Many homeowners are interested in making their home as environmentally friendly as possible, but few understand just how accessible green energy options have become over the last decade.
No longer restricted to the very wealthy, a variety of renewable energy systems are now available at prices within the budget of the average homeowner. Arizona residents even have access to a number of green energy loans, rebates, and other economic incentives, which further reduce the costs associated with renewable energy systems.
Of course, these eco-friendly technologies often require some expertise to design and install, so most homeowners solicit the services of a contractor who specializes in green energy alternatives to convert their ambition into reality. Although this represents an additional expenditure, the superior performance of a professionally installed system quickly offsets the added expense, primarily in the form of reduced energy bills. In fact, many well-conceived renewable energy systems produce excess energy, which you can actually sell to your local power company.
Residents living in the Phoenix area have three basic options for producing significant amounts of renewable energy.
Solar Energy for Phoenix Homes
Blasted by the sun for about 300 days each year (nearly 100 more days each year than most of the country receives), Arizona is one of the world’s best places in the world to capture the energy of the sun. However, this does not mean that you can just slap a few panels on your roof and expect good results. Solar power systems must be designed specifically for your home, and you need a contractor to analyze a variety of factors, including the pitch of your roof, the amount of sunlight your home receives on a daily basis and your family’s energy needs.
You can have a contractor wire your solar panels directly to your home’s existing electrical system, which will allow you to use solar power during the day, and switch to conventional power sources during the night.
Wind Energy for Phoenix Homes
Although Arizona’s ample sunshine tends to steer homeowners toward solar solutions, wind energy is a surprisingly plausible option for many. Of course, wind energy does not work everywhere — you need plenty of what the green energy industry calls “wind resource.” But the strong sunshine (wind is primarily caused by differential heating) and wide-open spaces of the Phoenix area are often conducive for harvesting wind-derived energy.
Windmills require a reasonable amount of space to operate effectively, and the U.S. Department of Energy recommends limiting windmills to lots of at least one acre in size. Additionally, proper planning is essential to their performance, so always contact an experienced wind-energy contractor when installing your system.
Hydroelectric Energy for Phoenix Homes
Although hydroelectric power often brings images of large dams and waterfalls to mind, you can use a scaled-down hydroelectric system to generate enough power for your home. All you need is access to moving water and the rights to use that water. You can then install a small hydroelectric system, which will convert the energy of the moving water into electricity that you can use in your home.
While these systems are often relatively simple and feature only a handful of components, each must be customized to its specific location. Properly matching the individual components is usually too difficult for the average homeowner, but absolutely necessary for efficient operation. Therefore, it is typically wise to contact a reliable contractor to plan and install your system.
