An average solar panel system can generate 2448 kW per year, and provides a safe, clean alternative to fossil fuels. With the solar power industry expected to achieve a value of $3 billion by 2014, and government feed in tariffs subsidizing investment and resale of power, using panels to run white goods has become an increasingly practical option.

When working out how to use this energy, it is necessary to follow some basic steps:

1 – Having the Right Panels

Photovoltaic devices consist of an array of solar cells installed onto a roof. While each individual cell will not generate much power, by joining them together into a module or an array, it is possible to generate between 10 to 300 kW. The amount of energy produced is relative to the amount of sunlight that the cells receive. Once received, this energy can be stored and used during down periods.

2 – Mounting System

You will need a mounting system to convert solar energy into electricity for white goods. The best way of transferring energy is to convert it into a direct current voltage, which can be connected up to white goods. Certain amounts of energy can be stored and transferred for use within systems using grid and solar power. The resulting system, or ‘load,’ enables some flexibility over usage.

3 – Contributing Power

A solar system cannot support constant running of white goods like fridges, washing machines and ovens at present. The exceptions are experimental fridges and freezers, which are designed to conserve energy. The best solution at the moment for general use involves combining grid and photovoltaic energy into a grid tiered system. Energy generated by solar power can be stored and used to reduce a dependence on the grid. At the same time, any excess energy can be sold back at a profit.

The ultimate result is that you can reduce a dependence on electricity bills, with white goods typically accounting for about 18% of annual home costs. The amount by which solar power can be used with white goods will depend on items’ wattage, and their energy efficiency.

4 – Other Features

If using photovoltaic energy on a regular basis, you will need to invest in an inverter to convert direct current into alternating current for different uses within the home. Also recommended are breaker panels, and an electric meter to monitor different levels of electricity.

5 – Safety

While solar power is safe and clean, you will need to ensure that a mounting system for converting energy into usable electricity is equipped with devices like a charge controller, a disconnect and a battery bank. These devices can help prevent overloading a system, as well as making sure that energy isn’t lost.

This guest post was written by Amy Finton.

Also known as microgeneration, renewable sources of energy include such things as solar panels, heat pumps, biomass boilers and wind turbines. In general terms, each of these and the other renewable options will allow the homeowner to generate some of their own energy and even sell the remainder back to the grid. As a potential buyer – what is not to like?

Heat pumps

There are two types of heat pump available for the domestic home. The ground source heat pump which gathers heat from a series of tubes buried in the garden and the air source heat pump which sucks in air from outside and extracts heat from it before sending it indoors. Both of these can be a great addition to most homes.

If your home has a gas boiler, a heat pump is unlikely to add much value (gas is still a cheaper way to heat your home), but for those people who heat their home using electricity or oil, a heat pump is going to help you save significant amounts. For any potential buyer this is going to be a plus and would save them having to install the system themselves.

Solar Panels

There has been some concern recently that homes with solar panels may be harder to sell, especially if they are tied into a contract with an energy supplier. While this may put off some buyers, the actual savings they could make should outweigh any concerns they may have.

Solar panels which have been paid for and installed by the owner entitle the new owner to a feed-in-tariff which could be as much as 43p/KwH. For those who have a free system, the tariff is taken by the installer, but the savings on electricity are for the home owner. This can be hundreds of pounds a year at no additional cost.

Wind Turbines

These sources of energy are more unusual than other renewables, but they can be an attractive proposition for buyers. When carefully positioned they can be unobtrusive and they are also very quiet.

Getting planning permission for wind turbines can be tricky (especially in urban areas) so if you already have one of these installed, your buyer knows that they will not have to do the leg-work with the council to get the permission.

Finally the savings and the feed-in-tariff associated with a wind turbine are bound to improve the saleability of your home and may add a few thousand to the asking price.

The Green Deal

It is true that installing some renewable energy sources isn’t cheap, but it is worth weighing up the viability of installing before you put your home up for sale. The government is introducing the Green Deal towards the end of this year which will allow homeowners to borrow the money needed to install this type of technology. This loan will pass from the current owner to the new owner if a house is sold.

It is unlikely that this will put off buyers, because the government has said that the savings made will outweigh the costs of the loan. So your new buyer will have cheaper bills and an energy efficient home.

So, even if you don’t think you can afford to make these types of improvements to your home, there really is no reason not to look into the possibilities. Not only will you set your home apart and add value, you will also be improving the environment.

About the author:

Justin Elliot is the CEO of Find Energy Savings, a company dedicated to help find you the best deals on eco-friendly energy resources.

To fool the chickens into thinking it’s daytime and ensure they lay eggs all year round, farmers usually install lights in their chicken coops. The only problem comes in is when a coop is far from the power outlet, and long extension cords have to be used.

This happened at the World Hunger Relief Farm where they had two mobile coops. The coops were used as mobile fertilizers and situated far from any power source.  Initially the folks over at the farm connected long extension cords to power the coop lights, but they suddenly had the urge to make the coops completely mobile and get their chickens off the grid.

They had heard a lot about solar power and how a few small panels could be used to power small appliances.  So they decided to give it a try. And with the help of engineers they installed two small solar panels, charge controllers (batteries), and a small 100 watt inverter.  And to save power they replaced the light bulb with high-tech LED christmas lights that use less than five watts of power.

Anna, one of the students, said, “We mounted the solar panels on the side of the coop and put all the electric components in a five gallon bucket to protect them from the elements. We finished up and left at around 3PM for lunch. When we returned later in the evening it was one of the most hilarious sights ever.”

Apparently all the chickens were huddled around the white christmas lights, clucking in delight, all thinking about laying more eggs. Thanks to the confluence of old and new technologies – animal domestication and modern electronics – the chickens were living off the grid and could enjoy a year-round Christmas.

So, if chickens can do it, then so can you.  And with affordable diy energy solutions, there is no reason anyone cannot enjoy off grid living.

Originally posted 2008-11-16 09:07:49.

Biodiesel is also a popular topic, and if you grew up around a grandfather or a bunch of uncles who distilled moonshine in the hills of Kentucky, then it may be the perfect option for you. As with solar photovoltaic panels and wind turbines, however, most of us will not fall into this category.

So what’s left? Well, not all solar energy projects involve tapping into our home’s electric system. In fact, some of the least expensive and most cost-effective projects don’t involve wiring at all. Solar heating and solar hot water can be completely passive systems that dramatically cut down on residential energy consumption.

Passive solar technologies use no fans, motors, pumps or moving parts of any kind. They usually make use of sunlight to provide heat, but solar lighting is also an easy DIY project.

The simplest example of solar heating is the installation of insulated windows on the south side of a house. The winter sun is lower in the sky than the summer sun, so sunlight enters south-facing windows and heats the air inside the home. Insulated glass keeps the heated air inside, and the furnace does not need to run as often to keep the home warm.

In the summer months, the goal is to keep heat out of the home. The summer sun travels a higher arc in the sky, and the roof eve will shade a properly positioned window. Another option is to install a blind to block summer sunlight, or to apply a reflective film treatment to the glass for the summer months.

Some homeowners create a thermal mass by using dark colors or by placing heat-retaining objects in the path of the sunlight. For example, a dark-colored cinderblock wall will absorb solar heat, because of its dark color, and radiate the heat back as the sun sets in the evening. You probably don’t want to place a black cinderblock wall inside your home, but similar approaches can be used. Dark-colored paints on walls that receive direct sunshine will absorb and store more heat than light-colored walls. Dark flooring can have the same effect. The key to this approach is that sunlight must strike the surface. Simply having darkly painted walls in a room will otherwise have no effect.

Solar water heating projects are slightly more complex, but they can still easily be tackled as a DIY project, and they use this same principle of retained heat. Here’s how they work: A black container is placed on the roof of the home, and the cold water supply is piped into it. Water from the container is used to feed into the cold water supply line for the home’s conventional hot water tank. As the container on the roof absorbs the heat from sunshine, the water inside the container is heated. When hot water is drawn from the hot water tank inside the home, it is resupplied with pre-heated water from the solar water tank instead of cold public water. This causes the conventional hot water heater to cycle less frequently and reduces energy costs for the home.

Hot water tanks use a lot of energy through the year, and solar hot water tanks can have a large impact on a residential energy bill. Of course, the example cited above was just to explain how the process works. In order to be effective, special tanks have to be used. These are typically arrays of large black tubes encased in glass sheathes. The glass sheathes are evacuated, like long thermos bottles, and the heat absorbed by the black tubes does not easily radiate back out into the air. Solar hot water tanks often heat water sufficiently that the interior conventional hot water tank does very little work at all.

This article was written by the PR division of Solar Panels UK.

With all the improvements in green energy technology, it is now simpler than ever to begin adapting your house into a green energy home.  A green energy home makes use of renewable sources to supply hot water, electricity, heating and security.

There are a variety of methods to making your house a green energy home.  The first is solar power.  In your green energy home you could put in a solar heating system to heat and store water for use, and put in photovoltaic solar panels to convert the sun’s energy into electricity. If you bought and had these systems installed by a specialist they could be rather expensive. However, there are numerous resources and guides available to make your own solar panel and hot water systems that are much more affordable.

