Go Greener Tips

The first step you must consider before you even begin to think about going off the grid and using renewable sources of energy to power your home, is to first estimate how much energy you use so you can figure out the size generator you will need.

The good news is that most of this information can be found on your monthly power bill. You’ll be able to determine how much energy you have used in the last month, as well as your average usage per month. Many utility companies include graphs so you can see how your usage has differed across different months of the year. This accounts for changes in the season, and changes in your usage patterns.

It is most important to pay attention to your highest month. That’s because whatever renewable energy source you choose, you need to be sure it can handle your highest need for energy.

The next thing you need to do is learn more about building solar panels or wind power generators. Then you can determine the size of the system you’ll need to build or purchase, and see what your costs will be. Purchasing these systems can be quite expensive (though they pay for themselves in the long run over continuing to pay monthly for electricity bills), but they are worth it in the long run.

If you consider yourself to be handy, you might want to build solar panels or a wind power generator yourself. This might sound scary, but if you have clear directions it will likely be a lot easier for you to get started with. Luckily, there are some guides out on the market now that can be incredibly useful for you.

Once you have the right guide, you can start to determine the size you’ll need and how much you might want to spend. Portable power generators that you build can cost as little as $200. It easily, and quickly, pays for itself. Obviously, the more power you need, the bigger solar panel or wind generator you’ll need.

Figuring out your power consumption is one of the first steps for a reason. Different households use different amounts of power, so it’s best to determine this in advance to see if it will be feasible for you to invest in renewable sources of energy for your home. If you’re like most families, you’ll find that this will quickly pay for itself over time, and you’ll feel much better about the power you use. This will save you money, and it is a much friendlier method for the earth!