Figuring out what type of renewable energy you want to use, or if you want to be grid-tied or off grid can be very challenging. We're going to explore the different options you have available and try and help you choose what's right for you.

The first thing you should do is figure out what type of 'Green' you want to do. Do you want to generate renewable energy or make your home more energy efficient?

First we'll start with generating renewable energy. There are basically 3 types of energy available to you: solar, wind, and water. For many people solar is the only viable option, but if you're lucky enough to have a stream or live in a windy place I envy you.

There are two types of solar energy that you can use. You can use solar panels to generate electricity and you can use a different type of panel to generate heat to heat up water.

Everybody can use solar panels or solar hot water heaters. The sun shines enough to make them a viable alternative to generate electricity and heat.

The only downside to solar panels and solar hot water heaters is cost. It's going to cost you 8X more to build (or buy) enough solar panels to generate the same amount of power that a 1000 watt wind generator will produce.

That's not to say you shouldn't buy or build solar panels. Unlike a wind generator or micro-hydro installation, solar panels have no moving parts which means that you won't need to perform any maintenance on them.

You should look at solar panels if you don't have enough wind (which we'll cover in a bit) or can't install micro-hydro. Although it will cost you more up front the maintenance costs will be lower so the costs even out over time.

If you live in the USA than solar panels can also be subsidized by the government (up to 30%). This only applies to solar panels that you buy and come with a warranty. If you build your solar panels (saves 75%) you won't be eligible for the 30% federal grant. You can find more information about grants here. (for wind generators, but solar panels are on the same page).

Sadly, Canada is lacking in the grants department. As of 2009 there still aren't any grants available for solar panels.

Wind Generators

Wind generators are great if you have enough wind and local by-laws don't forbid you putting one up. There are a couple steps you need to take before you should start buying or building a wind generator.

The first thing you should do is check if you have enough wind. We've written an article explaining how much wind you need here. If you have enough wind for a wind generator the next thing you need to do is go to town hall or wherever you get building permits and find out if there are any by-laws in place that would veto you putting up a wind generator. 

If you have enough wind and are allowed to put up a wind generator I highly recommend it. Wind power has very low up front costs for the amount of power you can produce. The only downside to wind power is you are going to need to do twice yearly maintenance (climbing up the tower, or taking the tower down). In addition, you will probably have to replace blades and the motor sometime over 5 - 10 years.

Another thing you need to think about with a wind generator is the 'chopping' sound. Can you and your neighbors live with it? It's always best to check before spending any money. When I say 'chopping' I don't mean it will be very loud, but in wind speeds above 10MPH you will notice it if you're paying attention.

In the USA there are grants available for a wind generator installation (up to 30%). This doesn't apply to homemade wind generators only to ones with warranties. You can find more information about grants here.

Micro-Hydro

If you live near a stream or river than I REALLY envy you. Micro-hydro output never changes and is very reliable. The only problem is you need flowing water to make it work.

If you're interested in micro-hydro you should check out our "Introduction To Micro Hydro" here.

Energy Savings

Energy savings is also a big part of going green. It's also the first step that many people take in becoming energy independent. After all, the less energy you have to produce the lower the cost of installing a system will be.

There are quite a few grants available for making your home more energy efficient in the USA. You can find more info about them here.

If you're interested in Canadian rebates, do a Google search for "province name energy rebates". Each province has their own program so listing them all here would take a lot of space.

We've also developed an 'Energy Savings Guide' which you can download by signing up for our newsletter at the bottom of the article.

I really hope this has helped you narrow down the options in your 'Green' journey. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them.

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