Alternative energy?

[eepster]

DH and I decided that we would use the little chec that will be coming from th IRS for what the government should have done with it in the first place and get alternative energy for the house.

DH has wantedd solar panels for a while, but I don't think we get enough sun for them to pay off before they get damaged in a nor-easter. We also won't be getting enough to pay for them.

I wanted to get a little wind mill, since they are cheaper to begin with and we live next to a river with a lot of breaze.

Opinions please.

[Mara232]

I'd love to have geothermal power for the house but it is $$$. if you want to start small a windmill would be a good start. What about a water turbine since you have a stream by you?

[Sadystar]

I have both solar and wind electricity and to be honest I find the wind turbine provides very little, even if it has been busting a gale all day.

I also have a vacuum tube solar water heater and this IMO gives far more bang for the buck, between that and my solar oven we have gone from using one gas bottle every three weeks to one every three months - that´s roughly a 75% reduction!

Granted we get a lot of sun, and if you don´t get continuous sun then a solar oven may not work, but a solar hot water heater will at least save you some energy in preheating the water before it goes through a boiler.

Sadystar x.