How can I make my house use renewable energy only?

[corporate_mike]

I'm interested in solar panels or any other practical solutions that would eliminate the need for traditional electricity

[MADem]

1. Check the frugal and energy forums, you'll probably get a better response

[rawtribe]

2. Home Power Magazine

http://www.homepower.com/

[0007]

3. Many homes in Crestone Colorado are off the grid

If you're indeed interested I'd suggest making a trip to Crestone and see the many designs first hand and talking to the volume of folks that are more than willing to share their experience.

[ptolle]

11. second that

And suggest that if you do decide to travel to colorado you include enough time to visit the Rocky Mountain Institute http://www.rmi.org/.I'm also sure that there's enough information on any aspect of the subject floating around the nets to make you dizzy.Among the places you might check are the American Institute of Architects:http://www.aia.org/ and the IEEE(electrical engineering)http://www.ieee.org/portal/site. Good luck and goodonya.

[Matariki]

4. This was an interesting post in the energy forum

about geothermal heat pumps to heat homes:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=115&topic_id=41886

I'm looking at a similar project. I'm building a house this year and want to make it as independent and sustainable as possible.

[IDemo]

19. kineta, please check back in here if you do decide to go geothermal

I'd like to hear from someone who has built a home with geothermal heat exchange. Some sources state that even though the initial cost of such a system is two to three times a conventional home HVAC system, the energy savings would repay that cost after as little as five years. It does sound as if the optimal time to install such a system is during construction, not afterwards.

This should be a standard part of new home construction, in my opinion.

[Matariki]

20. oh, i miscommunicated

by similar project i meant solar and/or micro-hydro electricity. I'd like to get 'off the grid' as much as possible. looking at composting toilets and greywater systems too. I'm in the pacific northwest and it doesn't really get cold enough to justify an expensive heating system. i'll probably just get a pellet stove and perhaps one or two of those eheat things.

I thought the OP might be interested in info about geothermal heat. it sounds pretty cool.

[IDemo]

25. I was the OP'er on geothermal heat pumps, my mistake

You sound as if you're well ahead of the curve on this sort of topic. "Greywater systems" sounds much like the ordeal my parents endure with their motorhome lifestyle, but more likely than not, soon to become a fixture (literally) of western civilization.

[IDemo]

28. Oh, and don't bother with the "EHeat" things

We tried these for a week and determined that they simply do not provide any useful heating utility, even for a somewhat small area.

[Matariki]

29. really, a number of folks in the frugal/energy group were raving about the

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=353&topic_id=279

i'll have to do more research. i'm thinking a pellet stove will heat the whole house I'm planning on building anyway. i'm building a yurt from oregon yurtworks btw. very excited about it...

[IDemo]

38. 450 watts should have been the first clue, simply not enough for one room

I ordered two of these after reading several enthusiastic endorsements. I installed one in our bedroom, on an inside wall. There was no appreciable heating value to be gained, other than that from parking ourselves immediately over the panels after a morning shower. The central heating system blared away as usual.

The electric oil-filled radiator we have since purchased is the winner, no contest.

[Matariki]

39. cool. thanks for saving me some money.

[babylonsister]

5. There are also some ideas in this forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=287

[SoCalDem]

6. Here are some links to green homes ..lots of ideas for you

Lots of green homes here

[Katherine Brengle]

7. If you have the $$, it is easier than you'd think...

I know that Liberal Oasis has links to off-the-grid living somewhere in the right-hand column. I've visited some of them before.

The most expensive solar-paneling systems I've seen have been in a 30K area, but you can do it for much less than that, depending on the size of your home.

When my husband and I buy a house, somewhere down the road, we have already decided to convert it this way--I hope you are able to go through with it.

[serryjw]

8. Check this out...will keep you busy reading

Google" living off the grid" and this is what I got!
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=living+%27off+the+grid%27

Consider a composing toilet system also
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=composing+home+toilets

[corporate_mike]

9. thanks

[Ready4Change]

10. First step, reduce the energy you are currently using.

Most homes use twice the energy they might otherwise. Steps like replacing all your incandescent bulbs with flourescents, increasing your insulation levels and installing much more efficient appliances can halve your energy usage.

