The Earth needs our help to keep it healthy, and green energy is one great way we can help this process along. There are lots of alternative, eco-friendly energy sources you can use, such as solar or wind energy. How can these technologies be put to work for you? Read on to learn more.
Wear natural fabrics instead of running your air conditioner during summer months. Cotton and similar fabrics will draw moisture from your skin, so you will stay cool. If you wear lighter colors, you will also feel cooler than if you wore black or another dark color.
Government grants help customers purchase these eco-friendly technologies. Contact local government and discover the programs that exist locally. There might be programs in your area that can allow you to install solar or wind energy solutions for free or with taxable deductions if you qualify for them.
Conserve energy by unplugging chargers when you aren’t using them. Charging devices for several common types of electronics, including laptops, cell phones, and MP3 players all draw “phantom power” if you keep them plugged in while they are idle.
Clean your furnace filters regularly and replace them at least one time a year. It’s a good call to add filters to warm air registers. Having filters prevents debris from building up inside your heating ducts, which would hinder the energy efficiency of your heating system.
Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full. The machine should not be used when only a few dishes need to be washed. You may be shocked to learn the number of dishes that can be loaded into a dishwasher. Make sure you take time to place the dishes in properly so as to maximize the space available.
Make sure when you aren’t using something to turn it off. Make sure that all lights are off when you exit a room, and also consider switching off the power for your television set, computer and stereo. Get a power strip so you can turn off all of your electronics at the same time, rather than letting energy get wasted in standby mode.
If you have a dishwasher, do not turn it on until it is full. The dishwasher cycle uses the same amounts of water and energy, whether it is full or not. Run your dishwasher using the energy-saving mode so that you can air-dry dishes and save energy.
When you plan a solar system for your home, try calculating what the energy generation of your system will be when you use hours worth of sun in the winter. That will help you avoid negative surprises in the winter, and it will give you plenty of leeway during the summer. You may even get rebates from your utility company in summer months if you sign up for net usage and use solar panels.
Solar Power
Try to learn about passive and active solar power. Active systems store the solar energy for use later, while passive systems just use the sun’s heat as energy. Active power uses solar panels, cells and mechanical systems. Passive solar power is simply making use of the sun to keep thermal energy in your walls so you can heat your home.
Don’t turn your heat up too far in the home, unless you need to. If you’re cold, put on a warm sweatshirt and some cozy socks. When you keep the heat unnecessarily high you use far more energy than you need to–and that is expensive!
A solar oven is a fun and effective way to reduce your energy needs for cooking. You can make one using supplies you may already have on-hand like old window panes, boxes, and pieces of aluminum foil. These ovens reach temperatures greater than 300 degrees, while using no outside energy besides solar.
Energy Star
Replace any old major appliances with new Energy Star rated appliances. If you buy an Energy Star-rated appliance, it is guaranteed to use far less energy than the one it replaced. For freezers and refrigerators, the rating guarantees 20 percent less energy used, 40 percent for dishwashers, and at least 50 percent when it comes to washing machines.
An often-repeated, yet useful tip for anyone who wants to start saving energy today, is to flip off the light when they leave the room. Shutting off your lights when you leave a room is a simple act, but it will surprise you by the amount of energy it saves. You will, of course, save a lot of money on your energy bill, as well.
Green energy helps protect our environment. While every source of power will impact the world in some way, green sources are the best options for lowering our impact on the world we live in. By using the ideas in this article, you should be able to start adding more green to your life.
