subject: Take your home off the grid with renewable energy credits [print this page] Take your home off the grid with renewable energy credits
Renewable energy sources are solar, hydro (water), biofuel, biomass and geothermal and harnessing energy from these sources as opposed to non-renewable traditional sources will give you renewable energy credits. Renewable energy credits are given for every megawatt of electricity generated from sustainable energy sources and which can be traded in the market either for buying or selling purposes.
Since there are many types of renewable energy, several factors come into play while deciding which one to choose. The first factor is obviously the cost and maintenance. Solar panels are cheaper than wind turbines and are easier to maintain. The other factor is the location and the climatic condition. Places which are windier and less sunny, investing in wind turbines may prove to be a better option. You can also combine two alternative energy sources in areas where both elements are in plenty. Thus, a place which is both sunny and windy can have solar panel as well as wind turbines to harness energy from both sources simultaneously and if it is for a home hydropower too can be added to take the house off the grid immediately.
For home renewable energy, solar renewable energy is the most commonly used. Houses located in areas which have plenty of sunny days during both summer and winters are ideally placed to install solar renewable energy panels. Solar energy can be converted for immediate utilization or stored for emergencies in batteries. Many homes have overabundance of sunny days in summer with corresponding increase in the energy output and less sunny days in the winter months with the resultant underproduction of energy during those times. To combat this problem, these homes would greatly benefit if they would connect up with the local electricity grid. In summer months, when the energy is overproduced the home owners can earn renewable energy credits by selling to the grid. In the winter months when energy production is scarce these same renewable energy credits can be used to pay for the extra power required in lieu of the decreased solar energy.
House located in cities where it is very windy will benefit from harnessing wind energy by installing a small wind turbine. This wind turbine is attached to a battery and is very useful to harness energy. Wind turbines in homes work well as supplemental energy sources.
Hydropower can be harnessed for the use of homes if they are set up on lands with moving water sources. Hydropower units are easy and inexpensive to install. The energy produced can be directly fed into the house or stored in batteries if there is an over production of this energy. This is also useful in emergency situations. Even if it is a small stream running through the land, it is sufficient to generate hydropower.
Going off the grid totally requires focus, planning and money. You will not only get renewable energy credits but your energy bills will all but disappear and you will be doing a great favor to the environment also.
