Thursday, April 19, 2012

Going off grid?

For a long time I've toyed with the idea of becoming energy independent. I think most people have, in fact, but wind and solar power are as mysterious to most of us as the depths of the universe.

Energy costs keep getting higher, though, and no matter how closely I follow energy-saving guidelines, it seems my electric and gas bills just keep getting higher.

Starting now, I'm doing more than toying with the idea. I'm serious. But in order to get the best system for my house, I need a lot more information than I have right now. I've started doing my own research into alternative energy sources. A google search turns up tons of websites, and the one I found most helpful so far promises that solar is made easy. In fact,  that is the name of the website. It's in the UK, where alternative energy sources have a much greater foothold than here in the US. Just like they beat us to the punch on fuel-efficient cars, folks in the UK are way ahead of America when it comes to sensible power options.

The site breaks down the information I need into little bite-size bits. I was able to get a grasp of the basics of how solar power and panels work. They even have a quick  online interview that will give you a quote, although it's aimed for UK visitor so that part didn't help much.

At the bottom of their webpage I found a series of articles that explain the process in more depth. Now I'm not educated about this well enough to go out and install my own solar power system, but I've learned enough from this site to have a conversation with my local solar installers. I find it best to have a good knowledge of the subject before tangling with the pros because I like to follow what they're saying and also I want to be able to tell if they're feeding me a load of blatant bull.

All the info on the website is completely free and thoroughly understandable by novices like me. If you're also ready to start the groundwork, I suggest that you have a look at this site (and many others) to get your bearings before you spend money on a solar power system.

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