If your house is still being built, a good way to make it a solar energy home is to employ passive solar design during construction. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, this means making use of the south-facing sides of your home for heating and cooling.  By putting in many light-efficient windows and heat regulating bricks on the south-facing side, these passive solar techniques help make your house into a green energy home.

Another method is making use of a windmill at home.  Windmills are driven by the wind to generate electricity and even pump water from an outside source.  Wind turbines can be fixed on your rooftop or in your yard to produce clean electric power.  Like solar panels, domestic windmills can be bought and installed commercially, but that costs a lot of money. So, in recent times a wide selection of affordable sets have been made available for people to make their own wind turbines and install their own green energy home plans.

Another way to add efficiency to your green energy home is to utilize a nearby stream and produce hydro-electric power.  This is a fantastic pollution-free alternative that requires low maintenance and works as long as the stream is running.

The ultimate green energy home combines all of these renewable energy sources.  By utilizing the power of the wind, water and sun to produce electricity you would enjoy not only massive savings and potential profits from your electricity consumption, but also largely decrease your carbon footprint. By combining solar heating systems and passive solar design into your green energy home, your need for energy from traditional sources (fossil fuels) would decrease considerably and you would be living the going green dream.

What’s nice is a green energy home does not require any more maintenance than conventional houses. Solar technologies need little maintenance and wind and water generators need only occasional oiling for optimal efficiency.  There is no better time than now to start your green energy home project and live a green life off the grid.

Originally posted 2008-11-11 10:30:55.

With that cleared up, are there really advantages for homes or small businesses for renewable energy employment? Absolutely.  By employing renewable energy  at home you can save yourself thousands of dollars on electricity every year.  Renewable energy employment has become popular in the past few years and it is now easier than ever to fulfill your home’s electricity requirements with just a little handyman work.

Thanks to all the information available on renewable energy employment, we are able to build renewable energy systems – such as solar panels and wind turbines – on our own. Do-it-yourself fanatics are reducing their electricity bills substantially by making and installing these systems at home.  If you have thousands of dollars to invest in a professionally installed system that is generally more efficient, then go for that option.  Nonetheless, significant savings can still be achieved at a much quicker rate by learning to and building your own renewable energy systems.

Everyday renewable energy technology is improving.  Solar-electric systems have improved from large roof panels to thin layers of film that are twice as conductive and operate with less sunlight.  You can now get solar powered chargers for mobile phones, batteries and small gadgets.  Wind turbines have become more aerodynamic for greater efficiency and electricity production.  Renewable energy employment even occurs along today’s highways as small solar and wind powered lights and signs.

The fact is renewable energy employment is working and you can get it to work for you at your home or business.  With increasing popularity and use, renewable energy technology can alleviate our effects of global warming, help save money and make the world less dependent on fossil fuels.

Originally posted 2008-11-10 17:10:10.

But how much solar panel watt power do you need to say reduce your electricity bill by 50%? And how much will that system cost you?

To answer these questions, here is the process our friend, Mat, went through to calculate his solar watt requirements, costs, and potential power savings.

1) Calculate Daily Electricity Usage:

To do this you need your monthly electricity bill, and calculate your total kilowatt hour (kWh) usage for the month.

Mat had a monthly energy usage of 650 kW.

Then divide this number by the number of days in the month, to get your daily kWh usage.

In his case it was 31 days, so 650kWh / 31 = 21 kWh per day. Mat wanted to halve his electricity bill, so he only needed 21 / 2 = 10.5 kWh of solar power per day.

2) Calculate Total Solar Panel Watt Requirements:

Click to enlarge.

To do this, first you need to find out how many usable hours of sunlight you receive per day. For your convenience, we’ve included a world solar insolation map – where you can roughly work out your area’s sunlight hours per day. Click here to see the large version in a new window.

Mat is from California, which receives approximately 5.5 hours of usable sunlight per day over the year.

Once you have your daily sunlight hours, get your daily kWh usage and divide it by your daily sunlight hours, then multiply it by 1.25*.

In Mat’s case it was 10.5kWh / 5.5hrs x 1.25 = 2.39 kW or 2390 watts.

* The 1.25 represents a 20% loss of power in the solar panel system due wiring, batteries, inverters, etc. This is an average estimate.

3) Calculate Total Solar Panel Cost:

The final step is to work out the cost of the solar panels. In Dec 2008, the highest retail cost for solar panels is $4.85 per watt.

So for Mat to reduce his electricity bill by 50% he would have to buy solar panels at a total retail price of $4.85 x 2390 = $11,592 ! And that’s not including the batteries, wiring, charge controller and inverter!

