Unit 3: Renewable Energy in Your Future

Section A: Preparing for a Renewable System 

These steps will help you prepare for a renewable energy system from researching the different technologies to getting your home ready. Remember, if you are planning to use renewable energy, you will want to be as energy efficient as possible in order to manage these renewable resources wisely. Your hard-earned money is saved and air pollution will be decreased by the power that doesn't have to be produced. Here are some simple things you can do:

1. Change all incandescent light bulbs to light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
   
   

2. All new appliances and lighting that you purchase should be ENERGY STAR® qualified, which are the most energy efficient appliances and lighting available. Over 40 product categories are available that have earned the ENERGY STAR ranging from washers and dryers to air conditioning units and dehumidifiers. The typical household spends over $1,500 per year on energy bills. With ENERGY STAR, you can save up to 30 percent or about $450 a year! Check to see if you can receive a special offer or rebate for ENERGY STAR products by visiting the Rebate Finder page.

    
3. Ensure there is adequate insulation in all walls, floors, and ceilings. You want to make sure there is no heat loss in the winter or excessive heat gain in the summer. Some good resources include Focus on Energy who has a Basics of Air Sealing and Insulating Your Home fact sheet (.pdf) as well as the Department of Energy which provides recommended insulation levels for your home. Even if you do not have a renewable energy system, it is good to check to make sure your home is properly insulated.
    
4. Eliminate all leaking (phantom/vampire) appliances by using power strips and turn off lights and other appliances when they're not in use. Why pay for energy that you're not even using? Leaking electricity is responsible for an estimated 45 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity consumed by U.S. households each year. This is nearly five percent of total residential electricity use in the U.S. and enough energy to power Greece, Peru, and Vietnam for one year! This wasted energy costs U.S. consumers more then $3.5 billion annually! The average U.S. household is constantly leaking about 50 watts of power; nearly 450 kilowatt-hours per household at a cost of about $40 per year. Nearly 20 percent of the electricity used by appliances is lost while they are sitting in the standby mode, waiting to be used.
    
5. If you are interested in purchasing a renewable energy system, you or a professional site assessor will need to perform a load analysis, which determines how much energy you use and what size system you would need. A full load analysis is one of the final assignment options you can choose from.
    
6. Shop around for the renewable system that will work best for you. When you are shopping for solar collectors, you can compare their performance ratings by looking for the Solar Rating & Certification Corporation (SRCC) or Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) sticker. Also, use local resources and learn as much as possible about renewable energy. Take a workshop or two from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and meet the experts in the renewable field.

 

If you are planning to build a new house and incorporate renewable energy into the construction, check out KEEP's Renewable Energy in Building Science Conceptual Framework.


 

​ Go back to Unit 2: Section C

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​​ Continue on to Section B: Activity - Where the Wind Blows