Renewable Energy – What Is All The Fuss About?

As energy prices continue to rise, more and more people globally are investigating alternative sources of energy. While most of us don’t have the money to invest in a new hybrid car, there are little changes that all of us can make right now that will reduce our energy consumption and monthly bills. Two of the most popular and effective forms of alternative energy are solar panels and wind turbines, both of which can provide enough electricity to power the entire home. Think about it! You might not ever receive an electric bill again, which could end up saving you hundreds, perhaps even thousands of dollars a year.

But before you jump on the renewable energy express, there are a few things you should know. To begin with, professional solar panels are expensive. In fact, it may cost you a few thousand dollars to purchase enough of them to power your home. While this is undoubtedly environmentally friendly, most families do not have the money to invest that much in a system that might only save them a few hundred dollars a year. It is far more likely that a family will put it off a bit and wait for the technology to either improve or to become less expensive.

There is, however, one thing you can do to save yourself thousands of dollars on that initial investment and that is to make solar panels on your own. Sure, we know it sounds like a lot of work, but it can and has been done by many frugal homeowners across the nation. In this article we are going to present a broad overview of what you will need to do to make solar panels at home. We will not take you through the process step-by-step-step-that would be far too time-consuming, besides the information is readily available online. Rather, we are going to fill you in on the basics.

Probably the easiest and most affordable way to make solar panels at home is to purchase a solar panel kit online. These kits include everything you’ll need from solar cells, a soldering iron, flux and tabbing. They also come complete with detailed instructions on how to assemble your panels. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be an electrician to install your own solar panels. All you have to do is follow the instructions and make sure you have all the necessary tools and equipment.

If you do decide to make solar panels on your own, not only will you quickly recover your initial investment, but you may also be eligible for a tax credit. That’s right! Since 2005 the government has allowed a tax credit of 30 percent on the total cost of your solar panel system. So, what are you waiting for? This is an investment that may pay for itself in a matter of weeks.

What about windmills or wind turbines? Well, just like solar panel they can be expensive to have them professionally installed, but if you do the job yourself they are actually quite affordable. To begin with, you shouldn’t be intimidated. Building a windmill does not take an advanced degree or even much facility with tools. It is a fairly straightforward process that can be successful completed if you locate the right instructions. In fact, most companies who sell home windmill or turbine kits have step-by-step instructions that are actually difficult to mess up.

How to find a windmill kit?

The easiest way to locate a windmill kit is to look online. There are literally dozens of quality sites that will offer you kits at affordable prices. But take your time and compare a few kits before you buy. The most important thing is to find a kit that offers easy to follow instructions on how to build a windmill. You can also simply purchase the instructions and attempt to procure the materials on your own. Many sites that sell instructions on how to build a windmill claim that this is the way to go because it will save you hundreds of dollars over the kits. But, if you are a beginner and have never worked on a windmill before, we do not recommend simply buying the instructions. After all, it is always best to purchase a set or kit that is proven and has worked for people in the past.

Utilizing these two renewable sources of energy simultaneous is the preferred course of action, since wind turbines will not produce much energy when there is no wind, and solar panels will not work when the sun isn’t out. But when you use both it is likely that they will produce enough energy to pay for most of your monthly bill.