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When we hear about how thinking globally and acting locally, power is often not at the forefront of our minds. But perhaps it should be. The environmental impact of transporting electricity is easily as taxing on the world climate as transporting hard consumer goods can be. Transporting power creates a direct waste of that power, creating a larger carbon footprint.

An immediate question springs to mind, however. Isn’t all power produced at least somewhat locally? In short, it is. However, we have narrow down what we consider local. If your power is produced 100 miles away, that’s not terribly far in today’s world, but some of the electricity will be lost over that 100 miles. If the power is produced on your roof or in your backyard, none of it will be lost (or at least very little of it).

For a moment, consider the factors at play in producing power. First, one has to consider the source of the power (i.e. coal, solar, wind, etc.), then where it’s made (in a plant, in your backyard, etc.), then how far it has to travel (NY to CA or from the source to your breaker box). Something we often don’t realize is that electricity does not travel well. While our technologies for creating power have advanced rapidly, our technologies for transporting and storing power have not. Some new developments, such as hydrogen fuel cells, have promise, but the kinks are not all worked out yet.

To truly create green power, that power needs to be created close to home. There is a set of factors at play: 1. This will rely on a local resource (i.e. creating solar power in Phoenix rather than Seattle); 2. This will require little transport, and therefore less degradation of the power; 3. Ultimately, less power will have to be created for the same outcome.

As it becomes easier and easier to build solar cells and wind turbines (not to mention micro-hydro systems) at home, it is worth considering ones environmental impact. The benefits are numerous- it save the environment, saves your power bills, and could even make you money (think tax breaks or even selling power back to the power company). Numerous resources are available to the home builder of green power, allowing it to be used in many different environments (rural, urban, suburban). Between the guides available today, the necessity of saving the climate, the potential financial savings, and the long-term satisfaction of building green power, building your own home power system is more attractive than ever.

Damon Westchester is the editor of www.build-green-power.com.

When we hear about how thinking globally and acting locally, power is often not at the forefront of our minds. But perhaps it should be. The environmental impact of transporting electricity is easily as taxing on the world climate as transporting hard consumer goods can be. Transporting power creates a direct waste of that power, creating a larger carbon footprint.
One might argue that all power is produced locally. Californians aren’t getting their power from New York. However, this is largely out of necessity. Making power a local endeavor can be taken much further.

There are a set of factors at play here, primarily technological. While our technologies for producing power have advanced, our technologies for moving that power have not advanced- or least they haven’t advanced much. There are some promising technological advances on the horizon, but they have not yet come to fruition. Thus, in short, every mile that electricity has to travel is a mile in which the amount of electricity will degrade. By the time all is said and done, you may be left with 80% of the power you created, leaving 20% as waste.

To truly create green power, that power needs to be created close to home. There is a set of factors at play: 1. This will rely on a local resource (i.e. creating solar power in Phoenix rather than Seattle); 2. This will require little transport, and therefore less degradation of the power; 3. Ultimately, less power will have to be created for the same outcome.

Today it is easier than ever to build green power at your own home. Systems have been created that can be deployed in any number of environments, urban, rural, or suburban. You don’t even need much land today to make some of your power from natural sources, and there are numerous guides to assist you in the process. Thus, thinking globally and acting locally is a tenet that we should absolutely be applying to our power systems. Even a polluting plant in your own backyard would end up requiring you to use less energy than the same polluting plant 100 miles away- and you could sell extra power to the utility company. Thus, building your own green power is a goal that you can take as an environmental goal, a conservation goal, and even an economic goal. I would strongly encourage everyone to at least consider the possibilty of building green power in your own home.

Damon Westchester is the editor of www.build-green-power.com.