Energy at home with your own hands. Options for the layout of alternative sources. Completion of the assembly of the low-speed wind turbine

Why pay energy companies for electricity every month when you can provide your own energy? All more people the world understands this truth. And so today we will talk about 8 Unusual Alternative Energy Sources for Home, Office and Leisure.

Solar panels in windows

Solar panels are the most widely used alternative source of energy in the home today. Traditionally, they are installed on the roofs of private houses or in courtyards. But recently it has become possible to place these elements directly in the windows, which makes it possible to use such batteries even for owners of ordinary apartments in high-rise buildings.

At the same time, solutions have already appeared that allow creating solar panels with a high level of transparency. It is these energy elements that should be installed in the windows of residential premises.

For example, transparent solar panels were developed by specialists from Michigan State University. These elements transmit 99 percent of the light passing through them, but at the same time have an efficiency of 7%.

Uprise has created an unusual high power wind turbine that can be used both at home and on an industrial scale. This windmill is located in a trailer, which can move an SUV or motorhome.

When folded with the Uprise turbine, you can drive on public roads. But when unfolded, it turns into a full-fledged windmill fifteen meters high and 50 kW.

Uprise can be used while traveling in a motorhome, to provide power to remote sites or ordinary private residences. By installing this turbine in his yard, its owner can even sell excess electricity to neighbors.

Makani Power is a project of the company of the same name, which recently came under the control of a semi-secret innovation laboratory. The idea of this technology is both simple and ingenious. We are talking about a small kite that can fly at a height of up to one kilometer and generate electricity.

The Makani Power aircraft is equipped with built-in wind turbines that will work actively at altitude, where the wind speed is significantly greater than at ground level. The received energy in this case is transmitted along the cord connecting the kite to the base station.

Energy will also be generated from the movements of the aircraft Makani power. Pulling the cable under the force of the wind, this kite will spin the dynamo built into the base station.

With the help of Makani Power, it is possible to provide energy to both private homes and remote facilities where it is impractical to install a traditional power line.

Modern solar panels still have a very low efficiency. Therefore, in order to obtain high production rates from them, it is necessary to cover rather large spaces with panels. But the technology called Betaray allows you to increase the efficiency by about three times.

Betaray is a small installation that can be placed in the yard of a private house or on the roof of a high-rise building. It is based on a transparent glass sphere with a diameter of slightly less than one meter. It accumulates sunlight and focuses it on a fairly small photovoltaic panel. The maximum efficiency of this technology has a stunningly high show of 35 percent.

At the same time, the Betaray installation itself is dynamic. It automatically adjusts to the position of the Sun in the sky in order to work at maximum capacity at any time. And even at night, this battery generates electricity by converting light from the moon, stars and street lights.

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson has launched an unusual project called Little Sun, which combines creativity, technology and the social commitment of successful people to the underprivileged. We are talking about a small device in the form of a sunflower flower, which during the day is filled with energy from sunlight in order to bring illumination to the darkest corners of the planet in the evenings.

Anyone can donate money so that the Little Sun solar lamp appears in the life of a family from a Third World Country. Little Sun lamps allow children from slums and remote villages to devote evenings to studying or reading, without which success in modern society is impossible.

Little Sun lamps can also be purchased for yourself, making them part of your own life. These devices can be used when going out into nature or to create an amazing evening atmosphere in open areas.

Many skeptics laugh at athletes, arguing that the forces expended by them during exercise can be used to generate electricity. The creators went on about this opinion and created the world's first set of outdoor simulators, each of which is a small power plant.

First playground Green Heart appeared in November 2014 in London. Electricity generated by amateurs exercise, can be used to charge mobile devices: smartphones or tablets.

The Green Heart site sends excess energy to local power grids.

Paradoxically, even children can be forced to produce "green" energy. After all, they are never averse to doing something, somehow playing and entertaining themselves. That is why Dutch engineers have created an unusual swing called Giraffe Street Lamp, which uses children's restlessness in the process of generating electricity.

The Giraffe Street Lamp swing generates energy when it is used for its intended purpose. Swinging in the seat, children or adults stimulate the dynamo built into this design.

Of course, the electricity received is not enough for the full functioning of a private residential building. But the energy accumulated during the day of games is quite enough to operate a not very powerful street lamp for a couple of hours after dusk.

Mobile operator Vodafone realizes that its profits increase when customers' phones work around the clock, and their owners themselves do not worry about where to find an outlet to charge their gadget's batteries. Therefore, this company sponsored the development of an unusual technology called Power Pocket.

Devices based on Power Pocket technology should be as close as possible to the human body in order to use its heat to generate electricity for domestic needs.

At the moment, based on Power Pocket technology, two practical products have been created: shorts and a sleeping bag. They were first tested during the Isle of Wight Festival in 2013. The experience turned out to be successful, one night of a person in such a sleeping bag was enough to charge the smartphone battery by about 50 percent.

In this review, we talked only about those alternative energy sources that can be used for domestic needs: at home, in the office or while relaxing. But there are still many extraordinary modern "green" technologies developed for use on an industrial scale. You can read about them in the review.

