Reducing the cost of your renewable energy system.
Monday, March 26th, 2012Reducing the cost of your renewable energy system.
One of the questions we run into all of the time is how can I reduce the amount I will need to spend on a renewable energy system that will supply the amount of power to make my home net zero.
There are several answers but each situation is different.
On older homes the biggest power savings can be had by adding attic insulation. Another easy way to save money on electricity is to replace all of your lighting with CFL’s or better yet LED bulbs. A lot of the farm and ranch homes we see have at least one or two very inefficient yard lights that are on all night every night. What might work better is motion activated lighting and better yet would be battery backed up solar/wind lighting. These systems would pay themselves off in a very short time and save you money.
One of the hardest things to change is the mind set of always doing things in your home that will save you money and reduce the amount of electrical power you are using. For example if you have your TV, DVD player, stereo,… and other items on a surge suppressor that can be turned off when you aren’t using them, this can reduce the amount of energy you use. Another thing to remember is to unplug any charging devices you use for cell phones, tablets, laptops and other devices when not in use this will also help in reducing your energy usage.
When you consider all of these suggestions you will see that the average family could reduce there electrical consumption by 15% to 50% depending on the starting inefficiency of their home. If you can reduce the electricity you use upfront you will need that much smaller of a renewable energy system (wind/solar, wind and solar) to reduce the remaining amount. And as your larger appliances get replaced make sure you are replacing them with the most efficient Energy Star rated appliances you can afford.
Larry Cooper-Owner
Nebraska Wind and Solar LLC
