Creative Energies Blog

We have solar panels on our barn. When the sun is out the panels make electricity - kilowatt-hours (kWh). Our home either uses the kWhs or puts them into the electricity grid, banking them for later. Over the course of a year the sun meets about 70% of our electricity needs. The 25-year warranty on the panels plus a continuing effort at energy conservation (more efficient appliances, lighting, and computers/electronics, etc.) means our energy usage could still decrease over the next 30+ years!

When my wife and I moved into our current home we averaged about 1,100 kWhs/month for the first year, right in line with the Idaho residential average of 1,078 kWhs/month. (Check here for a wealth of energy statistics:  http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/index.cfm. We then focused on conservation measures. We changed light bulbs, replaced an ageing refrigerator, spray-foam insulated the crawl space, plugged holes, and went down the list of normal energy efficiency improvements. We were also more conscious about turning off lights, using our wood stove and keeping our baseboard electric heat turned off. All of the little measures led to a 40% energy use reduction! We used 660 kWhs/month that year. (Which is below the Wyoming average of 871 kWhs/month, and less than half of the Jackson average of 1,500 kWhs/month!)

Our next step was to install a 2kW solar electric system. It makes just less than 300 kWhs/month, which leaves our current energy purchase at around 400 kWhs/month. (Note: we actually have two houses on the property, both on the same meter - I figure the smaller rental home uses around 250 of those kWhs a month at least.)

So in the end, we took 60% off our energy use from the time we moved into the home. First we did normal improvements, and then we installed a solar electric system. If we keep working at it, we should be able to reduce even more. The rental home needs some energy efficient improvements – which is our next target.

We have fixed most of our electricity costs for the long term, become less dependent on others, and reduced our impact on the world (0.8 lbs of CO2 per local kWh = 100 tons of CO2 saved!).   We have also saved money. Using 8,400 kWhs less per year for the next 30 years is $18,000 at current electricity prices! That’s $600 a year! If the cost of electricity goes up in the future, we save even more.

Green = Green. 

Creative Energies has been designing, providing equipment, and installing systems in Antarctica for a number of years. This year we installed and upgraded 5 remote power systems for Antarctic – Logistics and Expeditions. Power in remote areas like Antarctica is important; the system must be reliable and robust for the extreme conditions. As a business we have always worked on remote, small power systems, it is a great application of solar technology. Solar is extremely low maintenance and reliable. The “generator” uses no moving parts and runs on free sunlight (fuel). So Antarctica, space, oilfields, hunting cabins, and bus stops all are remote in their own way, benefiting from free energy from the sun without the burden, cost, and impracticality of an electric grid to connect them to central generation facilities.

Over the last decade electronics have advanced enough to allow all of us to use solar electric energy, even if we are not “remote”, living connected to the electric grid.  Choosing the appropriate energy source for the job will be an increasingly important decision in our growing world. Powering things like lights, computers, kitchen alliances and TV’s with extremely reliable and green solar electricity is available to us all, today. We can all benefit from free fuel, no moving parts and the incredible reliability of solar. 

 (graph is courtesy of NOLS, y-axis is kilowatt-hours)

NOLS Rocky Mountain here in Lander, WY has a 14.3 kW DC grid-interactive solar electric power system.  The system has been in operation for over a year now.  The system produced about 64 kilowatt-hours per day, and more than 23,000 kilowatt-hours for the year.  The system was funded in part by a Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky Grant.  There is more information about electricity usage at NOLS Rocky Mountain on the NOLS blog.  Live performance data is available online.

AJ Linnell, a Creative Energies project manager, recently went on a winter time service trip to a remote cabin in southern Wyoming.  Read his trip report.

by Creative Energies installer Joel Helleso

As an alternative energy practitioner, it’s always important to practice on your family first. They are usually more forgiving when you make mistakes and can be a great way to learn on your own. The foundation, wire runs, and disconnect  were done back in September.
The final install took place on the 18th of December. Production meter was installed on the 8th of January. So far the meter has recorded approximately 180 kWh.  45 kwh have been exported onto the grid since the date of install.  It has been a great psychological
boost for my mom to offset the effects of having such a miserable winter so far. Here are a few photos from the install. Enjoy!

Creative Energies partner Andy Tyson spent a day this Fall installing a small solar electric system at a camp on the Grand Teton in Wyoming.  Click here for the full story and more pics.