The reserves of hydrocarbons on our planet are not endless, therefore, alternative energy, powered by renewable energy sources, is rapidly gaining popularity. The houses are equipped with solar panels and windmills. The share of energy generated by solar and wind power plants is growing. In 2010 it was equal to 5%. This makes you think about building a small power plant at home.

How to choose an energy source

There are many options for obtaining alternative electricity, popular and not very popular. Some of them are not suitable for our latitudes, and some are dangerous.

A heat pump that pumps heat from the soil into the house on the principle of a refrigerator is only suitable for residents of geothermal areas. An attempt to build it on your site will cost a resident of the Moscow region in the top layer of soil frozen to a depth of two meters. The root system of trees and shrubs will suffer from freezing, which will subsequently become ill or die.

Biogas is suitable for production in large enterprises where there are no problems with fuel for bioreactors. In the private sector, there is little benefit from biogas, the average household plot will not be able to produce the required amount of fuel. It will have to be imported, which will lead to constant shipping costs. Keep in mind that biogas production is explosive and requires equipment control that is difficult to do at home.

There are more suitable alternative energy sources for a private home. These include:

solar energy.
Wind energy.
The energy of the water flow.
Wood gas obtained from the thermal decomposition of wood in the absence of air.

Unlike biogas, they are suitable for operation in private homes and are safe when used correctly.

But not everyone has a stream flowing on the site or access to large amounts of wood, so it makes more sense to consider renewable energy sources, which are available everywhere. These include sunlight and wind.

There are do-it-yourself ready-made solutions for converting alternative energy. They allow you to turn it into electricity as efficiently as possible and are suitable for implementation in a private house.

Solar power plant

Solar-based backup power supplies are well suited for places where there are constant power outages. Due to the high cost, their use is impractical where there are no problems with electricity. A solar power plant installed to save money will pay for itself only after 8-10 years. During this time, lead batteries will become unusable, and their replacement will entail additional costs. The funds spent on replacing batteries will increase the cost of the power plant and push back the payback period by another 3-5 years.

Required Components and Assembly

The solar panel is assembled from photovoltaic cells, which differ in shape and size.

Solar cells are grown from silicon and are divided into two types: monocrystalline (mono-Si) and polycrystalline (poly-Si).

Monocrystalline elements have 20% efficiency and a service life of up to 30 years. For their normal operation, sunlight is needed that hits the batteries at a right angle. With scattered light, the power of such elements is reduced by a factor of three, and even the slightest shading of one element takes the entire chain out of the generation mode.

Therefore, SES (solar power plants) built on mono-Si elements need systems that monitor the position of the sun and turn the panels after it. The panels must not be contaminated, for this they are equipped with an automatic cleaning system. At small SPPs, solar panels are washed by hand.

Power plants on mono-Si panels are suitable for regions with a large number of sunny days per year. In cloudy weather, their effectiveness is close to zero.

Polycrystalline elements have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include low cost and efficient operation in diffused light.

They have more disadvantages:

Lower efficiency - 12%.
Shorter service life - up to 25 years.
Increased degradation at temperatures above 55 °C.

Solar poly-Si batteries are installed in areas with a predominance of cloudy days. The ability to convert scattered light allows you to mount them without auto-rotate systems. In addition, they do not need to be washed frequently. Due to their low cost and unpretentiousness, polycrystalline solar cells are widely used in self-made solar power plants.

Assembling your own solar power plant is best to start with the selection of components. Its power will directly depend on them. For the manufacture of a classic SES you will need:

Photovoltaic elements.
Bus for connecting elements.
Sheet of glass or clear plastic.
Aluminum profile.
Epoxy resin with hardener.
Wires with a cross section of 4 mm².
Wall shield.
Solar controller.
Inverter 12-220 V.
Circuit breakers.
Terminal blocks for fuses.
Schottky diodes.
Lead-acid battery with a capacity of at least 150 Ah.
Battery terminals.

Connection diagram of SES components:

You need to start by assembling the solar panel. Cut off pieces of the tire 7 cm long and solder them to the negative contacts of the photocell located on front side. Repeat this action with each photocell.

The resulting "semi-finished products" must be connected in series, soldering the negative output of one element to the positive of the next. The number of photocells in the circuit (module) must be such that a voltage of 14.5 V arises at its terminals. When using half-volt cells, 29 of them will be needed. So that when one element is darkened in the circuit, a reverse current does not occur, it is necessary to solder a Schottky diode into the gap of the negative bus of each photocell.

A solar battery can be made from one module, but its power will be minimal. Therefore, solar panels are assembled from several modules connected in parallel.

Degrease the glass and carefully glue the assembled modules to it. Use epoxy resin as glue, it does not become cloudy when it hardens and does not prevent light from reaching the photocells. Do not use other adhesives, even if they seem to be good.

After the epoxy has set, install the glass into the aluminum profile frame, pre-drilling a hole for the wires in it. Solder the module leads to the wires and slide them out. For tightness, fill the entire structure with epoxy.

The cured epoxy will bond the glass to the frame and protect the photocells from moisture and dust.

Features of installation at home

The assembled solar panel can be installed on the roof, but the best option is to install it on the south wall of the house. The panel installed on it will be under the sun's rays for almost the entire daylight hours.

