Renewable Energy Systems: Join Forces With Nature And Become ‘Free Like The Wind’

For years I have researched renewable energy systems and am in the middle of planning my own future system. Through this process I have gained not only knowledge about energy and how to use it efficiently – but knowledge about myself and my relationship with resources. Yes! My relationship with resources.

Consider that we live in a modern world that is not unlike a co-dependent bad relationship. At some time or another we’ve all been there, done that. Yet, our reliance on the system currently in place is designed to over-use what we need due to the modern demands of appliances, small electronics and consumer electronics. Looking backward with hindsight may be something that is necessary in order to get a clearer view of how our usage patterns may balloon in the future unless we become more aware.

I’m not suggesting that our purchase of electronics or appliances will cease nor our usage of these items. Rather, my suggestion goes to what type of electronics or appliances can we purchase to be more in tune to usgae patterns and thereby cutting down on overall consumption.

Example:
Recently I found out through a renewable energy workshop I attended that there are refrigerators available that use 1/3 (or more) LESS electricity to run but are the same size as the ‘energy star’ one that I currently have! What does this translate to? This means that your refrigerator may use 13 or 14 amps to run; however there are others that run on only 1-2 amps with the same size and many of the same features! And by the way, the newest and greatest may not have the energy rating that is the lowest!

Another great example is light bulbs. The newer style light bulbs only use 12-13 watts of power vs the 60 watt old-style filament bulb. Amazingly, the light it puts out is the same or greater! Yet the usage is so much less.

Of course everyone may know about these 2 examples of saving energy because the ‘energy star’ program has been around now for 25 years or more. However, during the workshop I attended a light bulb went on (pun intended ).

When one is able to trace the exact amount of energy being collected, refined and then transferred into the home for daily usage; it becomes very clear just how much energy is being wasted each day. Granted there is a certain amount of attrition that comes with any type of usage but the waste I became aware of during the
workshop at Mike’s Windmill Shop in Arizona was completely avoidable and really pinpointed the flaws in the relationship between modern society and energy.

The 3 day workshop of building 3 different windmills/generators, installing them and watching as the wind took over; culminated in reinforcing my commitment to live in a more harmonious way with nature and her resources. Whether we are able to install a renewable energy system now, in the near future or never is not the immediate issue. The immediate task at hand is to survey what is needed on a daily basis and cut out what is not.

We can do very simple and easy things to accomplish this every day. Changing out light bulbs for the new efficient ones, unplug electronics when they are not in use and using energy saving building materials to upgrade insulation are just a few.

Arthur Golden once compared adversity and strong winds.  Strong winds, like adversity, can assist us in stripping away all that is unnecessary, leaving only the basics so that we can live in balance with nature as our true selves.

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