Energy Conservation Works

Going solar. Sometimes it seems the going is slower than I’d like. But occasionally I get motivation to keep going. Ours is defiantly a “Tortoise and Hare” story.

The most recent encouragement to keep our hare in the race was the arrival of our electric bill.

For eight months now, we’ve had our home on an energy diet of sorts, trying to reduce the amount of electric energy our home uses. The less energy we require the less we will need to spend on a solar energy system.

Our current electric energy bill…drum roll please… is 45 percent less than the same month last year!

Yes, that means a 45 percent reduction in kilowatt-hours used. And I am ecstatic.

I feel myself becoming an energy miser.

Not all months have shown this great a decrease in energy use. But each month, compared with the same month last year, has shown a decrease.
The interesting thing is, we have only been practicing energy conservation, not energy efficiency.

Energy conservation practices do not require huge outlays of money. Think of conservation as small conscious habits and choices, which, made daily, add up to huge savings over time.

After we get the conservation habits down, we begin implementing efficiency measures, which require some larger monetary investments.

After efficiency measures reduce our energy consumption even further, we will have a more accurate idea of how many solar panels we need.

I’ll keep you all posted on our progress.

We’d love to hear how your home energy story is unfolding, so leave us a comment. Thanks!

A Texas Senate Bill Would Subsidize Solar Panels

Those of us trying to make solar power an affordable option always have ears turned to possible options that reduce solar power costs and installation.

According to KBTX.com last week, the Texas State Senate Business and Commerce committee voted the Fraser solar proposal (SB 545) out of committee.

This proposal

“calls for the creation of a pot of money that would not only subsidize Texans who want to install solar panels on their roofs but also utility companies that want to build big, concentrated solar facilities.”

And how will this subsidy be funded?

By a surcharge added to each Texas citizen’s electric bill.

Hmmm…offsetting the cost of my solar panels by charging me more for my electric bill? So where’s the “savings” in that?

Read the news article for yourself.

Read the solar proposal.

Free Weather

Today in south Texas, we enjoy what my family calls “free weather.”

Free weather happens when the outdoor temperatures are such that we need neither heat, nor air conditioning, nor clothes dryer. Open windows allow cool breezes to circulate through the house and clothes dry quickly when hung out on the clothesline.

Free weather means our kilowatt-hour usage is at a minimum. We still use some power of course, to run the refrigerator, lights, water heater, and phantom loads.

Many folk enjoy this kind of “free weather” for a long stretch during the summer months. We get “free weather” a few weeks each spring and fall.

Now, if I had grid-connected solar panels installed on my roof today, they would be generating electricity and sending it into the grid, making my electric meter run backwards!

Well, I hope to have those solar panels this time next year. Until then, I’ll content myself with the “free weather” while it’s here.

Learning About Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

We are still trying to reduce our monthly kilowatt-hour consumption before we bite the bullet and install solar electric energy.

Installing Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) reduces the amount of energy your home uses so most people make the switch to CFLs.

Here’s what the EnergyStar site says about CFLs:

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

Currently, we are living with a mix of incandescent and CFLs because it just doesn’t make sense to me to throw out a perfectly working incandescent light bulb. As our incandescents die out, we replace them with CFLs.

Our first CFL came from our energy provider, who gives one CFL (not an entire box) to each customer who asks. We used that one to replace the light over the stove as that light stays on more than any other in the house.

Last weekend we purchased our first boxes of CFLs from our local Walmart Store. As I recall now, Walmart offered a GE brand of CFL and the Walmart store brand of CFL.

Since we are currently working our way up the CFL learning curve, we purchased the lesser expensive Walmart brand. We installed the new 100-Watt equivalent CFLs in the walk-in closet to make that dark spot brighter for those of us who must choose clothing early in the morning, before the caffeine kicks in.

When we flipped the switch on, I learned there’s a reason CFLs are labeled either “warm white,” “cool white,” or“daylight.”

The “warm white” CFLs give off a light that is more yellow. I really don’t like the yellow light although it’s fine for the closet, being less harsh than the other two choices.

Noli Control Systems describes “cool white” this way:

Cool White bulbs are preferred in many applications because the light they output makes items illuminated appear crisper.  Cool White is often preferred in bathrooms and other task areas.  They are also great for reading.