Hang the shield on the wall and fix the controller, inverter and terminal blocks with fuses inserted into them in the shield. Insert the wires into the shield and connect them according to the diagram. Please note that the battery emits poisonous gases during charging, so it must be placed in a well-ventilated area.

When powering indoor lighting from an inverter, part of the energy is lost during conversion. In order not to have to waste reserves from an autonomous energy source, install a lighting system at home that runs on 12 volts.

Solar collectors for heating

Speaking of solar power plants that convert light into electricity, one cannot fail to mention another type of solar panels.

Solar collectors are used in heating and hot water systems and are:

Air.
Tubular.
Vacuum.
Flat.

Inside the air collectors there are plates covered with a light-absorbing composition. They are heated by the sun and give off heat to the air circulating through the collector, which is used to heat the dwelling.

Corrugated plates are used to increase the working surface area in air collectors.

In the case of tubular collectors there are glass tubes, painted inside with black paint. Sunlight hitting the paint heats it up. The heat is then transferred to the water running through the tubes.

Vacuum collectors are a type of tubular. In it, colored tubes are inserted into transparent ones with a large diameter. There is a vacuum between them, which reduces heat loss from the inner tube.

The simplest and cheapest of all are flat-plate collectors. They consist of a plate, under which there are tubes with circulating water, closed from below with a layer of heat-insulating material. The efficiency of flat-plate collectors is the lowest.

Scheme of connection to the water supply system:

The air from the collector enters the house directly, and the water first enters the boilers, where it is heated by heating elements to the desired temperature. From the boiler, hot water is supplied to the kitchen and bathroom, and it is also used for heating.

How to make a wind generator

Solar power plants do not work at night and in cloudy weather, and electricity is always required. Therefore, when designing alternative energy for a home with your own hands, you need to provide in it a generator that does not depend on the sun.

For use as a second source of energy, a wind generator is perfect. It can be assembled even from used parts, which will significantly save your money.

List of what you need to assemble the windmill:

Generator with magnetic excitation from truck or tractor.
Pipe with an outer diameter of 60 mm and a length of 7 meters.
One and a half meters of pipe with an internal diameter of 60 mm.
Steel rope.
Staples and pegs for fastening the cable.
Wires, section 4 mm².
Step-up gear 1 to 50.
PVC pipe, diameter 200 mm.
Circular saw blade.
Two EC-5 connectors.
A piece of steel sheet, 1 mm thick.
Aluminum sheet, 0.5 mm thick.
Bearing for the inner diameter of the mast.
Coupling for connecting the shafts of the generator and the gearbox.
Pipe for the inner diameter of the bearing, length - 60 cm.

All these materials are sold in the construction and in the car shop. New gearboxes with a generator are expensive, so it's better to buy them at a flea market.

Making a wind turbine for home

The main element of any windmill are the blades, so they need to be made first.

Use the table to determine the sizes.

The wind wheel should ideally match the power of the generator, but due to excessive large sizes resulting wheel, this is not always possible. Therefore, most often the power of the blades is much lower than that of the generator. There is nothing wrong with that.

Cut the PVC pipe into pieces equal to the length of the blades. Saw them in half along the longitudinal axis. Redraw the markings on the halves of the pipe and cut out the blades along it. Saw off triangles from blanks. From a steel sheet, cut out the mounts for the blades and drill holes in them. Take a circular saw blade, drill holes in it and bolt the blades to the blade with bolts.

Assembly, installation and connection

Dig a hole and concrete a pipe with an internal diameter of 60 mm in it. Take a seven-meter pipe and, stepping back 1 meter from the edge, install brackets on it. Weld the bearing into the same end of the pipe using argon welding.

Bend a frame from a steel sheet and weld a pipe to it from below, which fits into the bearing. Mount the gearbox with the generator on the frame by connecting their shafts. Install 2 pin stops at the bottom of the frame and at the top of the mast. They will not allow the frame to rotate more than 360 degrees. Make a weather vane out of aluminum sheet and attach it to the back of the frame. Drill a hole for the wire at the base of the mast.

Connect a wire to the generator and run it through the frame and mast. Put a wind wheel on the gearbox shaft and fix it on it. Insert the frame into the bearing and twist it. It should rotate easily.

The windmill assembly looks something like this:

Blades.
Circular disk.
Reducer.
Coupling.
Generator.
Vane.
Wind vane mount.
Bearing.
Limiters.
Mast.
The wire.

Drive pegs into the ground so that the distance from the mast to each of them is the same. Tie the cables to the brackets on the mast. To install the mast, you need to call a truck crane. Do not try to install the wind turbine yourself! At best, you will break the windmill, at worst, you will suffer yourself. After lifting the mast with a truck crane, guide its base into the previously concreted pipe and wait until the crane lowers it into the pipe.

The cable must be tied to the peg in a taut state. Moreover, all cables must be tied so that the mast is strictly vertical, without distortions.

You need to connect the wind generator to the charger through the EU-5 connector. The charging itself is installed in the panel with SES equipment and is connected directly to the battery.

Always unplug the windmill from the charger during a thunderstorm to avoid losing household appliances.

