There are three main areas that need to addressed when looking at a system:

1. What type of person are you and where do you live ?

This may seem like an odd question for a System Designer to ask but it is critical to the type of system, its complexity, its automation and its aesthetics. Many people are unaware that reducing energy usage also depends on the design of the building, and we actively encourage the use of energy efficient building design. We at Cilectric are happy to work with architects and builders in an effort to find unique methods of reducing energy consumption.

2.What are your energy needs ?

This process can be the most time consuming element of the system design, but is undoubtedly the most important. Most people relate energy to electricity, but home heating, cooling, hot water, lighting and cooking all require energy in one form or another. The cost of an electrical system is directly related to the amount of electrical power that you require - therefore by reducing the electrical power required you reduce the cost of the electrical system. It is surprising how much you can reduce your daily power requirements by choosing carefully the different appliances in your home or office. For example, by choosing a very energy efficient refrigerator (which may cost about $3000-$4000), you could reduce the cost of your power supply system by $10,000-$20,000. You can download a questionnaire from this site which, on completion, will give both yourselves and Cilectric an idea of your typical energy consumption. Download and fill in the following pdf form to aid in designing your system. Download Form

3. What type of system is best for you ?

The type of system that you choose depends heavily on the answers to questions 1 and 2. There are two main types of alternative electrical energy systems - Solar and Wind. Both of these energy sources have their advantages and disadvantages, mainly cost and feasability. Other systems that are currently available are diesel generators (run on bio-diesel) and grid-fed power, that is sourced from Green Energy.