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INTRODUCTION
Over the past several years we have helplessly watched the price of oil skyrocket to astronomical level, and felt its reverberating effects throughout all aspects of our everyday lives. Added energy expenses has resulted in higher costs for virtually all products and services. Now, the price of food has never been higher, the transportation industry has been essentially crippled, and the utility companies continue to raise their rates for delivering power to our homes and businesses. Even with the recent dramatic turn-around the sudden drop has only translated into companies are slow to follow suit, actually prices enough during the oil crisis, and are losses. in the price of crude oil, relief at the pumps. Utility claiming they did not raise now trying to recoup their

It is only a matter of time before speculators will find another reason to jack up oil prices and we will begin the vicious cycle all over again. It is becoming evident that the current status of energy in our country is an endless game of price gouging and manipulation of the American people. While we continue to work harder and harder to provide for our families in a declining economy, the super rich keep getting richer. We do have a choice, however. We can stop padding the pockets of the utility companies and actually have them pay us for the energy we use. By taking some simple steps toward greater energy efficiency, such as weatherproofing your home, and curtailing frivolous energy use, you can easily cut into your energy bill by 20-50% or more. Although properly insulating your home, using energy efficient appliances, and adopting a few energy saving behaviors will surely lead to significant financial savings, the number one weapon against rising energy costs is to produce your own energy. By converting to a renewable energy source such as wind or solar, you can easily slash your energy bill by up to 90% or more.
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How does solar power work at night? The fact that solar panels can only gather sunlight during the day is often touted as a major drawback to solar power. However, it is possible to draw the power off into a battery source for later use. In fact, this is the way outdoor solar lights work-- they draw energy during the day to power nighttime illumination. Solar makes sense: Although the initial cost of solar panels and their accessories (solar lights, etc.) may be considered pricey, the fact of the matter is, its much more cost effective over the long term. This is mainly because solar cells and solar panels are long lasting and require very little maintenance. Also, most conventional energy sources are created from a limited supply of fossil fuels and will continue to rise in cost over time, while the energy from the sun will always be widely available and free. Barring the unlikely reversal of this trend, your overall annual savings will continue to increase the longer you own your solar equipment. When you also factor in its environmental benefits, and its easy to see how switching to solar is a smart decision.

Solar Power
Of all the energy sources in use today, solar energy possibly has the most potential for solving the worlds long term energy problems. Solar energy is the cleanest form of renewable energy; producing zero carbon emissions, and provides over 35,000 times the total amount of energy that humans use every day. Many applications exist for harnessing this energy for home use such as heating and cooling, lighting, and even complete solar home solutions. As the price of crude oil escalates, and the demand for alternative energy sources increase, advancements in technology and government programs are making it easier and more affordable to install solar energy equipment in the home. How it works: Because there are many options for harnessing energy from the sun, solar power can work in a variety of ways. The most common one is through the use of photovoltaic (PV) technology, which directly transforms sunlight into electricity. It does so through the use of solar or PV cells. A solar panel is made up of modules of these solar cells. When exposed to the photons found within sunlight, some electrons of the solar cells are knocked loose. These loose electrons create an electrical current which can be harnessed for electrical needs. Another way that solar power works is through the use of solar thermal collectors, which capture heat from the sun. This method is often used in solar hot water heater systems, and is generally used by large solar power plants which generate electricity by heating water to produce steam which drives an electric generator.
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Wind Power
Although wind power, like solar power, is the most abundant, pollution free, renewable energy source on the planet, it remains one of the most untapped by the private sector. Contrary to popular belief, you dont need a 400ft turbine outside your home in order to harness wind power for practical home use. Turbines are made in a variety of sizes to accommodate all types of home installation, and can even be used in urban settings.

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In parts of the country where it is feasible to use wind power, it is not uncommon for someone to reduce their electricity bill by 50 - 90 percent. In fact, during the windiest parts of the year, one could produce a surplus of electricity and sell the excess back to the electric company! Before deciding to take on installing a home wind turbine, it is important to make sure the average wind speed in your area is sufficient enough to produce the energy needed to offset your electricity usage. How it works: Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity. Wind turbines are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy. At 100 feet (30 meters) or more above ground, they can take advantage of faster and less turbulent wind. Wind turbines can be used to produce electricity for a single home or building, or they can be connected to an electricity grid for more widespread electricity distribution. Other Wind Power Applications: Wind turbines are not only used to power homes and buildings, but can also be used to generate electricity in marine vessels! Marine wind generators, specifically designed to perform in aquatic environments and withstand corrosion from water and salt, are an excellent alternative for: Sailboats - Recreational boating Offshore beacons and remote monitoring equipment Oceanside homes & cabins Water pumping Battery charging Science & education projects

