Homemade Energy

Use green energy right at home.

Generating energy at home is becoming an increasingly popular option for homeowners. It allows homeowners to save money on utilities and create a more eco-conscious home. However, home-generated energy can be difficult to understand at first, and the many options available can lead to confusion. Fortunately, it is a straightforward process to install and operate homemade energy devices with a little guidance. It may require hard work and a few different strategies, but any homeowner can make her home more energy efficient.

Things You'll Need

• Solar panels
• Windmills
• Wood stove
• Storage batteries
• Backup power generator

Instructions

1. Perform an energy audit on your home. Determine what devices are using the most energy and how that use can be reduced or stopped. Replace any older appliances with more energy-efficient ones. Connect all electronics plugged into your home to a power strip that can be turned off and unplugged from the wall. Replace items powered by batteries, such as radios, with items that can be charged using a hand crank or solar power.

2. Research the zoning rules in your area for installing a wind turbine and see what permits, if any, are needed. Also check with any building associations or other groups that you may require permission from. Determine how high a structure you will be allowed to erect; the higher the turbine is, the better. Analyze the weather patterns around your home. Locate the areas with the most wind and erect your wind turbines. Connect the turbines to storage batteries to collect any electricity not used immediately.

3. Check for where the sun begins hitting your home's roof and how long it stays on each part of the roof throughout the day. Place solar panels where they will get the most sun, without blocking any skylights or other windows. Wire a lightning rod to avoid the panels being blown out by lightning strikes. Wire the solar panels to storage batteries to collect the maximum amount of electrical energy.

4. Examine your home's climate control system. Replace the primary heating system with wood or pellet stoves. Keep the former heating system as a backup system. For air conditioning, use fans to keep air circulating throughout the house and use only energy efficient air-conditioning units in the areas most people gather in the house. Install weatherstripping on doors and examine each window for drafts. Consider replacing your windows with more energy-efficient designs that can trap heat.

5. Install your back-up power systems. Locate a back-up generator in the basement. For the eco-conscious, generators can easily be configured to accept biodiesel. Install other back-up systems to important appliances like the refrigerator. Most refrigerators can be powered with bottled propane. Create a "brown-out kit" with items such as a camp stove and a grill to allow you to continue cooking if there's a lack of energy or a power source breaks.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider using human-powered generators for entertainment devices like televisions and game systems.

• A windmill can also be used for mechanical tasks, like pumping water.

• Never install any electrical devices or handle electrical wires without training.

• Shut off the power to your house before handling any wires.

References

• U.S. Department of Energy: Wind Powering America
• Solar Panel Info: Solar Panels
• U.S. Department of Energy: Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments
• Wind Powering America: Zoning for Small Wind Turbines