Tuesday 21 February 2012

Great Sustainable Energy Sources for Your Home

You don’t just have to rely on Electricity and Gas to provide a steady stream of reliable energy to your home anymore.
With the advent and improved development of sustainable energy sources there are now ways in which you can generate electricity cheaply, and in some cases even sell surplus electricity back to the electricity suppliers.

Solar Panels
People tend to think you can only use solar panels if you live in a sunny climate but this isn’t necessarily true. Though more sun does subsequently produce more energy your solar panels will still absorb light during the day.
The great thing with solar panels is that the number of panels you have is only limited by the space you have and you don’t have to put them on your roof, although this does mean they are less likely to be shadowed by surrounding objects.
Solar panels produce enough energy to run many household items and many governments now have schemes in place which allow you to sell electricity back to the board for a reduced energy bill.

Wood Burners
Wood burners are great for heating a room or providing energy to heat your water or central heating systems.
They are sustainable as long as the wood you are burning is sourced locally, otherwise the carbon offset is negligible if you start buying wood that has been imported and transported to your location.
The cost of burning wood is much the same as gas, but wood is more sustainable as it can be replaced more quickly than gas sources can.

Wind Turbines
Wind turbines are a good source of energy for those living in relatively windy areas; however, they don’t require you to live in a hurricane zone to make best use of them.
Like solar panels the electricity they generate can be sold back to the electricity board for money off of your energy bill.

Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is a relatively new concept which allows you to collect rain water from your guttering and immediate vicinity of your house. It then stores this water and uses it for activities such as laundry and flushing the toilet.
The rainwater can also be used for irrigation systems and feeding animals.
In some cases it has been used for human drinking water but this not advised (unless it’s an emergency) due to water sanitation requirements.

Whether you want to find a system to reduce your energy bills or do your bit for the world, choosing one of the above systems is now cheaper and easier to do than ever has been.
Solar panels are a great way to create clean energy for your home or business.

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