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3 Alternatives to Residential Electric Supply


by DoItYourself Staff

If you are looking for alternatives to using the residential electric supply there are a number of different options that you could look at. When you can find an effective alternative to the typical electric supply, it can be very beneficial to you. You will not have to worry about paying an electric bill and you can help conserve resources for the planet. If you are considering making the switch, here are a few alternatives that you could consider. 

1. Solar Power

Solar power is the most popular alternative method of creating electricity for your home. The sun is the most powerful source of energy out there. You can harness the energy from it and power your house on a permanent basis. In order to complete this project, you will have to have solar panels and the proper system installed. There are ways that you can do this yourself, or you could have a solar company install it for you. 

2. Gasifier

A gasifier is a relatively unknown way to create electricity for you and your family. With a gasifier, you can basically turn wood into electricity. By using wood pellets or fine wood chips, you can create your own kind of wood fuel. With this fuel, you can run any number of engines. You could run a car and most importantly you can run a generator. With that generator, you can power your house or any other building that you want. You can use a gasifier with a number of different kinds of biomass. Therefore, if you own a farm or have a very big yard, you can find free electricity all around you. Just gather up some sticks or chop down a tree and you are ready to go. Throw it in the gasifier and it can produce energy to run your house on. With about 2 hours of work, you can create enough energy to run a house for a day. This is really an interesting option that a lot more people will be trying out in the coming years.

3. Wind Power

Another popular option that you have is to use a wind turbine to create energy. This is definitely better if you live in an area that is windy the majority of the time. With this method, you set up a windmill or set of windmills in an open area. You then allow the wind to turn the windmill blades and it creates circular power which produces electricity through the wind turbine. This is one of the easiest systems to use and it can create a lot of energy. There are many wind commercial wind farms going up across the country and many individuals are using them as well.

Choosing a Method

These three popular methods all have their merit in certain situations. The solar system is very easy to use once you get it set up. The wind power method is also pretty "hands off" once you get it going. The gasifier will require a bit of work, but you can also use the fuel for other things.  

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