Renewable Energy Resources for the Home

Solar power

• Solar power arrays dot the roofs of homes all over the country. Solar panels, popular and easy to install, attach to the roof. The panels absorb the light from the sun. Tiny silicon crystals convert light into an electrical charge. The charge of hundreds of crystals combine and feed through a transformer. There, the charge converts from direct to alternating current. The current then moves into the home. In addition to feeding any unused power onto the local power grid, some homes store extra power and use it when the sun isn't shining. This requires a series of batteries installed between the solar panels and the transformer. The power stores in the batteries as direct current; the transformer converts it to alternating current when the homeowner needs it.

Solar Heating

• The sun warmed homes for centuries. To get the best advantage of solar heating, consider the heat needs of the home during the design and building phase of the house. Design rooms with large glass windows that admit light. Use skylights to bring both heat and light into upper levels of the home. The sun can also heat more than just the air of a home. Purchase or build solar water heaters and place the unit on the roof. A well designed solar water heater lessens or eliminates the home's need for a gas or electric water heater inside the home.

Geothermal Heating and Cooling

• This sun isn't the only way to heat a home. Geothermal heating units have the advantage of both heating and cooling the house. Geothermal units use the fact that the earth is a constant 55 degree temperature. During the summer months, when the air in the home may be 80 degrees or higher, an air pump forces the warm air underground. As the air cools, cool air circulates back into the home. This unit completely replaces the need for an air conditioner. During the winter, when the air in an unheated house may drop well below 30 degrees, the pump forces cold air underground, where it warms to 55 degrees before pumping back up to a heater. The heater now only heats the air 15 degrees to keep the house at a temperature of 70 degrees.

Wind Generators

• For centuries windmills drove mills and other mechanical devices all over the world. Today, windmills create electricity in the same way. While not as popular as solar panels, wind turbines dot the landscape, especially in wide open areas. The wind turns the blades of the turbine, generating alternating current in the central hub of the turbine. Wires carry this power to the home or the local power grid. Most home turbines are small, with less than an 8-foot blade length. But these little windmills generate up to 75 kilowatt hours per month in areas with a 10-mile average wind speed. To get the most out of your turbine, it must be high off the ground and away from any trees or buildings that may block the wind.