Free The Everything Guide to Living Off the Grid by Terri Reid

off-grid wind system is actually quite simple. It generally consists of a wind turbine that generates electrical power; a battery bank that stores the power; and an inverter, which, just like the inverter in the solar power system, changes the power into usable electricity.
    You need to place the wind turbine on a tower that is approximately 100 feet high. At this height the winds are generally faster and less turbulent. Two or three blades are attached to the turbine. When the wind blows over the blades, they rotate. When they rotate, a shaft inside the turbine converts that movement into electricity.
    Smaller vertical wind turbines have recently been developed for use in home power. These turbines take up less space than traditional horizontal turbines, and some can capture wind movement from all directions.
    A relatively new product on the wind-power market is a vertical spire. One such product, marketed as Windspire, generates power when wind blows against the vertical airfoils, causing them to spin. This power is then converted to AC electricity and is immediately available to provide energy to your building. These spires are only 30 feet tall and 4 feet wide. In 11 mph annual average winds, each spire will generate about 2,000 kWh per year.
    Hydro Power
    Did you know that hydroelectric power is the most widely used renewable energy source in the world today? Worldwide, it accounts for approximately 16 percent of all electricity production. Much of the same technology used for massive hydroelectric plants can be used in powering your home.
    Micro–hydro generators can use average water flows to generate electricity. The reason hydro power often surpasses solar and wind power in side-by-side comparisons is that water can generate power constantly, unlike sun and wind. If you’ve ever seen images of areas that have been flooded, you immediately understand the power of water.

The force of water is so powerful that it only requires six inches of water on a flooded street for you to lose control of your car. That same force, multiplied by four to equal two feet of water, can actually float your car downstream.
    Although most commercial hydroelectric power plants use a dam, for residential power generation you will typically use a pipe to collect water from a stream or river. The water from the pipes increases in power or energy as it flows downhill from the source to the turbine. The water hits the turbine and causes it to spin, which generates electricity.
    Before you can choose the correct hydro system for your home, you need to measure the amount of energy available in your water supply. To dothis you need to determine two important numbers—flow and head. Hydroelectric installers will work with you to estimate these numbers, but you will want to have a general idea of how the process works.
    The flow is the amount of water available to turn your turbine; the more flow, the more energy. Flow is measured in cubic feet per second. So, if you were to use a pipe to divert water from your source, how much would be diverted in one second?
    Head is the pressure of the water when it hits the turbine. To determine head, you need to estimate the distance the water will fall (go downhill) before it reaches your turbine; the further the fall, the higher the energy.
    In order to use hydroelectric power efficiently, one or both of these numbers—flow or head—has to be fairly high to make the investment worth your while.
    Alternative Energies
    Several centuries ago, many German farmers and their families lived in housebarns. These buildings were comprised of the barn on the ground level and the home on the second and sometimes third level. The primary reason for this arrangement was that the warmth from the animals would rise up and help heat the home. That was one of the first uses of an alternative energy source called biomass .

One cow’s waste can produce enough electricity to light two 110-watt light bulbs twenty-four hours