Budget Effeciency Apartment System - Just a Dent... please help a noob!!!

Djimbe
Djimbe Registered Users Posts: 1
I want to do some VERY simple panels to my grid inside my windows in my apartment.
I live on a fixed income and my electric bill is like $200/mo.
I am coming into some $ soon and I would like to use it to make as big a dent as I can in my bill every month.
I am looking for cheap efficient (probably Chinese) gear that will likely come from amazon, Ebay, or Harbor Freight or something. (Im saying whatever works cheapest is in - Im no snob)
I have 5 windows @67' x 38' in two rooms.

most of us dont have nice big houses or permission to permanently alter our properties. most people these days rent... should we not have solar as well?
I just want to slow my meter down by a fair bit.

I have no experience in this of any kind.
I cannot use a battery bank for several reasons

Comments

  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭

    You're looking for help?
    I can honestly give you this one serious bit of advice on saving money - - - - DO NOT spend any money at all on solar panels that will be mounted inside a building and trying to collect solar electric energy through windows!
    The ONLY one to gain from such an installation will be the person selling you the solar panels etc, and that person will laugh all the way to the bank.
    If someone has told you your proposed installation would save you money, they are either trying to make a fool of you - - or they've been deceived into believing a lie.
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Inside your windows you will never produce enough electric to pay for the equipment.

    Your money is better spent reducing your need for electric. See if your electric company offers an electric use audit. They can tell you what is using the most electric in your household. Then consider how to make those energy wasting application use less energy. Turning down the temperature that your water heater stores hot water, replacing wasteful appliances like old fridges. caulking around windows and door trim, putting up plastic over windows adds a barrier that helps hold heat in in the winter and AC in in the summer....
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    First everything needs to be south facing and the best production need direct sun light with the panels at as near to perfect incidence as you can get. A north facing panel will produce almost nothing, as will a shaded panel.

    I think blocking the windows is not such a good idea, those are egress points in case of fire or emergency.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    I agree with Photwhit... Conservation is going to be your friend here.

    If you are stuck with electric AC and heating--See if you can work with your landlord to install a mini-split heat pump system. If your existing AC is and older system (or old window shaker), and you have electric wall/baseboard heaters--This could be a big savings for you (and mini-splits can be much nicer than the older AC/Heating systems).

    Another possibility if you have Electric Hot Water in a warm apartment/hot climate is to get a "heat pump" hot water heater. There are new water heaters like this GE Unit:

    GeoSpring Hybrid-Electric Heat-Pump Hot Water Heater

    And there are retrofit kits too (connects to existing hot water heater). If you live in a warm/humid climate, the heat pump water heaters take hot / humid air in, and output dry/cold air as a "waste".

    If you are in colder climates, the heat pump water heaters can over cool a room too (sometimes need external venting to outside air).

    Other things that can help--In Asia they use large thermos cookers for stew like items. We use them for cooking meat for stews, chili and such. You brown the meat, bring to a boil and put it in the thermos for 4 hours or so (reheat if you need to cook longer). Reduces the cost of cooking and keeps the stove (or hot pot) from heating your home.

    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_kk_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Athermal+cooker&keywords=thermal+cooker&ie=UTF8

    You can find these in local Asian markets too.

    A great little tool to find how much each appliance is costing you to run is a Kill-a-Watt type meter.

    The meter can surprise you... A Microwave oven can be using less power (20 minutes a day use) vs a desktop computer left on 24 hours per day.

    1,500 Watts * 1/3 hour per day microwave = 500 Watt*Hours = 0.5 kWH per day
    200 Watts * 24 hour per day desktop computer = 4,800 WH per day = 4.8 kWH per day

    0.5 kWH per day * 30 days * $0.20 per kWH = $3 per month
    4.8 kWH per day * 30 days * $0.20 per kWH = $28.80 per month

    Anyway--A little example of how the math works.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • oil pan 4
    oil pan 4 Solar Expert Posts: 767 ✭✭✭✭
    Sounds like you skipped a step. Have you tried doing any efficiency upgrades?
    Have you bought a kill-a-watt plugin meter to find what devices are running your power bill?

    Solar hybrid gasoline generator, 7kw gas, 180 watts of solar, Morningstar 15 amp MPPT, group 31 AGM, 900 watt kisae inverter.

    Solar roof top GMC suburban, a normal 3/4 ton suburban with 180 watts of panels on the roof and 10 amp genasun MPPT, 2000w samlex pure sine wave inverter, 12v gast and ARB air compressors.

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    OK--We where having issues with forum errors and duplicate posts/threads last night (I think--The forum is playing with my mind today :p).

    I think I have the dups/merges fixed.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,002 ✭✭✭✭✭
    BB. wrote: »
    1,500 Watts * 1/3 hour per day microwave = 500 Watt*Hours = 0.5 kWH per day
    200 Watts * 24 hour per day desktop computer = 4,800 WH per day = 4.8 kWH per day

    0.5 kWH per day * 30 days * $0.20 per kWH = $3 per month
    4.8 kWH per day * 30 days * $0.20 per kWH = $28.80 per month

    I forgot about how often people just leave their computer towers on! That would be another big energy saver, just switching it off, and consider switching to a laptop for the 'next' cpmputer.

    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
  • waynefromnscanada
    waynefromnscanada Solar Expert Posts: 3,009 ✭✭✭✭
    Photowhit wrote: »

    I forgot about how often people just leave their computer towers on! That would be another big energy saver, just switching it off, and consider switching to a laptop for the 'next' cpmputer.

    But if people shut off their computers when not in use, instead of leaving them on 24/7, hackers wouldn't have nearly as much success hacking them. It's far better to leave them on 24/7 so the hackers have all the time they want to gain access to the computer. Plus, the electircal utilities LOVE people who leave desk top puters on 24/7, they LOVE that extra bonus sale of the needless $30 per month. :D