!1# Information 36 Inch Gas Ranges: March 2011

!: The cost of living and Solar and Wind Systems

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Most home owners Texas is considering a residential solar or wind soon face shock. Wind turbines can be installed to operate at up to $ 65,000. The national average cost for a professionally installed solar system is about $ 8 to $ 9 per watt. A 2 kilowatt (kW) grid-connected systems (without batteries) can run to $ 16,000. A similar system of 5 kW can cost up to $ 40,000. Deep Cycle Battery Back-up for wind power and solar power can add 20 or 30Percent more. Maybe about $ 2 per watt, saving the work itself, however, the energy efficiency programs are the certification requirements.

But do not give up!

Since the demand for both residential and commercial buildings for wind and solar energy grows, the technology is improving, there are several manufacturers, and the price goes down. (Example: a 15-watt panel will cost $ 315.00) In the Case of solar energy, the average cost of a solar panel in 1980 was $ 21 per watt.Today, the average cost of $ 2.50 per watt (low = $ 1.42/watt, up = $ 3.75). In 25 years, which is a cost reduction of 90%. power capacity has improved. In 1980, a typical solar panel put out 22 watts. Now, 100-watt panels are common but not abundant. This is a 450% increase in performance. Added new enhancements to obtain Monitoring (a motorized mount tracks the sun all day, in order to improve efficiency) and to extract the concentrated sunlight up to 75% of sunlightincreases the efficiency of 1000 times the normal flat screen Monitor. Even if incentives are not in your area, the entire system of solar or wind power installed by 31 December 2010, the Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credit reduces costs by 30% are available.

The reason housing is expensive renewable energy is simple: you invest in a power station to house size. As with any large central stairCase, a long-term investment in the course of 15 and 25 years is done. And like any long-term investment, isFirst, take a few minutes to consider your needs and objectives:
How much electricity you use every day? In a rural area, it costs more to bring more poles and wires to bring home? Your goal is to have self-sufficiency, while maintaining a connection grid? Their goal is a zero-energy home?

In considering these questions, remember domestic dimension is irrelevant. The only question is how much energy because you want a system that suits your needs you can use to use. A1,500-square-foot house does not use energy, it is the people inside do.

Understand the use

Understand the use can be difficult. It 's a big difference in watts and watt-hours. The power (watts) necessary things do not go in your house the same way to measure how you show your power bill (Watt-hour). A 50 Watt Light Burns 50 watts of power every time he comes up. Then the power must be able to ensure that 50 watts of power when the light is onup. If you have a battery of 30 watt, 50 watt light bulb does not light up all the way and quickly draining the battery. Watt-hours, now a unit of energy used over time. For example, use a 50 watt light bulb is 50 watts per hour (or even 50 watts per second, when you are measured in seconds). To make an analogy, for example, a water wheel that runs only when the water pressure 50 pounds per square inch (psi). But the amount of water we use is measured in liters perHour.

The important thing to remember is that watts and watt-hours are not interchangeable in the first calculations.

That said, the way is to regulate the use thereof to control the electricity bills. For example, say an average of 1,000 kWh per month. Action to 33.33 kWh per day. The next step is to figure out what to use electrical devices and how many watts they consume, and how long you want to use. To calculate a unit or kWhAppliance, multiply the wattage times the hours of operation during the day. A 500-watt freezer works for 10 hours with 2 kW of energy. If you only know the voltage and amps you are using a device, there are many sites to calculate the power.

Now you have an idea of how to use, we see first at the cost of solar off-grid.

The next thing to look at the amount of direct sunlight on the site. Otherwise, as the "sunshine" is known,controlled by the angle of the sun, the, time, atmosphere, the height and location on the globe. The further north or south of the equator you go, the fewer hours of sunlight. In Texas Sunshine varying quantities of 4.5 to 5 hours.

Now we can see how many disks you need. A useful tool is the estimator of solar panels. Take your sun exposure by 4.5 hours. The efficiency of the system is a product of the efficiencies of managing the current hardware: inverter (to convert 12Volts to 120 volts and smooth in a nice, clean 60Hz cycle), a battery charge controller and batteries deep cycle. Inverters typically run about 95%, charge controllers and batteries to 98% to 80%. So if we multiply.95 × 0.98 x.80, we have a system efficiency of.74 or 74%. This means that our 100-watt solar panels actually produce 74 watts. If you compare the output of the module to estimate when our solar system was 99% more efficient, there would be only 74 plates. Because our systemonly 74%, we need to make records of 99-33 kWh / day.

However, a large number of dishes, and a lot of money, too.

Lighten the load

The easiest thing to do is cut to find ways to use their electrical appliances, eliminating inefficient. In Texas, the largest energy-consuming air-conditioning at home. A 30-ton air conditioner unit with a SEER rating of 13 to 2.3 kWh. More than ten hours, he added that up to 23 kW - 2 / 3 of our users. There are a number of energyefficient way of cooling your home. swamp coolers, for example, work by evaporation, although they are more effective in dry environments. Absorption chillers are often available. I'm the heat of the refrigerant at low pressure until it evaporates, it loses its heat condensing back into a liquid at high pressure. The heat source is natural gas, propane, kerosene or solar heat. Since there is no compressor to supply pressure, the system uses less energy.

