How Can Homeowners Utilize Renewable Energy?

When it comes to energy usage, many homeowners focus on the financial aspects. And while saving energy can save homeowners money on utility bills, there are additional benefits to using energy more wisely. One of these additional benefits is that saving energy is better for the environment. Exploring renewable energy options can not only save homeowners money, but can be eco-friendly as well. So let's take a look at a few easy ways renewable energy can be used in your home.


Install solar panels: A great place to start when exploring renewable energy sources is by installing solar panels. Solar energy is great because as long as the panels have access to the sun, you'll always have energy to use. And did you know that all solar energy users contribute to saving 35 Million Tonnes of carbon dioxide each year? So not only is solar energy easy to use, it's great for the environment. Talk to a local green energy company to learn more about how solar energy can save you money.


Try hydropower: If you live near a running body of water like a stream or river, you may be able to use the flowing water to bring power to your home. You'll have to figure out the best place to divert some of the flowing water through a turbine, which may require the help of a professional. But a hydropower generator can be great for homeowners that are looking for a more reliable source of renewable energy, since hydropower is considered more stable than other sources.


Build a wind turbine: Wind turbines generally require a bit of land in order to function properly -- so if you have a lot of land, wind turbines may be the way to go. However, you need to ensure building a wind turbine on your property is legal in your area, as they can make a lot of noise and may impact other wind turbines nearby. When they're installed properly, wind turbines can fulfill most energy needs and can be fairly easy to manage.


You don't have to jump right into renewable energy, but you can ease your way into it with a small hydropower generator or a few solar panels. Starting small and working with a green energy company can help you make more energy-saving choices at your house.

Do You Know the Uses of These 3 Renewable Energy Options?

All around the world people are utilizing renewable energy options in order to do their part in energy conservation. But how are these renewable energy sources actually used? This article is going to discuss a few of the most common uses of the most common renewable energy sources in use today.

Geothermal: Geothermal energy is derived from the heat of the earth. This heat can be sourced close to the surface or even from reservoirs of hot water miles beneath the surface. This energy is harvested on a large scale by geothermal power plants, which are becoming far more popular with each passing year. However, for smaller buildings, a geothermal heat pump may be used to heat the building and even help keep it cool using the earth's natural energy.

Geothermal energy is also being used to heat water at fish farms, aid with a variety of industrial processes, help to run greenhouses and grow plants, or simply heat commercial buildings and reduce energy use.

Ocean Power: The ocean is able to produce two types of sustainable energy, mechanical energy from the motion of the waves and thermal energy from the sun's heat. Systems that rely on warm water temperatures can easily convert ocean thermal energy into electricity. And ocean mechanical energy utilizes the tides caused by the rotation of the earth and gravity.

Unfortunately, use of ocean energy is limited by geography and regulatory guidelines. However, cold water from the ocean can be used to keep buildings cool and areas near the ocean can utilize the ocean energy for energy needs and power generation.

Hydrogen: Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe but does not actually occur naturally as a gas on earth. However, this element can be found in organic compounds and water. Additionally, hydrogen may also be produced under certain circumstances by some bacteria or algae. Fortunately, this element is high in energy but produces little pollution when burned. But until costs come down and the durability of using hydrogen improves, there will be little commercialization.

Hydrogen is commonly used to refine petroleum, produce fertilizer, treat metals, and process foods. It can also reduce energy costs when it powers marine vessels and remote buildings. Car companies are also experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells, which emit water vapor instead of harmful greenhouse gases, and the first U.S. hydrogen fueling stations are currently being tested in California.

Over half of renewable energy in the U.S. is used for producing electricity, and around 13% of all electricity generation in the U.S. came from renewable energy options in 2015. While this is certainly a great start, more and more people are trying to figure out ways to utilize more renewable energy options. Using renewable energy options can not only save people money on energy costs, but it's better for the planet too.

