Alternative energy
One thing that must be figured out if you want to live an autonomous lifestyle is.. what you're going to do regarding electricity. You can just live without it, as people have for thousands of years, but in this day and age such a thing is almost unfathomable. You can use less electricity, but that will not make you independent from the grid. What you can do however, is produce your own power.
There are the obvious options to you, either wind power or solar power.
Solar power is the most talked about method of generating your own electricity. It's simple and produces a decent amount of electricity provided the sun is shining.
While solar power is generally regarded as the best electricity source for DIY'ers, wind power can also be a very powerful force you can utilise. Wind power is harnessed using wind turbines, which spin and therefore generate electricity.
Of course if you do decide to use alternative energy, you have to figure out whether you're going to use solar or wind power, or anything else for that matter. What you choose to go with can depend on many factors, including cost, location (Country or state), environment, weather patterns, and so on.
Wind turbines are most useful when in a windy, plain environment. They must be placed so that they're high above ground and there isn't any obstacles which might obstruct the wind, so owning a wind turbine is very impractical if you live in densely populated areas, whereas they're a great solution if living in rural areas. Solar panels work best in sunny regions, where sun can shine onto the panel without any shade in the way. Solar panels are more suited to suburban areas than wind turbines.
Here are some comparisons of both solar panels and wind turbines
- Solar panel only produces electricity when exposed to sunlight, wind turbine produces when exposed to strong wind speeds.
- Solar panels are more durable and reliable, whereas wind turbine regularly need maintenance.
- Solar panels generally provide more value or money, however this depends on many factors.
Solar panels and wind turbines do require a substantial investment if you'd like to buy your own. However, there are guides on how to build a wind turbine, and solar panels. Taking the DIY route may save you a few hundred dollars so it's definitely worth a look
So how much electricity can you save exactly?
Well, the average American home uses about 900kWh's per month or 30kWh's per day, so I'll use this as a ballpark figure. If weather permits, a solar panel will receive the equivalent of 4.5 hours of sunlight a day. So a 1kW solar panel system will typically produce 4-5kWh's per day. That means that a 1kW solar panel system will produce about 15% of the electricity used, which is quite disappointing considering the $8,000+ price tag on these systems.
However that 15% can be more than doubled if you use a few energy saving measures, simply not using your heater at all will reduce your electricity usage by 42%, which will mean that the solar power system will produce about 30% of your household electricity. It's not full self-sufficiency but it's definitely a huge start.
If you liked this article, please visit green-energy-ideas.com for more information regarding alternative energy
There are the obvious options to you, either wind power or solar power.
Solar power is the most talked about method of generating your own electricity. It's simple and produces a decent amount of electricity provided the sun is shining.
While solar power is generally regarded as the best electricity source for DIY'ers, wind power can also be a very powerful force you can utilise. Wind power is harnessed using wind turbines, which spin and therefore generate electricity.
Of course if you do decide to use alternative energy, you have to figure out whether you're going to use solar or wind power, or anything else for that matter. What you choose to go with can depend on many factors, including cost, location (Country or state), environment, weather patterns, and so on.
Wind turbines are most useful when in a windy, plain environment. They must be placed so that they're high above ground and there isn't any obstacles which might obstruct the wind, so owning a wind turbine is very impractical if you live in densely populated areas, whereas they're a great solution if living in rural areas. Solar panels work best in sunny regions, where sun can shine onto the panel without any shade in the way. Solar panels are more suited to suburban areas than wind turbines.
Here are some comparisons of both solar panels and wind turbines
- Solar panel only produces electricity when exposed to sunlight, wind turbine produces when exposed to strong wind speeds.
- Solar panels are more durable and reliable, whereas wind turbine regularly need maintenance.
- Solar panels generally provide more value or money, however this depends on many factors.
Solar panels and wind turbines do require a substantial investment if you'd like to buy your own. However, there are guides on how to build a wind turbine, and solar panels. Taking the DIY route may save you a few hundred dollars so it's definitely worth a look
So how much electricity can you save exactly?
Well, the average American home uses about 900kWh's per month or 30kWh's per day, so I'll use this as a ballpark figure. If weather permits, a solar panel will receive the equivalent of 4.5 hours of sunlight a day. So a 1kW solar panel system will typically produce 4-5kWh's per day. That means that a 1kW solar panel system will produce about 15% of the electricity used, which is quite disappointing considering the $8,000+ price tag on these systems.
However that 15% can be more than doubled if you use a few energy saving measures, simply not using your heater at all will reduce your electricity usage by 42%, which will mean that the solar power system will produce about 30% of your household electricity. It's not full self-sufficiency but it's definitely a huge start.
If you liked this article, please visit green-energy-ideas.com for more information regarding alternative energy