|
News & Info
|
 |
 |
Seller Signup...
Quality Service, Seller or Tradesperson? Sign Up Now!
|
|
Home & Garden Articles
Live In A Solar Powered House With No Electric Bill, I Did It.
Tue 11 Mar 2008 - 10:42
Live In A Solar Powered House With No Electric Bill, I Did It.
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mark_Allen_Thomas]Mark Allen Thomas
Greetings
My interest in solar power began in 1998 when I began studying the feasibility
of building a home on my vacant land in southern Colorado. It was a beautiful
lot and I really wanted to get out of the big city and move to a more remote area.
I bought a tiny camping trailer for $400 and brought it to my property so that I
could come visit on weekends. The more I came to my land, the more I wanted to get out of
the city and permanently and relocate to this beautiful, quiet place; I could hardly wait
for the day that I could go there to live.
The was one problem with my lot. There were no utilities close enough to tap into
without the huge expense of having power lines brought to my building site. The nearest
power was about 3 miles away. I eventually met some of my neighbors in the area and learned
that a few families in the area were utilizing off-the-grid solar power. They were
making there own electricity and it was working very well. I purchased a solar-
electric design guide and a couple of other books. After doing a little reading I
discovered that my first step was to determine what my household electrical loads
were. determining my expected electrical loads wasn't complicated at all. after figuring out my
loads I began designing a solar power system for the home that I wanted to build
on my land. The solar design guide enabled me to determine what components I needed
for my electrical power.
I simultaneously began looking into employment opportunities in the area that
I wanted to live. After selling my house in 2001 and lining up a job, i moved to a small
town about 15 miles from where I was going to build my house. The jobs in town were
not well paying but I knew that I could make it. I was confident that tings would get better in time
if I worked hard. I was ready to have the contractor begin construction on my home.
I checked out several companies that sold solar equipment and chose the one with
the best customer support, in fact they had technicians available by phone to answer
questions. The customer support made a huge difference, they actually reviewed the
system that I was considering and advised me on any changes that they thought were
needed. Now, in 2008 there are many companies that supply solar power equipment.
Finding a solar equipment supplier with good customer support is not difficult.
Now, about 6 years later, my solar power system is working beautifully.
It is such a good feeling knowing that I have power even when the grid power fails,
which it occasionally does. One of the most exciting aspects about making my own
electricity is that I am helping to reduce emissions from power plants that harm the
atmosphere. Yes, solar power does require an initial investment that depends on the size
of the system, but it is well worth it in my opinion.
For a couple of informative e-books on designing your solar power
system Please visit [http://earthwiseresources.com/]earth wise resources
I hope your experience is as rewarding as mine.
Warm regards, Mark A. Thomas
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Allen_Thomas http://EzineArticles.com/?Live-In-A-Solar-Powered-House-With-No-Electric-Bill,-I-Did-It.&id=1028334
Looking for information on Electrical, Find a supplier at HomeWise.ie
back to Electrical articles
back to all home & garden articles
|
|