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We live in an age marked by a heightened awareness of environmental issues. Everywhere, there is a conscious effort to switch to alternative modes of power generation that do not pollute the environment, are sustainable and do not rely on the consumption of our already dwindling reserves of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. Wind power, a popular alternative energy, dates back to the time of the early settlers who used the power of the wind for crushing grains with the help of gigantic windmills having ‘sails’ measuring 10 to 20 feet. However, it was not until 1979 when Danish engineers developed petite electricity generators fitted with light PVC blades capable of producing electricity that wind power became practically feasible. Those were the very first “Wind Turbines” which the world saw.

Other nations were quick to follow in the footsteps of the Danish engineers, and soon after their first appearance, wind turbines came up in great numbers all across the US and the UK. Alternative energy such as wind power and solar power made it easy to save on electricity bills and also lessen the dependence on the local utility company or on the grid. However, wind energy also has its fair share of disadvantages. The most critical drawback was due to the unpredictable nature of the wind itself. Inclement weather and low wind speeds often result in severe disruption of power generation by the turbines. The turbines, themselves, contributed to noise pollution in and around the area where they were located and were often dubbed as ‘roaring monsters’. However, use of better bearings and redesigning of the inner mechanism has reduced the noise to a great extent although some ‘wheezing’ still accompanies the turbines spinning at high speed. This is one of the reasons why wind turbines are rarely seen in residential areas.

So much for wind power. Let’s look at another very popular form of alternative energy, viz. solar power. Solar power has had a very curious history of its discovery. Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin of Bell Laboratories accidentally discovered, what is widely regarded as the mother of the modern solar cell, silicon semiconductors which had very strong solar properties while researching on the behavioral pattern of non-metals. Following this seminal discovery, the first solar cell was soon developed and everybody was amazed to find out how effective they were in generating electricity, especially when made to work in clusters. Solar power became an instant hit and caught the people’s imagination like wildfire. Very soon companies and manufacturers everywhere got themselves busy making and installing solar panels all across the land. The US government also encouraged the use of this new technology by staring to offer incentives, grants and rebates for every installation undertaken within the country. Solar power promised a world of benefits to the user. The main benefit came in the form of slashed electricity bills and hassle-free supply of current that needed no raw material or virtually zero maintenance. The only drawback that solar power suffered from was its inability to perform in the absence of the sun, especially after dark.

The unavailability of solar power after dark is a problem that is not completely irresolvable. To ensure uninterrupted power supply for 24 hours, and also to significantly reduce electricity bills one might go for the following setup.

Installing both solar panels and wind turbines for the home offers a foolproof plan to keep you covered for 24 hours. While the solar system generates power during the day, the wind turbines ensure seamless power generation at night.

Install a battery bank with the system as a stand-by unit to work when everything else fails. Batteries can easily store some amount of the generated power that can be used during times when both the systems are unavailable.

Get the system connected to the grid so that all surplus power can be sent back to the grid, helping you make earn from selling power to the utility.

It doesn’t take much to make money from the system. With both units running simultaneously, the consumer will not only need any current from the grid but will also flood it with his or her own generated current.

There is a growing need for solar and wind power for residential use. Their popularity is continuously increasing. Even though there are still a few technical glitches, they are like nothing that cannot be resolved in the near future.

So would you like to set up such a system? Take help from a manual that will help you install it step by step by showing you where to set it up, how to do it, how to wire the system, where to get the parts and the batteries from and will inform you about the safety instructions too. People across the world now know the advantages of installing a solar or a wind power system at home. By doing this you are now only contributing to clean up the environment, but the benefits are financial as well as you can reduce your power bills.