How Micro Hydro Can Help You Become Energy Independent

Hydropower has been harnessed by mankind dating back to the first waterwheels invented and implemented by the ancient Romans. In 2015, hydropower represented only 6% of the energy generated in the United States and 46% of the power generated by renewable energy sources.
There are many reasons why hydropower is less available than it could be. One of the main reasons is that utility suppliers are still heavily regulated in many states. In deregulated energy states, consumers often have the option of selecting renewable energy sources, using consumer choice to force an energy company to diversify more.
But what can you do if you live in a regulated energy state or your local electricity company has no green options? One good option might be building your own Micro Hydro system.

What is Micro Hydro?
Micro Hydropower is a low-impact form of harnessing moving water to generate enough clean energy to power either a single home or several closely connected modern homes. It works similarly to a conventional hydroelectric system: water passes through a turbine, which spins a generator to produce electricity.

What Do You Need
A sufficiently powerful stream and approval from your local authorities are the first two must-haves for a home micro hydro set. Then comes the matter of the intake, building an inlet for your system which funnels water in from the stream.
Other items you will need are a battery bank, a power inverter, and a transmission line leading to your home or other point of use.

Advantages
The biggest advantage is the regularity of the power source. Unlike solar or wind energy, there are few regular disruptions to the power generating like a cloudy or windless day would be, respectively. This also allows for a smaller battery bank, and more consumptive energy uses.
Another advantage is the price. While the initial cost of setting up a home micro hydro system can range from $1,000 to $20,000, over the life of the unit it will prove to be a cheaper, more reliable method for generating energy.

Drawbacks
Because hydropower is highly site specific, you must not only live in an area with powerful enough streams to spin the turbine, but you must also contend with local regulations, even if you own the land.
There is also the danger of drought or flooding. While drought would render your hydropower system moot, enough flooding could cause severe damage to your equipment.
Sustainable Energy can be hard to find if you don't live in a deregulated energy state. Building your own micro hydro system is just one of the many ways you utilize renewable energy sources to gain energy independence.

3 Great Alternative Energy Sources for Your Home

If you haven't heard, deregulated energy markets are currently sweeping the nation, affording homeowners and businesses the option to choose how they get their power and where it comes from. The deregulation of electricity markets has eliminated the monopoly of municipal entities, giving you more freedom than ever when it comes to your power suppliers. 

The average American home currently used 903 kilowatt hours per month, which results in a bill of $107. You can drastically reduce these monthly  costs by switching to alternative energy sources that both save you money as well as reduce your environmental footprint. Here are three of the best alternative energy sources that you should be considering for your home or business: 

• Solar power. U.S. electricity use in 2013 was a whopping 13 times greater than it was in 1950, and the introduction of solar energy is one of the major reasons that statistic is falling by the year. Alternative electricity companies that offer solar power now have the means to provide affordable solar panels for both homes and businesses due to the decreased costs of the materials used to create them. Since the market was deregulated, you can now even finance or lease solar panels. There has never been a better time to invest in this revolutionary technology. 

• Wind power. One of the oldest and most trusted alternative energy sources on the planet, wind power is making a major comeback since deregulated energy markets began to surface. If you live on at least one acre of land with strong wind resources, you absolutely must consider the benefits of wind power for your home. Conservation groups across the nation continue to support initiatives that lower the cost of wind power systems, and you can save about 90% on your monthly bills once your system is correctly installed. 

• Hydropower. Many homes and businesses are already located in an area that supports hydropower, and the recent deregulation of electricity has now made it possible to utilize this natural resource. One of the largest sources of hydropower in the U.S., the Hoover Dam, is a perfect example of just how inexpensive this technology is. The electricity generated from the Hoover Dam sells as a wholesale price of just 1.6 cents per kilowatt hour, which is exponentially cheaper than most other energy sources. As an added bonus, hydropower is naturally-produced and has almost zero effect on the environment.

Get in touch with alternative electricity suppliers in your area to see what types of alternative energy sources are available for your home or business. The way electricity is used in the U.S. will continue to evolve with each passing year, and you can be one of the first to take advantage of these breakthrough technologies.