4) Take Tax Incentives Off Cost:

By now you are thinking that Mat would be crazy to buy solar panels to simply reduce his power bill by 50%. Well, thanks to government realizing the severity of global warming, they now offer state and federal tax breaks for households that reduce their carbon footprint.

In Mat’s case he could get a federal renewable energy tax credit of 40% (limited to $4,000) and a California tax credit of 10%. So, the retail solar panels will only end up costing him $11,592 x 50% = $5,796.

So you can see, there are many factors that go into calculating your solar panel watt requirements and costs. For Mat it would have cost him about $6,000 to reduce his power bill by 50%. But this is if he bought the solar panels. We, on the other hand sourced our solar cells at cost and made our own panels, which saved us a significant amount of money. The good news is anyone can learn to make their own solar panels and complete solar power system.

While Trudy and I have contemplated making our own step-by-step guide showing you how we did it, we feel there are already enough guides out there showing you the exact same thing. You can find out more about the top-rated guide by reading our Earth4Energy Review.

Originally posted 2008-12-10 13:07:22.

So what exactly is renewable energy?  Well, as the name implies, it is energy that can be renewed or replaced as quickly as it is used up.  As expected, it is energy that occurs naturally.

And what forms of renewable energy exist? Currently there are 4 types that can be identified: solar energy, wind power, hydro-electric power, and geothermal power.  These are explained in more detail below.

Solar energy solutions:

Sunlight is the most readily available energy there is and there is no reason we shouldn’t be harnessing this energy to a larger extent. With the advancement of technology it is possible for every household to live a variety of solar energy solutions.  These include solar electric panels, solar heating systems, solar cookers, and solar dryers.

Apart from being cost-effective and environmentally safe, solar electric and heating systems are low on maintenance and the energy savings provide you a return on investment rather quickly.  Solar cookers are considered a healthy way to cook food, and are ideal for people on the move, since they are very portable.

Wind energy solutions:

Windmills have been in existence for centuries, even as far back as before the birth of Christ. Back then they helped pull boats, pump water, and grind flour.  But as the industrial revolution came, they started to be used to generate electricity.

Although most people view windmills as the small wind-pumps operating on farms, or the ornate windmills on postcards of Holland, they have improved drastically in the last decade.  More popularly known as wind turbines these days, they are now capable of generating thousands of megawatts of electricity. When used at individual homes, wind power can replace traditional energy sources, thus it will go a long way in providing a promising future for upcoming generations.

Hydro energy solutions:

The hydro energy or water energy is an effective renewable energy. Traditionally is was used for industrial purposes in streams and waterfalls to power waterwheels that ground flour and other foodstuff.

Nowadays, hydro energy can be converted into electrical energy to power vehicles and household appliances. Hydro energy is usually produced on a large scale in dams, where dammed up water is released through turbines, spinning them as it gushes out. A prime example is the Hoover Dam, which was built primarily to power the bright city lights and casinos of Las Vegas.  In fact hydro power is so widely used that it produces 90% of today’s renewable electric power.

There have been some critiques of this form of energy since the dams can  adversely affect plants, animals and even communities of people by flooding the land where life once thrived.

Geothermal energy solutions:

This form of energy is usually produced in areas  where ongoing volcanic activity occurs. A place that comes to mind is Iceland, where the majority of the country’s power is generated from volcanic geysers. Large power plants are built over these volcanic geysers, where hot, fast-moving steam drives turbines to generate electricity.  So as long as the geysers are active, power will be generated.  In some instances water is pumped back into the geysers to produce more steam, ultimately renewing the cycle.

So what is the future then of renewable energy?  We believe, as the word spreads and more public figures promote renewable energy as the solution, people will learn to adopt it on a small scale at home. In fact it is already possible to make your own renewable energy at home. And it does not cost that much either.  Just have a look at our reviews section, where the current types of renewable energy diy solutions are discussed, and perhaps you’ll be starting your first family energy project soon.

Originally posted 2008-11-11 20:08:48.

1. If you’re not using it, then turn it off

Didn’t your mother ever tell you to switch off the lights when you ‘re not in the room.  Well, she had a point there. It has been proven over and over again that it uses less electricity to turn the lights on and off, than to leave them on all the time.  So, next time you leave the room, look around first and see which things need turning off.  How about those lamps? And the fan and television? Yes, they  can all be switched off – even if you’ll be returning in 5 minutes.

2. Buy CFL bulbs

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL’s) have been shown to use over a third less energy than traditional incadescent lights, without sacrificing brightness. Although CFL’s are more expensive, they tend to last longer than normal bulbs and save electricity.

