Green power Easy DIY Altwernative Energy Guide

We were one of the lucky few to be able to get our hands on a preview copy of 'Green Power Easy' before the official launch date on October 26th, 2009.
This our in-depth review of Green Power Easy By Peter and Jennifer Lowe

The key part of Green power Easy is the e-book entitles The Easy DIY Guide to Solar and Wind Power. When you open this book the first  thing you notice is the detail into which Peter and Jennifer go.  From page one you get the feeling you are in good hands.

The first 8 sections take you on a  tour of alternative energy, explaining exactly what it is and the various types (ways of generating) of green electrical power.

The following 7 sections cover energy saving.  This is not always an obvious step for for people considering generating their own energy but it is crucial. Firstly you need to consider the bigger picture, I.e the planet. Reducing energy usage is just good sense. Even free energy should not be wasted. In practice the cost of your home green energy system will be directly related to the amount of power you consume so if you can reduce you power consumption before you start then your installation costs can be dramatically reduced.

The next three sections cover choosing the correct green energy solutions for you and the benefits and drawbacks of a DIY alternative energy system. This is an important section as we have heard of many people using these DIY alternative energy guides to produce impressive electricity generating systems that just didn't work in practice because the location or situation of the house was not suitable for the solution used.

The book then moves into the first practical instruction and contains and impressive 23 sections dedicated to building a solar panel. To say this part of the book is 'in-depth' is bit of an understatement. It takes you by the hand and leads through every process needed to build and mount a solar panel. It includes everything from, creating the weatherproof housing  through soldering the solar cells to assembling and mounting the finished solar panel.

The Green Power Easy guide, like most of it's competitors claim that you need no DIY skills at all and that this can all be done by anyone. While this true for the majority of people you may be the kind of person really can't put a shelf up! If this is you then you should think carefully before taking on any of the projects in this book. - or get a more able friend to help. Although extremely simple it does involve sawing, drilling, gluing, screwing and soldering. Even if you have never soldered before it should take about 10-15 minutes practice to gain enough proficiency to be able to join the solar cells. Just make sure you practice on some spare tab wire first – DON'T jump straight on the solar cells.  The biggest tip we can give you from our experience is to ensure everything you solder is cleaned with a very fine emery board (your wife's nail file) or very fine sanding paper.

The next part of the Green Power Easy book  contains 15 sections that takes you through building a wind generator. It covers the principles of wind powered electricity generation in details and describes exactly what each part does and how it works. It includes a full kit list and the tools required to complete the project.

Green Power Easy Alternative Energy Implemantation Guide

Where as the solar panel entails a significant amount of soldering and has no moving parts, the wind generator, on the other hand is a far more 'mechanical' challenge. This is clearly understood by the authors and they describe the detailed build in very easy terms. One of the main challenges in a wind generator is the blades. The whole project can live or die on the blade design, quality and balance. Green Power Easy brilliantly covers the production of the wind generator blades and shows you the best method for achieving a perfectly balanced blade assembly. The section concludes with the mounting pole and final installation of you wind generator.

The final sections of the Green Power Easy book cover the 'wiring up' and the electrical storage and control system.  This is an area where many of the other guides we have reviewed fall down. They give reasonable build instructions but when it comes to the intricate interconnection and control they skip over it. Giving less detail than is really needed to fully understand and more importantly build the units. Green Power Easy addresses this problem head on and has included the same level of detail here as in the rest of their alternative energy guide.

Each component is discussed in detail, in it's own section, including Array DC Disconnect, Charge Controller, Deep Cycle Batteries, System Meter/Controller, Main DC Disconnect, Inverter, Kilowatt per Hour Meter & Backup Power .  Don't be put off by the list, as I said everything is described in minute detail and a complete wiring overview and instructions are included. Although I have written a relatively short paragraph on this part of the Green power Easy book, it is one it's strengths that helped us choose Green Power Easy as our number one choice.

The penultimate 3 sections describe the system options. These are:

1.Portable or Autonomous power systems, i.e. smaller systems that are used to power one or more electrical appliances on their own electrical circuits.
2.Grid inter-tied, or integrated systems, i.e. a system that is electrically integrated into your home electricity wiring circuits along with your countries national power grid.
3.Off-Grid power systems, i.e. a completely autonomous power system relying 100% on green energy with no connection to the national power grid.

With the final 5 sections covering detailed wiring plans for all the various configurations including the connections into your homes breaker box.

Green Power Easy Alternative Energy Parts Guide

That concludes the review of the main book but a real plus with Green Power Easy is the inclusion of three further e-books. Don't consider these as bonus items, they are absolutely a crucial part of creating an alternative energy solution.

1.Green Power Easy Implementation Guide – Designing an Implementing Your Alternative Power Solution.
We recommend you read the main e-book first to get an understanding of the system overview, components and build requirements and then read this one. It is from here you will learn how to design and plan the right system for your particular home. Something some of the the other guides simply fail to address.

2.Parts Ordering Guide – The Easy Guide To Saving money On your Solar And Wind Power Parts.
This is 'exactly what it says on the tin'. An absolutely crucial part of building your green power system. This e-book tells you what you will need to spend on individual parts and allows you to set a budget for your project (anyone who has any experience with project management will know how important this is). It also gives you best and cheapest sources for your parts. I promise you will be amazed at just how cheaply you can obtain most the parts you need. Absolutely crucial especially if you plan to build a large alternative energy system.

Green Power Easy alternative Energy Rebates Guide

3.The final book offering is Green Power Easy Rebates Guide – Get Tax Rebates For Your Home Conversion And Save.
This e-book covers the rebates that are available in the various countries. These rebates can be a significant contribution to your energy cost reduction and in many cases what makes it possible to zero your energy bills.

Traditionally the authors have included what they call Green Power Easy TV. Unfortunately we were not able to review this prior to launch but we have been assured that this will be free to everyone who registers (simple first name and email address) at the Green Power Easy Website before the launch date on October 26th. You will also immediately receive a free 'Going Green' report.
Our expectation is that Green Power Easy TV will provide video guides to supplement the e-books. If they are as detailed and well thought out as the e-books then they will turn out to be real winners.

All in all we are convinced that Green Power Easy has created the definitive guide to DIY alternative energy. It has clearly learned from it's predecessors, filled the gaps that they left and produced an excellent product.  In our reviews we would normally raise any downsides of a product but in the case of Green Power Easy it has been hard to find any. As it has been reviewed prior to release we have not been able to see the whole product, namely the eagerly awaited Green Power Easy TV, which was a little disappointing. Although we have no reason to believe these will be of any less quality than the e-books.  So Green power Easy makes it into our number one spot easily pushing the previous product Earth 4 Energy into second place.

But don't just take our word for it! You can read an experts view by Miller Britzke (Alternative Energy Engineer) at An Experts Opinion and see the results of the top five products reviewed at Green Energy Guide Review.

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Home Solar Energy Conversion – Everything You Need For A Solar Power Solution

In A Hurry - Jump To The First Choice In Our Review And Get Free Report

Before starting a DIY solar energy home conversion project you will need know exactly what components are required to complete that conversion?

Before you start anything at all you must get hold of a good DIY solar guide. One that will walk you through the entire process of building and setting up your solar energy solution. We suggest you take a look at our Green Power review first.  OK, putting that aside for a moment lets take a look at what's needed to convert to solar!

There are 7 key components you will require to create a home solar powered electricity solution. We are talking about a complete home conversion here and not just a stand alone solar power unit. If you are just making a stand alone solar system then only 4 of these components are needed.

To create your own home energy solution you will need all the following components and they all need to connected correctly together.

1. Solar Panels – Normally you will build these units yourself. You buy cheap photo cells and join then up in a sub frame and create 50W, 75W, or 100W individual solar panels.
2. Array DC Disconnect – Basically this is an electrical switch that  lets you turn off the electricity generated by the solar panel from the rest of the system. This switch will cost you around $20+.
3. Charge Controller – Most systems use batteries as the electricity storage solution. This enables electricity to be stored and used when needed. The charge controller manages the electricity going into the batteries ensuring they do not overcharge and making sure they don't discharge when the charge voltage drops ( i.e. at night- no sun!). This component can be fairly inexpensive if you look around.
4. Deep Cycle Batteries – As p[previously mentioned deep cycle batteries are required to store the electricity you generate.  Reconditioned batteries can be obtained for some excellent prices. You can  get old batteries absolutely free and recondition them yourself. This is possible because the law required batteries to be disposed of properly and that costs money. That means refurbishing batteries and giving away old batteries are both financially sensible options for their previous owners.
5. Voltage/Current Meter –  Although this is not required to make the system function it is very good idea to have a meeter that can check the voltages coming from the solar panels into the system. It is a great aid to fault finding and maintaining the system and can be bought for only a few dollars.
6. DC to AC Converter – Solar panels produce DC  (direct current) electricity but all your home appliances need AC (alternating current) electricity the converter turns the solar power generated electricity into power suitable for home use. The converter also needs to produce the correct voltage for your country (I.e 240v for UK or 120V for US). A 1500W converter will cost around $50
7. Backup System – Most home electricity systems will also need  backup power. When living totally off grid this is normally a generator. In built up areas the national electricity grid can be used as your backup.

