Learn to Build a Wind Turbine

Mother Nature is great that gives us so many resources and that’s all free, specifically energy sources like sun, wind and water. None of them is charged by nature! As the technology is having advancements, people are looking to harness these free energy sources to convert and use them for their domestic appliances. This is the fact that fossil fuel reserves are decreasing and need for alternate energy sources are getting more. Best way is to harness the solar or wind energy.

The renewable energy technology is advancing rapidly. Use of wind turbines is best way to harness the energy.  It was used in old times in form of windmills.  Many home owners are considering to harness wind energy through the help of certain devices.

What is Wind Energy?

Wind energy is a kinetic energy to convert this energy in form of mechanical energy wind turbine is needed. Wind turbine is a device with large vaned wheels and it rotates by wind. Its rotation converts kinetic energy into mechanical energy which then is converted into electric energy through help of generator. The wind energy can be used to run simple machines at home. This will reduce your electric bill.

How to build a Wind Turbine for Home?

Its easy to design a wind turbine for home. You will need this equipment to build a wind turbine:

1-Rods

2-Magnets

3-Bearings

4-Wood planks to construct a frame

5-Copper wire for winding

6-Nuts

7-Bolts

8-Inverter

9-Battery

You will need this equipment to build:

1-Blades

Wood planks will be used to make the blades, with help of a hammer and chisel you can give the blades finishing touch as you desire. 25 mm thickness would be the best for those wood plank made blades. You will have to make a chart for the dimensions of blades so you can make the blades according to your needs which work perfectly. Power tools designed for homes can make your task much easier.  After finishing the blades you will need to set them on a rotor, for that you can use double sided tape. Little chiseled stumps will support the down side of the blade as you plan to fix them on rotor.

2- Rotors

Initially you will need two magnet rotors to be designed. You will need coil winding copper wire which will be placed between the two magnet discs. To make magnetic discs you will need at least 12 magnets that will be used for each disk. First consider the dimensions of milling cutter before drilling the holes for magnetic discs.  After that place the magnets on the disc with help of a strong resin. To make rotor discs you have choice to choose between, medium density fiberboard, iron, stainless steel, or wood. 

The magnetic rotor then will be needed to be drilled as to accommodate 6004 bearing.  The support bearings must be placed on either side of the shaft. The magnet rotor would be designed in such way that it can hold at least 12 magnets.  The magnetic poles on each rotor should be placed like that they attract the magnets on the opposite side.  It should be made sure that weight of rotors should be carried by the bolts to have proper balancing. The hole in the center of the two rotors will secure the stator.

3-Stator

For making stator you will have to work on number of copper wire which will charge the battery. A 12V standard battery you will need for that. You will have to make the coils with help of copper wire, a series of coils in parallel groups.  Winding coils will take little time of yours, but on whole winding coils is the most fun part of this project and you will enjoy that. While winding coils you must keep 200 turns on each coil. 

After winding position the coils and screw down the stator on the board. Fill the joints with resin in other to secure the joints and let the components work smoothly. Now set this your wind energy harnessing design on a testing stick and see look that your battery and inverter harness the wind energy every time when turbine swings.

Your wind energy turbine is ready it is the most reliable source of energy that cost a lot less.

What is Best Buying or Leasing Solar Panel System?

Whether to buy or lease solar panels depends of certain circumstances. It includes financial capacity and location conditions also! One can decide in better manner about leasing or buying the solar panel system. Right financing options varies from person to person. That’s why it’s hard to say that what is best for you that whether to buy or lease solar panel system.

Here comparative conditions are given which will allow you to know what is best buying or leasing solar panel systems.

You can Lease Solar Panel System If….

• You are only interested in using renewable energy and don’t want maximum financial benefits from solar panel system.
• The maintenance responsibility of solar panel system you want to take.
• You don’t want to invest your cash in buying solar panel system.
• You are a low tax payer and you know that you won’t get any benefit from the federal investment tax credits resulting from your investment in solar power system.
• You are not willing to wait for whole one year so that you can have the benefits of tax credits.
• You are having your credit score below 700

Cost for Leasing Solar Power System

Cost of leasing solar power panels is about $3000 that you can get from anywhere.

Maintenance

The maintenance of your solar PV system is always done by the solar power leasing company. Most of companies had developed mobile apps that help you to monitor the performance of you solar PV system.

Drawbacks

The drawback of solar power leasing is that you will not qualify for any tax credits, rebates, depreciation and incentives.

Benefits

In benefits you can have 10 to 50% savings over your utility for electricity and that depends on your location, state incentives or property characteristics.

You can Buy with Cash or Finance with Solar Loan If….

1. Your primary interest is to maximize financial benefits of installing a solar panel system.
2. You can take advantage from reducing the amount of federal and state taxes which you pay have a tax liability. This larger than the amount of credits you can receive.
3. You have enough cash capital that you can borrow or can pay for the solar PV system.
4. You are having a business and know well tax benefits through treating the system as a depreciable asset.
5. You are planning to sale out your home and want to increase its overall value. The solar photovoltaic system will instantly increase the net worth of your house or property.

