Converting your home to green energy costs less than ever before, and when you know how, you can almost do it for free.
The parts required cost less now, and governments are pushing green initiatives more now than ever before.
You can power your home with alternative energy and reduce or even eliminate dependency on the power grid and become energy self-sufficient.
You can play your part by reducing the damage that we are causing the environment.
One of the really rewarding benefits is that you can reduce your energy costs to nothing.
In some cases the power company may pay you money for the additional power you feed back into the grid.
You can accomplish this at a price that is affordable, and by taking advantage of the government rebates available, possibly covert part or all of your energy needs for next to nothing.
This all seems well and good but it is very daunting knowing where to start.
So, how about doing it step by step, a bit at a time.
By that I mean just break it down into manageable bits, don't try to take on too much at once.
You'll need to decide which energy you are converting to - you may choose a couple, depending on your location and the aspect of your home.
There are two options most suitable for DIY conversions - solar energy and wind.
The most common type of alternative energy is solar power.
There is a simple reason for this.
No matter where you live, what the climate there is, or where your home is located within your area - the sun always shines, and even when there is cloud cover, solar energy can be collected and stored as electricity.
On an average day, the sun shines at a rate of 1000watts per square meter.
Collecting that energy is as simple as placing a photovoltaic cell to collect sunlight.
These solar cells are simple devices that include a semiconductor, to convert the sun's light directly into electricity.
Put simply - the sun shines on a photovoltaic cell.
Inside that cell there is a semiconductor.
The semiconductor absorbs a portion of that light and the electrons in the semiconductor get knocked loose and are then able to flow freely.
Once this happens the electricity can be stored and then used to power electrical devices.
Solar cells are used in a series to create a solar panel, and usually those solar panels are used in groups to enable the collection of large amounts of solar energy at once.
In a nutshell this is how solar energy works and it is the most common option for gaining free energy to power our homes.
In terms of powering your home with solar electricity - converting your entire home may be costly initially.
By using particular parts and claiming the government rebates, the costs can generally be reduced significantly.
With this type of alternative energy you can size a system to generate part or all of your power, and solar panels can easily be mounted on your roof.
Wind Power is the next most common type of alternative energy that people are turning to today.
In this case wind is used to turn a rotor which in turn rotates an energy creating device (much like the alternator in your car) to create electricity.
Wind power is most suitable in areas where the average wind speed is 5 meters per second (just over 11 miles per hour).
Depending on your energy needs, a single windmill may be enough to power your entire home.
A windmill is cheap to build, and once it's set up there is very little maintenance.
This type of home conversion will require more space than solar panels.
You should check your local laws to ensure that you are allowed to install a windmill if you live in a city or town and make sure that you get enough wind for it to be a feasible alternative.
By paying attention to the energy you use in your home now, even before you convert to green energy, you can lower your power bills by as much as 25%.
By concentrating on doing this step first it means that you will require less solar panels and /or wind energy because your requirements are lower.
This will save you money too.
Once you have decided which green energy is the best one suited to your circumstances it is time to take the next step.
You will need a list of materials to make your first solar panel: Sheet of copper material- approx.
$5 per sq ft.
A Micro-ammeter - most big hardware stores and electronic stores will have these.
Not very expensive.
Sheers to cut the copper (table salt and water) Brackets, nails, hammer for mounting the panel.
It will be easier to put up if you have an extra pair of hands.
This list is just to give you an idea of how simple it is to make a solar panel and how inexpensive it is if you are prepared to do it your self.
Once you have made your first one you will not feel daunted again.
The parts required cost less now, and governments are pushing green initiatives more now than ever before.
You can power your home with alternative energy and reduce or even eliminate dependency on the power grid and become energy self-sufficient.
You can play your part by reducing the damage that we are causing the environment.
One of the really rewarding benefits is that you can reduce your energy costs to nothing.
In some cases the power company may pay you money for the additional power you feed back into the grid.
You can accomplish this at a price that is affordable, and by taking advantage of the government rebates available, possibly covert part or all of your energy needs for next to nothing.
This all seems well and good but it is very daunting knowing where to start.
So, how about doing it step by step, a bit at a time.
By that I mean just break it down into manageable bits, don't try to take on too much at once.
You'll need to decide which energy you are converting to - you may choose a couple, depending on your location and the aspect of your home.
There are two options most suitable for DIY conversions - solar energy and wind.
The most common type of alternative energy is solar power.
There is a simple reason for this.
No matter where you live, what the climate there is, or where your home is located within your area - the sun always shines, and even when there is cloud cover, solar energy can be collected and stored as electricity.
On an average day, the sun shines at a rate of 1000watts per square meter.
Collecting that energy is as simple as placing a photovoltaic cell to collect sunlight.
These solar cells are simple devices that include a semiconductor, to convert the sun's light directly into electricity.
Put simply - the sun shines on a photovoltaic cell.
Inside that cell there is a semiconductor.
The semiconductor absorbs a portion of that light and the electrons in the semiconductor get knocked loose and are then able to flow freely.
Once this happens the electricity can be stored and then used to power electrical devices.
Solar cells are used in a series to create a solar panel, and usually those solar panels are used in groups to enable the collection of large amounts of solar energy at once.
In a nutshell this is how solar energy works and it is the most common option for gaining free energy to power our homes.
In terms of powering your home with solar electricity - converting your entire home may be costly initially.
By using particular parts and claiming the government rebates, the costs can generally be reduced significantly.
With this type of alternative energy you can size a system to generate part or all of your power, and solar panels can easily be mounted on your roof.
Wind Power is the next most common type of alternative energy that people are turning to today.
In this case wind is used to turn a rotor which in turn rotates an energy creating device (much like the alternator in your car) to create electricity.
Wind power is most suitable in areas where the average wind speed is 5 meters per second (just over 11 miles per hour).
Depending on your energy needs, a single windmill may be enough to power your entire home.
A windmill is cheap to build, and once it's set up there is very little maintenance.
This type of home conversion will require more space than solar panels.
You should check your local laws to ensure that you are allowed to install a windmill if you live in a city or town and make sure that you get enough wind for it to be a feasible alternative.
By paying attention to the energy you use in your home now, even before you convert to green energy, you can lower your power bills by as much as 25%.
By concentrating on doing this step first it means that you will require less solar panels and /or wind energy because your requirements are lower.
This will save you money too.
Once you have decided which green energy is the best one suited to your circumstances it is time to take the next step.
You will need a list of materials to make your first solar panel: Sheet of copper material- approx.
$5 per sq ft.
A Micro-ammeter - most big hardware stores and electronic stores will have these.
Not very expensive.
Sheers to cut the copper (table salt and water) Brackets, nails, hammer for mounting the panel.
It will be easier to put up if you have an extra pair of hands.
This list is just to give you an idea of how simple it is to make a solar panel and how inexpensive it is if you are prepared to do it your self.
Once you have made your first one you will not feel daunted again.
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