Is there any INexpensive way to convert your home to solar or wind power?

Question

If the govt wants us to convert, why aren't they demanding that it be CHEAP?

Answer 1

moderately... no less expensive install it yourself. That's what I'm doing now with 3 wind turbines on top of my garage, and hopefully in a year or so when Nanosolor drops photovoltaic cells to 10 cents a watt due to decreased production cost I'll install a 5-10 kwatt array on my house roof. The us dept. of energy has a rebate program where they will reimburse 50% of the cost, but you don't get your check till after it's installed. Also you can file with the irs and state tax dept. to list your house as an energy creation zone, making the checks you get from the electric company tax free.
Any surplus you produce goes back to the grid for your neighbors to use - this means that your meter will turn backwards so your selling electricity to the utility companies. THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO PAY YOU FOR THIS. which means if your average usage is less than your consumpion you get a check from them at wholesale rate which they in turn bill your neighbors who use this power at retail.
Anyway after rebate and tax credits and surplus checks I estimate the ROI (return on investment) to be 3 years less maintaince after that it's tax free income provided you file for this zone change before it expires.

Answer 2

Solar electric is about $9.45 /watt right now. Wind is still some what above that. Solar is my preference as is is less expensive /watt and that it does not compete with utility generation. It only works during the day, and that is when we need the power, it's called "peak shaving". Utilities have more that enough supply of efficient or renewable energy at night, so wind is supplying power even when it's not needed by the grid.

The government has no right to demand that anything be more or less expensive. Market forces determine that in our country, (if you live in the US) . Would you want them telling how much you could sell the produce from your garden for, just because some one else is hungry? (you might not like what you hear form them).

My state promotes renewable energy with tax credits.
some times doing the right thing is more painful than doing the easy thing.

Answer 3

No there's no cheap way. The government can't make prices. They just offer tax credits.

electric solar cells and wind generators are typically only feasible when it would cost alot of money to bring power lines in to remote locations. Also generating your own power requires understanding and maintaining the systems, lots of people can barely grasp flipping the breaker back on after they plug too much into 1 circuit.

The industry is working hard to make it better and cheaper. New developments are coming out now to print solar cells on film instead of growing crystals and then it should be cheaper.

Wind turbines are facing a whole different hurdle. People are afraid of them falling over, and they are afraid of too many birds flying into them. They are forming committees to lobby for laws outlawing them.

The article below is just 1 sample of the opposition

And then there's wood stoves. The kind that burn all day, and control the heat by controlling the air that feeds the fire. When you choke a fire, the burning is incomplete and creates worse pollution. Then the neighbors get together and ask for laws to ban them.

The other angle is inventing appliances that use less power to do the work, like LED light bulbs.

Answer 4

No.

They aren't demanding that it be cheap because it just can't be done.

If you just want to feel good you could buy some carbon offsets but be aware that they are basically just a form of legal fraud (the offsets that are affordable basically don't change whether any wind mills get built or not).

You'd be better off just campaigning to have a nuclear power plant where you live (succeeding at it would help the environment a lot more than covering your roof with solar panels).

Answer 5

The government cannot control the real cost of anything. Any attempt to do so will destroy the market and result in the elimination of that particular item. Think about it. If it costs $1000.00 to produce something, and the government insists that it be sold for $900.00, why would anyone make it.

Alternately, the government could subsidise a product, that is, pay all or a portion of the cost. They already do this in the form of tax credits for certain items (like solar panels).

Answer 6

Face it, Going green is not cheap. There are TRICKS you can use to increase efficiency, but they must be Incorporated into a house during construction and even simple ones like thicker walls(more insulation) and thermal windows are going to increase costs but they will pay for themselves down the road.
Retrofitting an existing structure or installing a new system is very expensive.
Don't look to the government for help, they will just take your money and waste it, usually on stuff totally unrelated to environmental matters.
Look around the web, there are plenty of Good ideas out there.

Answer 7

Chevron and BP are advertising on cable here in Connecticut that they are "doing" things with solar and geothermal and wind. Truth in advertising? I have volunteered my house to be part of a pilot program, and in fact if they want a photo-op to brag to the stock market and congress, then do something for the whole block where I live... let us all start writing to these companies . . .

Answer 8

Unfortunately such conversion doesn't come cheap. The only way is waiting a couple of years when the energy crisis forces the government to lower price, reduce tax for helping good citizens converting to green energy

Answer 9

1

Answer 10

It is not only Government but as responsible citizens concerned about our delicate world, we all should strive to do our bit at micro level for the sake of our children and grand children. Please have a look at the following:
U-SEE - We must save the world from over-exploitation of natural resources
Knowingly or unknowingly we are all partners in misusing of costly electricity for our lighting purpose during day time when the solar light is available just outside our windows. Why can't bring home the sunshine?
Yes. This has been successfully adopted by a number of people in Bangalore, India. This innovative but simple method of bringing home the sunshine was suggested to the World Bank as a Grassroots Initiative for Preservation of Natural Resourcs during IDM-2007 competition - Project U-SEE (Unlimited Savings of Electrical Energy). U-SEE does not involve any nano technology nor does it requires billions of dollars for implementation. Moreover, U-SEE you get free lighting for life. No charges.
The World Bank honored this initiative and has created a permanent blog on the World Bank URL at http://dmblog.worldbank.org/mirrors-can-bring-light-rural-homes.
How is it implemented? U need a house hold mirror of 12"X18" and a pillow. Identify where u can get maximum sunshine just outside the windows with clear glass or on the balcony, keep the pillow on a stool or chair and place the mirror on the pillow, go on nudging the mirror till the solar light is deflected from the mirror, through the window and on to the white ceiling inside your home. U will be surprised to find the light spreading from the ceiling - it can be 40 to 60 watts (see the picture above - notice tube light and table lamp in the corner are not burning but there is enough light). If u can keep a bigger mirror, u will get more bright light. U can control the light just by covering a portion of the mirror.
Earth moves on its latitude. When u find that the deflected solar light is moving elsewhere, just go to the mirror, nudge a little and u can get back your light as before. THIS IS THE BASIC IDEA and once u have done it, u be the Innovator of your light requirements for your home and U-SEE PROVIDES YOU FREE LIGHTING FOR LIFE. Many homes/huts in rural areas in developing countries do not have proper lighting and people are living in dark, damp and dingy environs but urbanites living in concrete jungles in cities with tinted glasses are misusing electricity for their lighting purpose even during day time.
U-SEE the Benefits: ONE incandescent bulb/tubelight burning for 6 hours during day time consumes 7 units of electricity in a month. If half the world can adopt U-SEE and switch off one bulb for 6 hours during day time, how much of electricity can be saved? Your guess is as good as mine + saves cost of fossil fuels, coal, water+saves cost incurred for machineries and equipments+saves overhead charges+saves transmission loss charges+saves the world from global warming (burning bulbs/CO2 etc) with n'th value+ U GET FREE LIGHTING FOR LIFE with n'th value. The savings that accrue can off set the load on our productive requirements like A/c, refrigerators, mixies, fans etc.
Solar light will be available at least for about 200 days in a year and it is infinite and why should we let it go waste? We are not harnessing this infinite energy. U-SEE is ssoo simple.
First adopt this method, innovate solutions if u face small problems. U be the winner. U-SEE It is a win win situation for all of us. Need clarifications, mail: [e-mail] U-SEE - The author's ambition is to spread this friendly initiative to one and all. No charges!! Happy now? This method is not only cheap but also it is FREE 4 U.
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, Bangalore, India