Hey there! Thanks for dropping by Theme Preview! Take a look around
and grab the RSS feed to stay updated. See you around!

Posts Tagged ‘system’

The fastest growing alternative energy platform in the United States is the wind. No, I’m not blowing hot air.

Cheap and Productive

Manipulating the wind to generate electricity for your home is cheap, easy and very misunderstood. First, you don’t have to live in the middle of tornado alley to generate electricity from the wind. Second, you don’t need tulips and windmill like you’ve seen in pictures of Holland. Third, smaller wind systems are so simply, you can do it yourself.

Okay, let’s generate some enthusiasm on your part for improving your home with wind power.

1. Small wind platforms can cut your utility bill by more than half.

2. Wind systems can work with barely any wind at all.

3. Most wind systems are so small, nobody will even notice them.

4. You can install a small wind system yourself.

5. A small wind system will run you around $1,000 and pay for itself in a year depending on your current utility bill.

6. Wind power is the fastest growing energy producer in the world.

7. You can get financial incentives for improving your home with wind power.

When talking about wind power, understand that technological advances have dramatically changed the systems. Forget windmills, turbines and large structures. Unless you own a city, you will not be dealing with those. Instead, modern residential wind systems essentially look like weathervanes on top of 30 foot poles. They are no bigger than a couple of feet long, have three blades and are very thin. It is no different than having a flag pole in your backyard, except this one saves you a ton of money.

The wind system works in a very compact an efficient manner. The wind hits the blades and turns them. Directly behind the blades is a small generator, which converts the turning blades into power. The power is then transferred to the ground through basic wiring where you can either store it in a battery or feed it directly back into the utility grid if allowed. If the utility option is available, I recommend you take it since batteries can be the most expensive part of the system.

That’s it. The world’s simplest energy producing system is wind. As long as it exists, you will always be able to tap it for power.

With the new rollout of massive federal tax credits, state subsidiary programs and net metering, going solar makes sense. So, how do you pick an installer for your system?

Install My System

As with any major part of your home, installation of a solar platform should be done by a professional. Many of the tax credit and rebate programs require professional installation and failure to do so can lead to the loss of the benefits. In short, there are practical and economic reasons to get it done right.

While a solar platform is necessarily a form of electrical generation, you shouldn’t assume every electrician knows how to install one. In truth, most do not. Instead, you can visit a site like solarcompanies.com to find businesses in your state, search on the web or simply pull out the phone book. In states such as California, installers are plentiful while other locations may require a bit of hunting.

Once you’ve located potential installers, make sure to ask some questions. Do not pick the lowest price or first one you find. Use your common sense and ask the same questions you would to any contractor installing something on your home.

The first question to ask is whether the installer has, in fact, installed systems before, how often and for how many years? You do not want a neophyte handling your installation. Installation experience is vital because certain elements of solar systems are very unique, particularly if you are tying into a grid system for a utility company. If you are tying in, make sure the installer has experience doing such installations, not just putting up solar panels.

The second question to ask is whether the installing company is licensed. Most solar installers will be required to have an electrician’s license. Contacting the state electrical board to ask about the installer is a wise move. For some state rebates, you may also have to use an installer that has a solar contractor specialty license. Again, the state electrical board should be able to help you out with this.

This may all sound a bit confusing, so let’s turn to the easiest method for finding installers. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer of your system. Many manufacturers have a list of approved installers. If not, they typically can make recommendations regarding various entities that handle the job for you.