Once this is all working you need to connect the output cables into the main breaker box in your home. This can be the dangerous part and you should consider getting a qualified electrician to complete this work. In some countries it may be a legal requirement.

This should have given you a good overview of the components needed to enable your home to run on solar generated electricity

We strongly recommend that you download a copy of one of the top guides in our review. It will give you the exact detailed information and instructions needed to build these solar power systems. It will definitely save you money and hard word and ensure you get your solar power system up and running and working.

You can also get a FREE Going Green Report By Clicking Here

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Before you ever think about converting to wind power for your electrical needs you must consider  where you live. A working windmill  needs wind, obvious I know but be aware how much. To be specific you will need wind speeds  that average greater than 8mph and preferably around 12mph.

You can check the wind speeds in your particular geography using one of the following links

For USA see http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/wndspd.txt
For Australia see http://www.wunderground.com/global/Region/AU/WindSpeed.html
For Europe (Inc. UK) see: http://www.xcweather.co.uk
For Canada see http://www.wunderground.com/global/Region/CN/WindSpeed.html

If you have checked and your average wind speed in your area is NOT  above 8mph then you should forget wind power and look at solar power instead.
If you are happy that your average wind speed IS over 8mph there are still further considerations to be addressed.

Wind Turbine Considerations

Assuming that the wind speeds make wind power is suitable for your area there are some other things to consider.  You need to ask a few questions and answer them honestly. Taking a little time to do this will ensure you choose the correct wind power system. If you are planning to live 'off grid' (i.e.) using 100% of your own power) you need to takle some serious time answer the following questions.

How Much Power Do You Need?

Number one thing to consider is how much power you actually need. Do you simply want to reduce your electricity bill, perhaps with one small windmill? Or are you looking to power your entire home?
If you want to generate enough electricity for your entire home you need to work out how much power you currently consume. If you take the time to download Green Power easy you will also get a complete guide to calculating your electricity requirements. As this system is our first choice from our review it is recommended you do this.

How Do You Store Your Wind Turbine Power?

Once you've calculated your power requirements you then need to consider the electrical storage system for your wind turbine.  In simple terms this primarily an array of batteries that are charged up buy the turbine and allows you to use the electricity when you need it. For a small wind power system this is not a major concern as you will always have your normal electricity supply to fall back on.

Of course if you plan to live off grid then you will need a robust and appropriately sized  storage solution. Your earlier power calculation should be used as the basis for the design of the electricity storage system. How much power will you need stored and how long will you need to store it?
If your area has slower winds for periods of weeks then you will need  more storage batteries to store more electricity

What If It All fails?

As in all major workings, not just home power systems, you must have back up plan. Most people need a consistent and continuous supply of electricity simply to run day to day so if you plan to live off grid you must have a fail-safe system. I.e. If something happens to cause a failure in your DIT electricity supply you will need an emergency backup. Generally a small petrol generator will suffice to power lights and essentials. Possibly an agreement with a neighbour to 'borrow' their power in an emergency.

Whatever your decisions make sure they are well thought out and informed. I would strongly recommend getting one of the top three guides in our review as going it alone is a serious challenge that most people will not be able to step up to. To get you started you should download the FREE goog Green report here.

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You have decided to build a DIY windmill. Hopefully you have bought one of the many top guides available to guide you through the process. These certainly give you a greater chance of success . Even if you are pretty DIY wise or mechanically capable you can still get a lot of good groundwork and reduce a lot of experimentation buy reading a professional guide.  Either way it tends to be the windmill blades that cause people the most problems. They look simple but the potential energy created in a mass of fast spinning blades can very easy be released and cause total catastrophe to your windmill.

Basically you have two options with windmill blades

1. Make them yourself – Cheaper but fraught with danger if not done properly.
2. Buy your windmill blades ready made – Less work but can be a lot of money

Lets talk a little about these two alternatives The pros and cons and the practicality.  Making windmill blades takes time and patience and if you value your time it may be that the practical cost (the man hours you put in) actually make this route expensive.  If, on the other hand, you enjoy the challenges of creation and see value in actual cash then you can save a significant amount of money by doing it yourself.  Either way there are advantages and disadvantages.

