooked to a battery system, you will be able to capture that extra energy to use at night, or on cloudy days.
Wind Energy
Another green energy source that has gotten quite a bit of attentions is wind energy. This form of energy harnesses the power of using propellers that turn a turbine which creates electricity. The good part about modern wind powered turbines is that they do not require a lot of wind to operate them. A steady breeze is often enough to turn the blades and begin generating electricity. Of course, the more wind you have, the quicker you will be able to generate significant amounts of electricity.
Unlike solar systems, you are not limited by the time of day for generating power. These systems will work day or night. Like the solar energy systems, you can hook a wind powered generator to a battery systems so you will have a steady supply of energy.
The biggest disadvantages of a wind energy systems is that the turbine does require more space that the solar cells, and are not as easily incorporated into the design of a house. A wind turbine also requires more maintenance that solar energy systems. It has more moving parts so you need to perform scheduled maintenance on the system to reduce the chances of a breakdown.
Green energy sources are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint without having to do away with many of the conveniences of modern life. You can lower your energy bills, and be more environmentally friendly in the process.
Jim Smoot writes for the Renewable Solar Energy website at http://www.renewable-solar-energy.com. Go there today for more information about green living, and how you can make your home energy independent.
Benefits of a Home Heat Pump
There are many benefits to having a heat pump air conditioner installed.
A heat pump will provide you with energy efficient heat all through winter, and come summer will cool your home effectively.
If you suffer from asthma, a heat pump can help by reducing the relative humidity of the room, and filtering out dust particles and other allergens by trapping them inside the air filters. Reducing the humidity makes it easier to breathe and also makes the room feel less ‘stuffy’.
Heat pumps are also child friendly as there are no open flames or hot heating elements. Most heat pumps are mounted high on the wall or hidden away so the prying little fingers of children cannot get inside.
Most air conditioners today are ‘split type’ inverter heat pumps. A ‘split type’ air conditioner basically means you have an indoor and and outdoor unit with pipework connecting the two. An inverter heat pump means that the compressor speed is varied by the use of a DC inverter and speed drive. This enables the compressor to slow down in speed to maintain a constant temperature rather than cycling between full capacity and switching off every 10 to 15 minutes. Always opt for the inverter type heat pump as it will save you money on energy.
An electric heater converts electricity into heat, whereas a heat pump simply transfers heat from one source to another. This means that you can have heating or cooling by moving heat into or out of your room. It also means that heat pumps are very energy efficient as they can transfer up to 4kW of heat into your home for every 1kW of power used. Compare that to an electric heater that only generates 1kW of heat for every 1kW of power used.
There are a number of heat pump options available to you, dependent on whether you wish to air condition one room or your whole home.
To air condition a single room, a wall mounted heat pump is recommended. Wall mounted heat pumps can be installed high up (high wall), or low down by the floor like a conventional electric or gas heater. For two or three rooms, you can opt for a multi-split heat pump system. This means you have one outdoor unit connected to multiple indoor units. Alternatively, you can go for a ducted heat pump system. These can be installed hidden away inside your loft, or under your floor and are connected to outlet grilles around your home.
The correct sizing of a heat pump for a given room size is critical. Too small and it will struggle to heat or cool the room. Too large and it will constantly cycle on and off. Always consult the professionals for correct sizing.
Your local air conditioning and heat pump specialists will be able to correctly size the heat pump for your requirements. Most companies also provide a free, no obligation quotation. My advice as an air conditioning and refrigeration engineer is that you should phone around for a number of quotes. This ensures that you can verify the unit sizing from a number of engineers, plus you can also save a few hard earned dollars.
James Walton does air conditioning repair and installation as well as being a heat pump engineer in Auckland, New Zealand.
3 Reasons to Use Green Energy Right Now
The market of green energy is growing exponentially. More and more people are going green and for good reason. Let’s take a look at 3 reasons why you should use green energy right now.
1. Green For The Environment
Using green energy is one of the best ways to help out the environment. Green energy is clean and is renewable which means that it won’t harm the environment and it will never run out. Fossil fuel emissions are slowly killing our planet which is why everyone needs to do their part in keeping our environment healthy. We need to take action now if we want keep our planet a sustainable place to live.
2. Green $$$
Along with helping out the environment, green energy can also save you a ton of cash. At the very minimum, a natural energy source will save you 80% on your energy bill. And this is just within a months time of using a renewable energy source. Not only will your natural energy source have payed for itself within a month, but you will also save you hundreds of dollars. But, even more incredible is the ability to make money off of your green energy source. Since green energy is renewable it has the ability to produce more energy than you actually need. This means you will be able to sell unused energy back to your utility company for a lot of cash.
3. Green Won’t Always Be Cheap
The most important reason why you should go green now instead of waiting is because this market is growing rapidly and is bound to become huge within the next six months. And when this market becomes huge you can expect prices to soar as well. Right now you can make your own green energy source for around $50. How long will this be a realistic price? Not very long. In just a few months this price could easily increase to 3x times the current amount. Green energy will always have the ability to save you money, but when you have to dish out hundreds of dollars it may take a pretty long time.
Want to learn more about the best DIY green energy guide? Click the link below and learn how you can make your own clean energy for less than $50.
http://www.squidoo.com/howtomakenaturalpower
http://www.squidoo.com/howtomakenaturalpower
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