Citizenrē Renu

Can't afford solar panels? Citizenrē Corporation has a new program that could still make it possible to go solar. Instead of buying the panels yourself, they install the panels on your house and you buy the energy from them at the same rate you pay off the grid.

This is a great idea for a business model, and makes solar available to many people who couldn't afford it before. I'm thinking about doing it myself, but I'm holding out since I'm hoping to be able to buy my own soon. Try it out, let me know how it works!

Kill a Watt

A handy device to help figure out exactly how much energy is used by the electronics in your house. This is a good way to figure out what devices use the most energy so you can replace those first. (Or, find out what doesn't need replacing!)

Just got tipped off to this one and haven't tried it yet. I've ordered one and will update with how well it works once I've tried it out.

Solar Water Heater

Solar panels are the standard badge of sustainable energy. But a much more cost effective way to take advantage of solar energy is a solar water heater. The solar water heater works well because it stores the sun's energy directly as heat, and heat is the most expensive form of energy.

A solar water heater costs considerably less to install, and is relatively simple compared to solar panels. (Think 500 dollars for a water heater versus 10k for a solar panel installation.)

Grid-Tied Solar

Solar panels are the badge of someone who has already taken all the other steps available to conserve energy. There are lots of different ways to take advantage of solar panels, probably the simplest way is to use something called a grid inter-tie. This will allow excess energy from the solar panels to be pushed back into the grid and actually turn your meter backwards. In some states, your power company will send you a check if you produce more than you use.

Tying into the grid is recommended because it is the lowest maintenance system that takes advantage of solar. The alternative is to use batteries, but there are considerable inefficencies storing energy in the battery, and there is ongoing maintenance cost for the approach. (There is something called a fly-wheel which someday will do a better job, Beacon Power seems to be the closest to a practical implementation of the technology.)

Don't do this until you've replaced all of your appliances and properly insulated your home.

Compact Fluorescent Lights

Compact fluorescent bulbs a good first step to reducing fossil fuel usage. Compact fluorescent bulbs are considerably more efficient than the standard incandescent bulb used in most houses. They cost a little more to purchase, but they last much longer and of course will easily pay for themselves in savings on electricity over their lifetime.

Be careful when you install them, they are more fragile than other bulbs.

Found a nifty tool that helps you find bulbs that meet different requirements: