Generating green energyGenerating green energy

Nowadays it has become easier for people to generate their own alternative energy. Not to mention that traditional forms of energy might run out, such as coal or fuel. That is why scientists try to come up with new and better ways to generate energy. Tesla Battery Powerwall, for example, charges using electricity generated from solar panels. However, the price is a bit high and there are still changes to be made in order to be used on a daily basis. The pros are stable energy price, low greenhouse gas emissions, reliability and continual source of energy.

Generating your own electricity can be suitable depending on your location and situation, and there are a number of small scale technologies available: Micro-hydro systems Solar PV systems Small wind turbinesThe alternatives that you can use are grid connected system, stand-alone power systems and generation technologies.

In the case of Powerwall, you need a battery, but if you use a grid connected system you dont need it. The electricity grid acts as a battery but it isnt a free service. You will buy electricity from the grid at retail prices, but generally get less than retail for excess electricity you sell back into the grid. However, it is the electricity retailer that decides the amount of electricity that you sell back, as well as the price for the buy back. Another downside is thata stand-alone power systemcan cost as much $25,000 per kilometre.The alternative to this is a stand-alone power system. This type of system uses a combination of renewable generation sources, a battery bank, smart controller/inverter and often some kind of back-up like a diesel generator.Solar PV, micro hydro and small wind turbine are technologies that you can use .

Micro-hydro systemsfor houses and buildings are less than 5kW, and in many cases less than 1kW. Small-scale hydro is best suited to rural areas on streams or waterways that flow all year round. The more vertical distance you have between the the sourcewhere you take the water and the turbine is locatation of the turbine, the more electricity you can generate.Solar PVsystems convert solar energy to electricity. Arrays of solar PV (PhotoVoltaic) panels can be sized to suit the space available, for example on the rooftop. Domestic PV systems tend to be in the 1 to 3 kW range, with each kW covering an area of roughly eight square meters.In order to make such a design you can either usea specialised software thatallows you to perform the entire process from the preliminary assessment of producibility to the realization of the project documentation or you can buyTeslas battery, Powerwall. A third option would be to make a diy project. You can make it by following the Tesla Battery example, but instead of using the Powerwall you can use a 12 V sealed Lead-acid battery.Array Specs: 3 x 45 Watt solar panels Morningstar Sunsaver Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) 12 V sealed Lead-acid battery 12 V cigarette lighter 12 V load (little light or an old computer fan)

You can do this in four steps:1. Assembling the pieces the cells will be attached to a non-conductive material.2. Connecting the cells solder the cells but remeber to leave an inch between them by using bus wire.3. Wiring your panel first connect the final bus wire to a diode, then connect the wires, and last step connect your panel to a charge controller4. Mounting your panels you can mount the pannel on various places. If you insert the pannel into a box and place pexiglass on top, you can even mount it on a cart.Tip:work safely and ask the assistance of a specialist for safety concerns.Small wind turbinesare suitable if you are in a location with consistent, strong wind. Otherwise, you might not get the amount of energy that you need.Using green energy is not just a trend but it is a responsible way to limitate the pollution and to help mainain a clean environment. It is our responsability to educate our children and grand children to protect and respect the nature, and to build a future that is safe.