Solar Power
Find it here in Green Pioneer.com
"Good day sunshine...good day sunshine"
The Beatles
Alternatives Without Compromise
In realizing more freedom and self-sufficiency, we must understand that this goal requires variety within the total portfolio. In other words, in most circumstances no one specific system is going to fully do the job--or at least not do it well in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner. This is a fact that will be reiterated on just about every page of this site.
Solar Power, usually in the form of panels or photovoltaics, can potentially be very expensive for not much output. There are some new, smaller panels that also track the sun that are supposed to be more efficient and less expensive than what's currently available. However, they won't be available for another couple of years.
Using photovotaics to heat your water is a nice idea, albeit a rather expensive one. There are in fact some less expensive more cost-effective ways to use solar energy, though. So let's not totally rule it out. You can heat water with solar energy, but if you're not up for the photovoltaic investment, you might want to heat small amounts of water for smaller applications--like an outdoor shower, barn use, or possibly an on-demand basis.
We're finding that Solar Power is quite effective for smaller, specific applications. For example, you may use solar energy for small battery-operated appliances or for certain types of lighting. Solar energy can also be used to recharge batteries.
This is where solar energy can have some really unique uses. During the summer you may want to build yourself a nifty solar oven. See this one. There are all sorts of solar powered appliances too. Here are some links to several neat ones we've discovered. Many RV and camping web stores offer some great products along these lines.
Naturally, we don't want to ignore the passive solar element in warming our homes and outbuildings. This is also where Solar Power really shines! It's not about powering those energy-guzzling large appliances. It's way too wimpy for that kind of thing. Passive solar is a huge energy-saver for locations in colder climates. For more information on passive solar see the pages on Thermal Mass and Green Design.
