Create Renewable Energy at Home – Solar and Wind Power Generators

Is it possible to create your own renewable energy at home? Yes it is! The good news is that you do not have to be an expert or know anything about energy systems. There are two main ways to generate your own electricity from home. First you can harness the power of the sun, the most abundant natural source of energy available. Secondly you can harness the power of the wind to generate electricity. Which source of renewable energy should you use and how do you decide?

Solar energy can be utilised in the vast majority of locations, but there are some important factors to take into consideration when considering this source of energy. The first thin to consider is where are you going to put your solar panels? It needs to be in a place where they get maximum exposure to the sun. If you decide to put them on your roof as many people do, you need to consider (a) is the roof strong enough to support the panels, and (b) have you enough roof space on which to put the panels. The alternative to
Putting them on the roof is to mount them on a platform away from the house and away from other buildings and trees.

Wind energy varies according to the location, so it is important in the first instance to try and find out what the local wind speed is. In the UK you can obtain this information from the British Wind Energy Association, in the US there is the Wind Resource Atlas of the United States and its territories, which indicates general areas where a high wind resource may exist. Other countries have similar bodies.
Wind speed increases with height, so wind power generators are either mounted on the roof of the house or on a mast away from the house. As in the case of solar panels, it is important that there are no obstructions such as other buildings or trees, so that the wind turbine has maximum exposure to the wind. Should you happen to live on a hilltop with clear exposure so much the better.

Which system should you build? Well unless you live in the middle of a wooded area then you should build a homemade solar power system. Solar panels only require daylight to generate electricity and so are suitable for most areas. Solar panels utilise Photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. They consist of one or two layers of semi-conducting material which is usually silicon. When the light shines on the cells it generates an electric field across the layers causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of light the greater the flow of electricity. The strength of a Photovoltaic cell is measured in Kilowatt peak (kWp) ( the amount of energy the cell generates in full sunlight). A 2.5 kWp system would provide around half of a households yearly electricity needs.

Unless there is little or no wind in your area I would add a wind power system as well. The solar power system only works in daylight, and you can have the benefit of the wind power system on dull days and at night. Harnessing the power of the wind involves turning the blades of a windmill which in turn operates a turbine to generate electricity. The electricity produced by a wind turbine is direct current (DC) electricity which has then to be converted to alternating (AC) electricity. An inverter is used together with a battery or batteries for storage. A controller is also used to ensure that the batteries are not over or under-charged and can direct power to another source such as a space or water heater when the batteries are full.

Where do you find the information to build your own homemade solar and wind power systems? Do not go to the energy companies or large suppliers of solar and wind power systems as they will charge thousands of dollars for supply and installation. Go to the internet where you will find a number of really good manuals which cost less than $50. Choose one that is well illustrated and preferably comes with video instructions. It is now possible to build your own homemade solar power system for $200 and your own wind power system for $100. Most of the component can be obtained from your local hardware store.

The savings on your electricity will be as much as 80{bc1e42e53d8565163e9cec719c82f5e0892e054fb5d628f08363879e07731a2f} and if you increase capacity you can even eliminate your bill altogether and even sell excess electricity back to the grid. Furthermore you will be reducing your carbon footprint and thus contributing to saving the planet. The systems require little maintenance except for the batteries and last up to twenty years.