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Most people know that if you are willing to invest in solar or wind power for your home, the long term savings can equate to many times more than the initial cost, spanning the life of the equipment. Not many people know, however, that you can actually accelerate that process by generating more energy than you use and selling the excess back to the utility company. This is made possible by connecting a solar panel or wind turbine system to a power inverter, which is tied directly into the power grid. Using a power inverter allows you to power your home directly from solar panels or a wind turbine when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, while still maintaining the ability to pull electricity the conventional way, from the power grid, when there is insufficient sun or wind. All this is done seamlessly by the inverter without any additional monitoring or participation by the homeowner. This type of configuration is aptly called a grid-tie system. These systems are relatively easy to install, and while you have the option to incorporate a battery back-up system for emergency situations and blackouts, a battery is not required, which reduces the need for added maintenance and battery replacement. National Interconnection and Net-Metering policy requires all investorowned utility companies to allow interconnection of a privately owned solar or wind power system with the purpose of selling excess generated power back to the utility company. Rural electric cooperatives, however, are exempt from this law, so if you are considering installing a grid-tie system the very first thing you should do is call your utility company to see if they allow grid-tie interconnection and to verify their energy buy-back policy. Some utility companies will buy the energy back at the same retail price they charge their customers, and some may pay out at a wholesale rate. Ideally you want the utility company to buy back any excess electricity that you produce at the same retail rate at which you buy electricity from them.
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The practice of buying and selling electricity at an equal retail rate is known as net-metering and is the simplest way to setup a grid-tie system. Net metering uses only one electricity kWh usage meter, and it is allowed to spin in either direction depending on if you are buying or selling energy. For example, if you were to go on vacation for a week (and you remember to turn off all your appliances) all the power you generate for the entire week will feed back into the electrical grid, making your electrical meter spin BACKWARDS!

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Availability of net-metering is often determined by State law, and anyone considering installing a renewable energy system should first find out what policies and restrictions apply before making any purchases. www.dsireusa.org is a great resource for researching your States net-metering laws as well as determining whether you qualify for any incentives for installing a renewable energy system in your home. Very often, States will offer generous rebates to help offset the initial cost of a renewable energy system installation. The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. To access information, click on the map below.

Net-metering

state incentives

Federal Incentives

Non net-metered systems, require that you install a second kWh meter to record any excess energy production which is then sold back to the utility company at a wholesale rate. Keep in mind that although a non-net-metered system pays less for producing excess energy, it in no way affects the energy saving benefits of installing a wind or solar system in your home.

US Territory Incentives

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Grid-tie systems without a battery backup are the least costly systems to purchase, and require little maintenance and few replacement parts. The downside to this type of set-up is during blackouts or situations where the power grid goes down, your wind or solar system must be shut down as well. This is to prevent an electrical surge, generated by your system, from injuring anyone performing maintenance on the power grid. To work around this scenario, a battery bank can be installed to store excess energy for emergency situations. You can even incorporate a gas powered generator into your system for an added layer of security. One of the greatest advantages of a grid-tie system is all the components are designed to be expandable so you can start with a small system (and a smaller investment) and add more to it as your budget allows. You can even combine different types of energy sources to create a hybrid grid-tie system. For example, by installing a wind turbine and a solar panel system you can maximize your energy production by generating solar power on sunny days, and wind power on not so sunny days and at night. Determining the system that works for best for your situation will largely depend on your budget, how much energy you want the system to produce per day, and of course your geographic location. Your location is a big factor in determining how much energy any grid-tie system will produce since you will obviously generate more solar energy in Phoenix, Arizona than you would in Seattle, Washington. Again, the greatest feature of a grid-tie system is the fact that it is modular. If you determine that in order to generate 100% of your home energy needs, you would need to install a $20,000 solar system, you dont necessarily have to do it all at once. In fact you can break the cost up into installments by adding only a few panels at a time. Every new component you add, no matter how big or small, will move you one step closer to energy independence, and contributes to creating a cleaner environment.
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system configurations

A Look to the future

With continual advancements in technology in the renewable energy sector, and the increasing public demand to take control of their energy costs and eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, the future of Americas energy looks promising. There will surely come a day when we no longer have to deplete our planets natural resources nor pollute our environment in order to satisfy our energy needs, but we do not have to stand idle and wait for that day to come. Our greatest energy resources are abundant, clean, free, and available right now! If everyone made the decision to generate only half of their total home energy needs from solar or wind, it would reduce the nations energy expense by more than $100 Billion annually. Thats $100 Billion dollars which can be put into savings for our childrens college funds, invested in clean alternative energy projects, or spent on consumer goods which would help stimulate our economy. The next 100 years will be known as the New Energy era, as it will be the development of newer, cleaner, more efficient energy sources, which will carry us into the future. History tells us that almost all great change in our country comes from the actions of the people as a whole. Without the efforts of the masses, our nation will become stagnant and unprogressive. From the masses, however, come the pioneers who take reigns and pave the way for others to follow. The pioneers will show others that a difference can be made literally right in their own backyards. And the pioneers will spread the message that we have the power to control our future. These are the days of the pioneers.

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Whether you choose to install a complete solar or wind system in your home, or just need a few energy efficient accessories, you can find everything you need at www.RichGreenEnergy.com. We carry everything from top quality name brand solar panels and small wind turbines to complete off-grid and grid-tie systems. We also offer a wide selection of energy efficient products to help save tons on your energy bill. Visit us on the web at www.RichGreenEnergy.com, browse our inventory, and let us outfit your home with the best in renewable energy equipment and accessories. Click on the categories below to see the products we offer:

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