Non renewable energy can be hazardous to
your health, not to mention your wallet. With all the potential dangers in generating non renewable energy
today, it’s no wonder we should all have some concern. Lets face it, nuclear and coal fired power generating plants
may not become obsolete in our lifetimes. You can be rest assured that in the coming years our current 'inexpensive' utility
rates will slowly creep upwards if not drastically. Thanks to the renewable energy sources developed years ago, we can now
begin to feel somewhat at ease in knowing we now have choices for our energy solutions and for the environment.
Solar energy is one of the most efficient alternative
energy sources available today. The system is silent, non-polluting and requires virtually no maintenance. The high reliability
comes from having no moving mechanical parts. This technology for orbiting satellites is now available to you.
A recent TD Canada Trust Green Building Poll,
conducted by Ipsos Reid to examine Canadians' views on environmentally friendly housing, found that 73% of Canadian homeowners
or those considering buying a home would be willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly features. Among those considering
a purchase in the next two years, this propensity increases to 85%. When asked how much more they would be willing to pay,
the average response was 10%. For more info, go to: http://micro.newswire.ca/62342-0.html and look for the November 21 /07 release.
Solar Thermal, Geo Thermal, Solar PV and/or
Wind Systems are among the top sought after environmental attributes. Homeowners who have installed one or more of these types
of Renewable Energy systems have seen their property values increase. Thus proving that these systems are an appreciable
asset and investment.
RET Power has solar panels for homes, cottages,
recreation vehicles and industrial applications. We have up to 24 different sizes and capacities available and all can
be easily adapted to your requirements. We also have specially designed kits for your cottage and recreation vehicle. These
kits include all the necessary components for an easy and trouble free installation. The solar panel technology is so reliable
that the manufacturers offer 20-30 year warranties with an expected life span of 40-55 years.
Wind generators from 100 Watts to 10 Kilowatts
and from 12 Volts DC to 240 volts AC are also available. Most wind generators incorporate a protection system for winds up
to 193 km/h (120 mph). They also have their own charge control system built in with shunt load capability. These generators
are ideal for applications where there is a strong prevailing wind or for a hybrid system (solar & wind combination) to
compensate for the lack of sunshine during the winter months. Marine units are also available. Wind generators can have a
great influence on the total yield of any system.
The first step to determine which type
& size of renewable energy system is best for you is to find out how much power you currently consume in your household.
Have a look at your electric bills over the past 12 months. Add up all the monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly kWh
(Kilowatt Hour) consumption readings and divide by 12 to determine your average monthly kWh consumption or divide by 365 to
arrive at your average daily kWh consumption. If you don't have a record of your past electric bills you can contact your
local utility and obtain the information from them or their website or you can learn how to read your meter at: http://www.glps.net/meterread.htm Alternately, for a small off grid cottage or cabin, you can estimate your power needs by determing the load in
watts of all the appliances you would like to power, whether they are AC or DC, and the number of hours per day they will
be used. The next step would be to decide on how much power you would like your renewable energy system to produce. Whether
it will be as small as a 10% grid tied system or 100% off grid.
Reducing your energy requirements will allow
you to use a smaller, more efficient power system. Choosing energy efficient appliances and using electricity only where it’s
needed will add to the efficiency of the system. Remember, saving a watt of energy is more cost effective than producing one.
Knowing the solar and wind resources available
in your area is the key to designing an efficient and affordable renewable power system. You can obtain solar radiation values
and wind velocity readings from our Informational Links page on this website or we can take care of that for you, just drop us a line.
