Wind turbines collect kinetic energy from the wind and convert it to electricity that is compatible with the electrical system of a home or business.

Cascade Renewable Energy has distributed and marketed the SWIFT Wind Turbine in North America for residential, community and commercial customers since 2008. According to Jessica Lehti, senior sales and marketing manager, “The cut-in speed of the SWIFT product is 8 mph, and it is rated as 1.0 kW at 11 m/s, which is the industry standard for rating a turbine. The cut-in speed indicates the point at which the turbine begins generating electricity. SWIFT Wind Turbines are grid-tied, so once the product is installed, power will always come from their wind generated electricity first, and the rest of the power they may need will come from the user’s regular utility source.”

Lehti said that unique aspects of the SWIFT include: a quiet design suitable for urban, suburban and rural areas; flexible mounting options – they are structure and pole mountable; an outer diffuser ring that reduces noise created from the wind traveling along the blades, which increases efficiency and reduces vibration; dual fins that direct the turbine 360 degrees, keep the turbine positioned into the wind and provide over-speed protection; a grid-connected unit that offers efficient and autonomous operation without the use of battery storage; and a renewable source of on-site energy.

“Specifically, SWIFT Wind Turbines offer a small, quiet, structure-mountable option for residential home owners and commercial businesses with limited land resources. SWIFT does not require large amounts of acreage for installation because it can be mounted directly to a building. The small design – the rotor is seven feet in diameter – allows users to install multiple units for additional energy savings, and our product also provides an opportunity for LEED credits for green building,” Lehti noted.

Wind Turbine Industries Corp. (WTIC) manufactures the Jacobs 31-20. Chad Palmer, marketing manager, explained that the Jacobs “is a 20 kW system, rated at 26 mph. The height options offered for this product range from 80 to 140 feet and the Jacobs is available with a freestanding lattice or monopole tower. Our system’s unique design has been field-tested for well over one quarter century and it has proven to be one of the most effective and reliable small wind systems available to date.”

WTIC has manufactured the Jacobs 31-20 at their location in Minnesota since 1986. “We sell approximately 70 to 100 units annually, with room for growth. Our system tends to be most appropriate for rural applications, both commercial and residential. One of the greatest challenges in serving these groups involves the inconsistent zoning regulations among them, but we’ve been able to navigate those challenges quite well,” Palmer said.

Qua Le is vice president of sales and business development at Xzeres Wind Corp. Members of the firm design, develop, manufacture, sell and support small wind power systems. “Our products include 2.5 kW and 10 kW systems. Each system includes a wind turbine, power electronics, towers and ancillary components for complete installation. Our products feature a highly-efficient design with few moving parts for easy installation, and reduced service and maintenance costs.

“The superior performance of our products is validated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Xzeres products are reliable – over 100 systems have been deployed in North America and carry a 10 year warranty. The durability turbine system provides 20+ years life. We offer a proven track record and the lowest cost of ownership, compared to similar products in the market today,” Le reported. He expects to sell over 80 wind power systems this year and 300 systems in 2011. “We plan to take advantage of federal, state and local incentives, American utility rebate programs and feed-in-tariff incentive programs across the globe.”

He noted that despite strong market potential – due to incentives and robust utility policies – local permitting challenges have throttled market potential. However, several key states have recently worked together in enacting legislation to streamline the permitting process at the state level. This process may aid in a significant increase in sales within these markets.

Le claimed that for the last decade, the industry has been largely self-regulated, but at the end of 2009, a technical standard was finalized and a Small Wind Certification Council is now able to certify equipment for compliance to the technical standard. “Many in the industry see certification as a strong sign of the industry’s maturity and as a building block for lasting growth. In fact, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners will also begin the process of certifying small wind turbine installation professionals in the fall of 2010,” said Le.

According to Le, “Electricity prices across all sectors have risen by 6 percent since 2006 and this trend will continue. High prices of traditional electricity make alternative energy sources more competitive on an incremental-cost basis, particularly when factoring in renewable energy’s other financial and intangible benefits.”

It’s not necessary to be a nerd to understand how wind power works

Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the fact that temperatures are invariably attempting to reach an equilibrium (heat is obviously moving to a cooler area). With the rising expense of energy and the destruction of the environment from non-renewable fuels, it is more and more equitable to harvest this renewable resource.

The benefits of wind energy are that it is virtually free (after you buy the equipment) and there’s no pollution. The disadvantages include the fact it’s not a continuing source (the velocity varies and many times it is insufficient to make electricity) and it typically requires about one acre of land.

