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There has never been a better time than now to take advantage of the numerous benefits of solar power. Many states have made solar power affordable, cost effective, providing a 10% return on investment and in many cases solar power will pay for itself almost instantly.

The utilization of solar power has never offered more benefits than now. Not only can the installation of solar power pay for itself almost instantly, but given the current world political climate and the threat of terrorist actions to disrupt cheap oil supplies make it very prudent.

Many states offer a 10% return on investments to encourage its use. The simple fact is that installing a solar electric system in your home is now cost effective for the first time. And you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you have now become part of the energy solution as world oil supplies continue to dwindle.

In the state of California the cost of solar power in 1978 was well over $300 per watt. Today, with incentives offered by the state, that price has now dropped to less than $6 per watt- a staggering 98% reduction in cost of solar energy.

In addition to the reduction in cost of installing a solar power system, your home’s value increases $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills- this according to the National Appraisal Institute. Therefore, installing a solar power system in your home costing $16,000 would increase you home’s value by $17,520. That’s a net gain of $1520 the day you install the system.

On April 25, 1950 Bell Laboratories introduced the first silicon solar cell. Bell called its invention “The first successful device (solar cell) to convert useful amounts of the sun’s energy directly into electricity.” The NY Times heralded it as “The beginning of a New Era, leading eventually to the realization of one of mankind’s most cherished dreams-The harnessing of the almost limitless energy of the sun for uses of civilization.”

99% of the world’s energy comes from sunlight or solar energy. Everyday enough free sunlight energy falls on the Earth to supply our energy needs for 4-5 years at our present rate of consumption. At the equator, the Sun provides 1000 Watts per square meter on the Earth’s surface.

The amount of solar energy we take today in no way diminishes the amount we can take tomorrow or any time in the future.

Almost every day, one can find an article online or on the news or in print about the environment, living “green”, pollution and the changing climate. While these articles deal with environmental issues on large scale perspectives, there are a number of aspects of the current state of the economy and environment that affect and are influenced by the average middle class citizen.

A good example of a current economic and environmental trend today is the growing popularity of the use of renewable energy sources to provide some if not all of the electrical power in private homes. While solar power is a very popular alternative renewable energy source, many people are also turning to wind power and wind generators to provide them with affordable electricity.

In many Midwest states, one can see examples of the large electric cooperatives using wind power to generate significant amounts of electricity. This wind power is produced by large “farms” of massive wind generators. These generators are essentially oversized propellers mounted on top of very tall towers. The wind turns the propellers which provides the kinetic energy which is turned into electricity.

All of these large generator farms are located in rural or semi rural areas. However, it is possible for people who live in towns and cities to have efficient wind generators. The residential wind generator is simply a downsized version of the larger generator. Most residential wind generators are mounted on top of 20 to 30 foot tall towers or on top of shorter towers mounted on the roof of the house. The tower is much less obtrusive than one would think and many are painted to blend in with the color scheme of the house. In some cases, zoning laws might restrict exactly how tall of a tower one may have, but in almost all cases the wind generator can be adapted to conform to the regulations.

Just as with solar panels, the wind generator can be tied into the house’s electrical system and can provide electrical power directly to the house. While it is not generally advisable to try to go off the grid with a wind generator, one will usually be surprised at how much power it can produce on even a fairly calm day. The power the wind generator provides will be applied as a credit on the house’s electric bill, and in many cases will be sufficient to zero out the bill. This can save a family thousands of dollars per year and also has the effect of reducing pollution by indirectly reducing the amount of fossil fuel needed to power the electrical grid.

In all, installing and using a residential wind generator is a smart move for financial and for environmental reasons. With the savings one will get from the reduction in utility costs, many people will be able to recover the cost of the system in the first year alone, and in some cases, there are tax credits available for people who make energy efficient improvements to their homes.

