Build Power Locally

We so often hear about the benefits of local goods- buy your food locally, buy housewares made by people in your area, etc. The basic idea is that local products need not be transported, reducing their environmental impact. However, the idea that local creation of products is valuable extends past consumer products. In particular, it’s incredibly important for the environment that electricity is produced locally.

An immediate question springs to mind, however. Isn’t all power produced at least somewhat locally? In short, it is. However, we have narrow down what we consider local. If your power is produced 100 miles away, that’s not terribly far in today’s world, but some of the electricity will be lost over that 100 miles. If the power is produced on your roof or in your backyard, none of it will be lost (or at least very little of it).

There are a set of factors at play here, primarily technological. While our technologies for producing power have advanced, our technologies for moving that power have not advanced- or least they haven’t advanced much. There are some promising technological advances on the horizon, but they have not yet come to fruition. Thus, in short, every mile that electricity has to travel is a mile in which the amount of electricity will degrade. By the time all is said and done, you may be left with 80% of the power you created, leaving 20% as waste.

To truly create green power, that power needs to be created close to home. There is a set of factors at play: 1. This will rely on a local resource (i.e. creating solar power in Phoenix rather than Seattle); 2. This will require little transport, and therefore less degradation of the power; 3. Ultimately, less power will have to be created for the same outcome.

As it becomes easier and easier to build solar cells and wind turbines (not to mention micro-hydro systems) at home, it is worth considering ones environmental impact. The benefits are numerous- it save the environment, saves your power bills, and could even make you money (think tax breaks or even selling power back to the power company). Numerous resources are available to the home builder of green power, allowing it to be used in many different environments (rural, urban, suburban). Between the guides available today, the necessity of saving the climate, the potential financial savings, and the long-term satisfaction of building green power, building your own home power system is more attractive than ever.

Damon Westchester is the editor of www.build-green-power.com.

Reasons To Consider Home Solar Panel Installation

Global warming is in the news and most Americans are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint on planet Earth. Home solar panel installation can make a huge different in the size of your carbon footprint. Utility companies in the United States use fossil fuels like coal and oil to produce much of their electricity. Home solar panel installation reduces your dependence on the utility companies and helps to reduce their use of fossil fuels.

Your Carbon Footprint

If you consider yourself to be an environmentally conscious individual then you should definitely invest in home solar panel installation. People who live completely on the grid get all of their electricity from the burning of fossil fuels. When fossil fuels are burned poisonous gases are released into the atmosphere and this adds to the problem of climate change. By contrast solar power is a completely clean and renewable energy source. People who live entirely off the grid and use solar power do not damage the environment so their consciences are clear.

Think of Solar Panels As An Investment

As the cost of fossil fuels rises, so do electric bills. Solar panels can reduce or eliminate electric bills for your home. Many people worry about the cost of home solar panel installation, but when you offset the initial cost with the long term savings, solar panels can actually pay for themselves and save you money. Consider the added benefit of improving the environment by reducing your dependence on fossil fuels and solar panels are a bargain. As the technology for home solar panel installation improves, the cost drops making this an even more attractive alternative to the power grid. If you live in an area subject to blackouts or brownouts due to heavy power usage, your home will always have power with solar panels. Living off the power grid has many advantages. With escalating power costs, solar panels are a better alternative than ever before. Every homeowner should consider this option.

Other Incentives

The United States government, and the governments of many states recognize the environmental and economic benefits of reducing the use of fossil fuels. There are federal and state tax incentives for home solar panel installation. There may also be low cost government sponsored loans available for homeowners that participate in home solar panel installation. Add to this the reduction in cost of your utility bills, and solar panels become an investment in your future. When you consider the added environmenta! l benefits, purchasing home solar panels becomes an investment! in preserving the planet and mankind’s future. With the escalating cost of fossil fuels and the diminishing supply, the cost of electrical energy will continue to climb. Save your money with home solar panel installation.