How Wind Energy Works

The volume of power that’s available varies by wind speed. The amount available is called it’s power density and it is measured in watts per square meter. Due to this, the U.S. Department of Energy has separated wind energy into classes from 1 to 7. The common wind speed for class 1 is 9.8 mph or less while the average for a class 7 is 21.1 or more. For effective power production, class 2 winds (11.5 mph average speed) are often required.

Normally, wind speeds increase as you get higher above the Earth. This is why, the typical wind mill is installed on a tower at least 30 feet above obstructions. There are 2 basic kinds of towers useful for residential wind power systems (free standing and guyed). Free standing towers are self supporting and are usually heavier which means they take special equipment (cranes) to set them up. Guyed towers are supported on a concrete base and anchored by wires for support. They typically are not as heavy and most manufacturer’s produce tilt down models which may be easily raised and lowered for maintenance.

The kinetic (moving energy) from the winds is harnessed by a device known as the turbine. This turbine consists of airfoils (blades) that capture the energy of the wind and use it to turn the shaft of an alternator (like you have on a car only bigger).

That there are two basic types of blades (drag style and lifting style). We all have seen pictures of old-fashioned windmills with the large flat blades which are an example of the drag style of airfoil. Lifting style blades are twisted rather than flat and resemble the propellor of a small airplane.

A turbine is classified as to whether it is made to be installed with the rotor in a vertical or horizontal position and whether the wind strikes the blades or the tower first. A vertical turbine typically requires less land for it’s installation and is an improved option for the more urban areas around the globe. An upwind turbine is designed for the wind to impact the airfoils before it does the tower.

These units normally have a tail on the turbine which is required to maintain the unit pointed into the wind. A downwind turbine doesn’t need a tail as the wind acting on the blades tends to maintain it oriented properly.

These turbine systems would be damaged if they were to be allowed to turn at excessive speeds. Therefore, units should have automatic over-speed governing systems. Some systems use electrical braking systems although some use mechanical type brakes.

The output electricity from the alternator is sent to a controller which conditions it for use in the home. The usage of residential wind power systems requires the home to either remain tied to the utility grid or store electricity in a battery for use when the wind doesn’t blow sufficiently.

When the home is tied to the grid, the excess electricity that is created by the residential wind power system can be sold to the utility company to reduce or even eliminate your utility bill. During periods with not enough wind, the home is supplied power from the utility company.

The price of Wind Energy

Small residential wind power turbines can be an attractive alternative, or addition, to those people needing more than 100-200 watts of power for their home, business, or remote facility. Unlike PV’s, which remain at basically a similar cost per watt independent of array size, wind generators get less expensive with increasing system size. At the 50 watt size level, for instance, a small residential power windmill would cost about $8.00/watt compared to approximately $6.00/watt for a PV module.

That’s why, all things being equal, Photovoltaic is cheaper for very small loads. As the system size gets larger, however, this “rule-of-thumb” reverses itself.

At 300 watts the wind mill costs are down to $2.50/watt, while the PV costs are still at $6.00/watt. For a 1,500 watt wind system the cost is down to $2.00/watt and at 10,000 watts the price of a wind generator (excluding electronics) is down to $1.50/watt.

The author

Mary Jones writes for the residential wind energy systems website, her personal hobby blog centered on suggestions to reduce CO2 and lower energy costs using alternative power sources. My complete Bio

Friday, June 18, 2010 11:56 AM

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) released its 2009 US Solar Industry Year in Review, finding 2009 to be another year of strong growth despite the economic recession. A combination of policies, new business models, and declining prices drove expansion in 2009; and growth is expected to continue during 2010.

Overall US solar electric capacity, including both photovoltaic and concentrating solar power installations, increased by 37% in 2009. According to the SEIA, this was driven primarily by strong demand in the residential and utility-scale markets, state and federal policy advances and declining technology prices. As a result, total solar industry revenue reached $4 billion, a 36% increase on that reported in 2008.

According to the SEIA’s findings, the solar industry contributed to the overall economy by adding 17,000 new jobs from coast to coast. The solar industry today employs 46,000 US workers and supports an additional 33,000 jobs in other sectors.

According to SEIA’s report, photovoltaic installations (grid-connected) grew by 38% and solar water heating rose by 10%, although solar pool heating growth was 10% less than in 2008, reflecting the decline in construction and housing markets.

