Alternative Energy HQ solar power for homes, wind energy, and bio fuel issues
Alternative energy sources are becoming more and more important as the failing reserves of fossil fuels drive prices up. No one really knows how long the current reserves of oil will last, but according to experts, they may be gone in as little as few decades. It is wise to start investigating solutions now, when there is still time left. Fortunately, the current developments in the field of renewable energy make it simple enough to build your own wind turbine or a solar power generator.
Why choose wind energy for your home? It has the following advantages:
– Environmentally clean. It produces much less greenhouse gases than conventional sources.
– Renewable (naturally replenished).
– Plentiful. The amount of wind power that can be potentially generated is at least five times as high as the total energy consumption of our entire planet. There will never be a shortage of it.
– Low maintenance costs. Wind turbines don’t require much maintenance, so the only costs associated with wind power are those of constructing and setting up the turbines. Afterward, the costs are negligible – if you ignore equipment costs, wind energy is almost free!
In some countries (such as Denmark), it is used very widely, accounting for up to 20% of total energy output. No wonder it is a great addition to your domestic power generation system. Wind power generally cannot be used as a sole source of electricity (because winds are variable and unstable) but this is usually not a problem, because you most likely have a power grid connection anyway.
Residential wind turbines are very feasible and are not very expensive (About one fifth of what it costed back in 1980). Overall, adding a wind generator to your home power system is an excellent way to decrease your energy bills and make a step on the way towards environmentally-conscious living.