Solar Power History: DISCOVER How Solar Power Came to Be in This Article
Solar power is a story that stretches back over centuries. This is often surprising to people who think this is purely a phenomenon that has arisen over the last 50 years or so. In fact generating power from the sun’s rays had come to the attention of scientists many years before.
Mouchout in France created a solar engine in 1860. It was a modest start and worked with solar energy being reflected on to an iron vessel containing water. The effect was multiplied by having a number of reflectors around the vessel. When the water heated it produced steam and the steam pressure then operated a rudimentary steam turbine. This invention was simply the culmination of the realization by many people that the sun could be a source of energy to illuminate their homes and that this energy could also be put to other uses as well.
Mouchout’s solar engine was then notably enhanced by inventors such Charles Tellier, John Ericsson, Henry E. Willsie Eneas and Shuman. William Adams one of the inventors who succeeded Mouchout made a version of the solar engine with 72 mirrors or reflectors. This enhancement alone boosted the power output by a factor of three. Yet the problem remained that the coal-fired engines that were available at the time were more convenient and less expensive to use.
The Tennessee Valley Authority started to set the direction however in the first half of the twentieth century by encouraging the use of hydroelectric power plants. In the Netherlands windmills began to be used more and more for pumping water. At the same time many people came to understand that fossil fuel was not a renewable source of energy and that alternative sources would need to be explored.
Alternative energy sources were still being researched when the mass market for motorcars exploded. The intensive use of motorcars exhausted it even the local crude oil supplies in the United States. This was a problem of crude oil being a victim of its own success. The initial process for extracting and refining food petroleum had been perfected by colonel Edwin Drake in Pennsylvania who had been able to produce a range of derivatives including kerosene and basic petroleum by feeding the crude oil into a fractional column. The U.S. started to import crude oil from the Arab world where it seemed at the time that there was no limit to the amount of oil in these lands. However amongst Arabs sheikhs, wars and also internal feuding threatened the stability of supply of crude oil and encouraged efforts to be stepped up on the search for alternative power sources. Public opinion started to move in the direction of pushing for alternative power sources and their introduction in the market.
The first silicon solar cell that was able to produce a real electric current simply by sitting in the sun, was developed by Gerald Pearson, Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller. Their work as scientists at the Bell Laboratories in 1953 constituted the first major advance in solar energy cell generation. Their inventions however needed to face and resolve a number of technical and business challenges.
For one thing, the solar PV (photovoltaic) cells were in the initial stages much too expensive to produce. They did not give the required output either. This however changed as the invention became mass-produced thanks to initiatives taken mainly by the German and Japanese governments. The growth in the production of photovoltaic cells has since then achieved an astounding rate of growth. The market for photovoltaic energy cells using solar power is currently increasing at a staggering 30 percent per annum. Japan has already begun to make hybrid cars that use both classical fuel as well as solar power, and in the U.S. solar panels operate for many homes and workplaces to provide heating.
Solar power should therefore increase in use throughout the world . We can also expect it to become less and less expensive. This is a natural consequence of leveraging a renewable source of energy provided by nature and also has the benefit of reducing pollution.

Considering the current state of the economy, it is no surprise that a significant amount of people are doing everything they can to cut costs and to save money. Traditional cost cutting methods include downsizing vehicles, cutting out vacations, buying cheaper food, eating out less and so forth. However, a growing number of people are turning to alternative and renewable energy to save money.

Advances in technology have made renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power much more efficient, affordable and viable for the average person. In some cases, people take using renewable energy to provide the electricity to their homes to the next step, disconnecting from their local electrical service and going entirely off the grid.

Living off the grid is not a step to be taken impulsively or rashly, but rather one to be well thought out and planned for. If one lives in the country and has the space and ability to install a very large wind generator, then going off the grid on wind power could work. However, living off the grid on solar power is a much more realistic and safe route to take. Modern solar panels are very efficient and can now provide significant amounts of power even on a cloudy day.

Living off the grid on solar power is possible with discipline and the correct preparation. Converting to a tankless hot water heater is an important preparation to going off the grid. Heating water with an electric or even a gas hot water heater is very expensive. Tankless heaters are dramatically more efficient and reduce the electric load. Another important preparation for living off the grid is to get set up to dry clothes on a clothes line to avoid using the clothes dryer. The dryer uses a huge amount of electricity to get the clothes dry. This is easy to do outdoors in the summer, and there are many types of drying wracks available to dry the clothes on indoors in the winter.

Yet another preparation to living off the grid is to replace all the light bulbs in the house with energy efficient fluorescent bulbs. Lastly, one should make every effort to make the house airtight, so heat and cold are retained and do not leak out or in the house due to old inefficient window, unsealed doors, and improperly insulated walls. Make sure there is good weather stripping around all doors and windows and make sure there is an efficient programable thermostat installed.

Living off the grid with solar power is certainly possible, but it requires some important preparations to make sure that the house is as energy efficient as possible since there is no backup source of power once the solar cells have been depleted between charges. The preparation and installation of the system can be expensive initially, but living off the grid saves so much money in electrical bills that these costs are often recovered withing the first two years of being off the grid.

The environmental movement and the general feeling toward environmental responsibility has been gradually increasing for the past 10 years and has increased dramatically in just that past 4 years. Renewable energy, pollution control, environmental responsibility are all becoming mainstream concepts and goals.