The assembly of the power plant is completed. Now you will not be left without electricity, even if you turn off the light on long time. At the same time, you do not have to spend money on fuel for the generator and time for its delivery. Everything will work automatically and will not require your intervention.

Even schoolchildren know that the reserves of oil, gas and coal are not endless. Energy prices are constantly rising, forcing payers to sigh heavily and think about increasing their own income. Despite the achievements of civilization, outside the cities there are many places where gas is not supplied, and in some places there is not even electricity. Where there is such an opportunity, the cost of installation of the system sometimes absolutely does not correspond to the income level of the population. It is not surprising that do-it-yourself alternative energy today is of interest to both the owners of large and small country houses, and the townspeople.

The whole world around us is full of energy, which is contained not only in the bowels of the earth. Even at school, in geography lessons, we learned that it is possible to use the energy of wind, sun, tides, falling water, the earth's core and other similar energy carriers on a scale of entire countries and continents with high efficiency. However, it can also be used for heating a separate house.

Types of alternative energy sources

Among the options for natural sources of private energy supply, it should be noted:

solar panels;
solar collectors;
heat pumps;
wind generators;
installations for absorbing water energy;
biogas plants.

With enough funds, you can buy a ready-made model of one of these devices and order its installation. Responding to the wishes of consumers, industrialists have long mastered the manufacture of solar panels, heat pumps, etc. However, their cost remains stably high. Such devices can be made independently, saving a certain amount of money, but spending more time and effort.

Video: what natural energy can be used

The principle of operation and the use of solar panels in a private house

The physical phenomenon on which the principle of operation of this energy source is based is the photoelectric effect. Sunlight falling on its surface releases electrons, which creates an excess charge inside the panel. If you connect a battery to it, then due to lightning, a current will appear in the number of charges in the circuit.

The principle of operation of the solar battery is the photoelectric effect.

Designs capable of capturing and converting the energy of the sun are numerous, varied and constantly improving. For many craftsmen, perfecting these useful structures has become a great hobby. At thematic exhibitions, such enthusiasts willingly demonstrate many useful ideas.

To make solar panels, you need to purchase monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar cells, place them in a transparent frame, which is fixed with a strong case

Video: making a solar battery with your own hands

Ready-made batteries are placed, of course, on the sunniest side of the roof. In this case, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of adjusting the inclination of the panel. For example, during snowfalls, the panels should be placed almost vertically, otherwise the layer of snow may interfere with the operation of the batteries or even damage them.

The device and use of solar collectors

A primitive solar collector is a black metal plate placed under a thin layer of a transparent liquid. As you know from a school physics course, dark objects heat up more than light ones. This liquid moves with the help of a pump, cools the plate and heats up at the same time. The heated liquid circuit can be placed in a tank connected to a cold water source. By heating the water in the tank, the liquid from the collector is cooled. And then it comes back. Thus, this power system allows you to get a constant source hot water, and in winter also hot radiators.

There are three types of collectors that differ in device

To date, there are 3 types of such devices:

air;
tubular;
flat.

Air

The air collectors consist of dark colored plates.

Air collectors are black plates covered with glass or transparent plastic. Air circulates naturally or forcedly around these plates. Warm air is used to heat rooms in the house or to dry clothes.

The advantage is the extreme simplicity of design and low cost. The only drawback is the use of forced air circulation. But you can do without it.

Tubular

The advantage of such a collector is simplicity and reliability.

Tubular collectors look like several glass tubes lined up in a row, coated on the inside with a light-absorbing material. They are connected to a common collector and fluid circulates through them. Such collectors have 2 ways of transferring the received energy: direct and indirect. The first method is used in winter. The second is used all year round. There is a variation using vacuum tubes: one is inserted into the other and a vacuum is created between them.

This isolates them from environment and retains heat better. The advantages are simplicity and reliability. The disadvantages include the high cost of installation.

flat

To make collectors work more efficiently, engineers have proposed the use of concentrators.

The flat-plate collector is the most common type. It was he who served as an example to explain the principle of operation of these devices. The advantage of this variety is simplicity and cheapness in comparison with others. The disadvantage is a significant loss of heat than other subtypes do not suffer.

To improve the already existing solar systems, engineers proposed to use a kind of mirrors called concentrators. They allow you to raise the water temperature from the standard 120 to 200 C°. This subspecies of collectors is called concentration. This is one of the most expensive options for execution, which is undoubtedly a disadvantage.

Full instructions for manufacturing the installation of a solar collector in our next article:

Use of wind energy

If the wind is able to drive flocks of clouds, why not use its energy for other useful things? The search for an answer to this question led engineers to create a wind turbine. This device usually consists of:

generator;
high tower;
blades that rotate to catch the wind;
batteries;
electronic control systems.

The principle of operation of a wind generator is quite simple. The blades, rotating from a strong wind, rotate the transmission shafts (in common people - the gearbox). They are connected to an alternator. The transmission and generator are located in the cradle or, in other words, the gondola. It may have a swivel mechanism. The generator is connected to the control automation and a step-up transformer. After the transformer, the voltage, which has increased its value, is given to the general power supply system.

Wind generators are suitable for areas where the wind is constantly blowing.

