The Importance of Conservation

Conservation comes first, and in the case of off-grid solar, it pays for itself by a factor of five. That is, every dollar you spend to conserve will save you $5 in solar system costs. The cost to purchase an off-grid solar system is about $3,750 per kWh used in the home. To outfit an average California home (which uses 18 kWh per day) with solar would cost you $67,500 if there were no rebates. (However, the average system we install in CA and CO costs only $15,000 to $20,000 out of pocket.)

Now consider the importance of conservation. Look at your light bulbs. If you replace 30 of the 60-watt incandescent bulbs in your home with more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs that run on average five hours per day (national average) and use only 15 watts each, you’ll save 6,750 watts per day (45 watts each x 30 bulbs x 5 hours), which equates to a $25,300 savings on your solar system.

The point is: always conserve first and build your renewable energy system second. The money you save will more than pay for those more expensive, longer-lasting, energy-efficient appliances!