Solar electric systems have high up front costs. Before going solar electric, you should conserve as much energy as possible so that your solar system can be smaller. Here are some tips on conserving electrical energy:

• Replace your incandescent (ordinary) light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
• Turn off lights in unused rooms
• Turn off TVs, stereos, and computers when not in use (some people on solar electric power even unplug the TV, stereos, and VCRs when not in use. That is because the transformer (making up the power supply), clock, and standby mode for the remote are drawing power even when the items are "off". More power is typically used during the 20+ hours the device is "off" than the hours it is on. Unplugging the devices or turning them completely off via a power strip solves this problem.
• Activate the energy conservation/Energy Star settings of your computer
• Rely more on warm clothing and less on electric, oil, and gas heating.
• Use electric fans, evaporative coolers, or heat pumps instead of air conditioners when possible.
• Change the setting on your electric refrigerator to energy save mode
• Raise the temperature of the refrigerator from about 35 degrees to 40 degrees
• Use microwave and toaster ovens for more cooking (not just reheating) and use the large electric oven less. Microwave and toaster ovens use less energy to cook single course meals than the much larger electric stove ovens.
• When using the electric burner of the stove, use pans that completely cover the burner and use a lid on the pan.
• Look into using solar cookers to cook some of your food. See the "Renewable Energy" link on my website for information about these. I'm thinking of adding solar cookers to my product line. I recently ordered one for testing.
• Electric stoves, electric refrigerators, electric heaters, and electric hot water heaters use huge amounts of electricity. As a result many people on solar electric power use:
  • Gas or wood stoves, and solar cookers when practical, instead of electric stoves
  • Solar hot water panels to preheat their water with a gas water heater doing the rest of the heating
  • Large south facing windows to convert their house into a solar house that uses the greenhouse effect to heat their home. Existing homes can be modified into solar homes by adding south facing windows (with 2 or 3 panes of glass) and thermal mass or by adding a green house like extension to the south side of the home.
  • Replacing the electric refrigerator with a super energy efficient one made specifically for solar electric homes (such as Sunfrost brand refrigerators and freezers) or with a gas refrigerator

Gavin G. Young
Renewable Electricity Solutions

Renewable Electricity Solutions was founded by Gavin G. Young to provide 21st century energy alternatives to meet the growing need for environmentally sound energy sources. The business accomplishes this by selling photovoltaic (solar electric power) modules/panels, wind generators, micro-hydro generators, deep cycle batteries, charge controllers, DC to AC power inverters, energy efficient appliances, energy efficient LED lighting, electric scooters, and much more. In addition, it provides information on renewable energy (solar hot water, solar air heating, solar cooking, solar electric power, wind power, micro-hydro power, fuel cells, etc.), energy conservation, electric automobiles, and recycling.