What renewable alternatives are on offer for homeowners?

The amount of Solar power offerings is increasing, prices are dropping and many nations have financial support programs for home owners.
What are the other solutions?

Solar:

The solar programs, including feed-in tariffs are widespread and affordable for most home owners. PV solar prices has dropped significantly over the last decade and many nations have other incentives including tax breaks and feed-in tariffs. See this map.

 Ground source:

Geothermal is seen as a large industry solution only due to the long reach down to get any significant heat, but ground and even lake bottom systems have proven effective using heat pumps.

This solutions generates 3-5 times the amount of energy that it uses for running the system. A fact that makes it a savings of the same compared to direct electric heating, also making it competitive to other solutions such as gas and oil.

Ground source heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems are fairly common, used throughout the world for both heating and cooling, though more common in the Nordic countries.

In Sweden, for instance heat pumps for geothermal has been popular since the seventies and are now a serious contender to other methods of heating your house.

Wind Power:

Granted wind generators in your garden with a shared border will probably be a planning nightmare but for those who have open space and open in the most common wind direction?

Wind power is costly in small scale, so a home owner will be better of sharing a larger turbine rather than just enough for one home.  Any home also need to be evaluated for wind conditions;  do you have consistent wind wind where you live?  For a detailed report see “The Wind energy Foundation” article on the subject for the US.

It should also be noted that a home owner would probably need a mini power plant for authorities to give permission.  A mini  power plant is defined (by Swedish authorities) as having a total height, including wing tip of 20 meters and wing span maximum 3 meters.

Conclusion:

Solar is the best developed and least complex solution but let us look out for other alternatives, especially since winters in the far north are dark.

Ground source is useful to minimise heating costs, preferably in combination with solar power.

Wind power is possible but usually not very economical on the small scale of a home.