The concentrating solar power (CSP) sector had three new plants come online in 2009, taking cumulative CSP capacity in the US to 432 MW, with a development pipeline totaling more than 10,000 MW.

Residential grid-tied PV solar installations showed particularly strong growth, doubling from 78 MW to 156 MW, while non-residential grid-tied PV solar installations grew 2% less than in 2008. The utility market saw notable growth, with utilities tripling their rate of grid-tied PV capacity additions from 22 MW to 66 MW. The total utility-scale pipeline (across all solar technologies) reached 17 GW, enough to power 3.4 million homes.

The U.S. solar industry is continuing to regain momentum in both the residential and commercial market, with a number of companies reporting gains overseas and in the domestic market. One recent example comes from a Reuters report on Norcross, GA-based Suniva, which has reportedly sold out its products through 2010 and is planning to triple its exports in the next five years. The wire service added that the company is also expected to build a 400-megawatt plant in Saginaw County, Michigan, with an eye on generating electricity there by 2011. Americans are going to see more and more solar energy generated in the next several years, with dozens of projects under construction or being planned throughout the Southwest. Other parts of the country that do not get as steady a supply of sunlight are also increasingly embarking on their own solar projects. Some states are even home to projects that will re-invent old landfills as solar energy plants. Elsewhere, a number of other companies have showed that they have serious potential for long-term growth with or without the various tax credits that have been provided under the government stimulus bill.

A 30%+ CAGR in solar installations is expected over the coming three years as module prices continue to fall and new markets open up; however, growth will remain choppy during periods when subsidy schemes are adjusted in key markets. Frequent supply/demand imbalances should continue in the industry; but decline in average selling prices will be moderate. Companies that are best positioned will be cost leaders and have strong balance sheet to weather continued boom and bust cycles.

Solar is relevant in subsidized markets with attractive feed-in tariffs and where regulations mandate renewable energy, especially when there is a specific solar carve out. Low-cost, established technologies that are bankable are favourable. Investors often under appreciate the importance of bankability, a critical success factor for each company. Vertical integration into downstream installation and energy markets is balance sheet-intensive, but provides a valuable level of visibility into future demand for large companies. Development pipelines can be expensive and include many early-stage projects with low likelihood of completion — diversification across a large portfolio is a major advantage.

The biggest incremental growth will be in the US utility-scale market, with an expected 2.7 GW of installations in 2012, up from 500 MW in 2009.

Solar has a strong future for three reasons:
The installed base is miniscule at 0.15% of global electricity generation. Getting to 5% of global electricity supply by 2020 would require between 500 and 750 GW of new installations (assuming capacity factors range from 15-20%).

Dedicated subsidies: In many countries, solar benefits from dedicated subsidies and renewable energy requirements.

Solar is coincident with peak demand, relatively predictable, and can be installed as distributed generation in any scale, from 1 KW residential systems to 250 MW utility-scale installations — enabling competition with traditional generation and with end-user electricity rates.

The true economics of solar are driven by government policies and subsidies and by companies’ ability to drive costs down. Long term, as the cost of solar becomes more competitive with traditional sources of electricity generation, solar will be positively correlated to natural gas prices, as solar’s direct competitor is a natural gas peaking plant.

DOUG DIACZUK
06/16/2010

Separating from the power grid is tough, but the rewards are great, says the Superior Renewable Energy Co-operative.

Members shared their solar experiences Tuesday with the community.

“We see a lot of people taking a strong interest in renewable energy, and taking an active role in sustainability and renewable power generation,” said co-op president Charles Campbell.

“People look at what they can do in the community rather than look to someone outside the community to provide energy needs.”

The co-operative provides information and education on renewable energy in the community. In its eight years of operation, local projects include the solar forest on the corner of Bay and Algoma streets.

On Tuesday, the public heard presentations from Hubert den Draak of the Nolalu EcoCentre, Kasia Anderson of Sun Energy Development, and Frank Ilcyszyn and Jane Oldale of Frank‘s Alternative Energy. There were also presentations from Graham Saunders and Scott Harris who have implemented solar air heating and solar hot water in their homes.

“It‘s tough going off the grid,‘‘ said den Draak.

“We had to plan for it for quite some time. But just do it,” he said.

The public also learned about a new provincial government program implemented by the Ontario Power Authority called FIT, or Feed-in Tariff. The program provides individuals with a 20-year contract and fixed pricing to produce renewable energy on their property through solar panels.

