solar-and-wind

I’ll bet you never thought you could do-it-yourself!

Getting Started
By Phil Livingston
The bulk of our energy comes from coal, oil, and natural gas—exhaustible resources that create pollution when burned and contribute to global warming. Renewable energy (RE) is non-polluting energy that comes from inexhaustible resources, such as wind, sunshine, and falling water. Using more RE and less nonrenewable energy means less pollution produced. Plus, RE can provide personal and national energy security freeing you from a lifetime of utility bills and reducing the United States´ reliance on imported fuels.
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Conservation & Efficiency
Many people get entranced by RE technologies—solar-electric (photovoltaic; PV) modules, and micro hydro and wind turbines. But the first focus of anyone wanting to invest in RE should be conservation and efficiency.
Conservation involves changing your energy use behaviors from wasteful, inefficient habits (such as leaving on the lights when you leave a room) to energy-saving ones (turning off the lights every time you leave a room). This is a conscious choice—although you are using the same fixtures, you´re making an effort to minimize your energy consumption.
Efficiency, on the other hand, is reducing energy consumption—without changing your lifestyle—by using efficient appliances. As energy efficiency expert Amory Lovins once said, energy efficiency is a “technical fix.” Using the previous examples, the efficiency solution would be to swap out incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescents (CFs), which only use about a quarter of the energy.
Both conservation and efficiency work hand in hand. Apply the basic principles of conservation and efficiency to all of your energy choices, before looking at harnessing renewable energy. It makes very little sense to put PVs on your roof before you have CFs in your light fixtures.
Conservation and energy efficiency are low-hanging fruit, to be picked before moving forward with solar electricity or hot water systems. By reducing your energy demand, you will greatly reduce the cost of your RE systems when you´re ready to have them installed. Every dollar you spend on efficiency measures will save you roughly $3 to $5 on your renewable energy system costs.