When considering the installation of a wind or solar renewable system, the most economical way to go about it would be to reduce your energy consumption as much as possible first. For every dollar spent on energy conservation you will save three to five dollars on the installation of a renewable system in the long run. There are several ways to reduce your energy use that could add up to huge energy savings:

• Start with replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED or florescent bulbs. These bulbs use only a fraction of the electricity but the life is much longer.
• Consider installing ceiling fans to save money on heating or cooling.
• Install shades or blinds in windows on south-facing walls to block hot radiant heat in the summer.
• Reduce your water heater temperature to 120 degrees. Wrap your tank with a bubble insulated foil wrap and install a water heater insulated blanket on top.
• If you have an electric water heater, consider installing a timer set to heat your water only once or twice a day.
• Keeping your attic insulation cool in the summer and warm in the winter will make a big difference in your comfort level. Installing a foil barrier on top of your insulation will provide both comfort and big savings on energy use year-round.
• Install a low flow 1.5 gallon per minute shower head.

By completing these low cost, energy conservation retrofits, you can install a renewable system at a far lower cost and produce enough power to offset most or even eliminate your electric bill. Look for more ideas to reduce your electric use coming soon!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2014 at 8:29 pm and is filed under Energy Conservation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.