Wind vs. Solar: Which makes more sense for your home?
Energy prices are climbing, and every day we hear more proof that coal and nuclear power plants pose a huge risk to human health and the environment. Many people are interested in ways that renewable energy can help them offset utility costs as well as reduce their carbon footprint on the planet, but the options can be overwhelming and confusing.
The two most popular forms of renewable energy in use today are wind power and solar panels. Wind power is captured by turbines, while the sun’s energy is captured by rooftop solar arrays and fed back into the grid or store in batteries for later use.
Both residential wind turbines and home solar systems are available to the public, but it can be hard to know which makes more sense in terms of cost and installation difficulty. Here are some facts to keep in mind if you’re trying to decide between these two renewable energy systems.
- Location: The first question you have to answer when choosing between wind and solar energy systems is which do you have more of, sunshine or wind? Both the U.S. Department of Energy and American Wind Energy Association have online maps and reports that can help determine whether you live in a predominantly sunny or windy state.
- Determine Your Power Needs: Do you just want to supplement your grid power usage, or do you want to live off the grid completely? Most people are surprised to learn how erratic wind can be when comparing turbine production to those of solar systems. New technologies have been developed to help keep solar power constant, even in bad weather or overnight, while there’s no way of controlling the wind.
- Financing: Residential wind and solar energy systems can be expensive, with the average cost for both falling between $22,000 and $30,000. This is a big investment for most property owners and one of the biggest reasons why residential power customers are reluctant to embrace renewables. However, solar leasing has become a popular way to finance a home solar system without having to pay upfront installation costs. Residential wind turbine companies don’t currently offer a leasing option, and it’s also important to consider the extra costs of permits that might be required to erect a turbine on your property.
Beth Buczynski is a freelance writer from Colorado. She enjoys exploring new energy technologies and socially responsible businesses at Green Marketing TV, as well as Entrepreneurs for a Change, the social entrepreneur’s source for interviews with the industry’s top thinkers. Follow Beth on Twitter as @ecosphericblog.
Just goes to show that you need to do a lot of research before you contemplate solar panels (or wind power) and even more when it comes to choosing it!