With the burden on the earth’s natural resources becoming more onerous, alternative electric energy is becoming less of an option and more of a necessity. The toll on the environment also requires us to explore realistic solutions to preserve dwindling resources.

Since the industrial revolution, we have placed heavy demand on non renewable resources such as coal, oil, and gas. In some countries deforestation is compounded by people who still use wood for charcoal. This trend cannot continue and massive investment into alternative electric energy is imperative.

Proponents of alternative electric energy tell us that we can preserve the world’s resources by adopting renewable energy systems. They say that instead of continuing to rely on non renewable fuels we should employ new sustainable technology. Such technology works by generating electricity from abundant sources that can be harnessed quite easily. Most alternative electric energy systems are simple to understand and utilize.

There is nothing new about using renewable sources for energy. Many alternative electric energy systems are simply an updated version of old fashioned technology. Sources of energy can be generated using the power of the wind, sun or water.

The old windmills that were used by farmers to grind wheat can still be seen as historic artifacts gracing many European landscapes. Modern alternative electric energy windmills now turn to produce electricity instead of mill grain. The basic principles behind the old and the new windmills is essentially the same. Both trap the wind’s energy in great vanes which turn a shaft. Old mill shafts were connected to millstones while their modern counterparts spin turbines that produce electricity.

Hydro electric power is an alternative electric energy system that is not new in concept. Hydro power stations are the preferred choice in some areas for providing electricity to a large population. Their main benefits are that they are not expensive to run and they do not pollute the environment. This type of alternative electric energy system is often worked by the force of water in a dam which passes over turbine blades to generate electricity. Prototypes of the modern hydro turbine were huge wheels that turned millstones in the past.

Solar power is a very convenient alternative electricity system that is becoming very popular for small user and domestic application. This system is highly adaptable and can be fitted on rooftops. Solar power has been praised for its ingenious simplicity which rests on the invention of the photo voltaic cell. The cells are very small components that trap the sun’s rays and convert it into electricity. The consumer is able to utilize this electricity which is stored in batteries.

If you want to create your own solar generator, you could make several different types.

A portable solar power generator could be very helpful if you like to take a lot of camping trips and need the power there, in distant locations.

But if you’re making a solar generator for your house, you could either make one that connects to your existing power source and then use it with your “on the grid” power – or you could go “off the grid” and build system that doesn’t rely on your existing power source at all.

Here I’m going to focus on the most basic option available to you – also known as the “on grid” solar generator. Even if you’re new to this and haven’t made your own energy systems before, you should still be able to follow the steps here and make your own solar generator.

Not only is this method fairly straightforward, the other advantage is that if you produce more electricity than you use in one month you’ll get paid by your electric company!

There are five basic parts required to complete this solar generator: an AC breaker panel, a kilowatt per hour meter, an array DC disconnect, an inverter, and the solar panels themselves. Here’s how you connect these five parts:

First, you need to connect your solar panels to your array DC disconnect – this ensures that you can turn the power on and off.

Next you need to convert the direct current electricity generated from the solar panels into alternating current – the kind that’s used in your house. To do this, connect the inverter to your array DC disconnect.

Finally, locate your AC breaker panel – which is usually found in your garage or on the side of your house. Then connect the inverter itself to this box.

Once this is all connected, make sure that your kilowatt per hour meter is properly connected to the AC breaker panel as well as to the grid power source that you’re using. If you don’t get this right then you won’t get paid by the electric company when you generate more power than you use in a given month.

If you don’t have the skills to connect everything properly to the AC breaker panel, you definitely want to call an electrician and have him help you. In some states it’s actually illegal to do this by yourself, so you want to be very careful.

If you can do everything here correctly, you can create your own generator and start going green today!