Buying Your Windmill Blades Ready Made

Lets look at the pro's of purchasing ready made blades. These are pretty self explanatory.

1. Professionally made blades are well balanced
2. You can choose from blade materials that would normally be very hard to work.
3. The design and blade angle will be optimised for performance.

There are also disadvantages to purchasing pre-made windmill blades against DIY construction. Professionally made blades can be very difficult to match to your blades to the chosen generator of your  home made windmill. They can very expensive as well.
Pro machined windmill blades can cost up to $1200.  As always check out Ebay for a bargain. I have seen 4’ - 6’ blades on Ebay for as little as $150. Check the condition though as even a small twist or damage to the blades can be devastating at a few hundred RPM!

Making Your Own Windmill Blades

There are many advantages to buying pro windmill blades but making them yourself has many advantages also

1.The blades can be made for your specific windmill design.
2.They are significantly cheaper reducing the overall cot of your home electric system.
3.You can select the exact requirements in the turbine blades to work in your geography. This is  especially important  in low wind speed areas.
4. And, of course, there is the personal satisfaction you get from creating it yourself.

If you're making your own windmill blades then I strongly recommend you take some time to review  the top three wind power conversion guides. Look at the review here and consider the top choice as they have recently added a great video that covers blade design and creation exactly.

Whatever you decide, ensure you take some time to design your blades well and ensure they are correct for your windmill and wind conditions. Making extra effort and spending a little extra time in this area will save you a lot of heart ache later.

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You can now find easy step by step instructions on how to convert your home to green energy with  DIY wind power or home-made solar panels for around $200. This means a lot of people are starting to take alternative energy very seriously. Do you know what the first question most people ask when looking at a home electricity conversion project? I'll tell you anyway. It's usually along the lines of how big does my windmill need to be? or how many solar panels do I need?

There are far too many factors involved to answer those questions without looking at each individual case and anyway, for most people, that's actually the wrong question.

You should start by asking how can I make my home as energy efficient as possible? How can I reduce my electricity requirements in the first place. We will try and answer these questions here and take you through some steps that will help you reduce your electricity usage before you even start to look at converting to wind or solar power.

One thing you should realise is that the cost of a DIY home power system is directly related to how much electricity you need.  Reduce your current power needs and you will reduce the cost, and work, in building your DIY power system.

Lets look at Reducing Your Energy Needs

Like we said, reviewing your current power usage is often forgotten in the rush to go green. The average home will have power wasting electrical appliances, high consumption lighting, and inefficient heating or cooling solutions.  An key factor in reducing your energy needs is to review every power consuming device in your home.

Things to review

Consider putting fluorescent or led bulbs in place old incandescent ones. This will slash the power  you need for lighting by 50%.

All new electrical appliances come with efficiency rating and are far more efficient than older appliances. Replacing old appliances could reduce your electricity bill by as much as 30%.

Review your heating and cooling systems. Solar water heaters are very simple, inexpensive and efficient and can replace or subsidise your electric hot water heater. Air conditioning units are notorious consumers of electricity. Can you replace yours with more efficient heat exchangers.

The Canadian government has a great guide choosing more efficient appliances. Check out  http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/EnerGuide/home.cfm.  It’s called Energuide, and it covers everything from energy consumption of home appliances right through to commercial air conditioning units.

Take a little time looking through that guide and calculating how much you can reduce your power consumption in different areas of your home.  By simply taking a look at everything in your home that consumes energy, you will find ways to reduce your energy needs before you start.

Standby Power

Standby power is another huge drain on electrical resources. When your TV or stereo is 'turned off' with the remote control is goes into standby. What is not generally known is that in standby many appliances consume almost as much power as when they are left on. See this review of standby power waste by the UN  at http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/sdissues/energy/op/clasp_mohanty.pdf. It covers many countries including USA, UK, Australia, Japan and many European countries and gives estimates of standby power consumption of various appliances.

You should also consider all the various passive energy saving methods like insulation and draft reduction.

It may not make financial sense to spend thousands of dollars replacing every old or inefficient appliance you have but things as simple as changing your light bulbs or lagging your loft can significantly reduce your power needs before you start generating your own power.

We have conducted a review of the top energy conversion guides. Click here to see full review.

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