Alternative energy for small underground home?

[Curtis]

What do you think would be the best option for providing a small, already very efficient home with electricity? The amount required would be minimal. I need it for:

Internet / laptop / computer
Secondary lighting (Most lighting would be natural, via light tubes and similar items)
Refrigeration (which i'm willing to look into alternative ways of that aswell).
Small items (Radio, alarm clocks, etc.)

House would be heated via fireplace / woodstove or equivalent. Not sure on the water heater, but once again i'm open to alternative ideas.

The requirements are that: The electricity is reliable, not too expensive for equipment, and is green.

[wildbil]

depends on expensive?

some solar setups are a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

there are windmill plans that can be built be someone with a lot of ambition.

refridgerator could be propane fueled rv fridge.

you can shower by heating water over a stove and dumping water on your head, clean just the same.

instead of freezing foods learn to can foods yourself.

good luck to you.

[Curtis]

Thanks, I was just reading a moment ago about wind energy, and if I build in this area it wouldn't really be quite worth it.

Solar however, I could look into.

I was however wanting some sort of conventional plumbing.

[MountainDon]

First thing is to make a realistic list of expected use. An honest list. Maybe this would be a few lists, a basic one plus things that would sure be good and anther with things that might be nice. Small loads like alarm clocks are better if they are battery powered or windup, IMO.

Once you have your list(s) you can start the real planning, looking at choices. Included in this should be a look at comparing a grid connection vs total independence. Sometimes, when the power company has lines running past the end of your driveway it makes more economic sense to get connected, at least in the beginning.

Wind power has great potential in many areas, but is also very finicky in many others. Solar PV is the usual alternative choice and is better (more hours of usable sunshine per day/month/year) in some areas than others. Thank goodness for being in the SW, 3120 sunshine days a year. 

Anyhow get started with making an honest electrical energy audit. There's a thing called the Kill-A-Watt that makes it easy to actually measure real world use of any devices you may already own. Anything up to about 1800 watts, 120 VAC.

[glenn kangiser]

Here are complete systems -

http://www.partsonsale.com/cabins2intermediate.html

Check out the 3500 to 7000 dollar systems as a minimum I think if you are not pumping a lot of water like we do and you need to add batteries at a couple hundred each 4 to 8 of them.

Then there are John Hait's rust batteries - definitely green.  I haven't tried them yet but soon I hope.

Do the stuff Don mentioned for a better idea of your needs.

[MountainDon]

Here's a link to some online aids for calculating...

[wildbil]

I was however wanting some sort of conventional plumbing.

If you have a normal plumbing system then you will need to count energy for the water pump. I work in a hospital so the Humanure method for me is easy but I have a wife that wont go for it.

[MountainDon]

Conventional plumbing: Source and disposal.

Source; well or municipal. Well = pump = power use as wildbil pointed out.

Disposal: water runs downhill. Some places need a pump to pump it uphill.  Composting toilets offer alternatives.

[glenn kangiser]

Unless you find land with a spring uphill from the building site or a creek for non-drinking unless treated uses and of course not frozen, then you have setback issues for septic and water source.   A well with a high water table only requires a small pump also.