5 Renewable Energy DIYs for your Home

Kitting out your home with solar panels and wind turbines can make a huge impact on your energy bill and the environment. But it’s not something that most people can just do on a whim. A full solar panel installation can cost up to $22,500 and take up to 15 years to break even for the average American. But you don’t have to go the full renewable hog right away. There’s plenty of small scale options available to whet your appetite in the green energy realm. Check out five of our favourite renewable energy DIYs for your home.

1. Solar USB Charger

Solar energy works by converting light from the sun through the photoelectric effect. Home solar panels capture UV light, even on cloudy days, and generate power for use. Any excess power can be stored in batteries for when the sun’s down. It’s unlikely  you’ll have much, if any, excess from a small USB charger but something to get familiar with if you want to upgrade eventually.

2. Solar Water Heater

One of the simplest solar water heaters, a coil of black hose, is often seen around pools. The hose absorbs the sun’s heat transferring it to the water and heating the pool. It’s not so effective that you can use your pool in winter but it does help reduce your reliance on a pool heater.

3. Water Wheel

Water wheels are made by attaching paddles to a wheel. The wheel is then attached to machinery (in the olden days) or a power generator or dynamo. The force of the moving water against the paddles causes them to turn the wheel and generate power. Larger scale water wheels can produce between 84-144 kWh of power per day.  Considering a US household only uses an average of 30kWh per day, a small DIY water wheel might be worth exploring first.

4. Pedal Powered Charger

Companies like Spinetics and K-Tor have products for sale that generate electricity from pedal power. Pedal Power has a desk-bicycle generator combo that allows you to generate electricity as you work. But you can also make a home-made version yourself. With so many of us working from home these days, why not generate some free electricity while you work.

5. Mini Wind Turbine

Wind turbines work in a similar way to water wheels. Instead of water, wind turns the blades of the turbine around a rotor, spinning a generator and producing electricity. While a small home wind turbine isn’t going to power your entire home, you can still use it to power garden lights, power tools, charge phones and laptops. You can potentially generate between 200 – 600 kilowatt hours per year, depending on your wind speed.

Sustayn is designed to present the most useful recommendations for environmentally friendly approaches and items. We update links when possible, but note that links can be broken and subject to change.