http://www.care2.com/greenliving/want-to-go-solar-cut-your-energy-use-first.html
Want to Go Solar? Cut Your Energy Use First
By Deep Patel, Intent
One of the most common complaints about “going solar” is that the upfront cost is just too high. The primary reason a solar power system can be a high ticket purchase for many solar power shoppers is because of the customers’ bad energy usage habits. The majority of solar power shoppers don’t realize they are energy hogs until they start shopping for solar power, when they are forced to understand and analyze their electric consumption.
So how can solar power shoppers instantly get a deep discount on their solar power system? The answer is simple, “reduce then produce.” Focusing on energy efficiency, and implementing lifestyle and product changes can greatly reduce the upfront cost of a solar power system. It is always more cost-effective to reduce your consumption through efficiency than it is to produce your own power.
Think of it this way, the more you can save through energy efficiency, the fewer solar panels you need to cover your electric usage. It’s that simple. But most solar power consumers get frustrated seeing high upfront costs of going solar and think there are no alternatives to bring the cost down.
How do you reduce your energy consumption?
1. Change all your light bulbs to LEDs. Lighting can contribute up to 10 to 20 percent of your electrical load. Want to minimize that load? LEDs (light emitting diodes) consume a fraction of the electricity that incandescent bulbs and even CFL light bulbs consume. While LED bulbs cost more than their counterparts, they last over 11 years, and LEDs differ from CFLs in that they contain no mercury, a very toxic element. LED bulbs can fit in standard lighting sockets and only cost a dollar or two per year to run a standard household light bulb. Since LED bulbs operate cooler, the decrease in temperature can also keep your home cooler during summer months.
2. Invest in insulation. Drafty windows and gaps under doors can significantly raise your heating and cooling costs. These costs usually comprise over half of all energy outlays made by homeowners. By investing in insulation, you can lower your energy costs by as much as 30%.
3. Get rid of old appliances. These tend to be less energy efficient. For example, an old coffee maker can consume power equivalent to the output of four solar panels! Purchase Energy Star appliances.
4. If you’re not using it, turn it off! Unplug unused items (they draw energy even if they are plugged in, but not in use). These sneaky loads are called “vampire loads”, and they cost U.S. consumers 3 billion dollars per year! How much are these loads costing you? Smart power strips can help you fight vampire loads by shutting off power draw when the appliance is not in use. Remember to set your computers to automatically hibernate (power saving mode) when they are idle for more than 5 minutes. And most importantly, turn off the lights when you leave a room!
Changing the way you consume energy can have a significant impact on the overall price of a solar energy system. Reducing energy consumption can shave off thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars from the final cost of a system.
It seems like today, everyone wants to produce their own watts through solar panels and wind turbines. But we need to first produce “negawatts.” Negawatt power is a term promoted and introduced by Amory Lovins of The Rocky Mountain Institute; essentially, the term means that by saving energy, we create a “virtual power plant,” thus not having to create a new power plant to increase electrical supply. The direct reduction in electrical demand through energy efficiency is called a Negawatt.
Energy efficiency and solar power fit very well with each other. When considering solar power, think about easy ways you can reduce your consumption first – that way you’ll save tons of cash, making the solar investment that much more attainable.
Are you doing anything to save energy that I haven’t covered? Please share!
Ready to save the planet? Post your green intent and blog about your green successes and struggles, tagging your posts “greener life.” We may feature your post in this series!
Deep Patel is the Founder & CEO of GoGreenSolar.com, a leading solar and wind power internet retailer and online community.
Intent.com provides content and community for who you aspire to be–personally, socially and globally.
More from Robyn, selected from Intent (42 articles available)
related stories
-
(2 comments)
-
(5 comments)
-
(6 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
18 comments
add your comment »This is so old hat. repeating the same suggestions that one hears year in and year out. The truth of the matter is, you cannot reduce your electric costs significantly for very long.As soon as enough people reduce their usage, electric companies complain they arn't making money,so beg the state for an increase in rates(and guess what? 8 times out of 10 will get a bigger increase than they asked for). So your now paying more than you did just a year ago, when you weatherized your home.
Just do it, even though the up front costs might be a bit high, in the long run switching to solar or wind or whatever, will make you better off in the long run.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I agree with Anna about the mercury. You may think you have cleaned it all up with your broom, but if you had someone come into your house and test for mercury, the levels after a single bulb breaking would be astronomical. And your really can't get rid of it. This substance is STILL used in vaccines, and now (and for some time) in light bulbs? This should be outlawed. There are very evidently better ways to conserve energy. LED is a good place to start, as a designer, I wish the light output and color were better.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
PT3. We use hand powered can opener(tho mostly we put our own food up in jars so an opener is not necessary), hand mix cakes, and hand masher for smash taters.
We also are installing a whole house fan to cut ac use.
I got a coffee maker that has a thermal carafe so does not have a burner to keep coffee warm, it only runs 5 minutes then shuts itself off, it is plugged into a strip I turn off after, same for cell phone chargers, microwave, tv in the bedroom. I take advantage of sunlight instead of lights during the day.
