We have put together some of the most frequently asked questions and answers about Renewal Energy (RE) Systems. This may help you in choosing a renewal energy system that is right for your area.

Q. How much is it going to cost for me to convert my home to a Renewal Energy System?

A. First lets take a look at what your power needs are going to be in your home. Each Home has power needs that are as unique as fingerprints. No two families use the same amounts of electricity. The cost of a renewal system to fit your specific need has to be figured by how much energy you use daily. Look at your current power bill and see how many kilowatts you use on a daily basis. Then we can figure how much you need to produce from a RE system and design it to custom fit your Home. One size does not fit all. A typical system can run from $8K to $35K. A portable system could cost substantially less, between $3K to $8K, depending on your consumption. These portable systems are also suitable for small cabins, back-up power for black outs, camping, portable electricity for appliances. This is a take it with you System.

Q. How does a Renewable Energy system work?

A. Renewable Energy sources usually produce DC power. This electricity (most often 12, 24 or 48 volt DC) is sent by wire ran to a battery bank, or directly to a grid tied inverter in a no battery system. In a battery based system, these will be deep cycle batteries, suited to this sort of usage and sized to meet your system. The power from the batteries goes into an inverter that changes it to regular household current. You will not need to change your in house wiring or appliances. All Code required safety equipment, and good system monitoring and metering will be designed into your system.

Q. How can I save energy without using an RE System?

A. Most households normally waste 17% to 28% of the electricity they use by not using it efficiently. Some of the most common waste is from incandescent lighting, inefficient appliances (high energy consuming, high wattage) and phantom loads. You can change out the incandescent light bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescent lights. Utilize energy efficient appliances and cut out any phantom loads. A phantom load is anything that consumes energy 24 hours a day & 7 days a week. Some of these things we take for granted and do not realize how much they are costing us. Some examples are, built in clocks on microwaves, coffee makers, clock radios. Others are rechargeable toothbrushes, razors, and instant on televisions. A television with a remote instant on can consume as much as 10 watts of power just waiting for you to turn it on. Computers and stereo equipment are another source of phantom loads. Power strips will help you conserve energy if you use them on your appliances that have phantom loads. To use these appliances on the power strip, turn it on when you need them, when you are done, turn it off. It will become an energy efficient habit that you will do automatically and not even notice after a while.

Q. How do I know which Renewal Energy System is right for me?

A. Each individual has specific needs. Renewable Energy generation is dependent upon the availability of RE sources at your site. The sources are Sunlight, Wind, and Water. Photovoltaic panels (PVs) use sunlight to make electricity. Wind turbines use the wind, and micro-hydro turbines use water under pressure. For the most economical and effective installation, you need to determine what sort of Renewable Energy system is right for your site. This involves some homework and taking a hard look at your electrical use patterns. This is why we need to do a site survey to determine just what resources are available at your home. It will determine exactly which resource or combination of resources can be used to best fit your energy needs. A well-designed system will incorporate your energy resources with the proper components to produce the most electricity available at your site. Some people start with a battery based system that charges off the grid at non peak hours. You consume power to charge the batteries at night when the rate is far less and feed your appliances from the battery bank during the peak period when power is expensive. You can start a system like this without any RE sources and add them later on when you can afford it. A battery based system like this will get you through a blackout keeping essential loads like lighting, communications, and refrigeration powered.

The following explanation for each resource will help you to determine which resources are available.

Solar Power: Nearly everyone has access to some sunlight. How many hours of unobstructed sunlight do you get in a day? The crucial time period is the three or four hours on either side of solar noon. If there are trees, buildings, etc., that block the sunshine during those periods, using PVs may be less effective.

Wind Energy: How hard does the wind blow in your area? Is it seasonal or year round? Is it windiest during stormy periods of little sun? Do surrounding trees and bushes tend to grow leaning away from the prevailing wind? Are there tall trees or buildings close by that will cause turbulence to the wind stream?

Micro-Hydro Power: If you have a creek or a stream, how many gallons per minute does it flow? Does the flow change radically from winter to summer? Are there any fish in the creek? How far from your home site is it? How much pressure or vertical fall can be developed by piping the water along your property? Water used to run a micro-hydro turbine has to be free to leave the bottom of the turbine unobstructed. It can not go back into a pressurized system.

Q. How can I save electricity using my current household appliances?

A. Each appliance has a certain wattage for it use. It would be more efficient to use an 600 Watt Microwave than  1500 Watt. Check your appliances for how many watts they consume. When you are looking to replace your current appliances be sure to check the wattage. The lower the wattage the less electricity needed to run the appliance. A simple formula for determining wattage is multiply volts times amps. Volts x Amps = Watts
Another alternative could be converting some of your electrical appliances to natural gas or propane to help save electricity. Example: Gas clothes dryer, ranges, and water tanks. We have several energy efficient appliances available.

Q. What are some of the energy efficient appliances available?

A. One example is an on demand tank less water heater. It is more efficient than a conventional water heater. Why keep a 50 gallon storage tank of hot water heated 24 hours day, when the normal household only uses it for about two hours a day? This on demand water heater provides and endless supply of hot water. It saves space by having no tank and eliminates standby heat loss. They have been designed for an approximate life span of 20+ years if professionally installed. Always use the right sized vent system.

Another example is your dishwasher. Make sure that your automatic dishwasher is very efficient on water and electricity. Some have a heating element in the machine itself. This can be turned off with a button, if your hot water heater provides sufficient hot water. We can choose not to use electricity to do that task.

Q. Can I sell excess electricity to the Grid?

A. 46 + states now have “net metering” programs to encourage the use of renewables on grid. If you intertie your system to the utility power Grid you can sell excess power back to the utility. It’s quite a thrill to watch your utility meter spin backwards! With a battery based system, the inverter will automatically switch to powering your loads from the battery in the event of an electrical grid black out. When the grid comes back on, it automatically switches back. In a battery less system, the RE sources automatically disconnect in the event of an outage. You will go dark along with everyone else.

We hope that this has answered a few of your questions, if you would like detailed information, please contact us at link below.

Thank you for your interest in renewable energy.

James T. Miller
Solar Design Tech LLC