Cost of Buying Solar Power System

Solar power system’s cost ranges between $15,000 to $ 30,000 without any rebates and incentives.

This cost can be reduced through cash rebates and tax credits. This can take down the whole cost up to 50%. Most of solar installers offer to manage all that paper work regarding incentives and rebates for you.

Tax credits reduce the amount you owe for federal and state taxes. You can reduce your tax withholding or you can claim credit while you file your next tax return.

Maintenance

While you buy the solar PV system so responsibility of its maintenance is on you! But fact is that solar PV systems are highly durable and they have life span of 25 years and solar inverters carry a 10 to 25 years warranty.

There are some little additional costs like tracking the performance of your solar power system online through smartphone or tablet. Those additional costs are round about $100 per year.

Terms & Conditions for Solar Loans

You can get solar loan to purchase solar PV system. These loans are available for 5 to 20 year terms. The interest rates vary from 4% to 8% for credit scores higher than 700.

Benefits

By having solar power system of your own instead of leasing you will qualify for all available cash rebates, federal investment tax credits, state tax credits and other incentives like SRECs.

You can get back 10 to 30% of your investment annually but this depends on your location, state incentives, property and characteristics.

Biggest advantage is that you will get free electricity for 25 to 40 years.

How To Find Best Solar Installer Company?

Solar energy is not anymore an unpopular technology. As of now thousands are using this technology and saving their electric bills. You can go solar by leasing the system or you can buy also. Many states in United States give incentives for going solar.

Buying or leasing is initial part the real thing starts afterwards that how to mount solar panels at your home?  This you can do yourself or you can have services of a professional solar installer company. Ofcourse by doing yourself solar mounting wont cost you any charges. But this do need better skills to do it in perfect manner.

In other case you will have to hire solar installer company’s services. Now the question is that how to find a best or good solar installer company to do the job.

Here are some tips for choosing a best company:

1-Customer Caring  

First of all you will have to see the company is customer caring or not! That you can inquire by the people who already got the services of the solar installer company. A little research about a better company can save you many problems afterwards.

2- Efficient

The company you choose should have to be efficient in its work with better professional approach. Visit different companies and compare them. You will come out with a better result.

3- Professional 

A solar installer company with better professional skills means better return of your money. Because if they are professional then you wont have to tell them more how to mount solar panels. It will be them to tell you that what and how to do it in best way!

4- Knows Better Solutions  

You will have to compare the companies that which one is providing better solutions. Because a solar installer company with better solutions keeps you away from future technical problems regarding solar panels. This will save you future time and worries.

5- Cost Effective & Affordable 

Yes! This is the thing which counts more, you will have to compare their rates. So that you can know which company in best affordable rates is providing services according to your requirements. Utilizing money and your time is better manner is called wisdom.

Photovoltaic Systems and Solar Water Heating

Solar energy is basically the energy which is extracted from sun. Solar energy or sun’s energy can be used for heating, lighting, electricity, cooling, businesses and industries. Day by day energy needs are growing as the human development goes on! Solar energy is not unknown to anyone now. There are different ways to extract and use the sun’s energy. As sun is free source of energy so it will be more beneficial for mankind. Here we will discuss about Photovoltaic systems (Solar Cells) and solar water heating.

1. Photovoltaic Systems (Solar Cells)

Photovoltaic systems or solar cells coverts the sunlight into electricity, these are made of semi conducting materials. They absorb the sunlight, and solar energy lets the electrons loose from their atoms. This process allow the electrons to flow through the photovoltaic cell, in result electricity is produced.

This process of converting sunlight into electricity is called photovoltaic effect (PV).

2. Solar Hot Water

If we check any lake where sun shine perfectly we will judge that shallow water of the lake will be warm, while the depth water temperature will be less. That’s nature’s way of heating water. This tells us that we can use solar energy to heat the water also.

The sun can be used to heat the buildings and swimming pools. The most common water heating systems for buildings have two main parts:

• Solar Collector
• Storage tank

Solar Collector

Flat plate collector is most common solar collector. Flat plate collector is mounted on roofs. Flat plate collector is a thin, flat, rectangular box with transparent cover.  The transparent cover faces the sun which collects the solar heat directly.

There are small tubes which run through the box carrying water or fluid to get it heated. There is an absorber attached with the tubes painted black. The absorber heats up and makes the water heat up in the tubes. 

Storage Tank

After that the liquid is passed to storage tank which hold the liquid. The storage tank is perfectly insulated to keep liquid hot.

Solar water heaters can be active or passive. But most common are the active systems. In active systems usually pumps are used to move the water between tank and collector. On other side the passive heating systems rely on gravity and tendency of water to move as it heat up.

Solar Water Heating for Swimming Pools

Solar water heating systems for swimming pools are simple. Filter pump of the pool pumps water from the solar collector. Solar collector is made of black plastic or rubber. The water from solar collector is pumped into the pool.