Any suggestions gladly accepted.

I have a portion of my budget devoted to home-efficiency renovations, though electricity is only a small part of my cost. I mostly focus on insulation, and increasing the efficiency of my hot water system. I'm trying to get cost-effective, i.e., have the highest % return for each dollar I invest in my house.

I have looked into the various alternatives and come to the following conclusions.
Solar is prohibitively expensive. At $25000 usd to install, it works,here, 6-8 months a year and I can sell the excess back to PG&E of about $1000 per year. At that rate it would take 25 years to pay off. Wind is just about as bad, plus you have the added annoyance of noise.
Hydro seems the best alternative but requires a year around water source which I do not have on this property. It will be a priority next property I buy at which time I will delve deeper into hydroelectric gear.

I use a small solar panel to handle all my rechargeable stuff and lighting for my bedroom.
Luck and salvage parts have made it an economical project.
Small experiment with a concentrated solar collector for steam powered generator worked well and am cheaply searching for larger components.

Just last week I presented a group of college kids with a challenge of using the natural gas heater to run a small engine to produce electricity and still heat the house...gotta see how that works out.

Bruce