Before you start looking at systems to provide renewable electricity to your home, you need to decide whether you're going to go the whole hog or not. In other words, are you going to go 100% electrical or are you going to mix in some natural gas, an old-style fireplace, a wood-burning stove or other options.

This is an important decision for several reasons. First and foremost, if you're trying for a net-zero or net-positive setup (where renewable energy cancels out any expenditureon or use of non-renewable sources or provides a net profit, respectively) you'll need to figure any non-renewable sources into your calculations.

Secondly, you need to consider that non-renewable sources are, by definition, limited. Although it's unlikely you will personally use the entire world's natural gas reserves to heat your home, the simple fact is that gas will eventually become rarer and more expensive. Any long-term reliance on energy sources that cannot be renewed is basically a losing prospect: though you can improve your efficiency and demand less, you're still taking resources from a finite supply.

Thirdly, you must consider what fuels are available in your area. A wood-burning stove may sound like a wonderful idea until you realize that the nearest supplier is in the next state.

For these reasons and others, most proponents of green homes favor going the whole hog and switching everything over to run on electricity.