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| IS A WIND GENERATOR RIGHT FOR ME? |
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Renewable, or “green”, energy has been getting a lot of attention recently. As long as our supply of fossil fuels slowly shrinks and our demand for energy is continues to grow, the cost of energy will only increase over time. Meanwhile, the infinite supply of renewable energy will eventually become cheaper than fossil fuels. However, until our national power grid switches over to renewable energy—which may not happen in our lifetimes—we'll be stuck with constantly increasing energy prices. On the other hand, converting to renewable energy on a smaller scale—like a house—can be done immediately. Can homeowners use renewable energy sources to run their home, or at least reduce their power bill? Yes, they can. There are many different types of renewable energy technology available: ethanol, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, solar, and wind. Which of these can you use to power your home? Some green technologies can be instantly struck off the list. Biomass, for example, captures and burns gas from landfills—so unless you have a large garbage dump in your backyard, it’s not an option. Hydroelectric is only available if you have a swift-flowing body of water on your property. Geothermal heat pumps are so large, expensive, and difficult to build that they are really only economical on a very large scale. That leaves wind and solar power as the only practical, financially viable renewable energy options for powering your home. SHOULD I USE SOLAR POWER OR WIND GENERATORS? Probably the biggest factor in making this decision is geography. The sun shines and the wind blows no matter where you are in the world, but some locations get more wind or more sun than other places. If you live in California or the Southwest, where the sun shines almost every day, solar energy is the way to go. But if you live in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, or Pacific Northwest, where the skies can be overcast for weeks at a time, solar energy is a poor choice. Even the Midwest and the South are known to have weeks of cloudy skies sometimes. Wind generators are the best option in locations that get a lot of wind. The Midwest and the Great Plains, where the terrain is open and flat for miles in every direction, have some of the best wind resources in the world. Other good locations include anywhere near a coastline (including the Great Lakes) or mountain and hill tops. Poor places for wind generators include wooded areas, big cities, and the sides of mountains or hills. Another thing to consider when choosing between wind generators or solar power is the size of your home and your property. Wind generators are usually large, tall separate structures, and consequently you need quite a bit of room in your back ward to build a wind turbine. Many homes in cities and suburbs, however, have very small yards that are either too small to accommodate a wind generator tower, or could hold a wind turbine tower but nothing else. In such cases, solar cells, which can be built into rooftops, is a more practical choice. Keep in mind that many homes have shade trees planted to specifically keep the sun OFF the roof—in which case solar cells either aren’t an option, or you have to cut down the trees and accept a warmer house in the summer as the price for free solar energy. If you live in an apartment, condominium, or rented home, building a wind generator is obviously not an option. Solar cells, however, could still be mounted in or just outside windows. We hope this article has helped you determine if solar cells or a wind turbine is right for you and your home. |