I did not learn all this or implement over one day or even a year. I have been doing it over the last 10 years. Learning and making new habits over time, get used to and add to the regime. We hang clothes to dry, in the unused den in the winter where we have tropical plants to keep the humidity up. It gets really dry here and saves the power and maint on humidifiers , we have extremely hard water, and it does a number on water using appliances. I go thru a lot of white vinegar (no poisonous phosphorus)
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Pt 2 there is more mercury and sulfur floating free in the air along with PCBs from coal power plants and electric transformers out on the poles and in substations.
I have pieces of foil back insulation that I put in the windows during the summer days and at winter nights too.
This is a house designed for Southern Summers but we have four seasons in this part of NC, night temps can get to 20 degrees. on winter days when it is 40 to 55 i open the drapes/blinds and catch solar gain even somewhat cloudy days, if it does not go below about 30 at night I dont have to use heat.
This is a big house 2,000 square feet total electric. The previous family with several kids used 4,000 kwhrs month. When we moved in using the heat pump(its old and not efficient) we were useing 3300kwhrs, we have cut that to about 1400 in 2 years, spending about 3,000$. 1200$ for front loader washer and 400 for energy star dishwasher and we have a manual defrost upright freezer, elect stove, elect water heater. This summer we have a solar water heater to go in, and it is big enought to drive some underfloor heating. We have electric pumped well too. Low flow faucets and shower heads, have cut our water use in half. We plan on using graywater for the garden and collecting rain for the orchard, as we plant new trees.
We are also planting Giant sequoias and dawn redwoods, fast growing, fire, disease and insect resistant , to shade near the house, not over the house. but that will help. we are comfy too
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I think folks are overly worried about CFLs. I have been using them for years, I have only broken one our of about 30 bulbs in the house. I swept it carefully onto a piece of news paper, put in the old coffee can that I keep the rest of the expired CFLs and turned the lot over to local household waste on hazard day. That said I have started switching to LEDs. I also cook slowly in covered pot/pans, use a toaster oven for small dinners that will fit in it in a covered dish, if it is something that needs to be browned I do that in the last 20 minutes. You can save about 30% of the energy in covered pots that way, also slower cooking does not mean hanging over it. We put up mini blinds with roller blinds in the window frame and roller blinds surface mounted, then insulated curtain liners. That makes 3 dead air spaces, dead air =insulation. Gaskets in switch and outlet covers 50c ea. Expanding foam (great stuff) around where pipes and wires penetrate under sinks tubs and showers. I painted the roof with Kool seal(and primer first) makes a 20degree difference in summer=50 to 100$ a month in summer electric, open the blinds/shades on sunny winter days and i can turn off the heat even if it is only 30 degrees out , stays 65+ inside. Double jacket on electric water heater, pipe insulation and we have a solar water heater to install this summer. Put a damper in bathroom and kitchen exhausts(automatic type) hassle but works. Insulate crawl space walls n floor, foam round floor vents.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
The article is correct, becoming aware of and reducing our energy consumption is the place to start.
A PV (photovoltaic) system is a great way to produce electricity from the sun's energy but they are generally quite complicated and the initial cost is high. Those issues have kept a lot of people from choosing them.
Heating water from the sun's energy is a lot simpler and less expensive. This, I believe, is where people should start with solar power. When funds are limited - and for most people they are - solar water heaters produce the most energy savings per dollar invested. Added to the home mortgage with the purchase of a home it would be very doable - every additional $1,000 would cost just $6 a month on a 6% interest, 30-year mortgage. So, a $4,000 solar water heating system would cost just $24 more a month on the mortgage and reduce the electric bill. And if the homeowner doesn't refinance, the cost for water heating would never go up for 30 years. No electric company is going to guarantee that their rates won't go up for the next 30 years.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
We've utilized 2 cheap lamps (made in China) with LED bulbs and simple solar cells. Just leave lamp in window during day, then have over 3 hours of light at night. http://www.abcbusinessbuzz.com
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
genius genius genius, an example for us all! love your idea's, am so exited that the world will go this way! i love it, well done! ;)
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
This may seem so obvious but I wish people would be encouraged to own fewer electrical items. Sounds simple but most people don't even look at ALL the things they own that use electricity. Why does a home of any kind need a dozen pot or ceiling lights in a kitchen along with all the under counter lights and designer appliances?
Then you have people who feel they need to buy the newest high tech toy which usually needs some type of charger. Or the big screen tv that drinks power like a thirsty kid on a hot day. Or the family with four females each with their own hair dryer or curler.
One thing I learned growing up is we need to live below our means, which begins with a smaller home, which means smaller appliances and no wasted space. Belonging to the Small House Society I know that one can live well with less. And people need to stop thinking if they do not have every new toy that they are somehow 'poor'.
Read books like The Millionaire Next Door where one will learn that those who are wealthy often live like they did before they became wealthy.
And the more stuff you have the more stuff you have to care for. Like the more clothes you have the more water you use cleaning them and more power you use drying them in the dryer. At least get a clothesline.
~Beth~
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Costco is carrying some LED bulbs now, and often the utility company will give instant rebates on the Costco price, making them much more affordable. The choice is still limited, but I'm starting small using the ones I can and waiting for the rest to show up! Whatever legislation has led to the power companies being required to offer incentives (aka: rebates) as part of their overall conduct has been a godsend!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: