Alternative Forms of Energy

Alternative forms of energy are now available for homeowners and small businesses that come from renewable resources, are clean, efficient and have an impact on how you spend your energy dollars.

Millions of homes around the world are powered by electricity and that electricity usually comes from power plants utilizing non-renewable resources and fossil fuels. With all the recent reports of how quickly we are depleting fossil fuels making a change to renewable energy makes sense both because of its’ availability and that it doesn’t pollute. We need to encourage our local power plants to use renewable sources of energy and move to alternative forms of energy as homeowners.

Just as no one non-renewable resources supplies all our energy needs today, alternative forms of energy will have a variety of answers dependent on location. Knowing where these alternative forms of energy perform best will help in choosing the most cost effective and efficient system for your home.

The Sun Must Shine

For solar panels to be most effective they need direct sunlight at minimum 5 hours and they need to be positioned in such a way that direct sunlight hits the panel. A solar energy consultant has tools to ensure the maximum sun exposure, will make recommendations on the best solar application and will be a good source for connecting you with a variety of suppliers. New technology is being developed and old technology is being improved upon, having someone who knows the industry and is an expert in your area will save you money. There are a variety of solar panel manufacturers and each solar panel has it’s own efficiency ratings. Already on the market are thin-film solar which are flexible and becoming much more efficient and more affordable. Dual solar panels are really new to the market; the same panel produces electricity and hot water. The options for solar in roofing shingles are improving, so no one can tell you are using solar power.

Wind turbines require at minimum 7-10 mph winds in order to generate electricity. The typical wind turbine, with 3 large blades needs to face the direction of the wind to be most effective. A new design that resembles a DNA helix doesn’t requires a tower and captures the wind regardless of wind direction. This seems like a vast improvement, the wind blows from all directions and being able to capture all that energy certainly makes it more efficient and available to more people. The spinning orb or wind ball is sleek and highly efficient at very low wind speeds and specifically designed for homeowners. The technology in small wind is a quickly growing market with many more options available to the homeowner.

The Earth is Warm

Geothermal heat pumps are a good option for homeowners nearly worldwide. You have probably read about tapping steam in the earth and turning that into electricity as a form of geothermal energy. But the earth’s temperature just a few feet below the surface is a constant temperature and this is what a geothermal heat pump uses to heat and cool your home. It can also supply hot water. No one will know you are using an alternative energy source, and it’s been in use for many years. It is an option widely available and the cost is reasonable.

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