Since the issues of creating wind turbines have been studied for a long time, there are projects of a wide variety of designs for these devices. Models with a horizontal axis of rotation take up quite a lot of space, but wind turbines with a vertical axis of rotation are much more compact. Of course, for effective work The device requires a sufficiently strong wind.

Advantages:

no emissions;
autonomy;
using one of the renewable resources;

Flaws:

the need for constant wind;
high initial price;
rotational noise and electromagnetic radiation;
occupy large areas.

The wind generator must be placed as high as possible in order for its operation to be effective. Models that have a vertical axis of rotation are more compact than those with horizontal rotation

A step-by-step guide to making a wind turbine with your own hands on our website:

Water as a source of energy

The most famous way to use water to generate electricity is, of course, hydroelectric power. But he's not the only one. There is also the energy of the tides and the energy of the currents. And now in order.

A hydroelectric power plant is a dam in which there are several locks for the controlled release of water. These locks are connected to the turbine generator blades. Flowing under pressure, water spins it, thereby generating electricity.

Flaws:

coastal flooding;
decrease in the number of inhabitants of the rivers;

To use the energy of water, special stations are being built.

The strength of the currents

This method of generating energy is similar to wind turbines, with the only difference being that the generator with huge blades is placed across a large sea current. Such as the Gulf Stream, for example. But it is very expensive and technically difficult. Therefore, all major projects remain on paper for the time being. However, there are small but ongoing projects demonstrating the possibilities of this type of energy.

Tidal energy

The design of the power plant, which converts this type of energy into electricity, is a huge dam located in the sea bay. It has holes through which water penetrates to the back. They are connected by a pipeline to power generators.

The tidal power plant works as follows: during high tide, the water level rises and pressure is created that can rotate the generator shaft. At the end of the tide, the inlets are closed and during low tide, which occurs after 6 hours, the outlets are opened and the process is repeated in the opposite direction.

The advantages of this method:

cheap service;
attraction for tourists.

Flaws:

significant construction costs;
harm to marine life;
design errors can cause nearby cities to flood.

Biogas application

During the anaerobic processing of organic waste, so-called biogas is released. The result is a mixture of gases consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The biogas generator consists of:

sealed tank;
auger for mixing organic waste;
branch pipe for unloading the spent mass of waste;
necks for filling waste and water;
pipe through which the resulting gas flows.

Often, a waste processing tank is arranged not on the surface, but in the thickness of the soil. To prevent leakage of the resulting gas, it is made completely sealed. At the same time, it should be remembered that in the process of biogas release, the pressure in the tank is constantly increasing, so the gas must be taken from the tank regularly. In addition to biogas, as a result of processing, an excellent organic fertilizer is obtained, useful for growing plants.

Increased safety requirements are imposed on the device and operating rules of such a device, since it is dangerous to inhale biogas and it can explode. However, in a number of countries of the world, for example, in China, this method of obtaining energy is quite widespread.

Such a biogas plant can be expensive

This waste recycling product can be used as:

raw materials for thermal power plant and cogeneration plant;
replacement of natural gas in stoves, burners and boilers.

The strength of this type of fuel is the renewability and availability, especially in the villages, of raw materials for processing. This type of fuel also has a number of disadvantages, such as:

emissions from incineration;
imperfect production technology;
the price of the apparatus for creating biogas.

The design of the biogas generator is very simple, but some care must be taken during its operation, since biogas is a combustible substance hazardous to health.

The composition and amount of biogas obtained from waste depends on the substrate. Most gas is obtained when using fat, grain, technical glycerin, fresh grass, silage, etc. Usually, a mixture of animal and vegetable waste is loaded into the tank, to which some water is added. In summer, it is recommended to increase the humidity of the mass to 94-96%, and in winter, 88-90% moisture is sufficient. The water supplied to the waste tank should be heated to 35-40 degrees, otherwise the decomposition processes will be slowed down. To keep warm, a layer of heat-insulating material is mounted on the outside of the tank.

Application of biofuel (biogas)

The operation of a heat pump is based on the inverse Carnot principle. This is a fairly large and rather complex device that collects low-grade thermal energy from the environment and converts it into high-potential energy. Most often, heat pumps are used for space heating. The device consists of:

external circuit with coolant;
internal circuit with coolant;
evaporator;
compressor;
capacitor.

Freon is also used in the system. The external circuit of the heat pump can absorb energy from various media: earth, water, air. Labor costs for its creation depend on the type of pump and its configuration. The most difficult thing is to arrange a ground-to-water pump, in which the outer circuit is horizontally located in the thickness of the soil, since this requires large-scale earthworks. If there is a reservoir near the house, it makes sense to make a water-to-water heat pump. In this case, the outer circuit is simply lowered into the reservoir.

The heat pump converts the low-grade energy of the earth, water or air into high-grade thermal energy, which allows you to heat the building quite efficiently

The efficiency of a heat pump depends not so much on how high the ambient temperature is, but on its constancy. A properly designed and installed heat pump can provide a home with sufficient heat during the winter, even at very low water, ground or air temperatures. In the summer, heat pumps can act as an air conditioner, cooling the home.

