The cost of living and the solar system and wind

Most of the host Texas considering a residential solar system or wind turbines will soon face shock. Wind turbines can be installed and running up to $ 65,000. The national average cost for a professional system installed solar is about $ 8 to $ 9 per watt. A 2-kilowatt (kW) grid-connected system (without batteries) can run up to $ 16,000. Such a system can cost up to 5 kw to $ 40,000. Deep-cycle batteries for back-up wind and solar can add on 20-30Percent. It may be possible to approximately $ 2 per watt, saving the work itself, however, the energy efficiency programs are the certification requirements.

But do not give up!

1500 Watt Amp

Since both the demand for residential and commercial solar and wind power is growing, the technology is improving, there are more and more producers and drops in price. (Example: a 15-watt panel will cost $ 315.00) in the case of solar energy, the average cost of a solar panel in 1980 was $ 21 per watt.Today, the average cost of $ 2.50 per watt (low = $ 1.42/watt, high = 3.75 €). In 25 years, this is a cost reduction of 90%. Power supply capacity has improved. In 1980, a typical solar system put out 22 watts. Now, 100-watt panels are common, though not abundant. This is a 450% increase in performance. There are also new improvements by tracking (motorized wall mount to track the sun during the day, to improve efficiency) and concentrate the sunlight to extract up to 75% of sunlightincreases the efficiency of 1000 times longer than normal flat screen. Although such incentives are not available in your area is not solar or wind energy system installed in the 31 December 2010 the Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit reduces costs by 30%.

The reason housing is expensive renewable energy is simple: you invest in a home-sized power plant. As with any large central staircase, which is a long-term investment more than 15 to 25 years. And like any long-term investment, it ismust first take a few minutes to consider your needs and goals:
How much electricity a day? In a rural environment, it costs more to bring more poles and wires to bring home? Their goal is to have self-sufficiency, while maintaining a grid-tie? Their goal is a zero energy home?

In considering these questions, remember the house size is irrelevant. The question is how much energy is purely because you are on a system that will only be for use, must be used. A1,500 square foot house uses energy, it's the people inside to do.

Understand the use

Understanding the use can be difficult. There is a big difference in watts and watt-hours. The power (watts) needed to make things work in the same house is not your show electricity bills (watt hour) were measured. A 50-watt light bulb burns 50 watts of power is turned on every time. Thus, power must be able to ensure that 50 watts of power when the light comes onof. If you have a battery of 30 watts, 50-watt light bulb does not light all the way and quickly drain the battery. Watt-hours, time units of energy are used over time. So, a 50-watt light bulb is 50 watts per hour consumed (or even 50 watts per second, when measured in seconds). To use an analogy, we say that we have a water wheel, which rotates only when the water pressure (psi) 50 pounds per square inch. However, the amount of water that we measured in liters perOne hour.

The important thing to remember is that watts and watt-hours are not interchangeable in making the calculations.

That said, is how to determine the use to control their bills. For example, say you use an average of 1000 kWh per month. The actions to 33.33 kWh per day. The next step is to find out what appliances and devices used, how many watts they consume and how much time they are used. To calculate a unit or kWhAppliance, multiply the watts times the hours it runs throughout the day. At 500 watts freezer runs for 10 hours with 2 kW of power. If you only know the voltage and amps use a device, there are many sites that gauge the performance.

Now that you have an idea about the use of, let's look first at the expense of off-grid solar energy.

The next thing to find the amount of direct sunlight on the site. Otherwise, as the "sunshine" is known, iscontrolled by the angle of the sun, the climate, the atmosphere, altitude and location on the globe. The further north or south of the equator you go, the fewer hours of sunlight. In Texas, vary the sunlight is 4.5 to 5 hours.

Now we can see how many discs you need. A useful tool is the solar panel-estimator. Take your sun exposure at 4.5 hours. The efficiency of the system is a product of the efficiencies of dealing with the current hardware: convert the inverter (up to 12Volt DC to 120 V AC and a nice smooth clean cycle 60 Hz), a charge controller and battery deep cycle batteries. Inverter is usually about 95% to 98% charge controllers, and batteries running at 80%. So if multiply.95 × 0.98 x.80, we obtain a system efficiency of.74 or 74%. This means that our 100-watt solar panels actually produce 74 watts. If we compare the output from the solar panel estimator, when our system would be 99% efficient, we were only 74 tables. Because our systemonly 74%, we must make the panels 99-33 kWh / day.

In both cases, this is a large number of dishes, and a lot of money, too.

Facilitate

The easiest thing to do is find ways to reduce electricity use by eliminating inefficient appliances. In Texas, you more energy at home air-conditioning. A 30-ton central air conditioner with a SEER rating of 13 to 2.3 kWh. About 10 hours, adding that up to 23 kW - 2 / 3 of our electrical load. There are several energyefficient ways of cooling your home. Swamp coolers are, for example by evaporation, but the work more efficient in a dry environment. Absorption refrigerators are often available. I am the heat of the refrigerant at low pressure until it evaporates, then it loses its heat by condensing back into a liquid at high pressure. The heat source, natural gas may be propane, kerosene or solar heat. Since there is no compressor to supply pressure, the system uses very little energy.

