Alternative Energy Technologies are Turning to Efficient, Eco-Friendly Wiring Solutions: Part 1
With dwindling fossil fuel resources becoming increasingly scarce, more countries and households are looking to expand on alternative energy resources as their main source of power. These sources include solar, hydro, and wind power, which are renewable and virtually inexhaustible. As the cost of fossil fuel-based power rises, more people are looking to move “off the grid” by incorporating solar panels onto their homes. These can be used to not only provide electricity, but heated water. Executed through elaborate copper tubing systems that siphon the heat from the panels themselves, this setup can be essential to comfortable living.
While using solar panels as an alternative source of power is an affordable dream, it should be noted that, depending on the amount of energy needed, users will have to give up on running most of their appliances at the same time. Typically, home-based solar systems include several photovoltaic panels, which can be mounted directly on the roof of the dwelling or mounted to motorized sun tracking platforms for greater efficiency. The collected energy, from most renewable sources, is usually stored in battery banks rather than wired directly to the electrical system of the home. Those batteries need to be efficient, so most users and companies turn to deep cycle storage cells (lead-acid) as they are designed to be regularly discharged over long-term usage.
To use that collected solar power in-home, users turn to power inverters that convert the dc current into usable ac to power most appliances. Additional converters can be used to increase the voltage parameters from 120 to 240 V to power water-well pumps and other large-scale devices. The same can be done for wind and hydro, and combinations of both, for even greater efficiency when one or more of the resources are unavailable at any given moment. The companies that manufacture the alternative energy technologies are becoming more eco-conscious and environmentally friendly when designing and manufacturing their products.
Stay tuned for Part 2...