Are Alternative Energy Homes The Future?

What mail do you hate the most living in a western modern world today? Chances are that you hate your monthly bills. What do hate even more? You probably hate seeing these bills getting higher each and every month. But what can you do about it; you need electricity, water, gas and heat. You would not be living a comfortable live in a western modern society without your lights, air-conditioning, TV, microwave, dishwasher and all other appliances that make your live enjoyable.

You could decide not to pay these bills, but that will not resolve the problem. You can even reduce the number of appliances used to a minimum and not heat you're your home. If you live on your own that would not be problem, but if you're a part of a family these drastic measures will not make you popular. Lucky for you there are alternatives. Today there houses available known as alternative energy homes.

These are houses that use today's technology to provide you with free electricity and heat. That doesn't sound great, it is! These homes convert power from different natural processes into electricity and heating. Alternative energy homes make use of sunlight, wind and biomass fuel to power their energy needs. Let's look at how they do this.

First let's look at solar power. Solar power can be used for heat and for electricity. To produce electricity the solar panels are placed on the roof of the house. These panels consist of photovoltaic cells that can convert sunlight directly into electricity. A modern pv cell can convert almost 80% of the sunshine into electricity. But what happens at night? The electricity that is converted during the day is stored into batteries. This allows you to use solar electricity when ever you need it, day or night.
Another step further is the use of turbines. The sun's heat is then used to turn water into steam that runs turbines. The turbines then run generators, which produce electricity for the entire alternative energy home!
To heat a home a solar panel can be installed on the roof where water is heated. The hot water is then stored in a big tank which in turn is used for a central heating system and also for hot running water.
Another way to heat your home is to use solar collectors. The heat from the sun is then stored in special collectors. These systems are very effective. Some have even shown the capability to heat alternative energy homes in the middle of winter!

Second is wind power. To use wind power a windmill-type device is installed on the house or nearby. The wind-mill powers a turbine. This turbine produces the necessary electricity. And what happens when there is no wind? Just as with solar power, the energy is stored into batteries. These batteries ensure you with enough electricity.

By converting these widely available energy sources you can save a lot of money. The only upset is that you need to invest in equipment to convert these sources into the energy needed. This can be a substantial investment. In different countries and in the US you can receive tax credits or other tax benefits to reduce the total investment. But if you think of the alternative energy home as an investment you can't go wrong. The price for your home will go up and your expenses are reduced and that's what every home owner wants, increase the market value and reduce costs. Thus, your new energy provider is the future in more ways than one.

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