Estimated Annual Energy Expense

I've done some figuring and totaling and over a 12 month period, I used  almost 17,000 Kilowatts of power costing me $1440.59 for the year. That's a monthly usage of 1,412 Kilowatts per month for a cost of $120.05 per month. This begins to show you how much money you can afford to put toward "free energy" to break even, and how much energy you need to produce to maintain your current lifestyle, (pun intended). I'm looking into setting up some deep cycle batteries (energy storage) with an inverter (converts battery direct current (DC) to household Alternating Current (AC)) and a small set of solar panels (I'm looking at the 45 watt kit from Harbor Freight).
This will help me in several ways.
First, I'll gain some first hand experience..
Second, I'll start some saving on energy with a relatively small expense.
Third, I'll begin building data.
Fourth, I'll begin to change the way I look at energy.
Fifth, I'll have a back power system this winter in case of power outage!

I might add, the cost of energy savings is nothing compared to the savings from your deep freezer not
thawing out and ruining your meat and vegetables during a power outage. And instead of buying a generator that still requires gas, put the money in a solar backup that can be used year round to run outdoor lights and even be taken on a camping trip.
Well, that's enough to think about, till next time.

Energy Cost- Electricity for last year.

Well, Have you looked into your Power bills for last year. Mine ranged from a low of $62.00 to a high of $260.00! The energy was from 660 kwh to 2600 kwh. (kilowatt hours) which is what the power company reads from you meter each month. (if you are good with spreadsheets you may want to copy your history into one from the web for more accurate calculations later). You can get some more accurate daily readings for the coldest and hottest days that could be useful information when calculating the size of your system. If you haven't already gotten this information, go ahead and check your power bill or check online with your bill history. Duke-Energy has some very useful information online for looking at your energy usage. And any energy savings you can do by insulating and getting efficient lights and appliances can help reduce the size of the system you'll have to get. This is true especially with your a/c and heat sources. Get your numbers and we'll look at them together in tomorrow's post.
Have a good evening.

Getting Started With Alternative Power

I hear more and more people getting help from natural energy sources like solar, wind and water. The first step in any of these projects is identifying the size and cost of the project for feasibility. The best way to start is to look at your history in you power bills. If you have Duke-Energy as your provider, you can log on to your online account (register if you haven't already) and easily see a history of your last 13 months for both cost and energy usage. This can also be viewed in a bar chart to see the peaks and valleys. You need to realize that the average usage can give you an idea of how much you may save over the year, you need the peak amounts to project the size of your energy system needed. Then you can begin getting pricing and estimates of the various options to getting off the grid, or even supplying the grid! I am evaluating my usage, which ranges from just under 1000 kwhrs per month, to almost 3000 kwhrs per month. These are still averages and may not reflect how the peak usage on the coldest night or hottest day of the year might effect our comfort levels. Also realize that  if you are willing to endure a little discomfort by adjusting your thermostat or supplement you heat, and/or depend on some of your battery backup, you may be able to level out your usage. The prospect of selling back to the grid can also help you end up the year with a zero balance. All these options should be weighted in on the outset so realistic projections can be established and we end up happiest with our clean energy.
Please subscribe to this blog below and give feedback and ask questions as we go. This is an ongoing project for me and I will be sharing what I learn as I go.

Solar Power, Battery Power, Electric Cars, Let's work together to get off the Grid and off the Gas, and on to a  better stronger America. Do you have any ideas that you have proven and applied? Share in the comments. Looking for ideas? Click around on this page and help prove these ideas out. Then come back and share what works and what don't.

The Search For Solar

It seems that "Going Green" and "Getting off the Grid" has become quite a passion these days. Many advertisements, news broadcasts and conversations go there whether for saving money, or saving the Planet! It's political, it's physical, it's science, it's almost a religion!

I hope to create a web site here where you can search for information and resourses that will help us all make good decisions and progress toward a Green and profitable future. Please leave comments and feed back and feel free to use the search engines on this page to look for information elsewhere. These search engines should help filter out unwanted sites and info providing a safe place for you and your children to explore. Please share what you find!