Ultraminimalist Electricity

By using ultraminimalist electrical configurations, you can lighten your housing arrangements and make them more portable too.

Ultraminimalist lighting is straightforward. The most efficient way of lighting a house is to use lamps with compact fluorescent bulbs inside. For example, a 27W compact fluorescent is equivalent to a 100W incandescent bulb. Use LED lights for task lighting and spot lighting. These would ideally running on 12V DC if you are generating your own power, otherwise 120V AC works of course.

Run stereos, televisions, DVD players on DC if possible. Charge phones, batteries from DC. Run laptops instead of desktops.

Irons, vacuums and power tools are fine because, although they are energy intensive, they are only used for a short time. Hence a sufficiently large inverter will run them (for example 3000W). Use cordless, rechargeable tools where possible.

That leaves refrigerators, washing machines and clothes dryers. Get the most efficient models you can.

Electrical blenders, coffee grinders and such devices are unneeded. Manual versions of these devices are better.

Using electricity for heating is not efficient. The most efficient ways to heat a house: arrange your house so that the sun heats something solid: for example walls or floors, that will later radiate the heat, or store the heat from the sun in water — lots of water if possible. For example, you could use evacuated glass tubes and radiant flooring, or something in that vein. Supplement solar heating with a renewable heating source: wood or vegetable oil for example.

Read more! Related stories:

1. Energy From Waste Heat: Via Sound!
2. Effective Masonry Heaters
3. Compact Fluorescents: Low Mercury Bulbs
4. Compact Fluorescents (CFLs)
5. LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes)