My Own Renewable Energy System – A Look Back and Forward
July 19, 2025
What the Hell was I thinking? I know I have long wanted to do my part for the environment, my hope to leave the planet in a better place for my nieces and nephews. There is also the issue that I long sought to reduce household costs for my family… reducing the need for gas and electricity supplied by utilities, corporations, and… well the hidden entities people fear are out there controlling everything. Now, I am not one for conspiracy theories. I am just very much in favor of creating the energy I use… or at least recovering/restoring the energy I use. There’s an archaeologist’s spiel for where and why I started.
I own an acre and a half of land that has woodlands and
grass areas. As much as I love my riding lawnmower, I wanted to manage my
property, which now includes an apple orchard, with renewable energy. Now
having lived here for over 21 years, I am happy to say that I have created a
system that is solar-based and is sufficient to mow my huge lawn, snow blow my
driveway, and power all the other tools I use in and outside of my home. Don’t
get me wrong… I still use my gas lawn mower and snow blowers from time to time
for when my body is in pain, but I an happy that I have reduced my need for gas
and utility-supplied electricity to power my tools and their lithium-ion
batteries. That has been my goal for a long time, but I just put things into
motion in 2021.
The Power Stations
While I have owned lithium-ion battery powered tools for a long time, it was just in 2021 that I purchased my first power station, which is essentially a rechargeable battery the size of a shoebox. I researched brands (while very concerned about prices), and ended up buying a Westinghouse 160s Power Station. In the years that followed, I purchased and tested other brands, which all had significant technological issues and failed before or after a year of average use. Meanwhile, that Westinghouse 160s power station still works as well as it did on day one. Today, I purchased a second Westinghouse 160s power station as I like backups. Cost of 1st 160s was I believe $129, which I purchased through Lowes. The new one I purchased today from Amazon was $111.
Given the results of testing other companies’ power stations, priced similarly to the 160s, I plan to NEVER buy another brand other than Westinghouse. My recommendation to all is to buy Westinghouse products. Moving on.
Solar Panel Choices
The Tools: Greenworks to the Rescue
My plan was to use the power station to recharge my tool batteries. Once the power station was drained of power, my plan was to use solar energy to recharge it (after which I would keep recharging batteries). My concern here was having too many batteries. I decided to get a variety of tools that used the same batteries so I didn’t need a variety of chargers. I selected Greenworks’ 40V tools. The tools and batteries were reasonably powered and priced, which is why I chose that brand and voltage. Now, so you know, brand name lithium-ion batteries are much more expensive than the generic batteries available online. I have yet to find a generic battery that lasted as long as a Greenworks battery. That said, as a lifelong employee for non-profit organizations, I don’t have a ton of extra cash. Additionally, I wanted to show others that switching to renewable energy resources was truly affordable. So, I purchased one Greenworks tool with a Greenworks 40V (6.0ah) battery. Over the next 3 years, I purchased 3 generic 40V (6.0ah) batteries, the generics lasting about 90% as long as the Greenworks battery but costing significantly less. The generics cost an average of $57 where a new Greenworks battery cost $179 (for a 5.0ah battery).
As for tools, I have the following from Greenworks:
·
A power inverter ($49.99)/ no battery
·
A 12” Chainsaw ($79.99)/ no battery
· A snow blower ($263)/ no battery
FYI – I live in Buffalo, New York. When the lake effect snow hits, my Greenworks snow blower can handle it as long as you stay on top of the snow (another reason it is nice to have 4 batteries). I use mine for my deck, but have used it for my 80FT driveway when my gas snow blower broke a belt during a storm. For tools, I spent approximately $743.
*** The inverter allows me to turn one of the batteries
into an outlet to power tools or a small heater during a power outage.
The Cost of Gas
Earlier today I filled up my tank at $3.19 per gallon. I estimate
than over a summer, I spend about $120 on gas to fuel just my riding lawnmower.
So, the solar-charged tools I have used the last 5 years save me about $600 in
fuel costs. As the inverter ($49.99 is not a tool), my tool costs were just
less than $700. Factoring in the 3 generic batteries I purchased, we are booking
at $850 in startup costs. So, in another year, I will have saved more in fuel
costs more than I spent on the tools. Now, if you factor in the tool usage/ in
the fall, Spring and winter months, the savings is greater. In the winter I
rely on household electricity to recharge the power station, but for me,
electricity is cheaper than gas (and I still do get to use the solar panels in
winter).
The One Main Issue and The One Unexpected Bonus
It takes time to charge the power station and the individual lithium-ion batteries. So, while I can sit on the lawn mower and be done with the lawn in just about an hour, once I use the batteries, I need to take time to recharge them and the power station. Of course, with 4 batteries, I can get everything done in one hour. However, I would need a minimum of 4-6 hours to recharge the power station and than additional time to charge the batteries off of the power station. By having the 4 batteries, I am able to maintain things pretty well… usually have a spare battery if needed for some other emergency or yard work. Now for the benefits.
Sure, no more gas for most power needs. This also means no more oil changes and other routine maintenance outside of eventually having to replace a belt or sharpen the chainsaw blade. That’s all cool. Yet, an added bonus happened, which I had not counted on. During storms, especially snowstorms, I may not be able to get to a gas station for more gas. Or, if a belt breaks or some other part fails on my gas snowblower, I have the battery-powered tools to use. Like I said, I can use the solar panels in winter, just not for as many hours as in the summer. And while the 40V snowblower has only a 20” wide chute (vs the 28” chute on the gas snowblower), it still is easier to take care of the driveway without having to shovel. Additionally, I can use the 40V snowblower on the deck. These were nice surprises.
What Happens to the Dean Lithium-ion Batteries
I often encounter naysayers of solar energy and lithium-ion batteries/ tools. They argue that the batteries ultimately end up in the trash. Many believe the lithium-ion batteries are not recyclable. For those who believe the batteries are recyclable, they often don’t believe it is easy to recycle lithium-ion batteries. Today, it took me minutes to find a place to recycle the dead power station I owned for the last year (not \a Westinghouse brand power station). Best Buy offers a recycling service free of charge. I literally drove to Best Buy and walked in the front entrance where an employee pointed to a cart where I could deposit the device, without questions, grief or any cost. That’s it.
Now, as for the processes involved in recycling lithium-ion batteries, I suggest you go on Youtube and check out the videos people have created showing the process. It’s quite fascinating to say the least. I would say that most of the battery can be recycled and reused, yet I know many won’t believe it. Watch the videos and documentaries available on Youtube yourself. For those that watch those videos, you may just find some new businesses and technologies to invest in. Just sayin.
·
I watched a video by https://www.youtube.com/JerryRigEverything
today that did a great job of showing the process.
In Conclusion
Look, I know many are not fans of lithium-ion batteries
and solar panels/power. I have friends and acquaintances who argue it’s all a
scam and waste of time/money. I hope my research presented here gives you some
new insight into things. For me… I am quite thrilled at the money savings along
with the reduced harm my tools are doing to the environment. Take care.
