You can see lots of attention is focused towards alternative and renewable energy systems. This is due to the soaring energy costs and the need to decrease the climate change effects over earth. Though these solutions may seem complicated for the homeowners in their daily chores, however, the fact is that they are now becoming more accessible to common man. There are number of options available for homeowners which can prove pretty affordable financial investment. Also, by treading these paths, you can benefit from state and federal tax and avail the utility rebates and incentives. The below are the top seven ways which the home owners can heat and power their homes via renewable energy systems.
1) Solar panels
These are generally installed over the roof at any home or simply at some large size backyard area. The cost may range around 10, 000 -20,000 dollars. If you install these solar panels at your place, you become eligible to benefit from most of the state and federal utility tax incentives and credits. This can therefore help you in reducing the cost up to 50 percent. It can be a good choice due to lots of flexibility attached in it.
The buyers get the choice of storing the produced electricity in batteries or selling it back to any utility company. You can therefore always remain connected to the grid at your home and at the same time have a backup for several days of high energy use. Hence when there is any power failure or shutdown from the utility company, you have sufficient power to use at home. Hence no more worries about the any rolling blackouts and severe winter storms. Generally, you will find the solar panels with ten year warranty and within that amount of time, you can recover easily your initial investment through the utility bill savings.
2) Solar hot water system
These systems are competent to render radiant heat in your home and cost wise, the solar hot water system can range around 7,000 to 15,00o dollars. It can save around 60 percent of your hot water heating costs on an annual basis. The federal, state and utility tax incentives and credits can help you in saving 50 percent of the total cost on energy consumption. You can use this system at different places like spas, pools and for your home heating. Also, the hot water heaters can be fueled using the solar energy via this system.
3) Wind turbines
By installing wind turbines you can save up to 15 percent in your utility bills. Any smaller wind turbines can range around 1000 to 5000 dollars and can benefit for federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits. In order to install the wind turbines for your home, you should be based at a proper location along with having right wind conditions and lastly, it must accommodate in your home owners association.
4) The hydrogen gas fuel cells
The hydrogen gas can easily be extracted through the natural gas coming at your home via a gas line. This extracted hydrogen gas can be then used to power the hydrogen gas fuel cells to create electricity, water and oxygen. By generating electricity via this system you are able to harness heat, water and oxygen. In this way you get three things at the same time with one system. You can use the heat at your place along with getting electricity. To run this system, you simply need a natural gas line at your home. The cost of Hydrogen gas fuel cells system start from 20,000 dollars and is eligible for the federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits.
5) Geothermal heating and cooling systems
In this system a liquid tube is drilled 400 feet inside the earth surface near your home. This liquid tube is meant to pump the cooling or heat from the earth in your house which helps in maintaining the temperature inside your place. The geothermal heating and cooling systems decrease cooling and heating cost to around 50 percent and the cost may range around 10,000 to 20,000 cost dollars. The geothermal heating and cooling systems is eligible for the federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits.
6) Biomass combustion boilers
The number of waste wood and other kind of biomass stuffs can be used to generate steam and electricity with the help of running the generator or turbines. The kind of biomass you select would determine the emissions produced. By converting the biomass into a gas before the combustion procedure can help you in harnessing cleaner burning and find low level emissions. This can be obtained by simply decaying biomass into the methane gas. Generally, this system is used by farmers and people who keep live stock.
7) Micro hydro energy systems
This system utilizes reaction or impulse turbine generator along with stable water supply to produce electricity. This option can only availed by people who live nearby any stream, river or at places receiving steady kind of rainfall. Hence places where you can see water funneling on a consistent basis can benefit from the micro hydro energy systems. If water utility can supply you water then with proper piping mechanism, you can get power from this system. The micro hydro energy systems can range around 1000 to 15,000 dollars. If you plan to have this system at home, you have to check whether its installation is eligible for the federal, state and utility incentives and tax credits.
By generating your own energy can be both environment friendly and money saving exercise. Also, you can benefit from the state and federal financial incentives by treading any of the method discussed above in the article.
Article by Alia Haley, a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology, health and parenting. Beside this she is fond of games and gadgets. These days she is busy in writing articles on her sites diyhealth and automotto.
