| Modern day energy conservation is imperative. | | | | average expansion of 35% over the preceding few |
| Everyday we read warnings in the news of our rapid | | | | years. Japan, Europe, China, U.S. and India are the |
| consumption of non-renewable resources and the | | | | major growing investors in photovoltaic energy. |
| constantly increasing demand on our power supply. | | | | Advances in know-how and economies of scale, |
| So, what can we do? For starters, how about living | | | | along with demand for solutions to global warming, |
| off the grid? If I have startled you with that | | | | have led solar energy to become the most probable |
| proposition, let me tell you that living off the grid not | | | | candidate to take the place of nuclear and fossil fuels. |
| only helps the environment and helps save power; it | | | | The obtainable solar energy resources are 120,000 |
| also cuts down or eliminates your electricity bill. Now, | | | | TW (terawatt is equal to one trillion watts). Less than |
| those are tangible benefits that will make you feel | | | | 0.02% of these obtainable resources are sufficient to |
| good about your role on this earth as well as the | | | | completely take the place of fossil fuels and nuclear |
| savings to the family budget. | | | | power as our source of energy. Assuming that our |
| Home solar power systems are increasing in fame | | | | rate of usage in 2005 remains stable, we will deplete |
| across the US and around the globe. The reason for | | | | conventional oil in 40 years, and coal in 154 yrs. In |
| this trend towards do-it-yourself home solar power | | | | practice neither will actually be depleted, as natural |
| systems is easy to see, you stand to save a lot of | | | | constraints will compel production to decrease as the |
| money while saving the environment. | | | | remaining reserves dwindle. |
| Another proactive step you can take today to make | | | | In 2007 grid-connected solar electricity was the |
| use of renewable energy is to begin your own wind | | | | fastest developing energy source, with installations of |
| powered energy project and build wind power | | | | all photovoltaics rising by 83% in 2009 to bring the |
| turbines to produce electricity yourself. There are kits | | | | total installed capability to 15 GW. Practically half of |
| for building wind power turbines available, which can | | | | the rise was in Germany, now the world's largest |
| be costly, but with the right wind energy information | | | | consumer of solar electricity (followed by Japan). |
| it's possible to make your own wind powered | | | | Solar cell production improved by 50% in 2007, to |
| electricity. Clearly how handy you are will be the | | | | 3,800 MW (megawatt is equal to one million watts), |
| deciding factor for buying vs. building but also keep in | | | | and has been doubling every two years. |
| mind the cost. Homemade wind power turbines can | | | | The world's most powerful solar power plant is the |
| be built easily and cheaply. | | | | 20 MW Beneixama solar power plant in Spain, |
| Taking into consideration these advantages, it seems | | | | although a 116 MW plant is being built in southern |
| only reasonable that we would all take on a DIY wind | | | | Portugal, one of the sunniest places in Europe. The |
| and/or home solar power systems project. | | | | biggest solar installation in North America is the 18 |
| Renewable energy resources are obtainable annually, | | | | MW Nellis Solar Power Plant. |
| unlike non-renewable resources which are ultimately | | | | Wind Energy Information: |
| exhausted. A easy comparison is a coal mine and a | | | | The obtainable wind energy estimates range from |
| forest. Whereas the forest could be used up, if it is | | | | 300 TW to 870 TW. Using the lower estimate, just |
| managed appropriately it represents a continuous | | | | 5% of the accessible wind power would supply the |
| source of energy, vs the coal mine which once it has | | | | existing global power needs. Nearly all of this wind |
| been exhausted is gone. Most of earth's accessible | | | | energy is available over the open ocean. The oceans |
| energy resources are renewable energy resources. | | | | cover 71% of the earth and wind tends to blow |
| Renewable energy resources total greater than 93 | | | | stronger over open water because there are fewer |
| percent of total U.S. energy reserves. Annual | | | | obstructions. |
| renewable resources were multiplied times thirty | | | | According to the Global Wind Energy Council, the |
| years for comparison with non-renewable energy | | | | installed capability of wind power improved by 27% |
| resources. In other words, if all non-renewable | | | | from the end of 2006 to the end of 2007 to total |
| resources were fully used up in 30 years, they would | | | | 94.1 GW, with over half the increase in the United |
| barely account for 7 percent of accessible resources | | | | States, Spain and China. Doubling of capacity took |
| every year, if all accessible renewable energy | | | | about three years. The total installed power is just |
| resources were developed. | | | | about three times that of the real average power |
| In 2004, renewable energy provided about 7% of | | | | produced as the estimated capacity represents |
| the world's energy utilization. The renewables sector | | | | maximum output; actual capacity is generally from |
| has been growing significantly since the last years of | | | | 25-40% of the nominal capability. |
| the 20th century, and in 2005 the complete new | | | | Information for taking steps to go off the grid: |
| investment was projected to have been 38 billion US | | | | Photovoltaic energy is not available at night, making |
| dollars. Germany and China lead with investments of | | | | energy storage an important issue in order to give |
| about 7 billion US dollars each, followed by the United | | | | the continuous availability of energy. Both wind power |
| States, Spain, Japan, and India. This resulted in an | | | | and solar power are intermittent energy sources, |
| additional 35 GW (gigawatt is equal to one billion | | | | meaning that all obtainable output must be taken |
| watts) of power during the year. | | | | when it is available and either stored for when it can |
| Solar Power Information: | | | | be used, or transported, over transmission lines, to |
| Renewable energy sources are even larger than the | | | | where it is needed. Wind power and solar energy can |
| traditional fossil fuels and in concept can with no | | | | be paired, in regions that encounter more wind in the |
| trouble supply the world's energy requirements. 89 | | | | winter and greater sun in the summer, but on days |
| PW (petawatt is equal to one quadrillion watts) of | | | | with no sun and no wind the difference needs to be |
| solar power falls on the planet's surface. While it is | | | | made up in some manner. |
| not possible to capture all, or even the largest part, | | | | Off-grid PV systems have customarily used |
| of this energy, using less than 0.02% would be | | | | rechargeable batteries to store excess electricity. |
| enough to satisfy the present energy requirements. | | | | With systems that are still connected to the electrical |
| Barriers to expand photovoltaic generation include the | | | | grid, excess electricity can be sent to the |
| high price of manufacturing photovoltaic cells and | | | | transmission grid. Net monitoring programs give these |
| dependence on weather conditions to make | | | | systems a credit for the electricity they deliver to |
| electricity. Also, solar generation does not make | | | | the grid. This credit offsets electricity provided from |
| electricity at night, which is a specific problem in high | | | | the grid when the alternative energy system cannot |
| northern and southern latitude countries; energy need | | | | meet demand, efficiently using the grid as a storage |
| is highest in winter, while availability of solar energy is | | | | system. Credits are as a rule rolled over month to |
| lowest. This could be conquered by purchasing power | | | | month and any outstanding surplus is paid out yearly. |
| from countries nearer to the equator throughout | | | | Eliminate your usage of non-renewable energy and |
| winter months. Globally, solar generation is the | | | | help give the future generations a greener, healthier |
| greatest growing supply of energy, seeing a yearly | | | | place. |