With every hike in the price of electricity, more and more people are thinking about using renewable energy for at least part of their regular supply.

What type of renewable power you opt to use will very much depend on where you are in the world. If you enjoy a reasonable climate and the sun shines for much of the year, solar energy will spring to mind.

If you have long winter nights where you live, chances are that your thoughts will turn to using the power of the wind instead.

Both solar and wind power have their plus and minus points.

Solar power needs daylight, even if the efficiency of modern solar cells means the sun can be hidden from view. If you live in a hot climate, the sun will be shining at the time you most need your power for air conditioning and other such items. In cooler climates, solar power almost certainly won’t be your only option, although it would still contribute to (say) heating your pool in the summer or providing extra light in your garden for those evenings where it isn’t too chilly to stay outside.

Likewise, wind turbines need at least a breeze in order to operate but they’ll also have an upper limit of windspeed, beyond which they won’t operate - if the wind falls below a certain speed, they won’t operate, if the wind is too fast then the wind turbine may fail to operate as well. You also need to remember that even in the most windy place, there are times of dead calm, which means you’d need a backup plan for those times. This also makes it harder to go “off grid” for your power needs if you rely solely on wind power.

Your next choice is whether to have your renewable energy system professionally installed or to give the DIY option a try. You can get a set of comprehensive renewable energy instructions to help take you down this path if you like, with the added advantage that you’ll be saving hundreds of dollars if you go down the DIY renewable energy path.