People who sign up for the program can expect a return of about $12,000 a year. They are required to cover the costs of the project, including equipment purchase and installation which can require an initial investment of between $75,000 and $85,000. But, they can expect a return on that investment in 8-10 years, the speakers said.

Locally, Sun Energy Development and Solar Logix assist individuals with the application process, as well as provide equipment and install solar panels.

“There‘s a whole bunch of little things that people might not understand or might miss if they hadn‘t done it before,” said Solar Logix chief operation officer Jason Ritchat.

“Basically, we take care of everything for the client so there are no steps missed,” he said.

The program is modelled exactly after one that began in Germany. More than 14,000 Ontario residents have signed up for the program, the speakers said.

“The biggest benefits are profitability,” Ritchat said. “We live in Thunder Bay and this program has been designed to give a reasonable return on investment, but that is for southern Ontario. Because we get 20 per cent more sun, we get 20 per cent more revenue.”

The benefits speak for themselves, added Sun Energy president Kasia Anderson.

“There‘s the obvious need for renewable energy to become mainstream,‘‘ she said. “It is also increasing manufacturing jobs in Ontario. It‘s also a great return on investment.”

Campbell said he is excited to see this project in Thunder Bay and he thinks it is important to allow people to participate in the grid.

“When you‘re just using power, you get a bill, you don‘t think about it,” he said.

“When you‘re generating power, it makes it very tangible for you to think about how much power you generate versus how much you use.”

Thursday, 29 April, 2010
15:00 PM

Ken Brock outside his photo-voltaic equipped home in Kesgrave. Picture Sarah Lucy Brown myphotos24 ref – slb 010 ken brock 4

WHILE many people think the future of the global environment is in the hands of the younger generations, a new breed of “pensioner greens” are demonstrating that all ages can play a part – especially if it makes good financial sense.

Ken and May Brock are among those who are taking advantage of a new Government scheme which provides a long-term, guaranteed income for all the small-scale renewable energy they can generate – regardless of whether it is fed into the grid or used in their own home

The scheme is aimed at helping to achieve a target of the UK producing 15% of its electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020.

It pays homeowners for each kilowatt–hour of electricity produced from renewable sources – about four times the market cost..

Ken Brock with his home-generated power apparatus

The new “feed-in” tariff became effective from April 1 and makes a great deal of economic sense for those willing and able to make the investment in technology such as solar panels, photo-voltaic cells or small wind turbines.

The Clean Energy Cash-back scheme is open householders, businesses, communities, farmers, schools and hospitals – anyone who want to generate “green” electricity from renewable installations up to five mega-watts in size (equivalent to two large commercial wind turbines) although the payments vary by technology and size

Pensioners on a fixed income but with savings are among those who are often in a position to introduce green technology – not only to save money but to play their part in reducing the national reliance on power stations which burn fossil fuels, producing global warming gases.

Mr and Mrs Brock, of Kesgrave, already had solar panels on their bungalow, producing hot water. Now they have had photovoltaic (PV) cells – to convert the sun’s energy into electricity – installed and the investment is expected to save about £900 a year on their electricity bill..

The power is measured through a metering system

The couple, who have three children and four grand-children, were rubbing their hands with glee during the spell of sunny weather earlier this month.

For they are earning up to 41.3p for every kilowatt hour of electricity the cells produce. And if they produce so much energy they feed some back into the grid they will receive a 3p a kilowatt hour bonus. All the income is tax-free.

(continued below)

According to East Green Energy, Kelsale, the firm which installed the PVs for the Brocks, the cells should generate about 1,750 kilowatt hours a year.

Ken Brock is a member of a new order of pensioner greens who are fitting renewable energy into their homes.He has installed photo voltaic cells to generate electricity. Picture Sarah Lucy Brown myphotos24 ref – slb 010 ken brock 1

The firm estimates the system could generate a profit of more than £19,000 over the next 25 years if electricity prices continue to rise at five percent a year.

This figure may even prove an under-estimate, given the recent warnings from Ofgem, the industry regulator, of a looming energy crisis

Mr Brock, a retired building surveyor, said he hoped the PV cells would generate about half the electricity used in his home:

“The overall cost of the installation was £11,000 for which I received a £2,500 grant from the Government as well as an interest-free loan for £4,000 from Suffolk Costal District Council.”

Mr Brock, who was born in Ipswich, went to the town’s Civic College and worked for many years for Tolly Cobbold, said: “I thought it would be mostly young people taking advantage of this scheme but it seems to be mainly people in my age group – people who haven’t got a mortgage and have the opportunity to do things like this.