As people become more conscious of the environment and are motivated to save money by using renewable energy by the ailing economy, a new type of lifestyle seems to be emerging; living green. The term “green” is now a mainstream term that indicates environmentally responsible or pollution free, or energy efficient.

Living green or “being green” has become such a high profile issue, that it has actually become a defined lifestyle that for many people living it, feels very good on a number of different levels. Someone who is living green:

Usually spends much less money on utilities, food, and fuel. Being green usually means that one drives a hybrid vehicle, or at least a vehicle that gets superior gas mileage. They don’t spend as much money on gas.

Being green means that one most likely has a renewable energy system in their household such as solar or wind power that saves them an amazing amount of money in electric bills.

Being green feels good because they tend to eat healthier than the average person. Many people living the green lifestyle ear many all natural and organic foods that contain no toxins, preservatives and have little or no saturated fat content. These people are eating significantly healthier than the average person, and in many cases are spending less money on their foods.

The green lifestyle has an emphasis on exercise and outdoor activity. Many people being green have gardens in which they grow their own organic or all natural vegetables to eat. This not only saves money but is a good past time that provides exercise.

In short, being green feels good for health, financial, and social reasons. The green lifestyle is inherently connected to health and well being, so people living green will exercise more and eat healthier. Being green usually means that ones household is as energy efficient as possible, which by definition means that they are saving a ton of money in utility bills.

Being green is a lifestyle choice that has a positive impact on the general environment, which helps give many people a positive sense of purpose that sustains them and gives their lives added meaning. As the economy has grown worse, many people have adopted the green lifestyle out of desperation to save money and to become more efficient.

Many people will pick up the principles of being green for purely financial reasons and will then become enamored with the entire lifestyle and will adopt the idealism of the entire green movement in general. Being green is becoming a powerful force for change in this country, on a social, financial and environmental level. As more and more people adopt the living green lifestyle, the economy and the environment will gradually improve.

People have been aware that the sun’s energy can be harnessed to power various devices and machines for years, but it is not until recently that the technology and the motivation has pushed people to seriously consider solar energy as a viable power source.

With the current state of the economy and with the growing move toward a more environmentally responsible lifestyle, many people are considering various forms of renewable energy and “green living” principals. Solar power is usually at the top of the list when it comes to renewable energy sources. Solar power has been used for years by the government and various businesses, but it has only recently come into the mainstream for the everyday average household.

In almost any area of the country it is possible to dramatically cut one’s electric bill by installing and maintaining solar panels. Some people are even able to go entirely off the grid and power their homes completely independently of the traditional local electric company, all by solar power. While going off the grid may be an intimidating prospect for some, there is absolutely no reason why a household cannot install solar panels on the roof and greatly reduce the monthly electric bills.

Until recently, the cost to buy and install residential solar panels has been prohibitively high, and not everyone has the technical know how to do it themselves. However, with the shift toward renewable energy, many companies have seen this as an opportunity in an untapped industry and have started offering solar panels at much more competitive and affordable prices. The installation and upkeep of the solar panels is very easy and affordable. Many households find that they can pay for the solar panels in less than a year through the reduced electric bills they produce.

Obviously, once the panels are installed, the solar power is completely free and produces absolutely no harmful emissions, unlike traditional fossil fuels. As the technology becomes more mainstream, manufacturers and builders are constantly refining their techniques to make the solar panels more efficient, durable and innovative.

Recently, some builders have started to integrate solar power into their overall design by including solar panels as standard features on top of garages and in other unobtrusive places such as the roofs of gazebos, tops of pool houses, and on every available foot of roof space in general. Some pool decks are being built with embedded solar cells. As the renewable energy movement continues, more and more builders will find it necessary to integrate a solar power plan into their overall building plan in order to stay competitive with all the other builders who are doing the same.

Solar power is one of the easiest and best solutions to not only help the environment and climate, but to save significant amounts of money in electric bills as well. With solar power components being more affordable now than ever before, every homeowner should at least consider installing solar panels.

With just a little bit of research, one can quickly determine that there is a strong and growing groundswell of interest in renewable energy. Leaving politics out of it, many people are simply interested in making their homes more energy efficient and thereby saving money on heating and cooling bills.

Renewable energy generally includes solar power, wind power, and biofuels. For all categories, there are ways to integrate them into your daily life and into your home to make yourself more energy efficient. These changes will certainly save you money over the long run–and in some case in the short term—but they will also help reduce the massive strain that is being placed on the planet in general.

