Poor Man
Survival
Self
Reliance tools for independent minded people…
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A Digest of Urban Survival Resources
"People
demand freedom only when they have no power."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
More Affordable Solar Power
by Dan Chiras
If you’ve ever considered installing a
home solar electric system and generating your electricity with free, renewable
energy, now’s a great time to look at your options. In recent years, prices for
solar systems have plummeted thanks to increased demand, mass production and
intense competition among manufacturers. Generous government financial
incentives for solar power have reduced the cost for homeowners even further,
making a home solar electric system more affordable than it’s ever been.
Because the source of energy — sunlight
— is free, the cost of solar power equates to the cost of your solar electric
system spread over the lifetime of the system you buy — easily 30 years or
more. As a rule, solar incentives for homeowners reduce the system cost by 30
to 50 percent. Incentives for businesses can lower the cost by 50 to 75
percent!
However, even without incentives, the
lifetime cost of solar electricity is now frequently cost-competitive with the
cost of electricity from your local utility. In some places with relatively
high costs for utility electricity unsubsidized solar is already cheaper than
utility rates.
When purchasing a solar electric
system, most people choose to contact a solar installer, who can help them
decide which type of system they need. To find a solar installer, check local
listings or use www.findsolar.com to search for local options within a national
directory.
There are three basic types of solar
electric systems. Here are pros and cons of each.
Grid-Connected Systems. The most common
PV system is known as a grid-connected (or utility-tied) system. In these
systems, the utility grid becomes a means of “storing” your excess electricity
and acts as a backup, supplying electricity any time your demand exceeds the
output of your system.
Here’s how it works: Your solar system
provides electricity to your home anytime the sun is shining. If the system
produces more electricity than you’re using, the surplus flows onto the utility
lines that supply your home. When you need electricity, but aren’t producing
any (at night, for example) you can draw from the grid. The utility meter on
your home keeps track of any electricity you feed back onto the grid, as well
as what you use. How exactly this is calculated depends on net metering
regulations where you live. These vary by state, but currently all states have
some form of net metering except for Alabama, Mississippi, South Dakota and
Tennessee.
Theoretically, it’s possible to produce
enough electricity that you get a credit from your utility company instead of a
bill. More often, homeowners choose to install a smaller, less expensive solar
array that only meets a portion of their electricity needs, and then buy the
rest of their electricity from the utility. This is one reason it can be much
cheaper to buy a grid-connected system: You don’t have to buy a system large
enough to produce the maximum amount of electricity you need. Instead, you can
choose how much of your power you want to generate.
The downside of grid-tied systems is
that when the grid goes down, your system shuts off. So, if a utility line goes
down during an ice storm, your solar electric system shuts down, too. Even if
the sun is shining, the system won’t operate. This is a built-in safety
precaution that prevents your system from back-feeding electricity onto a dead
grid, which could be dangerous to line workers or anyone who comes into contact
with a downed electrical line.
Off-Grid Systems. These are
self-contained energy systems powered by the sun that operate independent of
the electrical grid. These systems must be equipped with a large battery bank
to store the electricity needed to power your home at night or during long
cloudy periods. Most people use a gasoline or diesel generator — or even a wind
power system — for backup power, should the batteries run low. An off-grid
system gives you the opportunity to experience true energy independence — you
are completely responsible for producing your own power. Plus, you’ll never see
another electric bill!
Although this is the most expensive
type of solar electric system, off-grid systems often are the single most
economical way to get electricity in remote locations. If your home is a mile
away from an electric line, you could pay from $10,000 to as much as $50,000
for the utility company to install electric poles and run an electric line to
your residence. (The cost of line extension varies greatly depending on how
rough the terrain is.) Bear in mind that the cost of line extension doesn’t buy
you a single kilowatt-hour of electricity — it only gives you the privilege of
buying electricity from the utility company. In contrast, an off-grid system
for an energy-efficient home could be installed for $20,000 to $50,000 — and
that supplies a lifetime of low-cost electricity.
Grid-Connected
With Backup. This is a third option that can make
sense if you want reliability during a power outage but don’t care about being
fully off the grid. The idea is to purchase only a small battery bank so that
during a grid outage you can continue to operate your most critical electric
devices — such as your refrigerator and heater fan — while line workers repair
the damage. During such times, these systems automatically switch to battery
operation. You could also choose to purchase a generator rather than a battery
bank. These types of systems can make sense if you experience frequent power
outages or want to be prepared for an emergency, but they require more
maintenance and are more expensive than grid-connected systems.
Excerpted
from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, the Original Guide to Living Wisely. To read more
articles from MOTHER EARTH NEWS, please visit www.MotherEarthNews.com or call
(800) 234-3368 to subscribe. Copyright 2012 by Ogden Publications Inc.
The Portable Solar Power System That Tracks the Sun
As people try to become more environmentally friendly the
solar power industry is starting to rise, and with the SunSocket portable solar
power generator, being eco-conscious can be even easier.
Solar power systems can be tricky to understand; they need to be at the optimal angle in order to try and get the most sunlight. Now, the SunSocket system helps to take the guess work out of solar power. This generator tracks the sun, and this tracking allows it to end up being fully charged within 5 hours. The speed of charging, combined with the ease of it being portable, makes this generator easy to use. When stretched out it is 4 feet wide, and will begin to track the sun as soon as you turn it on. Going green is something important to our environment, and with this portable solar power generator, being eco-conscious is becoming easier.
Solar power systems can be tricky to understand; they need to be at the optimal angle in order to try and get the most sunlight. Now, the SunSocket system helps to take the guess work out of solar power. This generator tracks the sun, and this tracking allows it to end up being fully charged within 5 hours. The speed of charging, combined with the ease of it being portable, makes this generator easy to use. When stretched out it is 4 feet wide, and will begin to track the sun as soon as you turn it on. Going green is something important to our environment, and with this portable solar power generator, being eco-conscious is becoming easier.
The SolSource Grill is a Solar Powered Outdoor Cooking
Tool
The SolSource grill provides people with an interesting
eco-friendly way to cook outside. This intriguing Kickstarter funded project
comes from the people at One Earth Designs. Summer barbecues are unbeatable,
and this grill uses the raw power of the sun to cook up hot dogs and
hamburgers.
Unlike regular charcoal grills, this solar-powered cooker doesn't create any environmentally harmful emissions, which makes it the socially responsible choice for backyard barbecues. This extremely portable grill can be used pretty much anywhere and only takes a matter of moments to heat up, which is convenient.
Unlike regular charcoal grills, this solar-powered cooker doesn't create any environmentally harmful emissions, which makes it the socially responsible choice for backyard barbecues. This extremely portable grill can be used pretty much anywhere and only takes a matter of moments to heat up, which is convenient.
More affordable living projects you
can use…
Find more tips you can use at:
Yours in freedom,
Bruce ‘the Poor Man’
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1 comment:
Great site, valuable and very useful information,you has provided us for that I really thankful to you.
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