If you live in a remote area, solar power is a necessity. Wind power is not reliable enough to provide all your electric needs. Still, adding $10 to $30 thousand dollars to the price of building a home is cost prohibitive for most of us.

If you know a little bit about electricity, are good at building simple structures, and can follow simple instructions, there are sites online that can teach you how to build a solar cell for less than $200. Of course, you still need the ba

Solar outdoor lighting is another way that you can use solar power to reduce your electric bill. Outdoor solar lights are readily available at any home supply store, and are very reasonably priced. If you have a need for security lighting, or path lighting, these are a good option.

If you have a laptop computer, there are now laptop bags that are solar powered to recharge your batteries. If you use your laptop a lot away from a power source, you know how expensive batteries can get. One of these bags could pay for itself very quickly.

There are even solar powered jackets. No, I'm not joking. If you live in a sunny but cold climate, this could be a great way to keep a little warmer.

A very small way to save money with solar energy is to use a solar cooker. You can easily make one of these with everyday materials. Some people even make them from cardboard boxes and aluminum foil. They are good for slow cooking, and larger ones can be used to bake bread. If you live in a place where there is sunshine most of the time, a solar cooker can save you considerable money over using even a crock pot. They a

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