Alternative energy sources for the house with their own hands. Types and problems of alternative energy sources

Tariffs for "classic" energy carriers (gas, coal, gasoline, oil) are steadily increasing day by day. And this is understandable. After all, mankind has long traditionally used non-renewable sources of energy. And there are a lot of them in nature, but still a limited number. Someday there will come a time when they run out. And you have to switch, at least on a private level, to something else. To make alternative sources of energy for the house by oneself is the best option for a private entrepreneur, a small building owner or a compact production that does not require huge energy costs.

Forecasts of economists and scientists

Some scientists warn: the natural resources used by mankind may not be enough for representatives of today's living generations, not to mention descendants! It is estimated that in modern conditions an ordinary family spends on paying for light, heating, gasoline for a car up to 40 percent of its budget. And according to modest forecasts of economists, this share can grow to 70%! Therefore, for many representatives of the so-called middle class (and not only), alternative energy sources for the house, created by oneself, are an excellent and very economical way out of the current situation.

Most Popular

In fact, almost any natural factor can be converted into energy. For example, wind, sun, water force, heat of the earth's interior, decomposition of biomass. The most popular use of alternative sources of energy of the sun and wind. However, this issue has not been sufficiently developed at the legislative level. Theoretically, all resources belong to the state. Therefore, using such types of alternative energy sources as wind power or solar radiation, you will most likely have to pay a tax.

Wind

People use this kind of energy for a long time (a vivid example - windmills, which existed in ancient times). Forty years ago wind power plants began to be actively built. Alternative sources of energy for the house, created by oneself (mini wind generators), as a rule, consist of special blades for catching wind connected to the generator directly or via a reducer. It should be borne in mind that such a device is effective only in the area where there are constant winds (for example, on the sea coast). Also it must be remembered that windmills will be effective only at a mast height of fifteen meters (which is quite problematic in the private sector).

Varieties

There are slow-running windmills. They are designed for wind speeds up to six meters per second and are characterized by the presence of a multitude of blades (sometimes up to thirty). Such devices are low-noise, run and with a gentle wind, but they have a low efficiency with a fairly large sail. High-speed windmills use wind up to fifteen meters per second. They have three or four blades, they are noisy enough to work and have high efficiency. Of all species, they are the most common in the world. Rotary wind generators have the appearance of a barrel with a vertical arrangement of blades. They do not require orientation to the wind, but they have the lowest efficiency.

How to use

Install windmills as alternative energy sources with their own hands is fairly straightforward. First, it is necessary to mark the place for the mast in the yard or in a convenient place on the site where the wind constantly blows (having analyzed the location in advance). It is required to lay a solid foundation, so that the high (better - more than 15 meters) mast firmly held on the ground. A wind turbine (or several instruments) should be selected for high-speed operation. You can buy in the store, and those who have "correctly grown" hands, do it yourself according to the corresponding drawings. Such information is now quite a lot in the media and special literature.

Advice

Choose the option that, according to users, will seem the most reliable and feasible in operation. At the time of connecting the car, as experience shows, it is better to call a professional electrician. He is sure to tell how your windmill is connected correctly, even if there is a self-instruction manual and instructions. And more: in order to supply from this energy a few lights and appliances (for example, a TV or a computer), it will be necessary to install several windmills at once. So think, how much you can afford it. Do not forget about the basic condition - the presence of a constantly blowing wind. After all, installing a wind generator in a dense forest, as they say, is a waste of time and money. Actually, windmills as alternative sources of energy to make and install in a private house with their own hands seems quite possible both financially and physically.

The sun

His energy is truly inexhaustible. And also quite promising in use. All of us saw on the TV the European variants of the "smart house", where heating, lighting, and heating of water are produced by using solar energy. It is interesting that in one year, so much sun radiation hits the surface of the soil and water, that it (if fully used to generate energy) would be enough for all mankind for many thousands of years! It remains, as usual, only to take what is "lying" underfoot. And it does not happen so easy. The hitch lies in the rather low efficiency of photovoltaic converters and solar installations invented by mankind. But in this direction constant work of scientists is conducted.

Solar installations

Such high-tech devices as solar alternative energy sources for the house, by their own hands, can, of course, be possible (and even necessary). Just get ready for what it will be, most likely, not so easy, and without certain skills or specialist's help is indispensable!

For heating water

The most suitable and simple use of devices is for heating water. Separate direct and indirect heating. To the direct include a variety of greenhouses, tanks for heating water in the sun, hotbeds, glazed loggias, verandas, for example. This type of heating allows the use of free solar energy to produce heat in any convenient place: on the roof, in any open space. As the coolant, non-freezing liquids (antifreeze) are used, and subsequent energy transfer occurs in heat exchangers-accumulators. Of these, water is also taken for heating and domestic needs.

It is interesting

By the way, there is a children's designer "Alternative energy sources" ("Expert"), which allows to collect up to 130 projects. Children aged five years also can join the creation of windmills, use mechanical, water, solar energy to generate electricity.

Solar panels

The development of alternative energy sources led to the creation of solar batteries as the most effective way of using solar radiation. This kind of panel is a system of semiconductors that convert solar energy into electricity. Such systems provide an uninterrupted and reliable, cost-effective supply of a private house with electricity. They are especially effective in hard-to-reach areas. For example, in the mountains, where there are many sunny days a year, and the "official" supply of electricity is missing or irregular. Or in an area where there are frequent interruptions in the supply of electricity from the main source.

Installation Advantages

This installation has the following advantages:

• Does not require laying the cable to the supports, which significantly reduces the cost of production;
• Minimizes the cost of installing and maintaining batteries;
• Ecological cleanliness of extracted energy;
• Low weight of solar panels;
• Uttermost noiselessness during operation;
• Quite a long period of use.

disadvantages

The problems of alternative energy sources, such as solar panels, are:

• In a laborious assembly process;
• In that they take up a lot of space;
• Sensitive to mechanical damage and pollution;
• Do not function at night;
• Their effectiveness strongly depends on the sunny or cloudy weather.

Installation

Alternative energy sources - solar batteries - are mounted with certain skills easily enough. First, you need to select the necessary materials for the design. We need qualitative photocells (from mono- or polycrystalline silicon). It is better to take those whose work is effective and in cloudy weather - polycrystals easily accessible in the set. We buy cells for one manufacturer, so that everything is compatible and interchangeable. Also, conductors connecting photocells will be needed. The case is made of aluminum corners. Its dimensions are determined by the number of cells. For external coating - plexiglass. For fastening to the roof of the house we use self-tapping screws. For soldering wires - an ordinary soldering iron. In general, nothing "military". With the help of a good instruction, usually attached to the set, you can figure it out yourself. In case of emergency, invite a neighbor to help in the dacha.