Alexander's Horse, Thank you...:)

[Velociryx]

Well, no fundage to speak of until after the wedding, so these plans will be on hold until then, but once we get past that, the first thing I'll be doing is going out on a mission to replace a BUNCH of incandescent 75w bulbs (17, by my count). That should bring consumption down nicely, I think.

Spiff, unfortunately, the hot water heater is just one big unit (well, two, one for each floor), and not easy to get to, so I can't easily turn it off and on, tho hearing about the system in your flat, I'm thinking that it's probably superior!)

Cerberus - the two-behind trailer is prolly something I'll have to do, if I can't find a truck that delivers the kind of mpg I'm looking for. A pity tho...I DO love my truck...

-=Vel=-

[Az]

energy-saving lightbulbs

I don't buy any new old-school bulbs - just the fluorescent bulbs.

[asleepathewheel]

Sounds like quite an adventure. I can't wait to have a house and tinker with efficiency. (stuck in an apartment for the next 1.5 years while wife finishes her phd)

[Velociryx]

Well, it certainly should be! I'm lookin' forward to getting into the guts of it...sadly, there will be some delay as we gear up...a lot of the things I have in my mind are gonna be rather expensive to implement (I've been looking at portable biod processing plants...yeah, the initial investment ain't cheap. True, I could make my own and save, but the stuff I'm seeing out there is a) worlds better in terms of quality, and b) vastly more efficient than anything I could build myself, so....

-=Vel=-

[Velociryx]

So...Pictures.

Taking a break from figuring out how much juice we use around here, I went outside and took a few snapshots of the house as it is right now....with some notes about what I'd like to do to really get the journey off on a solid footing.

Again, this is NOT gonna happen overnight, cos it's gonna be frightfully expensive to implement, but...it will serve as a blueprint and a reminder to myself, so here goes.

This first picture shows the east side of the house...big expanse of roof = LOTS of room for solar panels....

*Notes*
1) The patio is going to be enclosed, to make a screened in porch (and will give us more roof area to play with in terms of planting solar panels) - the large window that looks into the dining room will be removed in favor of French Doors opening onto the porch when we get to that point...that will need to be done before we go monkeying around on the roof with solar panels).

2) The little "built-out" section on the right hand corner of the house will likely be extended several feet, and this MAY provide sufficient space to store the batteries and diesel generator...dunno. Will have to get a sense for how many batteries are needed and how big the genny is, and plan accordingly.

[Barinthus]

Re: converting your car to use an alterative fuel option or whatever - check out this...

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/index.html

http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/afv/conversion.html

[Barinthus]

As for making your house 'environmental friendly' try this http://www.environ.org.uk/~environ/ecohouse/index.php

[Velociryx]

The front of the house faces west...because of the windows there on the second floor, there won't be room for as many solar arrays as there is on the back (east) side of the house, but still enough to catch plenty of afternoon sun, so this will definitely be part of the plan:

[Velociryx]

Side Yard...room enough for perhaps half a dozen Japtura trees, in a line at the edge of the property.

[Velociryx]

Back Yard, One:

Broad expanse, running down the south edge of the property....easily enough room for several more of my new favorite tree....

[chequita guevara]

Vel

[Barinthus]

Originally posted by Spiffor
I don't know how it is in the US, but in Europe we have energy-saving bulbs. They are more costly than a regular bulb when you buy them, but they are less costly in the long run:
- they eat up about 5 times less electricity, and provide as much light.
- they have an extended life expectancy

Another thing we do to save energy is investing in thermic isolation of the house. A well isolated house can dramatically reduce the costs of both heating and air conditioning. Again, I have no idea whether the isolation is on the same par in the US, or not.

Yep those are available in the States. We are not all energy guzzling barbarians

Actually, right now, every single bulb in this house where I live has been replaced with those bulbs including the one in the freezer

Expensive to start with but definitely worth it in the long run. The only 'downside' is that there's a slight delay between flicking the light switch and light coming on at the full strength. Which is very insignificant.

[Velociryx]

more of the back yard....lots of open space, room for more trees at the perimeter, still leaving a healthy amount of space in the yard for play....shed out back could possibly also be outfitted with some panels on the roof....not sure how much shading will occur when the trees mature tho...will have to investigate that.

[Barinthus]

Hey, nice pics! Sorry for 'getting in' there, didn't realize you were posting

Speaking of solar panels, my mother's house have this light fixture in the kitchen that's powered entirely by solar energy. It works great and I love its soft glow.

[Velociryx]

And thank you for the links, Barinthus! As soon as I hit "submit" on this post, I'm off to check them out!

Yeah....I get the feeling that in order to fully implement these plans, there's gonna be a LOT of upfront expense....but that's okay. I think that the destination is a worthwhile one, and even if I'm not able to get to the point of COMPLETE energy self-sufficiency, it'll still be a journey worth taking, and who knows...as the technology continues to improve, the systems I put in place can continue to improve, and in the long run, I might get there after all, even if it proves impossible in the immediacy.

And thanks Che!

-=Vel=-