To use such pumps, you must first perform drilling work

The advantages of these installations include:

energy efficiency;
fire safety;
multifunctionality;
long-term operation until the first overhaul.

The weaknesses of such a system are:

high initial price in comparison with other methods of heating a building;
requirement for the state of the power supply network;
noisier than a classic gas boiler;
the need for drilling.

Video: how heat pumps work

As you can see, in order to provide your home with heat and electricity, you can use solar energy, the power of wind and water. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. But nevertheless, of all the existing options, you can use a method that will be both inexpensive and effective.

Tariffs for "classic" energy carriers (gas, coal, gasoline, oil) are steadily increasing day by day. And this is understandable. After all, mankind has traditionally used non-renewable energy sources for a long time. And there are many of them in nature, but still a limited number. There will come a time when they run out. And you have to switch, at least on a private level, to something else. Make alternative energy sources for your home with your own hands - the best option for a private trader, the owner of a small building or a compact production that does not require huge energy costs.

Forecasts of economists and scientists

Some scientists warn: the natural resources used by mankind may not be enough for the representatives of the living generations, not to mention the descendants! It has been estimated that in modern conditions an ordinary family spends up to 40 percent of its budget on paying for electricity, heating, gasoline for a car. And according to modest forecasts of economists, this share can grow up to 70%! Therefore, for many representatives of the so-called middle class (and not only), alternative energy sources for the home, created with their own hands, are an excellent and very economical way out of the current situation.

Most Popular

In fact, almost any natural factor can be converted into energy. For example, the wind, the sun, the power of water, the heat of the earth's interior, the decomposition of biomass. The most popular use of alternative energy sources of the sun and wind. However, this issue has not been worked out sufficiently at the legislative level. Theoretically, all resources belong to the state. Therefore, using such types of alternative energy sources as wind power or solar radiation, most likely, you will have to pay a tax.

Wind

This kind has been used for a long time (a vivid example is windmills that existed in ancient times). About forty years ago, they actively began to build wind farms. Do-it-yourself alternative energy sources for the home (mini wind generators), as a rule, consist of special blades for capturing the wind, connected directly to the generator or through a gearbox. It must be borne in mind that such a device is effective only in areas where there are constant winds (for example, on the coast of the sea). You also need to remember that windmills will be effective only with a mast height of fifteen meters or more (which is quite problematic in the private sector).

Varieties

There are slow windmills. They are designed for wind speeds up to six meters per second and are characterized by the presence of many blades (sometimes up to thirty). Such devices are low-noise, they start even with a slight wind, but they have a low efficiency with a rather large windage. High-speed windmills use wind up to fifteen meters per second. They have three or four blades, are quite noisy and have high efficiency. Of all the species, they are the most common in the world. Rotary wind generators have the form of a barrel with a vertical arrangement of blades. They do not require orientation to the wind, but they have the lowest efficiency.

How to use

Installing windmills as alternative energy sources with your own hands is quite simple. First, you need to mark out a place for the mast in the yard or in a convenient place on the site where the wind is constantly blowing (having analyzed the location in advance). It is required to lay a solid foundation so that a high (better - more than 15 meters) mast is firmly held on the ground. A windmill (or several devices) should be chosen fast. You can buy it in a store, and for those whose hands have "grown properly" - make it yourself according to the corresponding drawings. There is now quite a lot of such information in the media and specialized literature.

Choose the option that, according to user reviews, seems the most reliable and feasible to use. At the time of connecting the machine, as experience shows, it is better to call a professional electrician. He will probably tell you how your windmill is connected correctly, even if there is a tutorial and instructions. And one more thing: in order to power several light bulbs and appliances (for example, a TV or a computer) from this energy, it will be necessary to install several windmills at once. So think about how much you can afford it. Do not forget about the main condition - the presence of a constantly blowing wind. After all, installing a wind turbine in a dense forest, as they say, is a waste of time and money. But in general, it is quite possible to make and install windmills as alternative sources of energy in a private house both financially and physically.

Sun

His energy is truly inexhaustible. And besides, quite promising in use. We've all seen the European versions on TV" smart home”, where heating, lighting, and water heating are produced through the use of solar energy. It is interesting that in one year so much solar radiation falls on the surface of the soil and water that it (if fully used for energy production) would be enough for all mankind for many thousands of years! It remains, as usual, only to take what is "rolling" underfoot. And this is not so easy. The snag lies in the rather low efficiency of photoelectric converters and solar plants invented by mankind. But scientists are constantly working in this direction.

solar plants

It is certainly possible (and even necessary) to make such high-tech devices as solar alternative energy sources for the home with your own hands. Just get ready for the fact that it will most likely not be so easy to do this, and you cannot do without certain skills or the help of a specialist!

For water heating

The most expedient and simple use of devices is for heating water. Separate direct and indirect heating. Direct includes a variety of greenhouses, tanks for heating water in the sun, greenhouses, glazed loggias, verandas, for example. This type of heating allows you to use free solar energy to generate heat in any convenient place: on the roof, in any open space. Non-freezing liquids (antifreeze) are used as a heat carrier, and the subsequent one takes place in storage heat exchangers. From them, water is also taken for heating and domestic needs.

