Lower
Your Electric Bill
and Help Reduce Global Warming
The
two major forces driving people to search for alternative energy
sources are the need to cut down on CO2 emissions from the burning of
fossil fuels and the desire to reduce an ever increasing power bill
from the electric company. Solar energy and wind power are two top
contenders to help you do this. Hi. My name is Dave Wheaton and with
the
cost of oil going through the roof, I thought that a Blog
that
covered not only global warming issues but also current and future
alternative energy solutions might be in order.
I have had two machine shops so I have a pretty good idea of how things
work and go together. I believe that the future of solar cells is with
DSC or Dye Sensitized Cells. As this uses a liquid there are currently
problems with sealing the units against thermal expansion. There will
be future posts on the blog with any developments.
My second bet for the future of solar power is the Sterling Engine
powered by a Fresnel Lense or Lenses. I am currently trying
to determine the best material and correct size for a Sterling that
would power a generator. It would of course require a tracking
mechanism. Expect a page on this as this project develops. The
following video shows a Solar Farm utilizing Sterlings in
action near San Diego, CA. Sterling technology is twice as efficient as
any other system of converting solar energy into electricity.
As the following video demonstrates, there are a myriad of ways to
obtain green energy and they can be incredibly simple and inexpensive.
The purpose of this site is to just help you to get started doing
something. It could be a solar
oven, a solar
hot water heater, or making
HOH gas to reduce your mileage. Meanwhile, check out the kids
below making a solar hot water heater.
Solar
Panels and Wind Generators
Two
of the most
viable alternative power sources are solar
cells and wind generators.These are still quite expensive if you hire a
professional company to come out and install them. The cost becomes
much more
reasonable when you build these units yourself. The only need for a
professional would be the requirement for a licensed electrician to
connect you to the power company's grid.
If you are thinking of building your
own wind generator,
you will need an unobstructed area where you can mount your tower and
fairly constant wind speeds of 15-20 miles per hour. If you don't live
in a windy area then solar is probably your best bet.
If
you prefer to make
your own solar panel,
then you first need a lot of sunshiny days and not any trees or other
obstructions to block out the rays. If you plan on mounting the array
on your roof then it has to be facing south or you can use a rack on
the ground.
*This article contains paid affiliate links to products
that I have personally purchased, used, and evaluated. The small commission
that I receive should you decide to buy allows me to evaluate other products
that might be of interest to you.