The second largestYou are the electric boiler. Heating water in the house for 17% of annual energy costs. A heating system uses an average of 40 liters 8 kWh / day. There is more energy efficient alternatives: as part of a heat treatment, the installation request, the use of gas or propane to heat water, or to consider a solar water heating in addition to the solar system . Some solar water heaters are no longer an old water heater tank painted matte black and placed in an insulated box with aGlass window overlooking the so-called

Let us consider a switch to energy efficient alternatives and / or Energy Star appliances. How many lights are used in a room and have the CFL? You can change from a desktop Computer, laptop or Tablet? Honest account of any waste of energy practices, like leaving lights on all day or the air conditioning during cooking. Also on thinking how well insulated and sealed weather at home and if this improvement. The lessEnergy can not live without: less energy-intensive production of the factory power you need.

We say that we are installing energy-efficient lighting and appliances, replaced the water heater and air conditioning systems, solar absorption cooling system that heats the water too. This reduces the use of 33 kWh / day to 5 kWh / day. By placing the numbers in the estimator of solar panels, you get to 16 panels, which is much more manageable.

Home wind power has come a long wayoff when the windmill blade steel fan-type was the American company founded in 1870. Small wind turbines that generate electricity, in different sizes (nominal capacity) mounted on the roof or chimney 1 kilowatt (up to $ 7,000 installed) mounted up to 100 kW turbines in their own tower (about $ 80,000 installed available) . Many of those less than 1.2 kW, are available in kit form for home do-it-yourself from a center of home available.

However, while the powermay seem attractive production of wind turbines, the more watts for the dollar is more complicated than solar energy. As the sun shines every day, even if its cloudy, the wind is much more moody. Some parts of the country are windier than others and compare Houston to Abilene, for example. Consequently, a consumer can make a lot more research to determine the amount of wind could really be for them are available for use. The wind speed varies locally in various heights. While it mayseems like a gentle breeze on the road are, could be a slowdown or even 30 meters up to 100 meters. Hills, valleys, trees and buildings have a significant impact on the speed of the wind, especially when combined with urban. local building codes and other rules that must be taken into account.

Suppose you want to add a post residential wind turbine on your system. The turbine cost of $ 1,800 on a line with free shipping. The 30-foot pole, even on-line wire and a guy boughta few bags of cement costs $ 500. The total cost is $ 2300th factor in the Federal Energy Tax Credit and the price drops to $ 1610th

We also say that you have done your homework on the local annual average wind speed. The new wind turbines generate 3.4 kWh per day on average area of wind of 12 mph (Class 4). However, the average wind speed at about 10 km / h (class 2). So now we have calculated that with these conditions, an average of 2.8 kWh per day (about producing the equivalent of 8Solar panels).

The combination of wind and solar power together you have an integrated renewable energy, which is a reliable source of electricity in the house 24 hours a day and generates an average of 5 kWh / day. In some parts of Texas as Austin, where net metering is available, owners can sell their excess electricity produced to sell the utilities.

What about hidden costs such as maintenance and replacement of worn parts?

Maintenance is minimal for both solar panels and wind turbines.Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity. To ensure them the power they need to adjust the dust and the leaves were leaking. The solar panels, that wear out over time to lose, on average produce per watt of capacity over 20 years. Wind turbines typically only 2 moving parts that are exposed to the elements. The blades are usually bolted to the hub, which is protected by a cone-shaped cone. It 'also important that the wind turbine can rotate in the wind. BothThis can easily be replaced by the manufacturer.

Smaller: the grid-connected system

A grid-connected solar system / wind maintains a connection to the mains. That is, there will still be a utility customer, but the energy that the program, offset by themselves. Right now, a house in Texas go to their favorite Home Center and buy a kit of solar energy, which is about 1,230 watts per household for about $ 7,000 (10 panels to generate energyclean and drive). deep cycle batteries can also be added to a system, usually costs about $ 250/each, and in the last ten years.

On average, these sheets would only pull out about 4 kWh for everyday use and 120 kWh, the monthly bill for savings up to 12% for a typical bill of $ 119 1,000 kWh (11.9 cents / kWh) This means that a monthly savings of about $ 14.24 or $ 171.36/year.

Adopted prices have remained frozen and use, the system would be in for 17 years or 24 years, payYears without federal tax credit. This assumption is obviously ridiculous. Energy prices will peak and the trend of the price paid for each kWh of change during the year, higher over time. In this context, could take the performance of an investment in solar energy actually only 15 years or less. Also, consider that energy savings of 12% for three times what that first $ 7,000 could go into a bank.

Another way to pay for an investment in the solar system, increasing your homeValue. Most loans are for 30 years, but there are only a few consumers in their homes for a long time. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a home value of $ 20,000 for every $ 1,000 raised in reduced electricity costs. So even if you do not stay home for 30 years, will recover most of their investment on the sale of their home. Also remember that improved as a solar module technology, homeowners can exchange old records the most recent, the most efficient,cost less. These are just bolted on the frame and put in circulation. Over time, you can save even more on the bill, and even sell the electricity the company through the expansion and modernization of both disks and batteries.

So what to do with the money you save each month by not buying electricity from the power company? One block (1BOG.org) the grid points suggest saving the money to send their children to college. Investing in a residential renewable energy system, ifTheir children were born, the money over 18 years can save themselves is to grow to more than $ 118 000.

Not all homes and families can now cut for solar cells or wind turbines. A good idea of how your site visit the National Renewable Energy Site In My Back Yard. Two other good ones are the e-Booklet feasibility of photovoltaic and solar Cost Estimator.