Deciding on what kind of green power is appropriate for your life requires careful planning. Most importantly, you have to consider what kind of property you own. Certain properties have an abundance of natural resources, while others do not. Some properties have no outside space in which to install solar panels or wind turbines. However, this should not be a limitation. All designs of property, even apartment, can lend themselves to the creation of green power. It is also a lucky coincidence that most locations that lack one natural resource are usually abundant in another.

Your Property

Putting in a green power system tends to take up a lot of space. The most efficient wind turbine installation involves yard space. Micro-hydro systems require a piece of land with running water. Even solar panels are more easily installed on the ground. Nevertheless, there are options. First, do you have access to the roof? If so, it is a worthwhile location on which to build green power generators. If you do not, you can still install passive solar systems, such as green windows and passive solar window boxes. Evaluate the design of your property and decide from there what kind of system you need.

Where you Live

Obviously, certain forms of green power are more efficient in different climates. in the Western US, solar power tends to be a better option than wind. But if you live on the plains or in the east, wind tends to be better. That said, installation of multiple systems is always a good option. In fact, the best energy systems rely on multiple forms of power generation so that natural forces do not prevent your system from shutting down. A week-long storm may reduce the efficacy of your solar generator, but if it brings wind along, then a turbine will be all the more effective. In addition, many forms of green power work where you might not think they would- you can still get power out of solar panel in a cloudy climate- albeit less than if you live in a desert.

Backup

Power systems that rely on nature are never full proof. In truth, this has probably been the largest roadblock in the implementation of green power around the world. You know the coal plant will always work- not so with a wind turbine. Thus, at home, you need a backup plan. Most people will choose one of two options. Either, you tie the whole system into an existing electrical grid or you have a backup battery bank. Although it seems sort of pie-in-the-sky, the latter system can be as reliable as the former. Regardless, before installing a green power system, consider what option you will use to prevent yourself from being without power entirely.

Finances

Although green power ultimately saves money, how much you can spare to build the system in the first place. If you are on a very limited budget, consider buying an online guidebook. Many of these books teach you how to create your own system for as little as $200 or less. If you have more to spare, you can consider buying new systems or even having one installed.

While that initial investment may be high, in the long-run, green power is a money saver. Most government offer tax incentives to those who build green power. In some cases, there are grants available- either locally or from your national government. Utility companies will often do this. Either way, in the US and Canada, you can claim a tax break based on having an “energy efficient property” every year- saving you a lot of money for many years to come. And this is without considering the money saved every month by cutting out power bills. A well-designed system will prevent you from ever paying for power again- and you may even find yourself making money by selling your electricity back to the power company.

Most importantly, however, all this savings is doing one very important thing- saving the climate. All that energy that you’re not buying from the utility company is energy you are producing without impacting the environment

I wish you all good luck and good building!

 

Damon Westchester is the editor of build-green-power.com.

Tags: Alternative Energy, Climate Change, Energy Savings, Green Power, solar power, Wind Power

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009 at 4:39 am and is filed under Alternative Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.