Power

In general, we should understand our goals for our power usage. In particular, Solar, Wind, and generator power can be limited, so you may need to fully understand what are your critical needs such as:

Water
Heat and AC
Cooking
Lights
Refrigerator/Freezer

And consider that even propane heat needs power to run the fan to distribute that heat throughout your home.

Grid Power

Current standard. (PEC Outage Center)
Varying reliability - Severe weather, such as ice storms, heat/cold related blackouts, etc., can disrupt service.
High demand periods can cause outages.
Can be shut off for Fire Safety
Can optimize costs with batteries and Time-Of-Use metering.

Solar Power

Day only - 4-7 sun hours in TX.
Varying degrees of cloudyness
Less power during winter when energy needs are greatest
Requires maintenance to keep the panels clean.

Wind Power

Depending on location, can be more wind power than solar power.

Backup Generators

Generator can run constantly for varying loads.
Cost based on the price of diesel, gas, propane, or natural gas to power the generator
Can optimize by storing excess power in batteries.

Storage

Battery storage for when generation is greater that usage.
Grid can be used as storage for a price (PEC 174% of generated/received for net zero).

Resources for More Information

A work in progress... Please let me know if you have some other valuable resourses...

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If you have other ideas and/or concerns not listed above, please let us know so that we can continue to expand our knowledge and better serve our Community.