1.) Know Your Energy Usage or Energy Needs
Grid-Tie
If you are currently living in a house/place that is tied to the Grid (meaning your supply electricity comes from the power companies) then you get a utility bill showing your electricity usage. You can use this bill to determine your electricity usage every month or every year, and average it out to understand how much electricity you use every day.
Off-Grid
If you are considering going Off-Grid (meaning you will no longer rely on the utility company for electricity and will supply your own power) then you need to understand your energy needs. The table below shows the electrical usage (watts) of everyday household appliances that you may use in your off grid home. Look for appliances that you may have in your place and determine approxiametly how much energy you may need to power all these appliances.
| Appliance | Watts |
| Desktop Computer | 50-150W |
| LCD Monitor | 80-150W |
| Dishwasher | 1200-1500W |
| Refridgerator / Freezer | 800-1200W |
| 25' Color TV | 150W |
| Room Air Conditioner | 1000W |
| Microwave | 600-1500W |
| Washing Machine | 500W |
| Clothes Dryer | 3500-4000W |
| 100W Light Bulb (Incandescent) | 100W |
| CFL Light Bulb (equal to 60W) | 18W |
| CFL Light Bulb (equal to 100W) | 30W |
| Laptop Computer | 50-250W |
| Internet Router | 15W |
| Table Fan | 25W |
| Ceiling Fan | 25-75W |
| Oven | 2500-3000W |
| Coffe Maker | 800-1400W |
| Iron | 1000W |
| Vacuum Cleaner | 200-700W |
| Curling Iron | 90W |
| Hair Blow Dryer | 2000-2500W |
| Kettle | 3000W |
| Power Drill [1"] | 1000W |
2.) Conserve and lower Energy usage
Before any homeowner should consider Renewable Energy we recommend that you try conserve energy and save on your electricity bill. You can save a lot quickly by changing a few things around your place before installing a renewable energy system. Here are a few tips we suggest:
- Replace your incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient light bulbs such as CFL ( Compact Fluorescent Light) Bulbs or LED's.
- Add Insulation to your home to reduce the amount of heat or air conditioning lost from your house or building.
- Upgrade old appliances like your dishwasher, refridgerator, microwave, washing machine, dryer, etc to newer more energy efficient versions.
- Eliminate or Reduce Phantom Loads meaning certain appliances like your computer, TV, stereos, etc still use electricity even though they are on stand by mode or "shut off". A common solution to this is to unplug the power strip the cords are connected to or just disconnect the cords themselves from the outlet.
- Turn Off Lights when they are not in use. Actually turn off all electrical appliances that are not in use.
3.) Determine what type of system you need
There are few different types of renewable energy systems that can be applied residential or commercial properties such as solar, wind, geothermal, solar thermal, etc. However the first thing you need to determine is are you going to be still tied to the Grid or are you going to be off-grid.
- Grid-Tie: Your electrical supply is still connected to the power source supplied by the municipal Electrical Company.
- Off-Grid: You supply 100% of your own electrical power and you are not connected to any Grid Supply electrical power.
4.) Find out What Size Solar / Wind Power System you Need?
There are a few variables that go into determining what size system you need and how much power you need to produce. Click on the Button Below, which will help determine what size system you need based on your electricity usage and how much you can expect to save with renewable energy.
If you are deciding to go Off-Grid, please contact us directly by phone or email, so we can give you a more accurate calculation of the size of system you may need. As there are more variables involved with Off-the-Grid as to what you will be powering as well as your location, so we would like to get a better understanding in order to give you a more accurate answer.
Please click the button on the right to send us an email or you can reach us by phone directly at 888-944-5765. If you are international and unable to reach by phone please contact us by email and we will get back to you as soon as possible.