Whether together or individually, the use of renewable energies has become a fashion thanks to two great advantages: reduction of pollution and the savings in electricity bills.

It is true that at the industrial level, renewable energies have been used for longer, but at the domestic level they were adapted a short time ago. There are many types of renewable energy, but the use of solar energy, wind and air source and ground source systems stands out at the domestic level.

Advantages of renewable energy

As stated above, this type of energy has two important advantages:

• Reduction of pollution: Thanks to these systems we can reduce the pollution generated by conventional systems. In addition, as the combustion of gases is not required, it reduces the emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
• Reducing electricity bills: Renewable energy sources are free. This will reduce your electricity bill. However, calculating savings is almost impossible since it depends on the type of source we use, the size of the house, consumption… The installation of these energy sources can allow us to self-consumption, ending with electricity bills.

Renewable energy systems for home

Photovoltaic solar panels

Thanks to a photovoltaic solar panel we can transform solar radiation into electricity. These systems are able to produce the total energy consumed by the house, reaching self-consumption.

If we do not want (or cannot) reach this level, a simple installation of 4.5 kW and a battery could lead to a self-sufficiency rate in consumption of 75%, with the consequent savings in bills.

Although this energy will be free from the beginning, we have to recover the investment. This could be prolonged between 5 and 7 years depending on the type and size of the installation.

This type of system requires an outdoor space on a roof or surface where the sun hit as possible.

It is the other way to take advantage of solar radiation. In this case, we do not transform the radiation but directly take advantage of the heat of the sun to heat water for different uses. The use of these systems allows us a reduction up to 70 % in the electricity bill.

This type of renewable energy systems do not allow self-consumption since electricity is not generated, but it can be used as a support system for hot water production and heating, two of the largest expenses in a home.

Wind and small wind energy

It consists of taking advantage of wind resources thanks to the use of wind turbines with a power lower than 100 kW. As they are small generators, they are called mini-wind systems at the domestic level.

They are highly recommended for areas with a lot of wind. Now, these systems are developed in such a way that they are lightweight, silent and efficient. The most compact ones generate up to 5 kW and only need a wind speed of 2 m/s to start generating power.

These systems transform the motive energy of the wind into electricity. For place the wind turbine, it is necessary a space in the garden or roof.

Air source and ground source heat pumps

These systems are the newest. They take advantage of heat of the outside air or the ground to produce hot water that can be used for a sanitary purpose or for heating. The advantage of these systems is that they also allow the production of cold water for the air conditioning of the house in summer. So, user meets all the demand with a single system.

While air source technology uses air as an energy source to produce heating/cooling, ground source technology exchanges heat with the ground whose temperature is constant throughout the year.

Both technologies are very efficient. For your choice, factors such as installation expenses (excavations in the case of ground source energy), location or type of housing have to be taken into account.