The second largestUser is the electric hot water heater. Heating water in the house for 17% of annual energy costs. At 40 gallons of heating consumes an average of 8 kWh / day. There are several low-energy alternatives: switching to a heat-on-demand, natural gas or propane for heat pump, or consider a solar water heater to supplement your solar system. Some solar water heaters are nothing but an old water heater tank flat black finish and is located in an insulated box with aGlass window that overlooks the so-called

Consider switching to energy efficient alternatives and / or Energy Star rated appliances. How many lights you use in a room and have the CFL? You can change from a desktop computer, laptop or tablet? I honestly do not account for energy loss behavior, like leaving lights on all day or running the air conditioner during the cooking. Moreover, as is well insulated and waterproof sealed in the house, and whether to consider this improvement. LeastEnergy, which means that you can live without the need to install unless you want plants that generate energy.

Let's say that we are installing more efficient appliances and lighting, replacing the water heater and air conditioning systems with a solar absorption cooling system that also heats the water. This reduces the use of 33 kWh / day to 5 kWh / day. Put the numbers in the solar estimator, we will have our 16 panels which is much more manageable.

Wind energy has come a long way homeoff when the fans kind of steel was introduced to the American farm windmill in 1870. Small wind turbines that generate electricity are, in various sizes ("nominal capacity") of roof or chimney mounted one kilowatt (up to $ 7,000 installed) all the way up to 100 kW turbines on their own tower mounted (about $ 80 installed available 000). Many of them are less than 1.2 kilowatt-in kits for the do-it-yourself home from a downtown home.

But while the powerIt may seem attractive output of wind turbines, you get the most watts per dollar of solar energy is more complicated. As the sun shines every day, even if its cloudy, the wind is more inconstant. Some parts of the country are windier than others, see Abilene to Houston, for example. Consequently, a consumer a lot more research to determine the amount of wind could really be available for them to exploit. Wind speed varies at different heights at the local level. Although it maya light breeze at street level seems to be, could be an interval of 30 meters or 100 meters to be stormy. Hills, valleys, trees and buildings also have a great influence on the speed of the wind especially if coupled with urban. Local building codes and other rules must be taken into account.

Suppose you want a tree-mounted wind turbines for residential system. The turbine costs $ 1,800 online with free shipping. The 30 meters long bar and purchase online with a guy wire anda few bags of cement costs $ 500. The total cost amounts to $ 2300 Federal Tax Credit Factor of energy and the price drops to $ 1610.

We also say that you have done your homework on the local annual average wind speed. The new wind turbine produces 3.4 kWh per day on average by 12 mph wind zone (class 4). However, the local average wind speed of only 10 mph (Class 2). So now we have calculated that with these conditions will produce an average of 2.8 kWh per day (about the equivalent of 8Solar panels).

Through the combination of wind and solar energy have in common an integrated renewable energy, which is a reliable source of electricity at home 24 hours a day, generates an average of 5 kWh / day. In some parts of Texas as Austin, where net metering is available, homeowners can sell excess energy produced to the utility.

What about hidden costs such as maintenance and replacement of worn parts?

Maintenance is minimal for solar panels and wind turbines.Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity. To make sure that could be the most energy, which periodically must have hosed off dust and leaves. The solar panels will wear out over time they lose, on average produce per watt of capacity over 20 years. Wind turbines typically only two moving parts that are exposed to weathering. The blades are usually bolted to the hub, which is protected by a cone. There is also the pin that allows you to rotate the wind turbine in the wind. Boththis can be replaced by the manufacturer.

A little 'smaller: the connection to the network system

A grid-connected solar / wind system maintains a connection to the mains. This means that utilities will have a customer, however, have the energy you get from the program from your balance. At this time, a Texas homeowners go into their home center and buy a solar kit favorite, which generates about 1230 watts per household for about $ 7,000 (10 plates, powerclean and drive). Deep-cycle batteries can also be added to a system, usually cost about $ 250/each, and the last 10 years.

On average, these panels alone would be about 4 kWh for daily use to make and disconnect the monthly bill of 120 kWh for a savings of up to 12% for a typical bill of $ 119 1000 kWh (11.9 cents / kWh) funds through a monthly savings of $ 14.24 or $ 171.36/year.

Been frozen under the assumption that the costs and benefits, the system will pay for itself in 17 years or 24 yearsYears without the federal tax credit. This hypothesis is, of course, is ridiculous. The spike in energy prices and the price paid per kWh during the year of change, trending higher over time. In this context, the return on an investment of solar energy, in fact, only 15 years or less. Also, consider that 12% energy saving three times what you like from that initial $ 7000 would go into a bank.

Another way to pay for an investment in the solar system, increasing your homeValue. The most loans are for 30 years, but few consumers living in their homes for so long. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, there is a house worth $ 20,000 for every $ 1,000 reduction in annual electricity costs. So even if you do not have to stay home for 30 years, will recover most of your investment when selling their home. Also remember that the solar technology improves, the owner can exchange the old flat for new, more efficient, thelower cost. These are just screwed to the rack and placed in the circuit. Over time you can save even more money on phone bills, and even sell the energy to the power company through the expansion and modernization of both their boards and batteries.

So, what do you do with the money you save each month by not buying electricity from the power company do? One Block Off the Grid (1BOG.org) suggests that save money to send their children to college. By investing in a residential renewable energy system, ifTheir children were born, can the money you will save over 18 years to grow to more than $ 118.000.

Not all homes and families can now cut for solar panels or wind turbines. To have a good idea of ​​how good your position is below the National Renewable Energy Web site In My Back Yard. Two other tools are good this e-booklet feasibility of photovoltaic and solar Cost Estimator.

The cost of living and the solar system and wind