8 Ways to Power Your Home With Renewable Energy

One of the most popular and effective ways to produce renewable energy is with photovoltaic (PV) panels. The panels are typically placed on the roof or in the yard where they capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity. And depending on your latitude and the orientation of the panels, you could generate 10 or more watts per square foot. When calculating the right size solar system for your home, keep in mind that the average American household consumes about 900 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

There are two common ways to get a PV solar system: solar leasing and outright ownership. You may have received mailings from companies offering free solar leasing systems. And, although it sounds too good to be true, the systems are free, including the solar panels and installation. These deals are known as Power Purchase Arrangements (PPA), and here’s how they work: A third party hires the installation crew and covers the cost of the solar system. It then charges you only for the solar energy produced by the system. The rate is locked in for a specific period of time, and is typically much lower than what you’re currently paying the utility company. The key benefit, as mentioned earlier, is that you pay nothing for installation or maintenance. However, you also don’t qualify for any tax credits or rebates; those go directly to the leasing company.

With outright ownership, you receive 100 percent of the solar energy produced by the system, and you qualify for all state and federal tax credits, rebates and incentives. The downside is that you must pay for the entire system, including the panels, installation and maintenance. However, most homeowners recoup the cost within a few years through lower electric bills, and even sooner if the system produces an excess of electricity that can be sold back to the utility company.

Here’s an alternative to roof-mounted solar panels: If your current roof is nearing the end of its life, you might want to consider investing in solar shingles. Solar shingles, which are also known as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), are thin, flat solar panels that replace many of the existing shingles on the roof. As a result, BIPV are less obtrusive and sleeker looking than traditional PV panels, which are mounted on top of your current roof. Solar roof shingles are currently available from several companies, including CertainTeed, Tesla Solar Roof, and SunTegra.

Of course, the drawback to solar power is that it only works when the sun is up. If you want to power your home when the sun is down, you'll need to pay for grid electricity or invest in a second type of renewable energy.

Wind turbines are most commonly found on large tracts of open land, called wind farms, or floating offshore. But, if you have enough real estate you can install a small wind turbine on your property to power your home.

There are a few downsides to a wind turbine that make them less popular in residential areas. First, they’re not all that attractive and some can be pretty noisy. Plus, depending on where you live, local laws, HOAs, and zoning regulations may outright forbid wind turbines.

But if these disadvantages don't apply to you, wind power can be a great asset. Wind power is more stable than solar, and a properly sized wind turbine can easily generate most or all of your electricity needs. And in some areas, wind might be a better renewable energy source than solar panels.

Generally speaking, you need sustained winds of at least 10 miles per hour (MPH) to produce a significant amount of power. And, of course, energy production increases with wind speed. A 12-MPH wind will generate about 70% more energy than a 10-MPH wind. And wind speeds are also affected by the height of the turbine. A 10 kW wind turbine mounted on a 100-foot tower generates 30% more power than a 60-foot tower.

Perhaps you're not ready to invest in producing enough renewable energy to power your entire home. Or, maybe solar and wind just aren’t feasible for any number of reasons. That’s okay you can still power part of your home with a solar oven.

Solar ovens work by trapping sunlight to heat food. You can buy a solar oven or build your own out of some cardboard, insulation and aluminum foil. Solar ovens make sense because the typical household electric oven uses quite a bit of energy. And harnessing the sun’s energy to passively cook food is a great way to get started in the world of renewable energy.

A solar oven has several benefits: it cooks food for free and it works virtually anywhere, even during a power outage or emergency. All you need is some sunshine and you'll never have to have to eat a cold meal due to a lack of power.

Now this option won't work for most people, but if your property contains a source of flowing water, you're in luck. You can divert some or all of the stream or river to flow through a hydroelectric generator to create electricity for your home.

There are a number of ways to go about doing this, but at its most basic, you'll want to find the largest vertical distance the water will travel, and divert that water so it flows through the generator in a controlled manner. Depending on the amount of water and vertical distance, you can produce a substantial amount of power this way. Setting up a hydroelectric generator isn’t easy, and you may need to have a professional install it for you. If you have some engineering knowledge, though, you could even build it yourself from scratch.

And the advantages to hydropower are immense. Unlike solar and wind, hydro is relatively stable and continuous, which means you'll always get the same input no matter what. As long as the water is flowing, you'll never have to worry that your generator won't be able to power your home. That peace of mind might be worth undertaking a little engineering project.

Solar-powered water heaters are similar to PV solar panels, except that instead of producing electricity, they heat water. And it doesn’t take many solar water panels to dramatically reduce or even eliminate the energy used by a traditional gas or electric water heater.

Solar water heaters use the sun to heat a reserve of water, which can then be pumped through your radiators or out your faucets and showerheads. This system is much cheaper than using gas or electricity to heat your water, and is easier to install than solar panels. If you're not willing to completely commit to powering your entire home with renewable energy, solar water heating is a good alternative to help slash your monthly energy bill.

It might seem strange to use heat from the sun to cool your home, but that's exactly what solar air conditioning does. Solar air conditioning employs the same principles of a solar water heater, but uses that hot water in an air conditioning system.

Traditional air conditioners use more electricity than any other mechanical system or appliance in the home, especially if you have central air and you live in a hot climate. Solar air conditioning can cut cooling costs, saving you a substantial amount of money each year. And many solar AC systems can also be configured to heat the home and produce domestic hot water.

Technically, the Tesla Powerwall (and other similar large rechargeable battery) isn't exactly renewable energy, but it does work well with any home renewable generator and can even save you money without any other renewable systems.

Introduced in 2015, the Powerwall is a large rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can store several kilowatt-hours of electricity. On its own, it can be programmed to charge itself from the grid when electricity prices are low, and discharge when prices are high, to save you money during peak hours. However, Powerwall can also be used in conjunction with a source of renewable energy, such as solar or wind power.

The Powerwall stores excess electricity that you don't use right away, so you can always use renewable solar or wind energy, even when the sun is down or the wind's not blowing. The Powerwall can smooth out fluctuations in your renewable energy generation, eliminating one of the main disadvantages of renewable energy. Plus, thanks to upcoming legislation you may be able to receive a tax credit for connecting your Powerwall to the grid.

Although tubular skylights don’t actually create electricity, they do produce free natural light for your home, which can slash your electric-light bill. A tubular skylight, which is often called a Sun Tunnel, consists of a clear roof-mounted dome, round metal tube, and ceiling diffuser. The metal tube runs between the dome on the roof and the diffuser mounted to the ceiling. The inside surface of the tube has a highly reflective, mirror-like coating that reflects over 90% of sunlight and delivers it through the diffuser, which produces a soft, radiant glow of natural light.

Tubular skylights have many advantages over traditional skylights: they’re much quicker, easier and cheaper to install; there’s no need to build a light shaft down from the roof; and tubular skylights come with either rigid or flexible tubes, which can fit into small spaces and, when necessary, snake around obstacles in the attic. The downside of tubular skylights, of course, is that they don’t work at night. Although some tubular skylight manufacturers do offer an optional light kit, which fits inside the tube for nighttime use.