Our electrical gadgets are essential to modern life, but today homeowners also have the power to re-imagine how they bring that energy into their home. New technology has made it easier than ever to power a home through green energy and save money by breaking free of the grid. Texas electricity has the potential to be delivered using the natural resources every home has access to: sunlight and wind power.
Solar Power
Solar energy harnesses the power of the sun through rooftop and ground-based solar panels, which transform the sun’s energy into the electricity we need for daily life. New technology has made solar cells more discreet than older panels, which were clearly visible from the street level. Many people use solar energy to heat their homes in winter, or for the hot water heater. Other homeowners use solar power for heating their backyard pools or hot tubs. It works best if the home is in a shade free, south facing location, but can also be more cost effective in rural areas compared to extending power lines towards the grid.
Benefits of going solar:
Solar energy is a very clean, entirely renewable resource accessible to anyone, but especially those with a south facing, shade-free environment.
It can be done on a small or a large scale, for individual features like a solar hot water heater or expanded into the entire home.
There are several rebates and incentives on both federal and state/local levels to help homeowners afford solar energy systems.
Wind Power
If the conditions are right, wind turbines are one of the most cost effective direct energy sources available today. The wind energy is formed by transforming the kinetic energy of the wind into a rotary motion, which powers a generator and creates home electricity. It does require open spaces, preferably around one acre at the minimum, because of the size of the structures. To produce power consistently, turbines need to be either attached to a 60-100 foot frame or tower because the wind energy is stronger farther off the ground. However, for rural homeowners this is a great producer of Texas electricity because of the vast open spaces and excellent wind capacity.
Benefits of wind energy:
Wind energy produces zero emissions and is free of pollutants.
Switching to wind power lowers home electricity bills by 50-90 percent
Doubles as a backup generator during a power outage.