3. Get a Power Saver

A Power Saver is a device that regulates the flow of electricity to various household appliances in such a way that the bare minimum power is used.  This obviously helps save energy. These gadgets are available from most retailers and hardware stores.

4. Only wash on a full load

Instead of putting on the washing machine everytime something is dirty, rather wait until you have a full load of washing.  Not only will this reduce your electricity bill, but you’ll save water as well.

5. Keep the AC on a constant, reasonable temperature

Set the air conditioner to the minimum low or high temperature, just enough to keep you warm or cool.  Although it may take longer for the room to reach the ideal temperature, it’ll use far less energy than putting the AC on full blast for short intervals.

6. Don’t leave electronics on standby

You see that green light on your television set or computer monitor? That means it is still drawing power.  It may be a small amount, but when you add up all the appliances on standby, you’ll be surprised by how much you can lower your electricity bill by turning them off.

7. Use the geyser sparingly

Instead of using the hot water everytime you wash your hands, use the cold tap instead. This will put less strain on the geyser, and ultimately lower your bills.

8. Unplug your charger from the wall

Even though your charger may be unplugged from your phone, it will still draw current if it’s plugged into the wall. This is one of the biggest modern day money wasters.  And with the number of cellphone users increasing daily, it is a massive waste of electricity.

9. Keep the refrigerator full

Keeping your refrigerator full not only extends it’s lifespan, but helps save power too.  The reason is that air changes temperature very quickly, whereas solid food and liquids take a while to cool down or heat up.  So, everytime an empty fridge is opened, the cool air is quickly replaced by warmer outside air, causing the fridge to be overworked, which results in a higher electricity bill.

10. Cook with gas

Whereas electric stoves take a long time to heat up, gas is instantaneous.  By switching to gas, not only will you reduce your electricity bill, but cooking time will be shorter and you’ll have greater control over adjusting the heat.

So you can see, you don’t have to start living in the dark to reduce your electricity bill.  And beyond popular belief, it’s not how many gadgets you have that determines your electricity bill, but how you use them.  Make high electricity bills a thing of the past and start practicing these small changes today.  Before you know it, saving power will become a way of life.

Originally posted 2008-11-12 14:03:40.

For a start, have you considered making your own power off the grid? If not, you should know that living off the grid not only helps save power and the environment; but it also cuts down your electricity bill. So, in addition to healing the earth, you will save loads of cash in the long run.

Let us look at the benefits of making your own power off the grid in more detail:

Reduced reliance on depleting resources:

Do you really want to rely on public utilities all the time? How many times have you stressed when a blackout occurs during a party or some critical work? Living off the grid helps you depend only on your resources and helps you take control of such factors affecting your life. No longer will you have to rely on oil, gas, nuclear and other non-renewable sources used by utility corporations and governments.

Free use of naturally occurring resources:

How would you feel if you could use as much power as you want without ever having to pay for it? Well, by living off the grid, you can. You can make use of the abundant power of the sun and wind to power your house, heat your water and cook your food, without worrying about it ever running out.

Lower power costs:

Just imagine the utility bills stopped arriving in your letter box. How would that make you feel? With renewable energy solutions you get your return on investment very soon, eventually making the electricity supply to home free. In fact, if you produce enough power, it is possible to sell the excess electricity back to the grid for a profit.

Promotes a cleaner environment:

Just think of the people that planted all those trees decades ago, not expecting to reap the benefits in their lifetime. They planted those trees as a sustainable solution for future generations. Don’t you think we should also secure the future of our future generations by leaving behind a cleaner, greener planet? Living off the grid decreases the use of non-renewable resources, thus cutting down carbon emissions and other harmful pollution.

Systems can be made portable:

The nice thing about renewable energy solutions is that they can be made portable.  With the advancement of technology, thin-film solar panels are light-weight enough to be taken with you when you travel. When camping, you can make use of black solar heaters that are very effective for making hot water. And parabolic solar cookers can be used for heating your food.

Very affordable to get started:

Nowadays there is a number a quality resources and guides available to teach you how to make your own solar and wind power systems with materials that can be found at home or your local hardware store.  It can cost you well under $250 for everything, so you longer have to spend thousands of dollars to start living off the grid.

As you can see, the advantages of making your power off the grid are so profound, that it is surprising that more people have not adopted this way of life yet.  Perhaps they are afraid of change.  Well, you certainly have nothing to fear, but everything to gain by making power off the grid, so do yourself – and the world – a favor by getting started today.

Originally posted 2008-11-11 15:44:52.