About “Daylight” Noli says:

Daylight bulbs are often preferred for photography, painting,  or other tasks that require a true color representation of the objects being illuminated. They are also great for helping reduce the effects of Seasonal Disorder disease since they give the effect of summer time sun light.

I think I’m going with the “daylight” version in the rest of my house.

Cool white and daylight bulbs cost a teensy bit more than warm white CFLs. But after seeing the difference, I think they are worth the extra few pennies.

Do you use CFLs? Why or why not?

Another Reason to Go Solar: Doing the Home Electric Energy Math

Working a solar power system into my budget means I’m always doing the math.

Here’s an interesting energy math equation:

1 kilowatt-hour = 1 pound of coal

This means that every kilowatt-hour you shave off your electric bill you are refusing to burn a pound of coal.

To learn how much coal it takes to power you home, you need to know how many kilowatt-hours your home uses.

Find this information on your monthly electric bill.

Then join our Home Energy Conservation Challenge on Wednesdays!

Math equation source:  Killowatt Ours

Calculating the Solar Energy Price Tag   What-You-Want-Most Math

Solar energy systems, as with other alternative energy systems, carry a hefty price tag. Promoters of these energy saving systems point out the long-term benefits of having such a system installed in a home.

These long-term benefits are lower operating costs, low maintenance, and in some cases, no monthly energy bill at all.

I personally like the “no monthly energy bill” benefit.

It’s true that I want our country to be energy independent.

It’s also true that I feel an obligation to our Maker to take care of the planet and the people he sends here.

But in the day-to-day operations of daily life there are pressing needs of food and shelter for the family, clothes for the family, health and exercise needs for the family, and education for the kids (have you looked at college tuition lately?).

I must admit that when I do the what-matters-most math, solar energy gets pushed further down the list, mainly because of the hefty up-front costs.

Given our current national economy, we are all asking more questions. Now is a good time to be doing the alternative energy what-matters-most math for three (3) reasons.

1.    The recent stimulus package, with its tax credits, lowers the alternative energy systems by 30 percent.
2.    And further tax credits may be available from your local energy provider or your state. Check here for tax credits and incentives which apply to you.
3.    The recent stimulus package expands to include home energy efficiency improvements.

The third reason is our reason for hope. Making your home as energy efficient as possible reduces the size of alternative energy system your home requires.

So before installing a new energy system, get yourself a home energy audit. Find out how to make your home as energy efficient as possible.
Chances are good that your energy efficiency improvement costs will have a nice rebate or incentive attached, lowering even your efficiency measures.

Do begin the what-you-want-most math, visit the database of state incentives for information that applies to you.

Solar Power – Is It Right For You?

Do you want a solar powered home? I sure do. Although technology improves and solar panel prices fall, going solar can still be a daunting process.

Have you ever wondered if solar power is right for you?

Well, Mother Earth News has a great article to help you with this question.

The article helps guide you through the three (3) main question:
1.    Do you have a south-facing space (not necessarily a south facing roof!)
2.    How much will your solar-electric system cost for your needs
3.    Will solar power save you money in the long-term.

Personally, we are working on question two (2). Reducing our electric needs – that is how much electricity we use – will reduce the cost of our solar-electric system.

If you want to work on that with us, join our Home Energy Conservation Challenge.

Here’s a quote from the Mother Earth News article:

if you’re considering solar power, it’s a good idea to start thinking about your own daily habits. “It’s very important to understand how your electricity is being billed and what your electric usage is. There might be ways to minimize your charges (are you running appliances during peak hours?) and minimize your usage (are you already using energy-efficient light bulbs?) so that you don’t need as big of a system.”

Want to reduce the initial cost of your solar-electric system? We invite you to join our energy challenge!

Solar Energy on a Limited Budget

How do you afford the purchase and installation of a solar energy system in these economic times? I certainly want to but I am limited by financial constraints.

To make solar more affordable, we are limiting our current home energy consumption. The thinking goes like this: the less energy we use, the fewer solar panels we will need to install, the less expensive solar panels will be. Once installed, our reliance on fossil fuel greatly diminishes.

