I've been looking into renewable energy, and I've discovered that it's possible to sell electricity back to the electric company. That sounds so good, that I thought I would look into what it takes to generate enough electricity for your home that you have enough left over to sell back to the electric companies.

What I've discovered so far confirms the very real possiblity to generate enough solar and wind energy from our homes to have more than we need. The systems are expensive, but they will pay for themselves before we know it. There are also govenment programs that pay you to put in these systems in various ways.

I live in Ohio, and I stumbled across a free magazine by Green Energy Ohio, a nonprofit organization dedicated to clean energy for Ohio. When I lived in California I saw the solar collectors on the roofs of a few houses, but I didn't realize the technology has come as far as it has. The solar collectors come in flexible panels now that can be integrated into the shingles of your roof, and smaller wind turbines are available for home use.

There are many ways people are using green energy. Solar power uses the sunlight to generate electricity, and passive solar heats your house without using manufactured solar panels. Your house can be cooled using passive systems, too. Corn stalks are being harvested to use to make ethenol for your car. Wind farms are springing up that generate electricity. This just scratches the surface.

Dale L. Edwards