His interest in renewable technology goes back a long way. In the 1950s and 60s, while studying building construction, he learned about ground and air-sourced heat pumps. In the late 1960s he seriously thought about installing a heat pump for domestic use but never went ahead.

“When I first looked into installing PV panels, the maths didn’t add up. But now, with the technical improvements in renewable energy and the feed-in tariffs, it means mean we will recoup expenditure within ten years,” Mr Brock said.

He expects the PVs to generate about half of the electricity he and his wife use in their home.

Mr Brock would like to see renewable energy installations included in all new buildings – preventing the need for at least some new power stations.

Linda Grave, East Green Energy spokeswoman, said: “We are seeing a real increase in interest in renewable energy from the over 60s. On a fixed income it really makes sense.”

She added: “Going green is no longer just about the environment. This legislation means you can make money by becoming a mini generator. Rising oil prices means people are more concerned about their carbon footprint for the sake of their bank balance, rather than the environment.

“With bank interest rates at an all-time low, people can make a very healthy return of seven to ten percent by investing in a suitable form of renewable energy in their home.”

Friends of the Earth, which led the campaign for a micro-generation payment scheme, believes it will make small-scale green electricity technologies an attractive investment for home-owners, housing associations and some businesses, cutting energy bills and creating new jobs in the clean energy sector.

A YouGov survey for Friends of the Earth, the Renewable Energy Association and the Co-operative Group, published in January, revealed that 71 per cent of homeowners said they would consider installing green energy systems if the feed- in tariff scheme was generous enough.

Friends of the Earth’s Executive Director, Andy Atkins said: “This new scheme is a tremendous opportunity for people across the UK to play their part in the green energy revolution – and earn tax-free money too.

“The Clean Energy cash-back scheme will allow householders to earn tax-free cash by turning their homes into mini green power stations, cut fuel bills and play their part in tackling climate change.

“UK homes are responsible for over a fifth of UK emissions, but by slashing energy waste, and fitting renewable electricity systems such as solar panels on our roofs and wind turbines in our gardens, they can be part of the solution to climate change.

The scheme also covers other green technologies such as water turbines (in rivers or old water mills) and anaerobic digesters, which make electricity and heat from burning the gas produced by degrading organic waste.

Friends of the Earth is calling on which ever party wins the General Election to be more ambitious and increase the support to all small scale renewable electricity technologies and larger community owned schemes.

“The scheme launched today means small-scale renewable technologies are predicted to provide just two per cent of the UK’s electricity by 2020. While this is welcome, it is inadequate. Friends of the Earth has shown that a stronger scheme could see six per cent of UK electricity generated by these technologies by 2020 or two and half times the output of Sizewell B nuclear power station,” Mr Atkins added.

By April 2011 solar thermal and heat pumps will also be eligible for payment under another scheme announced by the Government.

Home owners must use an MCS (Micro generation certification scheme) accredited company to be eligible for “feed in” payments.

You can find small wind turbines and grid-tie hardware in the Residential Energy Kit Store

An installer’s point of view on the solar power industry’s future. Feed-in tariffs will begin to replace the present widely used model for encouraging solar power installations which is giving rebates for installed watts.

Rebates don’t give incentives for producing more clean energy and the number of installed watts doesn’t always translate to produce watts due to installation issues and equipment efficiencies.

Feed-in tariffs rewards the solar power producer by paying them a rate for the electricity they feed back in to the grid at 3-4x the actual retail rate. So home owners could get a return on their investment by paying $0.11/kw-hr for power but selling power back to the grid for $.45/kw-hr that is produced by their solar panels.

The biggest advantage of feed-in tariffs is they actually encourage clean energy production and energy efficiency. Germany already used the feed-in tariffs successfully, and several other programs have been started in Florida, California, and Ontario. New Jersey, Michigan, and several other states also started similar initiatives.

The micro inverter was a discovery that improved solar power systems, by altering and conditioning the power directly as it comes out of the panel. Their price is under $200 so homeowners can install one panel, and expand as much as they like.

MIT and Stanford are among the universities working to solve a central issue of all renewable energy sources: storage. They dedicated tens of millions of dollars to research and development of battery technology, and their discoveries helped to make lighter more affordable and environmentally friendly batteries.

Free Power

Free power isn’t totally free you will need to invest in equipment; but the power you make will be free. You have a large advantage over power companies when you make free power at home. No delivery charge. 

Power companies collect power or convert it then deliver it. They divide the cost of investment over 30 to 50 years and charge you for the investment and delivery amortized over time. 

