6 Off Grid Electricity Systems and Solutions

1. Residential Solar Panels

Every ray of sunlight that falls on your roof equates to free electricity. To capture it, all you need is a solar panel. And, because of the tax credit, many homeowners are getting in on the act.

Only professionals should install solar panels, and many installers will conduct a no-obligation survey of your home to determine the best installation sites and provide an estimate.

Some homeowners may even be able to install solar shingles, which provide a more streamlined appearance.

Photovoltaic panels, which convert sunlight to electricity, are used to harness solar energy.

• Pros: Solar energy is the most practicable of the three primary sources of off-grid energy because it requires the fewest particular conditions to function. All you need is an area that is moderately sunny. Most places on the planet qualify.

• Cons: Due to the expensive cost of equipment, solar gives the least electrical bang for your money (setup cost/kilowatt hour of production). It's also a sporadic source of energy. When cloudy days and nights are included in, your system will use the sun's energy for less than half of the time. This necessitates the use of a backup generator and battery bank.

Wind Turbines

To generate enough green energy for your home, you don't need the massive turbines seen on wind farms. A propeller as little as a garbage can lid can significantly reduce your home's energy expenditures if put in sufficiently windy location.

Professional installation is essential in this case, both to assure the turbine's safety and to position it where the wind would reach it. And, as with solar panels, when you generate electricity from wind turbines, you must use it or lose it.

Using a turbine and generator, wind energy converts the movement of air into electricity. Wind drives the turbine's blades, causing the internal generator to spin and produce electricity, which is then delivered into the energy-demanding system.

• Pros: Wind power has lower setup costs than solar, putting it right at the center of the pack in terms of initial investment.
• Cons: Many locations aren't windy enough to allow the system to function properly. Turbulence, commonly known as "dirty wind," is an issue. Even if your area is quite windy, it will not help if the wind drifts wildly rather than blowing in a consistent direction. Wind turbines require a vast amount of open space to function effectively. Wind energy, like solar energy, is not constant.

Micro-Hydro Energy

Micro-hydro energy functions similarly to wind energy in that it uses naturally existing motion to spin a turbine, converting movement into power. The flow of water is the motion in this situation.

• Pros: Micro-hydro generates the highest amount of electricity per monetary investment. It is also a continual energy source, as long as there is a source of water.

• Cons: The main drawback is the scarcity of viable locations. Only a few areas on the planet have enough water volume and "head" (the distance the water lowers vertically over a given horizontal distance) to supply a considerable amount of energy.