By the way, there is a children's designer "Alternative Energy Sources" ("Expert"), which allows you to collect up to 130 projects. Children over the age of five can also join the creation of windmills, use mechanical, water, solar energy to generate electricity.

Solar panels

Development has led to the creation of solar cells as the most effective way use of solar radiation. This kind of panel is a system of semiconductors that converts solar energy into electricity. Such systems provide uninterrupted and reliable, cost-effective supply of electricity to a private house. They are especially effective in hard-to-reach areas. For example, in the mountains, where there are many sunny days a year, and the "official" supply of electricity is absent or suffers from irregularity. Or in an area where there are frequent interruptions in the supply of electricity from the main source.

Installation Benefits

Such an installation has the following advantages:

does not require laying a cable to the supports, which significantly reduces the cost of production;
battery installation and maintenance costs are minimized;
environmental cleanliness of produced energy;
light weight of solar panels;
complete noiselessness during operation;
quite a long period of use.

Flaws

The challenges of alternative energy sources such as solar panels are:

in the laborious assembly process;
that they take up a lot of space;
sensitive to mechanical damage and pollution;
do not function at night;
their effectiveness is highly dependent on sunny or cloudy weather.

Installation

Alternative energy sources - solar panels - are mounted quite easily with certain skills. First you need to select necessary materials for construction. We will need high-quality solar cells (from mono- or polycrystalline silicon). It is better to take those whose work is effective even in cloudy weather - polycrystals, readily available in a set. We buy cells from the same manufacturer so that everything is compatible and interchangeable. You will also need conductors connecting the photocells. The case is made of its dimensions are determined by the number of cells. For an external covering - plexiglas. For mounting on the roof of the house we use self-tapping screws. For soldering wires - an ordinary soldering iron. In general, nothing "military". With the help of a good instruction, as a rule, attached to the kit, you can figure it out yourself. In extreme cases, invite a neighbor in the country as an assistant.

In modern cities, there is a high concentration of the population, which is supplied with electrical energy. High Quality. And in rural areas, characterized by long air transmission lines, this issue has not been fully resolved.

The voltage supplied to buildings located at the remote ends of power lines is not only not stable, but can be turned off for various reasons.

In this situation, people are looking for alternative sources electrical energy, which are able to maintain normal power supply in the country and in a private house.

Our advice will help home master choose the most suitable type of generator, which is best suited to restore voltage during troubleshooting on the supply line or allow its power to be used for permanent power supply.

Brief information about the possibilities of a home power plant

The term "generator" refers to technical devices capable of generating electric current by converting some source energy into electricity. For example, in a car, it is created due to the mechanical rotation of the rotor inside the stator, and in a solar battery, as a result of irradiating sensitive photocells with sunlight.

Electric generators are available in a wide range, perform various tasks power supply. For right choice alternative energy source, it must be accurately analyzed according to its characteristics:

maximum load power;
types of electric current: constant or sinusoidal;
parameters of consumers (resistive or reactive load) that affected the start-up and operation;
duration of the working cycle;
switching methods: manual or automatic mode;
other specific operating conditions.

This means that one alternative energy source is able to autonomously provide electricity not only to a private house, but also to a village, and the other one can hardly cope with the power of consumers in one apartment. But their cost will differ by several orders of magnitude.

Minimum requirements for a domestic electricity source

Before choosing the simplest generator for the home, you should consider only the main devices that it should power, and select it according to their parameters. For example, if the electricity is out for only a few hours, then refrigerators and freezers can be excluded, because they are able to keep the cold during this period.

The minimum functions of a budgetary source of electrical energy can be provided by an ordinary car battery with a voltage of 12 volts of any power, but preferably increased. You can connect to it:

The battery will power these devices and gradually discharge. To recharge it, it is enough to use a generator removed from the car, the rotor of which can be turned by a bicycle simulator.

To this end, the rear wheel of the bicycle is simply hung on a stand, and a second chain is installed on one of its free sprockets, which will transmit torque from the pedals to the rotor of the car generator.

You can use any other affordable way transfer of rotational energy, for example, by creating direct contact from the tire of the wheel directly to the tip of the rotor axle.

Due to such a simple design, it is convenient to exercise on an exercise bike and at the same time watch TV programs or use the Internet from a laptop or computer. In a deficit physical activity it's a pretty good way to stay healthy and save energy for your home at the same time.

Overview of the features of alternative energy sources

Possibilities of Synchronous and Asynchronous Designs

Generator that converts mechanical energy to electric, it works like this:

the rotor winding rotates inside the magnetic field and current flows through it;
its magnetic field through the magnetic circuit penetrates through the turns of the stator and induces a sinusoidal electric current in them.

Depending on the design features of the stator and rotor, their electromagnetic fields can rotate in the same way, as in synchronous structures, or - be shifted by the amount of slip in asynchronous ones.

A simple one can be made with your own hands from an ordinary asynchronous motor. It just needs to be selected according to the electrical characteristics and, especially, the amount of power generated.

When choosing a generator design for a house in terms of power, it is taken into account that when starting any electric motors, load currents with aperiodic components occur in the power circuit. They can only be eliminated by a special one, which is still rarely used in practice.

