Renewable Energy

Living Off the Grid.

I have a co-worker who has taking the less traveled path by living off the grid.

Basically, he gets his electricity from solar cells connected to a battery bank, a small wind turbine and when he needs to run an appliance or equipment that draws a lot of power, he uses a propane generator.

He gets his water from a well with the aid of an electric pump that delivers the water to the house.  With this setup, he is able to save a significant amount of money each year when compared to those of us that live in the city and are on the grid. He also chops his wood from trees on his property out in the country.

See his comments at the bottom of this page for additional information.


Savings from using Renewable energy sources:

I plan to  research the renewable energy sources bellow so that I can write about practical applications that can be used in both residential and industrial settings.   The focus would be on practicality, low cost of installation, payback period (how long it will take to re-coup your initial investment), and the estimated lifespan of each renewable system.

Solar energy:

Passive Solar building Design:

Solar Hot water:

Wind energy:

Geothermal Heating and Cooling:

Some of these systems are best installed during the initial construction of a building, while others can be easily retro-fitted into existing buildings.

To an extent, the climate or part of the world you live in will determine the efficiency and energy output you can expect  out of installing these systems.

Also depending on the country you live in, there may be various government incentive programs that you can tap into to help offset the cost of installing renewable energy systems, so take the time to research these.  A good place to start would be your municipal, local government or department of energy website.


 

20 Responses to Renewable Energy

  1. DPM says:

    hey, thats me! hehe.

    Just to clarify..I mostly use solar panels for charging the battery bank and it is a regular generator..but propane is used for instant hot water. Initial cost is high but the payback period justifies the investment..7 years of payments for install and equipment for a typical solar investment and panels have a 25 year warranty…so 18 years of free power! It is however..not for those who are looking for a life of luxury or are afraid to roll up their sleeves and get some work done.

  2. Rich says:

    This sounds awesome. Would love to see some pictures!

  3. Dalton says:

    Now I know who the brainy one is, I’ll keep looking for your posts.

  4. admin says:

    Collectively, we all are the brainy ones, since everyone’s comments adds value to the blog.

    Thank you once again for your comments

    Emo

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