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residential solar power systems
Looking for solar and wind power kits that are under $12,000.?
My engineering class is looking for wind and solar kits for residential system in Washington state. Our budget is $12,000. We need a whole kit. And it should generate at least 1000 watts.
A typical home needs about a 2000 or 3000 Watt (2 or 3 kW) solar power unit. To power your toaster , it will take 1000 Watts. To power your hair dryer, it takes maybe 1500 to 1800 Watts. A Microwave might be from 800 to 1500 Watts. If you opt for a 1000 Watt system, you may have to walk around with wet hair, and cold sandwiches.
The prices for a complete 2 or 3 kW unit runs about $20,000 to $30,000 installed. Or about $10 per Watt (or about $10,000 per 1000 Watt or 1 kW). With the utility company rebates/ buydowns/ incentives, you may get the cost down to $8 to $9/ Watt. So, you may be able to do install a 1000 Watt system for $12,000, but not sure -- it could be close.
The main reasons being:
1) The solar unit will work well for 6 or 8 hours a day --- but when the sun goes down, your power is zero. So to make it effective, you have to have battery banks. It would require several batteries at about $100 each to store the power during the day, so you will have power at night. Absolutely needed for a stand-alone system if you need power at night. These batteries have an expected lifetime of maybe 5 years or less. They will need replaced in 5 years.
2) The solar unit will provide 12 Volt DC power. Your house uses 120 Volts to run your microwave and toaster and TV. Therefore -- you will need an expensive electronic piece called an inverter. It converts 12 Volt DC power to 120 Volt AC power. This adds to your budget, and it is expensive. And it is electronic -- it will fail at some point. Sometimes it lasts 5 , 6, or 8 years -- then needs replaced -- at considerable cost.
Your thoughts on "wind power" are even more gloomy. Similar issues as with solar. It works when the wind blows at least 7 mph. If the wind is not strong enough, you get no power. And think about it --- a warm summer day is not too hot when the wind is blowing. But the very "hot" summer days --- it is "very hot" because there is no wind blowing. Hot days have little or no wind blowing or else they would be just a "warm day". Hot day means --- no fan or no A/C.
The $12,000 budget could maybe install a 1 kW solar unit, but you would have to give up a hair dryer and microwave, electric oven, electric clothes dryer. Unless you are into a candle light dinner with cold sandwiches, a more realistic solution will cost about $20,000 to $30,000 for a 2 or 3 kW solar unit, with battery backup.
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Residential Solar Power - How to Make Your Own Energy
The simple fact is that we cannot depend on oil and fossil fuels for our energy forever. Many people are already starting to realize this and are beginning to switch to residential solar power.
Using residential solar power may seem complicated but it's simpler than you might think. I personally know people that aren't as smart (or as good looking) as you and they have built their own solar power system.
First, let's talk about what solar power is and how it works.
Solar power is an amazing thing. The sun blasts more than enough energy to provide us enough power to sustain ourselves. They key is being able to harness this energy and use it to our benefit. Our goal is to take this energy and convert it into electricity. Once we convert to electricity, this will give us all the residential solar power we will ever need.
Electricity is created by solar panels and converted using photovoltaic cells. The word photovoltaic literally means 'light electricity'. Don't let these big words confuse you, creating solar power for homes is quite simple and anyone can do it.
A solar generator can cost as little as $200 and can pay for itself within the first few weeks that you put it into use. Not to mention the benefits to the environment.
Let me give you an example of a recent solar generator I built. This is what's called a 'portable solar power system' and can be made with only four pieces of material. (solar panel, charge controller, battery and inverter) These supplies can be purchased from any major hardware store and should cost around $200 total. This is one of the most popular systems to build due to the fact that it is 'portable'. Take it wherever you like and you will never have to worry about the lack of electricity again. With a system like this, you should be able to get your investment back in as little as two weeks.
I have cut my electric bill be nearly 85% due to the solar panels I have built. Not to mention that the whole setup cost just under $200. Now how's that for 'going green'.
Anyone can do this, sometimes on a much larger scale. I've have know people who SELL the excess energy that they don't use back to the electric company. So much for being at the mercy of the power company. Now you can actually MAKE money from them.
The idea of making homemade solar power was unheard of 20 years ago, but today is one of the fastest growing trends in the world. With the ever increasing costs of utility bills it just makes sense for someone to use homemade solar power as an alternative energy resource.