There are a large number of companies, both large and small, that advertise their specific product or service that fits into the renewable energy industry. There are a great number of businesses that manufacture, install and repair all types of solar panels. Likewise, there are a corresponding number of businesses that sell, service and install systems designed to capture wind power. Still more companies are out there manufacturing and selling various forms of biofuels. Biofuels include bio diesel and ethanol. There are also a very few companies engaged in research and development of hydrogen furnaces which run on biomass, often barnyard waste. While all these companies are in business to make money, the combined effect of what they are selling and producing is a positive one for the environment. Renewable energy is an undeniable fact of life for us now, and we all have a form of social responsibility to do our part to advance it into the mainstream. Regardless if the motivation is purely financial—to either make or save money—the end result is the same; a reduction in the emissions and pollution produced by traditional fossil fuels, and a cleaner, more sustainable environment and economy.

Trends toward renewable energy are taking hold on a more widespread basis every day. One will hear more frequent mention of terms like “green construction” or “green companies”. These terms refer to building houses in an environmentally friendly manner, making as much use of renewable energy technology as possible and to businesses that have adopted an organized and serious policy to reducing their environmental impact through use of renewable energy.

Renewable energy has become such a popular subject, that it is seen as a constant theme in contemporary media, including major movies, TV programs and in music. The growing awareness and concern with environmental issues is fueling the fundamental shift toward being more environmentally conscious and toward using renewable energy whenever possible. There is still much pollution and waste in the world today, but there has never been such a high and growing level of awareness and motivation to change our fundamental lifestyles in order to save and cure our climate. Renewable energy is a fundamental piece of the puzzle for not only a healthy planet, but a healthy life as well.

Solar power systems for camping are increasing in availability, but what about practicality? Can solar power systems for camping be put to use readily? Are they portable enough? Are they durable enough?
Solar power practicality for camping must address those questions and more. Are solar power systems for camping cost effective? Do they produce enough energy for normal needs?RV Camping
Solar power systems for camping can readily be used in RV camping. But are they practical?
Many people spend most of their RV camping time in RV camping spaces with full hook-ups. They plan trips according to where the next RV camp is, and reserve a full hook-up space for the end of each day. For them, solar power practicality is questionable. It makes a good back-up system, if there is a power outage at a campground. On the whole, however, it is an unnecessary expense – just another toy.
Others enjoy the freedom of being able to camp without hook-ups. They want to get off the beaten track – be pioneers. They want the opportunity to be in a remote, quiet place for a few days. They may want to go off road, or stop beside a quiet stream, even though it is in the middle of nowhere. They don’t want to rush to make it to the next full hook-up campground.
Solar power practicality for camping is real for the second group of campers. Solar power serves a practical use for them. It breaks the leash of energy needs and lets them wander as they please.
Operating an RV’s electrical system with a solar power system is simple. Charging its batteries with solar power is also simple. You need to plan your system, of course. You need to know how much energy you want. Then you need to purchase and install solar panels, batteries, and inverters that will produce that amount of energy for you.
Many Internet websites will guide you through the necessary steps of determining how much solar power you need. They will explain which components will provide that amount of energy. Solar power systems for camping in recreational vehicles are increasingly available in a range of sizes, and you are sure to find one to fit your needs. Most are easy to use.
Solar power systems for camping may make you think twice about appliances you take for granted in RV camping. For example, suppose you have a coffee maker that requires 15 minutes to brew coffee, and then keeps the coffee warm on a warming plate. This will consume a lot of your solar power. You may want to replace that coffee maker with one that will brew in 10 minutes and shut itself off. Pour your coffee into a thermos and it will remain hot without using more energy.Non-RV Camping
Solar power systems for camping are also practical for non-RV camping. The same two groups of people are to be found. One group likes to make camp in a KOA campground, with electrical power close at hand. The other group likes to hike into the back country with lightweight backpacks, and camp wherever darkness overtakes them.
Solar power practicality can easily be seen in the array of lightweight, portable units hitting the market. Solar power can be generated by the backpack in which gear is carried. Flexible solar panels can be rolled up and carried to the campsite, where they can be stretched on the ground to generate additional energy.
Solar power systems for camping are small and portable, but can generate enough energy to run a small heater or light bulb. Solar collected by a backpack while hiking can recharge a cell phone, camera, or iPod. Small solar power units will run appliances made for use in a vehicle. The coffee maker that will plug into your cigarette lighter can be run by a flexible solar power panel.
Solar power practicality for camping is sure to increase, and products for this use will multiply. Those who appreciate the environment enough to want to be far out into it will demand clean energy, i.e. solar power.

