Solar Energy: How to live off Grid

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By Christina Starkits

Everyday people are tossing money in the garbage without even realising it. Nobody really thinks about electricity, we just pay for it and think thats the price of living nowadays. Why not change this mentality? "Going Green", we hear about it all the time but is it easier said than done? Absolutely Not. With a little knowledge and awareness we can save money and preserve our planet. Instead of generating power from outside sources, keep your money in the bank and create your own solar power system within your very own home.

Energy star certified appliances are a great way to start "going green", just by replacing your old appliances with more energy efficient ones you can easily see a drop in your electrical bills. Simple upgrades around your home can amount to great savings in your bank account. Since saving money is such a priority nowadays with the cost of living being so high, there are a great number of kits available on the market to make the load on your wallet a lot lighter.

Saving electricity and learning how to be more efficient is the first level. Creating solar energy on your own is the next level. Solar cells are increasing in popularity and are becoming more proficient at a much lower price. In the past, creating your own solar energy would have been a multi thousand dollar job but today it can be achieved for a few hundred. Furthermore, some governments are now offering tax credits to those that are creating their own form of power.

People are now becoming more and more aware of the idea of solar energy and the possiblity of it being used for your home. The photoelectric effect is what solar energy relys on for generating its power. This is a phenomenon in which electrons are emitted from matter after the absorption of energy from visible sun light. This all may sound a little intimidating but is actually quite fascinating and with some help along the way can be easiely achieved by the average indvidual.

The solar panels that are set up for absorbtion of the suns ultra viote rays are not only made to grab the energy and convert it to elecrity but also to store energy for use at a later time. There are also systems out there that serve two purposes in one such as a solar energy system combined with a solar thermal water heater that is a sure fire way to save electricity. There is no need to start out by getting everything all at once, you can start out with the smaller systems available and work your way up from there.

These solar power systems are considered to be an investment but consider this, how quickly will this investment pay for itself? The answer is suprisingly under a year! These systems are so effective at saving cash you will wonder why you didnt make this investment years ago.

Solar energy is a topic that can literally be discussed for hours but thats not what this article is trying to accomplish. However, by bringing up more awareness about this topic and highlighting its benefits hopefully more and more people will realize that this is not a simple step to benefit your bank account, but on a greater level it will benefit our great planet!

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