At that point it's time to assess how to meet your remaining energy needs. Depending on your location, solar photovoltaic panels (PV) or wind might be able to meet your electricity needs. Meeting demand over night (when its dark) or during windless periods requires banks of batteries. It can definitely be done, but it costs $$$s, and adds complexity.

Solar water heaters are likely to be able to meet your needs for hot water. As the heated water can be stored just like you currently do in an electric or gas heated water tank, this is one of the more straight forward replacements.

Heating your home in the winter requires changing your furnace for something else. Traditional fireplaces are more often more for appearances and ambiance than efficiency. A good quality wood stove is far more effective. Many people swear by ones that burn wood pellets, as they can be attached to a hopper that an feed the stove for a day or two at a stretch before requiring a refill.

Cooling in the summer is more problematic. Usually people go with ceiling fans and ventilation, and then accept whatever heat remains.

Another option is geothermal. In this sense we're not talking something like plugging a line into a geyser in Yellowstone. Rather, this refers to drilling a well-hole (3 or 4, actually) a hundred or so feet into the earth, then cycling fluid through lines dropped into the hole. Since the earth maintains a constant temperature, an HVAC system can use that constant temp to either heat air in the winter or cool it in the summer.

[RazzleDazzle]

14. Re geothermal cooling

I've read that the ancient Romans did that but without the water -- just created a draw on small underground tunnels which brought cool air up into their homes. Very damn clever, if you ask me.

[Ready4Change]

31. Using heat to cool.

I've heard of variations of that. Light a small fire in a houses upper level, that draws air up from the lower levels. Like treating the house like a chimney, except the only smoke and heat is at the very top.

There's a house design that uses that concept, too, only with the sun as the heat source. The house is built into a hillside, facing the sun. A solarium in the front of the house warms air that rises up and out of vents in the roof. Vents in the base of the house let air into the basement, where it is cooled and, as it moves, that cools the floors and the back of the house.

In the wintertime the upper and lower vents are closed, and the circulating air warms up the floor and basement masses, creating a heat sink that keeps the house warm over night.

It's a nifty idea, but a bit expensive, as you wind up having to build one house inside another, with an air gap between the two. Great for energy usage/costs, though.

[Justpat]

12. Try here:

http://www.realgoods.com

http://www.pathtofreedom.com/links/offthegrid/index.shtml

[Armstead]

13. Look to reduce rather than go off the grid

I did an article a while back, and what most said is that there is much you can do to reduce your energy use, and/or reliance on outside sources. But at this point it's not practical for most people to go totally off the grid.(At least not in the chilly northeast.)

One thing a lot of people is to supplement their electricity with solar, and set up a system to sell back power that you generate to the electric company. This can reduce electric bills considerably.

[Solo_in_MD]

16. Off the grid is too tall and order for most

Is a major financial and lifestyle investment. Not really doable in your basic suburban or urban environment. However, substantial savings is possible if you work at it. Despite all the conversation cliches you see, if everyone did it there would be a tremendous impact nationwide

[Ready4Change]

34. Absolutely.

One of the objections to solar PV I always hear is how much land all those panels would have to cover in order to meet power needs.

But I've flown small planes over towns and cities. In the summer I look down on all those roofs. I imagine how much solar energy is being absorbed by each one. All that energy which must then be fought off by the AC systems down below.

My first impulse towards solar PV wasn't for electricity. It was for SHADE. I thought if we could suspend tarps over all those roofs, with an air barrier between them and the real roofs, we'd save a lot in cooling costs right there. Then I thought, what if instead of merely getting shade with tarps, we used PV panels instead? Provide shade AND generate power. Double bonus.

And not a single yard of green space covered before reaping benefits.

All those industrial buildings with flat roofs. All those homes with shingles baking in the sun. Every last one, more than wasting energy. Costing us EXTRA energy in cooling costs. We can do better.

[jpak]

15. If your state has a program, purchase "Green Power"

Electricity generated from renewable sources.