New York's Community Choice Aggregation is One Option for Deregulated Energy Markets

Deregulated energy markets can help to lower costs and increase customer service of energy companies and power supplies across this country. Well, where they're legally allowed. Unfortunately, many states are still lagging behind when it comes to deregulated electricity and alternative energy sources. 

One state that does have partially deregulated energy markets, even if many residents are still unaware of it, is New York. In fact, New York recently became the seventh state to implement a community choice aggregation program: Sustainable Westchester Smart Power. 

According to Greentechmedia.com, community choice aggregation (CCA) allows municipalities to buy power in bulk on behalf of their citizens. The goal is to procure cleaner and more sustainable power from renewable energy companies. 

Currently, only about 25% of Westchester County's residents have elected to seek out new sources in the deregulated energy markets. Under this new CCA, the majority of towns in the greater Westchester area (population 800,000 total) will be included in this agreement. Right now, the largest of such CCA programs is in Ohio. 

“As the first community choice aggregation in New York state, Westchester Smart Power holds the potential to transform how consumers purchase, use and choose the energy for their homes and businesses,” Richard Kauffman, chairman of energy and finance for New York state, said in a statement. 

One of the interesting facets of the New York deal is the emphasis on new renewable resources, whereas most deregulated energy markets tend to focus on cost-savings. Average electricity use, which was 13 times more in 2013 than in 1950, costs households approximately $107 per month. In the residential sector, air conditioners account for the biggest use of electricity (19%). 

“If Sustainable Westchester can get private suppliers to bite at a peak demand reduction contract feature, they have created a private-sector solution to a major challenge,” Karl Rabago, executive director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center, said in a statement. “An efficiency solution would address reliability issues, and add substantial economic value with an environmentally beneficial approach.”

How Renewable Energy Could Help Save Our Planet

We always hear about saving the planet and 'going green' and all of those catch phrases that should inspire us to be more careful with the world around us. Recycling is a fantastic way to keep our planet green but it is not the only way that we can be environmentally friendly; renewable energy is also a major source of environmentally friendly elements that can make a real difference to the earth. Let me explain a little bit about what it's all about. 

What is renewable energy? 

This is electricity that is generated from natural and renewable sources. Renewable energy sources are sometimes known as "green energy sources" because of the relatively small effects it has on the environment compared to fossil fuels. A few examples of renewable energy are solar energy, hydroelectricity and wind energy. These are great alternative energy sources for your home and business.

Why is renewable energy better?

Renewable energy companies take the renewable energy and reduce the carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. Reducing what is known as the carbon footprint can also reduce climate change. If we use these green energy sources we can lessen the amount of fossil fuel gas and oil reserves that we use.

How much does a renewable energy cost for me to use?

According to several power companies, if you want to use renewable energy in your home or work, green energy can cut in a little more to your monthly budget.  However, this additional money is used towards environmental projects in the production of the renewable energy. If you look around you should be able to find an option that works best for you. Remember, the amount of energy you can save may make up for any additional green energy costs.

How can I find renewable energy companies?

Renewable energy companies, also known as alternative energy companies, can be found throughout the country.  You can try searching for renewable energy companies that service your area from your favorite search engine.

What are all the renewable energy sources?

Solar energy

Wind energy

Hydroelectricity

Geothermal energy

Bio-diesel

Biomass

Solar energy

Solar energy can be broken down to either electricity or water heating. The electricity portion uses photovoltaic cells and makes for nubile electricity from the sunlight. Solar water heating comes from dark panels that would be installed on the roof to absorb the solar energy and turn it into heat.

Wind energy

Wind turbines are powered by the wind and generate renewable energy in the wind farms. If you want to generate your own energy it is possible to install a small wind turbine on your property.

Hydroelectricity

This kind comes from the power that can come from rivers and the sea. Power plants can dam rivers and put barriers in the sea to capture the power. This one is a little bit controversial as some people believe it is bad for the environment.

