|
Site Analysis
Determine What Type of Renewable Energy is Best
for Your Home
There are three main sources of renewable power generation
that are discussed in this document. Click on each link to
see an explanation of what each type of renewable energy is.
• Solar
Power
• Wind
Power Generation
• Hydro
Power Generation
Other information to gather about your specific
site are:
• Government
programs and incentives
• Utility buy-back options (if grid connected)
• Residential
Fuel Cells (if not grid connected)
Solar Site Analysis
Solar panels generate electricity from
being exposed to sunlight. To effectively generate solar power,
the panels must be mounted in an area that is free from shade
during the peak hours of the day (9am-3pm). A shadow, even
that of a small branch, will greatly decrease the amount of
power that is generated by that solar panel. Look for an area
near your home that allows for this type of constant sunlight.
Often panels are mounted on the roof of a house.
This is good since they are out of the way, close to the house,
and free from the shade of the house. The panels should be
facing the equator and at an angle of tilt equal to that of
your latitude to maximize yearly power. Types of mounts that
change tilts will be discussed more in the installation section
of this document.
Different areas and climates have different
amounts of solar radiation. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL) publishes solar radiation charts on the web. Use this
information to determine what your average Watt-hrs/m2 per
day of solar radiation are for your location. This is necessary
to determine the number of solar panels that are needed to
power your home. A link to the NREL web page is provided.
NREL Resources Page: http://rredc.nrel.gov/
Wind Power Site Analysis:
Wind power is the second most common form of renewable energy.
Using wind to power a generator, which creates the electricity, can
be very reliable and inexpensive. Once again the key is location.
Wind turbines should be mounted at least 30’
above any obstacle within a 500’ radius. This usually
requires some type of tower or a solid mount on the roof of
a building.
The NREL publishes maps that show average wind
speeds for different locations throughout the United States.
Use this link to find the average wind speed and power density
for your location.
NREL Resources Page: http://rredc.nrel.gov/
Wind power can still be very site specific.
The wind power available to you can be smaller or greater
depending on the geography of your location. Wind speed indicators
(anemometers) can be purchased if you want to know specifically
how much wind power is available. It is highly recommended
that you make this investment if you are serious about tapping
into the wind as a power resource. It is also important to
note the average type of wind (highly gusty or slow and steady)
for your location. This will help to determine the type of
wind generator that will work best for you.
To research anemometers click on: http://www.weathermeter.com
Hydro Power Site
Analysis:
Hydro micro turbines can be the cheapest
form of alternative energy if you are fortunate enough to
have access to a stream or river. The power generated in a
hydro turbine is related to the flow rate (gpm) and the head
(height). Measurements need to be taken on your specific site
to find this information. Use this chart to determine roughly
how much power is available.
| Power
Output (watts) |
| |
Flow Rate (GPM) |
| Head (feet) |
5 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
75 |
100 |
150 |
200 |
300 |
| 5 |
|
|
|
5 |
8 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
40 |
|
|
| 10 |
|
|
7 |
12 |
18 |
23 |
30 |
45 |
60 |
80 |
100 |
|
| 15 |
5 |
10 |
15 |
20 |
30 |
40 |
50 |
75 |
100 |
125 |
150 |
200 |
| 20 |
8 |
16 |
25 |
32 |
50 |
65 |
85 |
125 |
170 |
210 |
275 |
350 |
| 30 |
12 |
25 |
35 |
45 |
70 |
90 |
120 |
180 |
240 |
300 |
400 |
500 |
| 40 |
16 |
32 |
48 |
60 |
95 |
125 |
160 |
240 |
320 |
450 |
600 |
|
| 50 |
20 |
40 |
60 |
80 |
120 |
160 |
200 |
300 |
400 |
600 |
|
|
| 75 |
30 |
60 |
90 |
120 |
180 |
240 |
300 |
450 |
600 |
|
|
|
| 100 |
40 |
80 |
120 |
160 |
240 |
320 |
400 |
600 |
|
|
|
|
| 150 |
60 |
120 |
180 |
240 |
360 |
480 |
600 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 200 |
80 |
160 |
240 |
320 |
480 |
640 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 300 |
120 |
240 |
360 |
480 |
720 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 400 |
160 |
320 |
480 |
640 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Streams can be manipulated
to create more power. This means making a small dam and piping
the water to a lower elevation where the hydro turbine is
located. Although this seems like a lot of work, once a good
hydro turbine is installed it will be well worth it.
Government Incentives:
Currently the California Energy Commission is offering cash
rebates on eligible renewable energy electric-generating systems.
This program is call the Emerging
Renewables Buy-Down Program. Click on it for a link to
the government web page.
Utility Company
Buy-back:
Utility companies are short of power and will
buy any excess electricity that your home power system generates.
Check with your local utility company for more information.
Moving On...
Now that you have recorded your natural resources data for
your location, it is time to move on to equipment
sizing and selection (the fun part).
|
