Welcome to Green Home Energy Today

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Solar Roofing and other Alternative Home Energy

Solar Roofing is Just One Possible Green Home Energy Available Right Now!

We look forward to sharing information and advice about renewable and alternative energy possibilities you can install in your home.  Our focus is on those green energy systems available right now to heat or power your house, everything from condensing boilers that provide ultra high efficiency heating, to solar roofing that can generate electricity, to geothermal heat pumps that can both heat and cool your home.

Many people assume that alternative and renewable home energy has not progressed enough technologically to be effective and worthwhile.  Others who actually looked into green home energy a few years back are still under the assumption that the possibilities will not be efficient or durable, or will be eye-sores.  Most people don’t realize the incredible acceleration in the types of renewable technology available now to heat, cool, or power the home.  For example, geothermal home heating and cooling systems can now be installed for single homes and without too much excavation.  Also, with the advent of thin film solar roofing, a roof made of solar cells can look great and be highly efficient.  And how many people know about the new generation of very elegant wind turbines which look great, are not that large, and can lower electric bills.

If you have been holding out and hoping that renewable energy technologies became more efficient, cheaper to install, or more widely available, you might be surprised to find out how many of these alternative green choices are available to you right now!

This site is arranged as follows:

- Up-to-date information and advice about renewable and alternative energy possibilities will be posted on this page

- Information about the costs of green home energy is provided here

- A comprehensive listing of the types of renewable energy technologies available now is here

- Future possibilities in the green home energy market are covered here

- We also have a section about green cars here

Thank you for visiting, and please feel free to ask questions or share your own experience with any renewable or alternative energy technology for your own home!

 

Waves as a renewable energy source

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There is one alternative source of energy that never stops, is incredibly powerful, and covers 2/3 of our planet. This renewable source of energy exists near millions of people worldwide, and yet we have not been very effective at tapping into it. The alternative energy source in question: Waves. Of all the types of home renewable energy we cover, waves seem to have the most power and yet this power is incredibly elusive. Why?

Prior attempts to generate wave power have failed because of several problems:

1. Using waves as an alternative “fuel” is tricky because of transmission problems – how to get the alternative power generated to the homes in need.
2. Using Waves to produce energy is hard because of frequent storms and the general unpredictability of the ocean
3. The actual technology involved in capturing wave power as a green energy has not been perfected

None of these difficulties is insurmountable, and it is possible that waves will become a renewable energy source at some point. The regular ocean currents under the water as well as the waves on top are naturally powerful and always moving. Even more regular than the wind and the sun, waves could provide a green home energy that sustains large swaths of home near the ocean!

Costs of Micro-Hydro Elecric – an Example

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The following is an example of how you can examine the costs of almost any alternative and renewable energy source for your home.  We use micro hydro because it is a green home energy source where many numbers are “known”, but there are also the usual challenges when figuring out cost.

Calculating the costs of micro hydro power, and whether this renewable home energy will benefit you and your family is actually quite easy. The current cost involved in installing a micro hydro alternative energy system range from 1,200 to $1,600 for each kilowatt you need to pull out of the system. In other words, if you need an average of 10 kilowatts of power for your home, your system will cost between $12-16,000.

This initial investment may sound high, but don’t forget that after installation the flowing water that powers the system is free. Assuming the system will last for 25 years and provide all your electric needs, you can figure out when the green home energy system will pay for itself and generate a “profit” for you and your family.

So, here’s the math:

- If your electric bill is usually $300 per month and you install micro hydro at your home:

- You save $300 per month using the renewable home energy source instead of conventional electric

- You spent $14,000 on the green system

- It will take approximately 47 months for the micro hydro system to pay for itself.

- So, after just under 4 years, your renewable home energy investment is paying off by saving you about $3600 per year.

Micro hydro is a worthwhile investment in alternative home energy for the money you can save, and saving electricity is also good for our environment and reduces your carbon footprint.

Wind Power co-ops growing in popularity

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In many parts of the globe a new way of tapping into alternative energy that saves money and reduces energy usage has sprouted.  The renewable source for this new method is nothing new: Wind Power.  Yet the way it is sold and distributed is innovative – and also so simple and attractive that it is suddenly growing in popularity.

The combination of more consumers realizing the incredible effectiveness and potential of wind energy, along with a rise in fuel prices, has created more interest in wind power in general.  But as a renewable home energy source, this type of energy has always had a huge disadvantage since wind turbines take up a lot of space and can be unsightly.  More consumers would not want to put a wind turbine in their own back yard, and rooftop wind turbines have never generated enough energy to be a complete solution.

But what about a wind turbine or several wind turbines in a nearby field or clearing in the woods that no one uses?  Cooperative business models, where neighbors pay for the installation and then get the benefits of a wind turbine that everyone shares, have become a solution.  The turbine can be placed out of the way, not near any popular sight lines, and still provide alternative energy to each home that is part of the wind co-op.

Wind co-ops break down the main barriers to this incredibly promising and effective means of producing green energy for the home.

Condensing Boilers 101

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A condensing boiler is an innovative furnace or boiler that is able to recoup energy that conventional furnaces and boilers lose.  Most boilers allow the heat that it produced in the process of burning gas or oil to escape, treating it like a byproduct.  Condensing boilers, on the other hand, capture this excess heat energy that is in the form of water vapor.

Condensing Boilers have taken many parts of Europe by storm, replacing “conventional” boilers and furnaces. In the US people are now beginning to realize the potential of condensing boilers as a home alternative energy source – nor a renewable energy source because they do burn oil or gas, but an alternative that saves money and reduces the home’s carbon footprint.