Today, much emphasis is being placed on renewable energy, living green, and the environment, Never before has there been such a strong and growing grass roots movement toward renewable and sustainable energy and environmental responsibility. In truth, this movement is to a significant extent motivated by financial concerns of people who are desperate to cut utility bills by finding ways to conserve energy. However, the end result is the same; much more interest in and progress toward bringing renewable and sustainable energy technology such as wind power into the mainstream.

Wind power is a concept that, like solar power, has been around for a long time and sparsely used. In the last five years, this has changed dramatically. In the Midwest, one can see many examples of eclectic cooperatives purchasing land or at least leasing rights to construct huge farms of wind generators to augment their electricity generating capabilities and to bring down the cost of electricity to their customers. While this is a great development from an environmental aspect, the average customer sometimes does not see a great reduction in their monthly electric bill.

Wind power for the average private residence is possible. While technically possible to go off the grid with wind power, this is not as reliable or advisable compared to solar power. However, residential wind power generators do make sense in that they can significantly reduce one’s electric bill. Unlike the massive towers with gigantic propellers, that one sees the electric cooperatives using, residential wind generators are compact, relatively small and usually unobtrusive.

These residential wind generators can be free standing with their own tower, usually 20 to 30 feet tall, or they can be mounted on a tower which is in turn mounted on the roof of the house. The residential wind generator does face some challenges that solar power does not. The configuration of a wind generator generally requires that the propeller be at least 20 or 30 feet off the ground, especially in a dense residential area. Depending on the neighborhood, some will run into zoning restrictions that might prevent them from having a tall tower on or around their house. However this is the exception rather than the rule. Most homeowners will be able to install their wind generator with a minimum of trouble and expense.

Most wind generators are relatively affordable and can be paid for in the first two years with the savings in the monthly electric bill that they make possible. People are usually surprised by how little wind is necessary to generate a significant amount of wind power. This will vary according to region, but most places will have sufficient wind to generate at least some wind power every day.

Power off grid systems are generally utilized in remote locations without the benefit of a utility grid.  The power off grid system can also be used in an area where furbishing a power line to the local utility grid is prohibitively expensive, or in an area where blackouts and/or brownouts are frequent.  With an off grid solar power system, you would be able to provide the energy necessary to light up a cabin, home or business.

Power off grid systems comprehensively alleviate a home’s dependency on utility electrical grids.  Usually, the power off grid systems require a higher initial investment than grid-tie systems.  The difference is because there is a greater demand on the power off grid system.  A grid-tie system usually supplements a home’s energy demands, which reduces the amount of energy required from the utility grid.  In contrast, a power off grid system is responsible for providing all power to the household appliances and tools.

When designing a power off grid system, it is best to take a holistic approach and envision the completed project from a “big picture” perspective.  This strategy is even necessary when deciding something as simple as the type of light bulbs that will be utilized.  Standard incandescent lighting is extremely energy inefficient, and as such, you may want to consider fluorescent or LED lighting instead.

Power off grid systems are usually bigger than most grid-tie systems.  For the power off grid system to be fully independent, a system must have a greater array of energy-producing panels, which in turn requires more batteries to store the charge and more equipment to regulate the charge.  However, even though the power off grid system requires a bigger initial investment, in the long run, a power off grid system may save you thousands in energy costs.

Here are the main components to a power off grid system:

(1)    Solar Array:         A Solar Array is a group of solar panels which absorb solar energy and convert this to DC power.  The number and type of solar panels will determine how much energy you can produce, as will your geographic location.

(2)    PV Combiner Box:           The PV Combiner Box usually includes GFCIs which protect your solar power system from equipment damage caused by power surges and short circuits.  You can also shut down your solar power system at a moment’s notice, allowing for safe maintenance, repair, and inspection.

(3)    Charge Controller:           Your batteries will accept all electrical current running from the solar array, but overcharging can ruin them.  Charge controllers ensure batteries don’t receive current when they’re charged to capacity, protecting your investment.

(4)    DC Breaker Box:                               The DC Breaker Box includes a disconnect which will regulate the relationship between the battery bank and the inverter so it can be shut down at a moment’s notice to replace, repair, or inspect the batteries safely.

(5)    Battery Bank:     Batteries store the energy you collect through your array.  Power off grid systems must collect enough energy to power your home or business until your batteries can be charged again.

(6)    Inverter:              Inverters take DC power and convert it to AC power.  Most electrical systems (like that found in your home) run off of AC power.

(7)    Back-up Generator:        A back-up power supply is important to compensate for weather patterns which might otherwise disrupt your array’s collection.