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The world faces an imminent energy crisis. This is because our reserves of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum are diminishing rapidly. Moreover, there is the perpetual threat of environmental pollution. As a result there is a conscious effort everywhere to switch to alternative modes of power generation that do not pollute the environment, are sustainable and do not rely on the consumption of our already dwindling reserves of fossil fuels. Wind power is one such popular alternative source of energy. Wind power technology is not a novel invention, but actually dates back to the time of the early settlers who used the power of the wind for crushing grains with the help of gigantic windmills having ’sails’ measuring 10 to 20 feet. However, it was not until 1979 when Danish engineers developed small (and practical) electricity generators fitted with light PVC blades capable of producing electricity that wind power became practically feasible and commercially viable. This paved the way for the wind power turbines that we see today.

The success of the Danish engineers didn’t go unnoticed by the world and other nations were quick to follow in their footsteps. As a result, soon after their first appearance, wind turbines came up in great numbers all across the US and the UK. What made alternative energy so popular was their ability to help the user save on electricity bills and also lessen their dependence on the local utility company. However, wind energy was not without a few disadvantages. The most serious drawback was due to the highly unpredictable nature of the wind itself. Low wind speeds have always posed a major problem for wind turbine systems. Another problem with the turbines was the noise associated with them. No wonder, they were often dubbed as ‘roaring monsters’ due to the great noise made by the rotors. However, use of better bearings and careful redesigning of the inner mechanism have reduced the noise to a mere intermittent ‘wheezing’ heard during times when the turbines are spinning at high speed. In fact this is one of the top reasons why wind turbines are rarely installed in residential areas or close to human habitation.

Another popular form of alternative energy is solar power, derived from the radiant energy of the sun. The discovery of solar energy has a very curious history. Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories accidentally discovered the precursor to the modern solar cell in the form of silicon semiconductors while researching on the behavioral pattern of non-metals. This discovery was followed by the solar cell and everybody was amazed to discover how effective they were, especially when clustered together in the form of a solar panel, to generate electricity that could easily light up their homes like magic. Solar power became a hit instantly and very soon companies and manufacturers everywhere started doing business in solar panels, including manufacturing and installing them. The US government also began to endorse and encourage this new technology by offering incentives, grants and rebates for every installation undertaken within the country. One of the benefits that subscribers to solar power enjoy right away is a sharp drop in their monthly electricity bills which are slashed by up to 90%! The only drawback that solar power suffered from was its inability to work its magic after the sun went down.

In order to ensure uninterrupted power supply round the clock, and also to substantially reduce electricity consumption costs (in the form of electricity bills) one might follow the following steps.

Consider installing both solar panels as well as wind turbines within the same premises. While the solar system will generate power during the day, the turbine will ensure uninterrupted power supply at night.

Install a battery bank with the system as a stand-by unit to work when everything else fails. Batteries can easily store some amount of the generated power that can be used during times when both the systems are unavailable.

Get the system connected to the grid so that all surplus power can be sent back to the grid, helping you make a neat little profit from selling power to the utility.

It doesn’t take much to make money from the system. With both units running simultaneously, the consumer will not only need any current from the grid but will also flood it with his or her own generated current.

The demand for solar and wind power for residential use has already picked up considerably, and it is expected to do so more in the future. Even though there are still a few technical glitches, they are like nothing that cannot be resolved in the near future.

So would you like to set up such a system? Take help from a manual that will help you install it step by step by showing you where to set it up, how to do it, how to wire the system, where to get the parts and the batteries from and will inform you about the safety instructions too. People across the world now know the advantages of installing a solar or a wind power system at home. By doing this you are now only contributing to clean up the environment, but the benefits are financial as well as you can reduce your power bills.

Tags: Solar Energy