Renewable and alternative energy sources make sense for many homeowners, especially if the home is well built and well designed, with efficient appliances.
Production of electricity and hot water at home using natural energy from the sun is nothing new. But technologies have greatly improved over the past few years. Not only do they cost less to install, but they’re more reliable, more efficient—and simply a better deal. In addition, the supporting hardware is vastly superior to the old stuff . The politics of alternative energy is changing too, albeit more slowly than many would like. In many states, utilities are now required to buy back any “extra” electricity you produce. And both wind turbines and solar installations are eligible for 30% tax credits with no upper limit from the federal government, plus certain state and utility incentives. If you’re looking at alternative systems, here’s some essential information.


WIND TURBINES SOFTER BREEZES
Small-scale wind turbines that create electricity have always been a fairly specialized form of power generation—most valuable in mountainous and coastal regions. The challenge has been to build a turbine that produces adequate electricity, even in low wind, to make it worth the cost. We’re getting much closer. For example, both the Swift (www.swiftwindturbine.com) and the Skystream (www.skystreamenergy.com) turbines begin producing power in winds of just 8 miles per hour.


The advantage of wind power over PV? The wind often blows when it’s dark outside. But before you buy, take a look at the national wind map published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). You’ll see that not every area of the United States is well suited for wind-powered living. In fact, if you live in any of the Southeast states—and you don’t have a place right on the water—wind is a long shot. You will make a lot more power with a good solar PV setup.


The WinPro hybrid power generation system has wind and solar power generation modules. www.winpro.co.jp (The Japanese site includes English translations.)


PHOTOVOLTAICS LOOKING SHARP
The race is on to build better PV cells that convert sunlight to electricity. New solar films and panels are being tested that are more efficient, less expensive, and lighter than ever. The current challenge is to find a more affordable alternative to the polycrystalline silicon based panels that dominate the market. But while that R&D is going on, existing solar products are becoming more practical. For example, Sanyo recently came out with double-sided solar panels that can simultaneously provide shade (in the form of an awning) and take in sunlight on both the top and bottom surface.


At the same time, the range of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has exploded. That’s good news for homeowners. It means you can now have a solar generating system built right into your roof that looks like asphalt shingles or architectural metal or even clay tiles. You don’t need battery storage to get started. And, as we mentioned earlier, many states require utilities to buy any leftover electricity you generate. One of the key improvements in BIPV in recent years has been the way they connect to each other and your home’s power system. The early products were co-dependent. In other words, when the connection broke on a solar shingle, the whole roof stopped producing. Newer systems have built-in redundancy in their wiring, and most are more modular, making replacement of a single faulty tile or panel less of a hassle.

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