Start Using Solar Energy When You Work On Your Lawn

If you are interested in using green sources of power to help the environment and save money, then lawn care may be an easy place to get started. It makes sense to turn to this area of your life to start protecting the environment and make the transition to greener power sources. You can begin with a small commitment and make a big impact.

Why Green Energy Can Work on Your Lawn

Whether you do your own lawn work or have someone perform the service for you, the noise and the pollution are probably obvious. A lot of the tools and the power equipment used in lawn care rely on gasoline or gas-and-oil mixtures for fuel. They consume nonrenewable fuels and spew foul smoke into the atmosphere. Eliminating the need for these fuel sources would have a noticeable impact on the quality of the air around your home and they could reasonably save you money in the long run.

How to Use Solar Power with Your Lawn

If you are just getting started on your quest to using solar energy on your lawn, your lawnmower is a manageable place to begin. Of course, if you employ a service to take care of your lawn, then you could begin looking for services that use solar energy to power their equipment. They exist in many larger cities. Otherwise, you can alter your lawnmower yourself.

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1. Get all the necessary supplies first. Besides your old lawnmower, you will need an electric motor, a 12-volt battery, a power switch and a solar-power panel. If you have already switched your home to solar energy, this will be even easier.
2. Remove the original motor. It is probably just attached with a few bolts. This will probably require you to remove the blade as well. Therefore, you should probably measure the blade height from the base and take a close look at the blade mount. You want to remember how it is all supposed to look when you attach a new motor.
3. Attach the electric motor. You should be able to do this with bolts. Check the height of this new assembly before trying to make it work. Ensure that the motor is placed in the very center of the whole structure and is securely bolted in place.
4. Reattach the blade and anything else which you may have been required to remove. With a new motor in place, this may not seem possible. However, you can always replace the bolts and bushings in order to make things work. An off-center blade will shorten the life of the whole machine by causing too many vibrations.
5. Add a power switch. You will need a way to turn this new motor on and off. Your best bet is probably a 12-volt switch which you can buy from an industrial supplier.
6. Install the battery. There should be enough space over one of the rear wheels for this additional device.
7. Assemble a recharging station for the battery. Use the solar panels to power the battery.  Remember to use a charge controller with this assembly. Attaching the battery directly to a solar power panel will probably ruin the battery.
8. If you like the way that it works, you could take another step towards environmental advancement by advertising your success. You or your kids could mow lawns in the neighborhood with their new green lawnmower.

Shane writes for Village Green, a company that provides lawn care in Dallas area that specializes in lawn care, landscaping, and sprinkler repair.