An Essential Alternative To Home Renewable Energy Sources
By utilizing renewable energy sources in your home, you are not only doing your part in helping the planet but also saving money on your bills.
A renewable energy source can eliminate your utility bills completely and also reward you with tax incentives for your green efforts.
The process of getting your home to run on renewable energy sources is by no means an inexpensive one. There may be high installation and labor costs involved.
However, the amount of savings you will experience afterward is 100% worth it.
Solar Panels
This renewable energy source isn’t an unknown in the world of green. It is becoming increasingly common and accessible to many around the world. All it requires are the solar panels, an inverter, and batteries to have some extra energy on cloudy days.
If you live in an unpredictable climate with few sunny days, you may want to consider having a back up generate. For a generator that is at a fair price point, made of high-quality materials, and easy to maintain and repair, check out a predator generator review.
Wind Turbines
Most people assume that wind turbines are only for massive farms and pieces of land. This is not the case. Companies have begun building smaller wind turbines to fit comfortably beside one’s home. Before committing to wind power, one will want to check the weather service to find out what the consistent wind speed is.
With a 10-kilowatt turbine, you can provide energy for an entire home. This turbine is around 100ft tall and has a 23ft turbine. This is another renewable energy source that is dependent on weather and will need to be maintained frequently.
Geothermal Power
Geothermal energy is most effective for large-scale structures, but it can be effective for a homes heating and cooling needs. A home consumes an alarming amount of energy just for climate control. A geothermal heat pump can majorly decrease your need for energy.
In winter, geothermal heat pumps move heat from the earth into your home. In summer, they take heat from your home and pull it towards the earth. These pumps have a simple design and require little to no maintenance. They can even be designed to heat a water heater.
This is an example of an expensive installation. The drilling alone can cost upwards $30,000 but this renewable energy source can save you up to 40% on your energy bill.
Biomass
Biomass is an alternative renewable resource that looks like a stove. It is most commonly used for heating your home or water heater. Crops, trees, plants, grass, and wood waste fuel these stoves. Biomass is known to produce less harmful pollutants than traditional chemicals like coal.
There are a few companies that have designed biofuel stoves to be fueled by wood pellets and dry-shelled corn. They have claimed that a biofuel stove can reduce heating costs by 50% and keep an entire home warm for only $1.50 per day.
Micro Hydro Electricity
This renewable energy source only works for those who have moving water nearby. The installation for this is straightforward and can be extremely effective. Micro hydro electricity requires a pipe to be installed from a higher level of ground where water is flowing to a lower ground area. As the water moves down the pipe it powers a turbine that produces energy.
Micro hydro systems are rumored to produce 100 times more power than solar or wind. This system can run 24/7, as long as the water is continuously flowing. The pipe and turbine will require regular maintenance and its effectiveness highly depends on the size and speed of a moving body of water.
Fuel Cells
Fuel Cells are one of the latest and priciest renewable energy source developments in the green industry. Oxygen and Hydrogen cells are carefully managed by separating the hydrogen’s ions and electrons. These fuel cells are used to power heat and electricity.
The tricky part about fuel cells is for one, they are difficult to obtain as they are currently only for military use and they can run you about $700,000-$800,000 to get up and running.
To make this a renewable energy source more accessible to the public, the Department of Energy is working on developing safe practices for handling these fuel cells.
About the Author Staff Writer
Our writers come from all over the world, but one thing unites them - their passion for sustainability.