Large amplitudes of the currents of a normal engine start can drown out the operation of an asynchronous type generator. Therefore, when selecting it for loads of this inductive type, it is necessary to provide for a three-fold power reserve. And synchronous models do not need to create such a reserve.

On the basis of synchronous and asynchronous designs, autonomous generators operate, powered by internal combustion engines, as well as water and wind structures that perform power supply tasks in various ways.

Generators on internal combustion engines

Now it is not difficult for a home master to buy a similar factory model, focusing not only on the cost of fuel and construction, but also on the output price of producing one kilowatt hour of electricity. It is desirable to calculate this characteristic for all types of combustion engines.

Such alternative sources of electrical energy are created for continuous operation for several working hours. The smallest models, having a low weight, are capable of generating power less than 1 kW.

The simple design has heat dissipation due to natural air recirculation. After that, it requires a stop for cooling and maintenance.

On the front panel there are elementary controls and instruments for monitoring the operation of the gasoline engine and the electrical characteristics of the generator. They are necessary for visual observation of parameters by the operator.

The middle class of gas generators is capable of delivering power up to several kilowatts for the power supply of a private house.

Diesel generators

Alternative energy sources that run on diesel fuel are better adapted to long-term power supply to consumers. They may have a blowing system and separate functions that facilitate operation. Usually they are produced with increased power.

Diesel generators, like gasoline generators, produce an unpleasant exhaust of exhaust products of fuel combustion that is unpleasant for humans, and during operation they create noise that irritates the ear. Therefore, they require installation in remote areas and the installation of a system for venting gases from the house to the atmosphere.

gas generators

These alternative energy sources are powered by various types of natural gas, including methane. The output power, like that of diesel structures, can be from several kilowatts, which is quite enough to power an individual house.

Devices of the middle power class already incorporate an automation system that uses the automatic reserve switching mode - AVR, which quickly restores power to the house in the event of a power failure on the main power supply line.

Compared to diesel counterparts of equal power, gas generators are less noisy, and the emitted combustion products are not highly toxic.

Gas generators are often produced in a modular container design, which allows them to be installed close to a residential building. When connected to a gas supply system or a special tank, regularly refueled, they are able to work as sources of constant power supply.

Combined type generators

Depending on the design, these alternative energy sources are capable of running on various types fuel. Most often they use combinations of gas with gasoline or diesel fuel.

Combined type generators have the advantages of gas structures and at the same time, their engine is able to run on other types of fuel.

The listed generator devices are given with a minimum set of power supply functions that an owner of a private house or cottage may need. More powerful designs in each class are capable of performing increased tasks, operating as an autonomous power plant.

Natural Energy Generators

A home master may be interested in the designs of alternative energy sources that work due to:

gusts of wind;
water currents;
exposure to sunlight.

Wind generators

Enough tempting offers about the use of wind energy often end in disappointment.

There are many reasons for this, because such alternative energy sources at first glance have a simple design, but in fact they require accurate engineering calculations and analysis of meteorological features of the area.

Many attempts to make a wind generator with their own hands end in failure due to:

the difficulties of creating an efficient wind wheel device with aerodynamic propeller blades, which has long been used in aircraft construction;
difficulties in accounting for changing wind speeds;
the location of the rotating parts at a height away from the residential building;
providing a rigid and durable mast structure that can reliably withstand hurricane loads.

Manufacturers of wind turbines standardize their products for different climatic conditions, offer all kinds of technical solutions for power, various ways installation up to simple installation on the roof of a building. However, this may result in the loosening of the building elements of the walls and roof, the formation of cracks in them.

Homemade hydroelectric power plants

Alternative sources of electrical energy that use the power of the water flow are the easiest to do with your own hands.

They can be powered by a small stream, as seen in the photo, or a more powerful stream of a river directed at them.

The hydroelectric power plant shown below was assembled by the hands of several craftsmen. It supplies free electricity to 30 houses in the countryside.

For such designs, you can use asynchronous electric motors switched to generator mode. They are installed on permanently mounted equipment, as shown in the photo above, or on floating stations.

Hydroelectric enthusiasts create their devices different types, using them in the most unexpected places, for example, faecal streams of sewage treatment plants.

The disadvantages of such structures:

the obligatory presence of a water flow capable of turning the water wheel;
freezing of reservoirs during frosts.

In order not to lose electricity from a hydroelectric power plant in winter, there are designs of water wheels located at the bottom of the river. They are designed for year-round power supply.

Solar panels and stations

If the initial designs of solar batteries were developed only for spacecraft, now they are mass-produced for domestic use.

Solar panels work on different devices. They are used to power small appliances as an autonomous source and powerful power plants.

To create a home solar station, you must use:

solar panels that generate direct current;
controller that receives and distributes battery power to:

accumulators serving as accumulators;
direct current consumers;

an inverter that changes the signal shape to pure sine and increases its voltage to 220/380 volts.

All these devices must be coordinated in terms of power, technical characteristics and loads.

When choosing any design of an alternative energy source for power supply to a summer house and a house, do not forget about the elementary. Be sure to use automatic safety devices.

The practical implementation of the principles of autonomous power supply for a house and farm equipment using the example of a wind generator and a solar power plant can be seen in the MicroArt video.