Geothermal energy

Heat is used from the earth's core in order to make electricity or heat. Volcanic areas are ideal for producing this type of energy because the heat from the earth's core is the closest to the surface.

Bio diesel 

Using bio diesel could burn less fossil feels even though it does take up a lot of land. Bio diesel is made from natural oils but before it can be used in cars it is mixed with normal diesel fuel.

Biomass

This is the organic matters like crops, manure and even wood.

Overall, renewable energy sources can help reduce our carbon footprint to protect the environment. Taking part in being environmentally friendly can save the planet not just for us and our children but so our children's children can have a nice, loved and functioning place to live for many more years to come.

What Are Some Alternative Electricity Sources?

Electricity is a great expense when it comes to a household, with the average american living in an average home using 903 kilowatt hours per month costing $107. Air conditioning alone uses 19% of that money, which is the largest use of electricity in a U.S. household. There are, however, many alternative electricity companies that can help you find alternative energy sources for your home that are less costly. 

A few energy suppliers are:
Wind
Wind mills or turbines use wind and convert its energy to electricity. Most homes use this electricity to charge batteries that energize the home, this compensates for times when there a minimal winds. Wind is best used for electricity in are where there is naturally a great amount of wind.

Solar
Solar power gives energy during sunny days, and at night or cloudy days a grid is accessed that has stored power for those times. Solar power systems are available for both large and small homes. The grid is normally placed on the roof to receive optimal sunlight.

MicroCHP
Heavy industries often use combined heat and power (CHP) as a source of alternative electricity. The heat from fuels produced by the industry, which is normally vented, is captured by a MicroCHP unit and produces electricity. These units are advancing to combine home electrical generation, home heating, and water heating.

Combustion Engine
Combustion engines fueled by gas, natural gas, propane, or diesel are the least costly to purchase and install. However, to operate them is the most costly source of alternative electric power, which is why they are mainly used for emergency back-up where they may be frequent outages of power.The above stated power suppliers can be provided to you from alternative electricity companies. It is becoming increasingly important to find power companies that will help because electricity use keeps increasing. In fact, in 2013 U.S. electricity use was over 13 times more than 1950 electricity use.

3 Claims About Renewable Energy That Don't Hold Water

Green energy solutions take criticisms on both practical and ideological fronts, and it’s important that environmental advocates be able to engage critics in discussion so that the country as a whole can hasten its development of sustainable energy practices. Here are three myths about renewable energy:

1.     Renewable Energy Is Too Expensive to Be Realistic

The prices of renewable energy production methods are falling and will soon be competitive -- some people also forget to take into account the hidden price tag of non-renewable sources. Air and water pollution, along with their environmental effects can have a cost, even if that cost isn't easily tallied.

2.    Renewable Power Sources Aren’t Reliable

The problem with green energy companies, some doubters say, is that they’ll never be able to consistently meet demand; wind doesn’t always blow, and the sun doesn’t always shine. It’s true that consistency has long been a concern for renewables. But engineers  are tackling  these problems and coming up with better ways to either transmit power across distances in cost-effective ways (to account for regional discrepancies in renewable resources) or store unused power more efficiently for later use.

3.    We Have No Choice Except to Generate More Power

Some people think that our increased use of devices that require power will lead, inevitably, to a model in which we’re constantly consuming more energy and thus needing to generate more power. But this is a model that negates the power of energy efficiency, or using less energy to accomplish the same purpose. The average refrigerator, for example, now uses 75% less energy than the average fridge sold in 1975, despite being 20% larger and costing 60% less.

Good engineering can do more than give us cleaner, green ways of generating our power; it can also help to increase our quality of life while decreasing the amount of energy we consume. You can do your part by figuring out how you use the most energy and then trying to find a more efficient option. Water heating is typically one of the largest energy users in a home, accounting for 14% to 18% of utility bills. So installing tankless water heaters or other efficient appliances could help the planet and your pocketbook simultaneously.

Do you have any thoughts regarding power generation and the future of energy in America? Join the discussion in the comments.