| If you are thinking about making your own clean | | | | grid-connected system allows you to sell any |
| electricity, there are a few things you need to | | | | excess power you produce back to your power |
| consider before you begin your project. | | | | provider and so is a credit against your power bill. |
| Generating electricity using your own small | | | | Most people opt to connect their solar or wind |
| renewable energy system such as with a set of | | | | systems to the grid. A renewable energy system |
| Solar Panels, can suite the ecological values and | | | | would then be used to supply some or all of your |
| budgets of some home, farms and small-business | | | | electricity needs depending on your usage at |
| owners. Large corporations have already seen the | | | | certain times of the day or even year. |
| value of the savings to be made with alternative | | | | The typical renewable energy technologies |
| energy and are going green by installing solar and | | | | available for use today are, solar panel, wind |
| wind power solutions. Although it can take time to | | | | power, micro-hydro power and hybrid solar/wind |
| research, select and buy a system, more and | | | | systems. Of these, solar and wind are the most |
| more people enjoy the independence they gain by | | | | reliable and worth considering, as hydro systems |
| going green and enjoy the knowledge that their | | | | can be restricted by your location and even local |
| actions are helping the environment. | | | | water laws. While solar and wind are free to all, |
| Basically there are two approaches or systems to | | | | there may still be zoning and construction laws |
| alternative power solutions. | | | | you need to consider, for instance a wind turbine |
| Off Grid Systems - This is where your power | | | | tower may have height or local council restrictions. |
| system is totally independent from any main | | | | Before you purchase and install a small renewable |
| power supply. People, especially those in remote | | | | energy system, you should also analyse your |
| areas, generate electricity from their own | | | | electricity loads to see what your electricity needs |
| systems instead of electricity supplied to them by | | | | are and check if it economically feasible. |
| electricity providers. These are called stand-alone | | | | If you're designing a new home, you have the |
| or off-grid systems and need to be well thought | | | | ideal opportunity to work with the builder and |
| out to reliably provide the required power needs | | | | your contractor to incorporate a small renewable |
| of the average home or farm. A business that | | | | energy system into your house design. Applying |
| relies on reliable uninterrupted power may have an | | | | "passive solar" heating, and energy efficient design |
| even bigger challenge. While it may be easy to | | | | is much cheaper than retro fitting. Applying |
| simply use a diesel generator, more people and | | | | "green" ideals at this point can save you a lot of |
| farms are turning to alternative generating | | | | money on heating & cooling in the future. |
| systems or hybrid systems. | | | | However, if you are like the majority of people |
| Grid Connected - This is where you combine your | | | | and are happy with where you live, you have a |
| own alternative power generation with a | | | | couple of choices - pay a lot of money for a "off |
| connection to "the grid" to either top up your | | | | the shelf" solar system - or go DIY and build it |
| needs or sell power back to the grid. A | | | | yourself. |