Minimize electric use for heat and hot water using passive and active stratigies: Passive solar heating and masonry fireplace coupled with superior insulation provide most of the heat needed without any electric use. Radiant infloor heat uses propane or solar hot water requiring only pumps, however at approximately 600 Kwh to run, these 2 pumps use more electricity than I anticipated. Propane fireplace in master bedroom for heat-fan only uses electricity. Solar hot water system provides almost all domestic hot water and pump uses "free electricity." The well pump is relatively small (1/2 HP) but is AC.

Timing of electric use to maximize "free electricity": The photovoltaic system is relatively robust and generates far more electricity than can be used and stored in the battery bank on a sunny or partly sunny day. This is the time to use the radiant infloor heat (house retains heat well overnight and no heat needed at night), use the washer/dryer/dishwasher, use power tools, run the vacuum, use HRV etc. The solar hot water system pump only is needed when the sun is shining. Minimize 24/7 electricity use to what is most important: Refrigerator, radon fan, router/modem/webcams, radon monitor, smoke/carbon monoxide/propane detectors, inverter.

Measure electric usage: I use Kill-A-Watt monitor to measure wattage of appliances, electronic equipment etc. I have a trimetric meter to monitor electricity consumption.

Appliance selection including energy star: Energy star dishwasher, washing machine, refrigerator. Refrigerator choices for an off the grid home include DC electric and propane refrigerator but the current generation of energy star refrigerators are so energy efficient and so inexpensive relative to the other options that the price differential more than makes up for the increased cost to a PV system. The hot water heaters, dryer, and stove use propane as a fuel source. The stove uses electricity for the electronic ignition only: it does not have a glow bar (large electricity user in essentially all other ovens in US) and does not even have an electric clock. I try to use the microwave only during the day and it has a phantom amp power strip to turn it off.

Energy efficient lighting: CFL and LED lighting are currently the most energy efficient. This house has no halogen or incandescent lighting. I have used a variety of CFL types including dimmer lights. A few LED lights are used such as the master bed lamp and lighting over a sink. I have motion detectors/occupancy sensors (which don't have a wattage requirement and work with electronic ballasts) in the bathrooms, pantry, a closet, and laundry room.

Radon mitigation : Radon level was found to be very high with this extremely tight home (38.7). After sealing and caulking the floor and about a year of expermentation with multiple types of radon fans using various combinations of 3 pipes inserted under and around the slab, the HRV timing, and finally actually opening a window on ground level and a cleristory window a crack allowing passive ventilation, a good result was obtained using the minimum of electricity. The current plan uses DC radon fans which have excellent performance with few watts. A 24V 38 watt DC fan pulls air from under the house from the garage. It currently uses AC power with a DC transformer but I want to hook it up to a spare Sharp 208 panel directly with a small battery bank so it will not draw off the main house batteries. A 12V 27 watt DC fan is hooked up to a left over panel from our construction RV and a single deep cycle 12V battery and does not draw off the main house batteries. This is in tandem with another 24V 38 watt fan. These fans pulls air from the drain pipe running behind the house and the garage. There is also a pipe which allows for passive ventilation from under the kitchen in the back of the house. The passive ventilation with windows open a crack worked as well as the HRV which used ~95 Kwh and really only ventilated the second floor. I have two continuous radon monitors, one of which sits on the kitchen desk and is seen from the webcam. The radon level now runs under 4 if fans are working.

Eliminate phantom amps: Many appliances, electronic equipment and other items use quite a bit of power when they are off. They should be really off by pulling the plug or turning off their power supply. The simplest solution is using a power strip which is turned off after the item is no longer needed. Phantom amp switches are hard wired for the 2 garage door openers and the stove although the stove that I purchased does not need this because it has no electronic components.

Stratigies to make use of electricity more difficult: Kitchen sink garbage disposal switch is under the sink. Trash compactor is in laundry room rather than kitchen so that it is compacted less often.

Computer/Electronics/Telephone: Energy star desktops, laptops and monitors. Use laptop in preference to desktop because it uses far less energy. Modem to Wildblue satellite internet, wireless router and webcams use very little power. The TV and sound system are good relative to alternatives but still use power. The best solution is to have reasonable viewing habits. Stereo and video wiring is in walls so power for wireless equipment not needed. The docking station for the cell phone uses very little power. Phone lines are wired in the walls so we can use ordinary phone which draws its power from the phone jack only.

Find solutions to problems using less or no energy: Climate is very harsh and septic tank froze. Common solution in this area is to use heater at about 1kwH. We put 4 inches of foam insulation and then 4 feet of dirt above septic tank. Advance planning with deeper septic tank would have been much better.