Energy From Home: Its Almost Free!
Harnessing energy from the sun is a concept that has been in existence for decades now.
More and more people have been looking into installing solar panels in an effort to save money on the rising cost of energy. However, even a basic solar installation from a retailer can cost you $20,000 and you have to wait 20 years to realize your initial investment. True, solar power is one of the best and most reliable renewable energy sources available but, unfortunately, it comes with a price tag that a common man finds hard to afford.
So households have little choice but to put it off— hopefully, for better days.
What if you were to get your hands on a manual, so comprehensive and easy to follow, that you could make equally professional and durable solar panels over the week ends at a percentage of what it costs in the retail show rooms.
Most people will be tempted, but then the thought will sink in: \”I have never been any good at this sort of thing\” or \” Where will I find the time?\”.
You will be wrong on both counts. All that is required of you is to follow some very basic instructions and surely, anyone can find a few hours to spare during the weekends.
Start small—one solar panel at a time.
There are three essentially basic essentials to get you going:
(1) Plywood, sheets of glass and a roll of copper wire,
(2) A simple inverter and a few batteries,
(3) Solar or photovoltaic cells cells (used to absorb sunlight and convert it into usable electricity).
The first two items are readily available in your neighborhood hardware store. Solar cells can be purchased locally or on the Internet. No, you don\’t need to buy any specialized tools—if you have a small soldering iron in your tool-kit you can do just fine.
With a good manual at hand, making your first solar panel will be a breeze. Another couple of hours, and you can assemble a 100-watt panel to operate a small workshop.
Remember, all you need is the sun to harness low voltage direct current (DC) which is then converted to alternate current (AC) using an inverter and is now ready to use. The extra current generated finds its way into battery banks where it is stored for use when the normal energy source is not available. There are no moving parts in the solar panels so there is no wear and tear. Only batteries will require minimal maintenance and monitoring to ensure that your demand of energy does not exceed the supply.
Once you have tasted initial success, you will find yourself building more solar panels. The instruction manual will help you determine how much power you will need from your solar power system. It may seem a distant dream now but when you see the savings in your energy bills, you will want to achieve a quantum of electricity that covers your entire consumption for the whole year.
In the early stages you use a grid-tied system in which your solar panels are tied into your current power meter. You are using both electricity supplied by your panels and your own supply is then backed by electricity from your electric company. To encourage your enterprise, in some parts of the United States, you actually get paid for the excess energy you send back to the grid.
When your own home made energy becomes more than adequate to meet your entire energy requirements you can become grid-free—if you so choose. I know, the thought of parting with most of their prized possessions and gadgets, will upset a lot of people. It doesn\’t have to be that way. Off grid living is all about producing more energy and moderating your use of electricity.
Remember, energy shortage is a worldwide phenomenon and besides the Sun, there are environment-friendly wind and water sources waiting to be tapped—all for a little effort and a small price.
Author Bio: R.P.Bhalla is a retired airline captain, aviation medicine expert, and a researcher on Health and Wellness. He writes extensively on Health and Relationship issues.
http://energy-from-home.info
Category: Home Management
Keywords: Home solar energy,green energy systems,solar electricity systems
