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Authors: Terri Reid
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www.windsolarenergy.org ) that show you how much solar or wind power you can expect. In some cases, you might need to use a combination in order to live off-grid.
Geothermal heat pumps use much less energy than conventional heating systems, since they draw heat from the ground and only have to potentially bring the temperature up several degrees. For example, with other heat sources, you have to maintain the fuel source to reach the internal home temperature of your choice. With geothermal, your heat source is already at 60°F and so only has to be heated another ten or so degrees to reach your comfort level. The same is true for air conditioning, where the 60°F temperature can bring your home down to the level you desire without using excess energy. Geothermal heat systems can also heat your home’s hot water.
Since the first geothermally generated electricity in the world was produced at Larderello, Italy, in 1904, the use of geothermal energy for electricity has grown worldwide to about 7,000 megawatts in twenty-one countries around the world. The United States alone produces 2,700 megawatts of electricity from geothermal energy. Using that amount of electricity is comparable to burning 60 million barrels of oil each year. Source: http://geothermal.marin.org/pwrheat.html .
Solar Power
There are two different kinds of solar energy—passive and active. Passive solar energy means you are not using any mechanical devices to harness the energy of the sun. For example, using south-facing windows to provide natural light would be passive solar energy. Having a sunroom with a brick floor that would absorb the heat during the day and release it at night is another example. Even heating the water in a swimming pool in the sun is an example. When you build your home, you will want to take advantage of passive solar energy because it is a free gift from the sun.
Active solar energy uses mechanical devices in the collection, storage, and distribution of solar energy for your home. Active solar energy works by taking energy from the sun and, using solar panels, converts that energy into electricity. A component called an inverter works with the solar panels to convert the electricity from your panels into AC (alternating current) electricity. This electricity can be used right away or stored in a battery array in your home for future use.
There are five main components to an off-grid solar electric system:
Solar panels: may also be referred to as PV panels or modules. PV is short for photovoltaic (“light-powered”). A group of PV panels is called an array.
Mounting rack: metal support structures that hold an array of solar panels in a tilted position facing the sun. There are some mounting racks that can track the movement of the sun and shift the panels to collect as much energy as possible.
Charge controller: monitors and manages the electricity between the solar panels and the battery array.
Battery array or battery bank: a group of batteries, wired together, to capture the energy captured by the solar panels. These batteries can then be drawn on for electrical use.
Inverter: changes the battery power to AC power for everyday electrical use.
You will need to determine your power consumption before you can get started with any type of solar installation.
The idea of solar energy has been around for quite a while. A Swiss scientist, Horace de Saussure, invented the world’s first solar energy collector or “hot box” in 1767. In the 1830s, British astronomer John Herschel used a solar energy collector box to cook food during an expedition to Africa. Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his experiments with solar energy and photovoltaics.
Wood Burning
Mankind has been using wood for fuel ever since fire was invented. Burning wood can be an inexpensive way to heat your home. However, you need to be sure you have a source for the wood you want to use. Does your land have several acres of hardwood? A good
Geothermal heat pumps use much less energy than conventional heating systems, since they draw heat from the ground and only have to potentially bring the temperature up several degrees. For example, with other heat sources, you have to maintain the fuel source to reach the internal home temperature of your choice. With geothermal, your heat source is already at 60°F and so only has to be heated another ten or so degrees to reach your comfort level. The same is true for air conditioning, where the 60°F temperature can bring your home down to the level you desire without using excess energy. Geothermal heat systems can also heat your home’s hot water.
Since the first geothermally generated electricity in the world was produced at Larderello, Italy, in 1904, the use of geothermal energy for electricity has grown worldwide to about 7,000 megawatts in twenty-one countries around the world. The United States alone produces 2,700 megawatts of electricity from geothermal energy. Using that amount of electricity is comparable to burning 60 million barrels of oil each year. Source: http://geothermal.marin.org/pwrheat.html .
Solar Power
There are two different kinds of solar energy—passive and active. Passive solar energy means you are not using any mechanical devices to harness the energy of the sun. For example, using south-facing windows to provide natural light would be passive solar energy. Having a sunroom with a brick floor that would absorb the heat during the day and release it at night is another example. Even heating the water in a swimming pool in the sun is an example. When you build your home, you will want to take advantage of passive solar energy because it is a free gift from the sun.
Active solar energy uses mechanical devices in the collection, storage, and distribution of solar energy for your home. Active solar energy works by taking energy from the sun and, using solar panels, converts that energy into electricity. A component called an inverter works with the solar panels to convert the electricity from your panels into AC (alternating current) electricity. This electricity can be used right away or stored in a battery array in your home for future use.
There are five main components to an off-grid solar electric system:
Solar panels: may also be referred to as PV panels or modules. PV is short for photovoltaic (“light-powered”). A group of PV panels is called an array.
Mounting rack: metal support structures that hold an array of solar panels in a tilted position facing the sun. There are some mounting racks that can track the movement of the sun and shift the panels to collect as much energy as possible.
Charge controller: monitors and manages the electricity between the solar panels and the battery array.
Battery array or battery bank: a group of batteries, wired together, to capture the energy captured by the solar panels. These batteries can then be drawn on for electrical use.
Inverter: changes the battery power to AC power for everyday electrical use.
You will need to determine your power consumption before you can get started with any type of solar installation.
The idea of solar energy has been around for quite a while. A Swiss scientist, Horace de Saussure, invented the world’s first solar energy collector or “hot box” in 1767. In the 1830s, British astronomer John Herschel used a solar energy collector box to cook food during an expedition to Africa. Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his experiments with solar energy and photovoltaics.
Wood Burning
Mankind has been using wood for fuel ever since fire was invented. Burning wood can be an inexpensive way to heat your home. However, you need to be sure you have a source for the wood you want to use. Does your land have several acres of hardwood? A good
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