About

We are dedicated to help make alternative energy products and services an everyday reality. Despite great progress, there is still much work to be done to increase the uses of these technologies. However, there are encouraging trends.

It is now not difficult for most people to move off the grid, own a back-up power system or at least have a choice of utilities that offer green energy. Having an alternate source of electricity allows one the comfort and security of a reliable power supply.

Urgent environmental concerns, electricity deregulation, climate change, technology improvements and increased efficiency have expanded the market for alternative energy. Consumers now have a wide variety of options for solar energy and wind generator systems. Reliable components and equipment are becoming more available.

Fuel cell technologies are progressing and industries are developing them for combined heating-cooling, powering equipment, homes and businesses. Stationary systems and distributed energy generators are helping to change the way we power the planet.

Through out our site we offer you a wide range of information and resources on alternative energy products and services to learn about. Not to be forgotten are the inventors, tinkerers home-brew alternative energy projects and DIY enthusiasts out there. We pay tribute to them by providing a diverse assortment of video streams, system sizing calculators, articles on alternate energy, technology and science news from around the world.

We can help you to make educated decisions about your power options and you can be on your way to energy independence for your home or business.

What you can do? Get involved. Find out what is happening with these amazing technologies becoming cost effective and how they are being applied in real time situations.

Efficient, cost effective alternate energy systems are making significant contributions to the world's energy mix and are becoming more available to the public. If you are thinking about purchasing renewable energy, do your home work. You will find that energy efficiency is one of the first steps that you must take in order to prepare your home. There are a wide range of renewable energy resources at this site to help you evaluate and calculate your energy needs. Research company products-services and talk to people in your area who have installed or buy Green Power from their utility. There are thousands of people around the world that get all of their energy needs from clean renewable sources. You can be one of them too. If you already obtain your electricity from alt. energy sources, feel free to upload your photos here or start a public-private gallery, share pics with others or discuss projects.
Market - The industry has changed from one of narrow remote applications to one characterized by wide public acceptance, price reductions and improved technologies. The world wide market for alternate energy is expanding at an astonishing rate per year as these systems become common. Utility scale wind energy has become cheaper than traditional fossil fuel sources and PV solar is expected to reach grid parity within a couple of years. Escalating and endlessly volatile world wide fuel prices are increasing the demand for clean alternative energy sources and it has become a global imperative that we break our addiction to oil. Providing for the ever increasing energy needs of the planet is going to require a diverse range of renewable technologies, a smart grid, millions of distributed alternate energy systems and greener sources. Finally these technologies are establishing themselves in the energy mix, a sector that will continue to experience massive growth and foster the creation of millions of clean energy tech and related jobs.

The future is bright for alternative energy and a more sustainable world.

Calculating watt-hours,

Amp-hours and battery sizing

Whether you are considering grid tied or completely independent, one of the first items to take care of when designing an alternate energy system is correct sizing. Sizing takes into account all the ac and dc loads that are required to be powered. It's obviously good practice to become as energy efficient as possible beforehand. Once you know what your requirements are, you can start choosing from a wide range of suppliers, installers and various financing plans from government credits, net metering, lease to own etc.

Off grid systems In totally off grid systems properly estimating capacity needed will help stop batteries from wearing out before their time and ensure proper charging.

Systems entirely without utility power, accurate system and battery sizing is even more critical. After the appropriate amp hour capacity required has been calculated, it is then easy to find the correct charge rate for the battery bank. Practice your calculations a few times and you will be able to easily work this out.

To rapidly recharge the system, a generator should be able to supply a "c30" charge rate. This is equal to 30 percent of the battery banks rated amp-hour capacity as expressed in amperes. Earlier solar(pv) systems would usually not deliver more than a 10-20 C rate of charge. Having a generator as part of an off grid system is essential as it is needed for heavy loads, to top up the battery bank and every few weeks for equalization charging.

Grid Tied Roof Top Solar

The massive acceleration and price reductions for roof top solar systems is something to behold and solar (PV) will soon reach grid parity. Numerous financing options are available making these clean energy technologies more affordable. Recent trends have many grid tied systems also using a battery bank for when utility power is disconnected. Grid tied systems will lose power in a blackout like everyone else unless an additional battery bank is installed. Code requires an instant disconnect from the grid when utility power is cut to prevent islanding. This stops utility workers from being hurt while doing repairs nearby and inadvertently touching a live connection from your system. There are some state of the art setups on the market that can give you the benefits of both grid tied and power when the lights go out for everyone else! Something to consider but an additional expense.

System Sizing for solar

PV - How many panels do you require?

Use this work sheet + calculators to determine the number of panels you'll need and to align their correct angle for your location


Consumer Affairs has a useful solar energy guide below.

Circuit Simulators

Designing a circuit or prototype? Simulate real time operation parameters with this handy design tool. Recommended for desktop or large screen devices. You need to have Java installed on your system for the simulators to work. Saves hours of time, great learning tool and tons of fun too.

Select this link - Right click and open the page in a new tab. https://www.alternate-energy.net/aps/circuit_simulator05.html

Photo+Upload+Search+Share

https://www.alternate-energy.net/dpi/index.php

Select this link - Right click and open the page in a new tab.

Strange Energy Links