Alternative Power - What Are My Choices?

We live in a day of information overload. Trying to sort through all that information is a constant challenge. No matter what you are looking for you will find some of it reliable, some not. I have been trying to decide which type of alternative power is best for me, and for the environment.

Everyone I know has an opinion and all too often they seem to conflict! So how do I know which advice to take? I don't have all the answers but in this article I'm going to give a brief overview of the two most common and inexpensive types of alternative energy sources available today. My suggestion is that you seek to get all the facts, verify them and then make a choice that fits your situation.

Solar power and wind power are the two most common forms of energy available for household use today. The technological advances that have been made over the last few decades has finally made it possible for the average homeowner to benefit by using these energy sources.

Solar energy is power from the sun, and it is collected by specially designed panels. That energy is converted into electricity and stored for later use. Another use of solar energy is to use it to heat water to provide the hot water instead of using an electrical hot water service. Solar panels and solar hot water tanks can be mounted right on your roof.

While solar energy is a free, clean, and renewable source of energy it does have it's drawbacks.

The most obvious, is that it needs sun. That means you will not generate electricity on cloudy days or at night.

Wind power is harnessed by wind turbines that turn that energy into electricity and store it in batteries for later use. However, you need wind in order to make the turbines work, and some places get more than others. What it has over solar power is that you can generate wind power day or night, whenever there is wind.

Both of these methods can help cut down your reliance on your utility company, but it will probably not allow you to be totally self sufficient. Depending on where you live you may find that your best alternative power source is a combination of both solar and wind power. Whatever source you pick, the savings will continue for years to come and that will add up to a lot of money.