Condensing Boilers are costly and may require and initial investment of 40-50% more than a conventional boiler when installation costs are factored in.  With the typical savings you will gain from a Condening Boiler you will start to recover that cost – and begin truly a lot of saving money – in about 2-4 years.

Micro CHP – Can Run on Renewable Fuels

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Micro CHP systems often run on non-renewable fuels such as oil and gas.  Even then we do consider this a “green” home energy because micro-chp is so efficient through trapping heat that is normally lost when electricity is produced.  These systems, even when running on traditional vs. renewable fuels save money, reduce carbon footprints, and use less fuel than other systems,

But few people realize that Micro CHP systems can also be run on renewable energy sources, making them the best of both worlds – using alternative fuels in an incredibly efficient manner.  Thus a micro CHP system could be run on any one of:

- biomass or woodgas
- rooftop solar arrays
- biodiesel
- rooftop or larger wind turbine power

Micro CHP is already becoming popular as a green home energy possibility, even on traditional fuel sources, but as the cost of renewable technologies goes down and alternative energy technologies become more efficient, the popularity of home micro chp systems could rise even further.

Myths about micro hydro power

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What have you heard about micro hydro power? Chances are, someone may have led you wrong, so here are some explanations of some common misconceptions about micro hydro energy:

- It takes a large brook or stream to produce enough force to generate the power you will need.

False: Many small streams are suitable if the water flow is constant and there are some small to medium sized drops in height you can take advantage of.

- You have to build you micro hydro system in a pool of water, often referred to as a “reservoir”.

False. Micro hydro systems are often built in what’s called a “run-of-river” system. This leads to almost no environmental impact.

- Micro hydro generation will damage your local ecosystem by interfering with the natural flow f the stream or brook.

False. See the “run of the river” explanation above. This allows fish through, and does not affect water levels.

- Electricity generated through micro hydro is unreliable

False. In short, newer and more advanced systems are able to capture and store excess energy for times when the flow of the water subsides

These are just a few of the falsehoods that may have led you to hesitate to bring micro hydro power to your home. It’s worth looking into developing a system, and your local installer can give you more information about the costs to build and maintain on your property.

Benefits of Geothermal and Ground Source Heat

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While we are on the topic of Ground Source or Geothermal Heating and Cooling, we thought we’d list the some of the benefits of Ground Source Heat Pumps:

- Ground Source Heat Pump systems are very quiet and can both heat and cool your home

- Ground Source Heat Pumps have no flammable or corrosive fuels, and no exposed moving or hot parts that could hurt children or pets

- These geothermal energy systems reduce your “carbon footprint” and our reliance on fossil fuels.

- Ground Source Heat pumps are the same size or smaller (esp. if you use a conventional oil system with a tank) than conventional systems

- There may be tax incentives that your state or the federal government will give you for installing a geothermal energy system.

- Ground source Heat Pumps can save you 20-30% on your hot water bill by preheating water underground.

- These geothermal home energy systems are durable and have little cost of upkeep – some installers are giving 40-75 year warranties

- You may even be able to get a grant, or be a geothermal home demonstration project and get some of your costs paid.

This is by no means an exhaustive list pf the benefits of ground source heat pumps for home geothermal energy, but as you can see it may be worth you while to look into this alternative “green” source of energy today.

Parts of a Ground Source Heat Pump

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Ground source heat pumps heat pumps are quite simple and have basically only three parts:

1. The ground source heat exchanger which is a system of pipes called a loop, which is buried in the shallow ground near the house.

2. The geothermal heat pump unit, which, like a furnace, pumps the hot or cooled air into the…

3. …air delivery system, which is made up of your existing ductwork.

The heat exchanger (or pipes) are filled with fluid (depending where you live either water or a mixture of water and antifreeze) which circulates through the pipes to absorb heat or “exchange” it back into the ground.

As you can see, ground source heat pumps can bring natural geothermal heating and cooling to your home through a system as simple as the science they are based on. If you are in the United States, geothermal heating systems are practical, available, and effective almost anywhere.

Your geothermal heating system installer can tell you how much it will cost to install a ground source heat pump system at your house, and the price will often reflect the costs associated with parts 1 and 3 above. The cost of laying the pipe can depend in things like how much ledge there is and how deep they need to go, but it is usually not expensive. The cost of adding to your ductwork is often minimal, but can be more expensive if your house is older.

Good luck on your journey toward getting ground source heat and cooling.  Geothermal heating for your home is less expensive and easier than you probably imagined!

Measuring advances in Renewable Home Energy through warranties

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There are many people who previously shied away from green home energy systems for their home because they were afraid of the systems’ durability.  As you can see from our costs of green home energy page, renewable energy systems are almost always worthwhile because they pay for themselves after only a few years.  That said, if the home alternative energy system itself does not last that long, or needs expensive repairs in between, it may not be worth it.  Luckily what we have seen recently is dramatic improvements in the length of warranties on green home energy systems, from 20-30 year warranties on the expensive parts of geothermal systems to 10-15 year warranties on solar roofs.  These lengths of protection were unheard of just a few years ago, and are not merely a random decision by renewable energy companies but rather a reflection of the companies’ confidence in the durability of the technology itself.

These advances in the durability of renewable energy systems for the home are a pleasant surprise.  It could have been too easy for companies in this sector to busy themselves chasing the next big thing in green home energy, yet they took a step back and worked on reliability and durability as well.  So now when you figure your costs of anything from a simple choice like Micro-CHP, to omething more complicated like micro-hydro, you can be assured that the system will either last long enough to pay for itself and then save you money, or someone will come out and fix it.

Warranties may not be a completely foolproof way to measure the durability of alternative and renewable energy systems for your home, but they certainly give an excellent estimate of how confident the company is in their product.  If you looked into green home energy before but had concerns about durability, it may be time to look again!