All this has got me thinking about limits. Actually, this article by Wendell Berry encouraged these “limit” conversations I keep having with myself.

Mr. Berry reminds us what we in our arrogance tend to forget, that the very nature of life on this planet is defined by limits. “Any definition is a limit” which suggests ecosystems, geographies, and fossil fuels have boundaries, have ending points, are limited.

Solar energy makes sense for two reasons:
1.    Reduced reliance on a limited fossil fuel supply (coal and oil)
2.    Solar energy is not diminished by using it

This seeming unlimited supply of solar energy could be fanciful delusion. Just because solar energy seems inexhaustible is not permission to use it without limits. The materials from which solar panels are made come from a limited source.

As with every resource at our disposal, solar energy should be used thoughtfully, reverently, with restraint.

So when you do use solar energy primarily, how much is enough?

That’s the question.

How much energy is enough?
How much do you really need?

We have been on a home energy diet, of sorts for the last five (5) months. Our goal is to reduce our energy consumption through conservation (first) and efficiency (second), to determine just how much we really need for physical (and fiscal) comfort without being wasteful.

Join us here at Simple Home Solar Energy for the Energy Conservation Challenge. We begin with the Challenge details on Wednesday, February 4.

Energy Conservation by Individual Choice

The mission here at Simple Home Solar Energy is to “go solar.” The goal is to eventually produce all the energy our home requires. The process to turn our home into a solar energy generator is documented here, in this blog.

Not being a trained engineer or a scientist, I research a lot. I depend on qualified folk for proper information. The research must be careful since every one these days uses the “g-word” (green) to promote themselves and/or their products.

Even politicians freely use the “g-word” (green) to promote their lofty political promises and get votes because they know what we care about.

But government cannot make a healthy environment; they flaunt green-ness hoping we will notice.

Scientists cannot make a clean environment; they cannot even agree with each other.

Businesses cannot make a green environment; they can only sell us what we will buy.

Our culture likes to blame government, business, the economy, our educational system, religion, our mother, our neighbors, etc. for the environment. If we blame others, we don’t have to make changes ourselves.

The truth is our environmental and economic situation is complicated. There are no easy answers. There are no quick fixes.

Dawn Killough wrote an excellent article about each of us taking responsibility for the way we live on our planet. I agree with her that the answer to our situation is to do what we can, “one thing at a time.”

It was Gandi who said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

If I want a greener, healthier environment, I must make greener choices.

Frankly, I’d like to go out and buy solar panels today. It’s the right thing to do; but I can’t afford it!

So I’m doing things slowly, one thing at a time, in this order.
1.    Conservation
2.    Efficiency
3.    Solar energy

Want to join the slow-but-steady path to responsible energy use?

Join the Energy Conservation Challenge coming in February. Sign up for the “10 Simple Steps to Reduce Your Energy Costs.” We will email you about the challenge when we get the details worked out.

Solar Panel Prices Fall

USA Today reports some good news in the bad economy. The cost of rooftop solar systems are down 8 to 10 percent since October. Prices on rooftop solar systems are expected to fall another 15 to 20 percent over the course of the year.

This is good news for solar energy fans on a budget!

For the past four (4) months we have had our house on an energy diet. The plan is to reduce our energy consumption to the minimum kWh usage per day for acceptable comfort. Then we will be able to afford a solar panel system.

The idea is that the less electric energy used, the smaller solar system the house needs. A smaller solar system means a budget friendly cost.

With solar panels as well as panel installation cost dropping, this may be the year to “go solar.” And with a larger federal tax credit this year, the effective prices could drop as much as 50 percent.

According to the article, a $32,000 solar energy system could be as low as $10,000 to $20,000 (based on California prices and state and federal incentives).

In his article, Mr. Davidson reports that “consumers can reap even bigger gains if they can buy in a recession.”

In other words, solar panel systems are going on sale!

If you find great deals on solar panel in your area of the country let us know!
And, if you are interested in joining the Energy Conservation Challenge beginning in February, let us know by signing up for the “10 Simple Steps to Reduce Your Energy Costs” over on the right. We will email you about the challenge when we get the details worked out.