What is the cheapest way to supply my house with the energy I need?

Question

There is a lot of sun here, and some wind.

Some heating needed in the coldest months.

Answer 1

solar energy and water energy maybe. the solar panels would probably cost alot though. some times gas but if you are concerned about the enviroment then electricity.

Answer 2

That depends on the price of various heating fuel in your area, and how cold your winters are.

A 13 SEER heat pump on the south side of the house will work good in winter if it does not get too cold. A 13 SEER heat pump will pump about 7 times as much heat as it uses electricity in the winter, but electricity usually costs a lot more, so the 700% efficiency is offset by that and higher maintenance costs. They have some geothermal heat pumps that are supposed to be excellent also.

If your house faces south, you can have lots of windows in the front and large eaves, that way the lower sun in the winter will put more sun inside the house.

Planting trees helps shade the house in the summer, and lets the sun through in the winter.

Double pane windows and 6" insulated walls helps a ot too.

Remember, when you are heating your house, you only have to replace the heat that escapes from the house, so the better insulated and sealed it is, the less it takes to keep it heated. But ya still need fresh air sometimes too.

The most efficient system I ever saw was on "This Old House". The had hot water piped in through plastic pipes through the floor. The gas water heater had a special flue that exchanged the exhaust heat so it over 98% efficient.

Answer 3

Your first step is to seriously conserve. You don't need outside lights on all night. Replace regular bulbs with 11W flourescents. Turn back the AC or the heater. Your biggest power uses are fridge, A/C, and electric heat/hw.

Then look at your monthly killowatt hour usage. This will give you an idea of how big a solar system you'll need. Then you can price it out and see if it makes sense to spend $15k - $25+ on solar.

I wouldn't bother with wind power if you only have occasional winds.

To handle the heat issue: if you heat with electric now, do you have the $ to replace the old heat pump or electric baseboards with something cheaper to run. I'm actually installing a stove that burns not only wood pellets but corn... corn is so cheap in most areas of the US, I can heat my house for as little as 1/3 of what propane would cost me.

Answer 4

You have not mentioned the geographical area where you live.
As you have a lot of sun, I suggest that you try out solar photovoltaic panels for you lighting needs, Use solar thermal heaters for heating of water. You can also use solar cookers for cooking to augment existing gas supply.

Harnessing wind energy with a wind turbine is very expensive for an individual. However depending on where you live and the attitude of residents , you could jointly invest in a wind energy turbine. One turbine can supply the energy for 200 homes. If you have excess you could probably sell to the same to the electricity dept.( As I mentioned , the feasibility depends on where you live)

If you live in a semi urban setting, you can use a bio-gas generator to supply energy for heating during winter.

Answer 5

The first place you need to go is the energy supply expert in your local area. In California, where I live, there are so many choices of people that can help, you need to have a directory.

You will find a large supply of advice, and you need to taylor it to your needs. Some people find it best to stay on the public grid, while others can find resources suited to their needs without getting "connected". Which is best for you? Do the research. Online can be a good place to start, but in person is always best for a decision that meets your personal needs.

Look at every site that provides suggestions for conserving energy, and begin there. Then go on to the sites that give you the energy providers that best fit your need.

Answer 6

Use florescent lights in your house. It saves a lot of money in the end. Keep the doors to the unused rooms closed during the times that they are not being used. Try to keep your home at a comfortable temperature but not so that you need a blanket in the summer, in the winter keep the heat low so that you don't freeze but you are not sweating. LOL. Just these little measures can help save money on your energy bills.

Answer 7

Solar is good, but the batteries are costly. I would suggest a combination of some passive solar with some wind turbines. For extra heat in the cold months you can always use wood-burning-stoves (more efficient than fireplaces).

Whatever you produce and do not use, the electric company has to buy back from you! Wouldn't it be great to be sending THEM bills, instead!

Answer 8

Lol..you must be filthy rich to be considering installing your own wind turbines or solar panels on your house...

Cheap ways to supply your house with energy:

1) Steal it from your neighbor with an extension cord.

2) Do what that other person said and adjust the way you dress to more efficiently maintain your body temp.

3) Stay with your regular utility company. Fossil fuel still only costs around 5 cents per kilowatt hour for the power plant to produce, versus 30 cents per kilowatt hour for your solar panels. Wind turbines were 15 cents per kilowatt hour I believe. I forget the timespan that these prices were broken down over but I would imagine it to be several years. So unless you can get a grant or a tax break or something, I wouldn't bother with solar power unless you just want to be that guy who drives the prius and has *that house*...you know..the "green" guy who drives everybody crazy with his eco-consciousness.

=)

Answer 9

This depends on the local utility infrastructure, utility price levels, what you want to power and whether or not you're including up-front capital in your definition of the "cheapest."

Solar energy is cheap in areas of high sunlight, but very expensive in initial capital costs.

Electricity in certain areas (Kentucky) is very cheap due to the coal resources utilized by the utility companies.

Gas furnaces operate more efficiently than electric furnaces.

Architecture can also aid in decreasing utility bills through proper window design, etc.

To sum, it's an easy question with a difficult answer.

Answer 10

Although solar and wind energy are the cheapest sources of recurring energy needs. But the cost of setting up machines to convert these into electricity is high.

Answer 11

I saw a magazine called DWELL, and it showed a home with the grass planted on top the roof, it was kind of cool and I would think it would keep in the heat
This will sound silly but there have been houses built instead of using drywall, they use rubber tires in between the walls and straw bales, I think it would be very warm, and they are supposed to be much better than drywall.