What is the delivery cost if you make your own power (Zilch, zero, nothing)? If you hire a contractor to install energy devices at your home the cost will not be much cheaper than the Power Company. Your payback period will be as high as 25 years, not much better than the Power Company’s payback period. 

The rules change when you make your own power with a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. No delivery charge, no contractor cost and investment payback period is usually under 5 years. 

Here are seven reasons to make DIY homemade power:

 
1.) Free power is everywhere. You just need to collect it. 

 
2.) Collecting free power is easy with solar, wind, and solar hot water systems. 

 
3.) Free power investment is cheap for DIY. DIY projects can be 1/10 the cost of commercial and payback is 5-10 times faster, usually under 5 years. 

 
4.) The governments encourage free power collection. The government will pay you. In the USA the tax credit is 30% up to $2000 for solar electric and solar hot water and up to $4,000 for small wind turbine. That is not much for commercial investment of $20,000 to $80,000; but this is a lot for DIY projects of $100 to $6,000. 

 
5.) Free power is green. The more you collect the less the power company pollutes our planet. That makes a greener planet for our future and the kids’ future. 

 
6.) Do-it-yourself guides that make free power projects easy and low cost are cheap. Projects are a $100 – $200 investment. Multiple projects can get you off the grid completely. 

 
7.) Remote sites like a vacation home or cabin, hunting lodge, campsites can be powered by these free power projects, no gas generator and no kerosene. 

Solar Panels

This Is What It Looks Like

Solar panels are a collection of solar cells, soldered together into a system. The cells can be purchase on eBay for about $50 per 100 watts of power. You assemble the cells in to 70 – 175 watt panels. Installing the panels is a matter of some brackets and wire. Solar panel installation is much more flexible and portable than wind turbines. 

Solar panels produce 18+ volts in to a battery charge controller. The controller fills deep cycle batteries with the power during the day. Power can be generated most days, even with clouds. 

 The limitation of solar panels is the sun. It’s up only half the day. A power inverter converts the battery’s power to household power for your normal use, day or night. Building several panels can achieve 1000+ watts of power. 

Small Wind Turbine

DIY Wind Turbine

Wind turbine is not for everyone. You need an open space, not because they are too large but because the wind flows better in the open. You need a minimum of 10+ M.P.H. wind speed with 20+ M.P.H. being ideal. An advantage to wind turbines is the wind can blow all day to produce power day or night. Another consideration is the wind turbine needs to be on a tower. 

The taller the better, in the 20 – 60 foot range. This usually requires local zoning permits. If these are not a problem you will get twice the power out of a wind turbine than for the same investment in solar panels. The break-even point is $400. More than that, the wind turbine is less costly to build for the same power output. 

You can easily get 450 watts to 1,000 watts from one DIY homemade turbine. Like the Solar Panel description above, you store the energy in deep cycle batteries and use an inverter to make household power, day or night. 

Solar Hot Water

Solar Hot Water

The power required for a home hot water heater is about 30% of the household energy budget. The solar hot water can easily cut that in half. Solar hot water uses the greenhouse effect. 

Build a box with a glass cover and some pipes and you can get hot water in the range of 120 – 130 degrees Fahrenheit winter and summer. Feed this hot water into you hot water heater for storage and the hot water heater will shut down, no power consumption. The hot water heater will only run when a boost is required like washing clothes. The construction is cheap and easy. 

Solar Air Heater

Solar Air Heater

Think about it. Free heat for the garage, basement or out-building. No wires not power costs. Supplement your house heater with free heat from the sun for as little as $30 in parts. 

Assuming you have most of the common parts around your garage, then yes you can. Even if it costs you a little more, its a fun “DIY Project” for the weekend.  

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal typical System

Geothermal heating and cooling technology provides exceptional performance and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agrees that a geothermal heat pump is the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and most cost-effective space conditioning system available. 

    Today’s best geothermal systems outperform the best gas technology, gas heat pumps, by an average of 36% in heating mode and 43% in cooling mode! 

       You can save 25-50% on home electric bills compared to conventional heating and cooling systems. Imagine what you could do with the extra money in your wallet! 

The Reason for Guides

Do you want to know how to do these projects, what materials to buy, how big or small to make things? Get a DIY guide is the answer. For under $50 you can get a step-by-step guide, a plan and in some cases where needed you get a video tutorial. 

Which guide is best? Where do you get the guide. Go to www.ResidentialEnergykit.com for help.