As of this writing we have just completed 'Earth Day.' A day set aside to bring more awareness to the fact that we need to take a serious look at saving our planet. Even more than just taking a look however, we need to take serious, prompt action...and now.

There are many things we can all do to conserve our natural resources, but one of the single best actions we can all take, will not only have a huge effect on global warming and conservation, it will also save a tremendous amount of money for everyone using it. This action is utilizing renewable energy. By using solar power and also wind power, we take great steps on getting away from the dirty, wasteful, and expense alternatives that we have been dependent on for so many years. Solar and wind are just two options for renewable energy, but there are others also.

A professional installation of quality solar panels, and/or a wind turbine, just for a single residence property can be exceedingly expensive however. Obviously we instantly begin reducing our carbon footprint, but it usually takes many years to recover the initial financial investment of such a system. Solar panels have become more efficient and less expensive, but a solar power home system is still beyond the financial means of many home owners. A wind turbine can also be extremely expensive, and is also not feasible in many areas of the United States due to lower sustained winds to power a larger turbine.

Something that many homeowners have discovered is, that by building their own solar panels and/or wind turbines, the normally high initial investment can be reduced to just a fraction of what a comparable professional system would be. Many are opting to build just one or two solar panels at a time and adding to their system as money permits. Even if you just build a single solar panel and use it just for dc (direct current) devices, you'll instantly begin to realize the benefits. As your system grows, and your finances allow, you can add deep cycle batteries, a charge controller, and an inverter to eventually have a system that can provide enough electricity to power many, or all of your home needs.

With many electric vehicles available now, and many others being developed, if one had a substantial solar or wind power system, and could produce a large amount of electrical energy very cheaply, we could not only power everything in our homes, but we could also operate a clean electric vehicle for very little money, all while doing our part in saving this amazing planet.

Hopefully by now most people are recycling, at least as much as is practical, but just know that for less money that most of us earn in a couple days of working, that you can begin to build your own self-sufficient solar and/or wind power generating system.