The dream of owning or building an alternative energy home is becoming more and more mainstream, this is for a number of reasons including rising energy costs and a greater awareness concerning a range of ecological issues.
An alternative energy home does not have to be completely off grid, in fact in many circumstances the alternative energy home feeds power back to the grid and charges the electricity company. It is perfectly feasible to run your home and not have to pay a penny to utilities thereafter and if you go the extra mile you can be receiving money back from the grid.
Of course the type of alternative energy used may vary depending on a number of factors it goes without saying that if you live in a very sunny place then solar will certainly feature strongly in your plans and of course the same goes for if you live in a windy place wind turbines will certainly come into consideration.
With alternative energy comes responsibility and greater awareness, most people find that once they are relying on stored energy that they become far more likely to turn off the lights and not to leave their appliances on standby.
They also buy utilities with a higher efficiency rating; remember to shut the fridge door etc.
There are a number of ways to generate alternative energy in the home so let us give them names and descriptions.
Solar Panels
There are two general types of solar panel one generates electricity and the other heats water. The panels that heat water are more correctly named solar collectors.
Electric Solar Panels
There are a huge range of electric solar panels on the market and the technology is moving on at pace. You can also get photovoltaic cells sprayed on to other surfaces so that your roof tiles and a whole lot of other surfaces can become your solar panel.
Water heating Solar Collectors.
Are incredibly efficient especially those that are oil filled heating the water in tanks by way of coils, it is very easy to get all of your water heating needs fulfilled in summertime and it will also help in the winter.
In sunnier climates it is possible to run central heating throughout the winter with just solar panels.
Wind Power at Home
There are generally two types of wind turbine roof mounted and those mounted on a mast. The UK is one of the best places to use wind energy but they will work anywhere that there is wind in excess of five meters per second. Coastal areas of France, Northern Spain and Portugal are also ideal.