It costs a couple cents more per kWh than the "Standard Offer", but it' s the easiest way to go....

[electron_blue]

21. That's what I do. I am now 100% "wind-powered"

[Matariki]

23. really? that's great. are you on the grid or off?

how much electricity do you use? what sort of appliances, etc?

for wind, what sort of conditions do you need? did you install it yourself or hire someone? where did you originally get the information to actually do it?

it's not too sunny where i live so i doubt i could go 100% solar and what i've read about wind didn't sound like it would produce enough energy.

hope you don't mind the 20 questions ;-)

[electron_blue]

30. No problem, but I think I gave you the wrong idea, her'es a link

http://www.xcelenergy.com/XLWEB/CDA/0,3080,1-1-2_735_16310-221-2_68_133-0,00.html

What I did is easy as pie - I signed up for 100% Windsource and needed no change to my house or habits. I would feel better, more satisfied, probalby, if I was at least partly "off the grid", but for now, I can live with this. In essence, all I do is agree to subsidize Xcel a certain amount every month so they can buy the equivalent of "my" energy allotment from a wind farm. In reality, my house's electricity comes the old-fashioned way. Still, I think this does help green my little corner of the world.

So to be clear, I signed up for this program through my energy company last year, and then kept living as I always have. Same old clunky refrigerator, a.c., washer/dryer, etc. (Eventually I will get even more energy-efficient).

Hope this helps!

eta: this is the program I'm on, check out your state - it may have its own, or similar program:
http://www.xcelenergy.com/XLWEB/CDA/0,3080,1-1-2_735_11612-3320-5_406_664-0,00.html

[meisje]

17. Make sure you have about $15,000 to $30,000 extra to spend

[Road Scholar]

22. The right combination will pay for itself in savings in x years.

Very practical for some. Worth looking into for sure.

[Cleita]

18. There's a bunch of books out there put out by woodsy types

that have a myriad of ideas and things that people have tried to attempt living off the grid. Look around for building your own log cabin types of books and usually they have all kinds of tips about creating your own electricity, cooking and heating with wood or other methods, eliminating the need for gas, digging wells, and even engineering composting toilets.

[DemInDistress]

24. invite congress crittters over once a week and they'll leave enough

hot air to hold you over until the next week ..

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: sorry I had to say that !!

[patrancus]

26. Windmill puts out big KW

If you have about 15 to 35,000 you might consider a Windmill from Bergy. Depending on your electric usage and the sizing of a particular unit you may be able to generate more power than you can use, with this extra power you simply sell it back to the utility. The payback is quite rapid, its the upfront costs that keep many from powering up. Bergy has a website , good luck.

[Redstone]

27. Bring money. About $30,000.00 should do it.

Solar panels, intertie circuitry (to sell the excess back to the electric company), sine-wave inverters, and a BIG honkin' battery bank.

Not to mention the Vestafrost refrigerator and all the monitoring equipment...

Redstone

[B Calm]

32. Window solar room heaters

You can build them or buy them. They are simple and cheap to build.



http://www.dulley.com/docs/f442.htm


http://www.discountpv.com/solarairheating/SAH-EZ

[Ian David]

33. Mike, it's nice that you support Denmark. I have an idea...

Put the cartoon on a t-shirt and wear it every place you go.

[corporate_mike]

35. The intolerence of Islam is intolerable

What's your point?

[Ian David]

36. My point is that if it's okay to put the editors of the newspapers at risk

if you really believe in their cause, you should wear the cartoon on a hat or a shirt.

I agree, their intolerance is intolerable.

I know you're not like the Republicans who are in favor of the war so long as it's someone else doing the fighting. You know, the yellow elephants http://www.operationyellowelephant.com

If you're better than that, then wear the cartoon yourself. Every day. In public.

If you're willing to put the Dutch at risk for printing it, than surely you won't mind putting yourself at risk with them.

Unless you think you're more valuable "fighting the war of ideas" behind your keyboard.

[corporate_mike]

37. let's get back to the original topic :)