Taking advantage of solar, wind and hydroelectric power not only preserves the environment for our grandchildren, but saves you money right now. This article will provide some great advice for anyone who is interested in using green energy in their home.
You will find that it’s easy to get solar panels and they’re a great way to get energy for your home. Before undertaking this project however, there are a few things to consider. Think about how much sun your house typically gets. Shade is valuable in some respects, but when you are considering solar energy it can be a complicating factor.
When not being used, turn things off. Upon leaving a particular room, remember to turn of the lights, television, computer or even the entertainment center. Try using a power strip so you can turn off all of your electronics at once, instead of letting power be wasted in standby mode.
If you clean your dishes using a dishwasher, refrain from doing a load until the dishwasher is completely full of dishes. It uses the same amount of energy and water, no matter how full it is. Try using the energy-saving air-drying setting on your dishwasher.
Solar energy is a great way to get hot water at a low cost. Purchase a solar water heating system. There are direct and indirect circulation systems available. Indirect systems are the best option for those who have frozen pipes during the winter.
The batteries should be located near the solar energy cells when the system is being set up. Power is less likely to be lost in cables this way. It will also minimize the possibility of a cable shading out the cells and lowering their generation capability.
If you have storm windows and doors in your home it helps control air flow. This is because they decrease the amount of cold air circulating through your home. Storm doors and windows can increase a home’s energy efficiency by up to 45%, which can have great impacts on utility bills.
Tankless Heaters
You can get rid of your old, tank style water heater and switch it out with a new, greener, tankless one. While tankless heaters still require gas or electricity to heat your water, they only heat the amount of water you need, rather than keeping a large tank hot around the clock. There are tankless heaters designed to not only provide one area with hot water, but also to heat entire houses.
Understand the difference between passive and active solar power. Active power is power that is stored to be used for a later time, while passive power doesn’t require power storage cells. Active solar power needs to have cells, mechanical systems, and solar panels installed. Passive systems simply use the sun’s energy to heat your house or water.
Have the bulk of your correspondence sent to your email. Specifically, go paperless whenever you can. This kills two birds with one stone: you save energy and encourage businesses with whom you correspond to do so, as well. In addition, it will help protect the environment for all.
Use a solar oven when baking. You can make one with easy-to-find items like old windows, boxes, and aluminum foil to reflect light. Solar ovens can get hotter than 300 degrees, and doesn’t use any energy source besides the sun, so you are reducing your carbon footprint and saving money.
If you, like many other people, wish to lead a greener life in order to help save our environment, there are many things you can start doing now. Many of these options will not cost you money, but will instead save you money, like cleaning your furnace filter monthly and turning down your thermostat when you are leaving your home. Reduce water heater temperatures to 121 degress or less to save money. Each little bit makes a difference!
A microwave is a more energy efficient appliance than a stove, so consider using it more often. Ovens use much more energy than the microwave for cooking. Take advantage of the microwave whenever you can to cut down on your overall energy consumption.
Do not forget to turn off anything you do not use, including lights, appliances and electronics. Just by making some simple mindset alterations, a large amount of money can be saved in energy costs. Put the idea in your consciousness and remember to turn them off.
Heat each room separately to save money. A good way to get that done is to use floor heating that has a main board for allowing you to set a certain temperature in different areas. If your home is big, this is especially beneficial.
Get a greener home by making more responsible light usage a priority. In the brighter months, don’t turn lights on until past a certain time. Install dimmers so you can reduce the amount of light being used. It is also a good idea to use sensors or timers to make sure that excess lights are not left burning after a room is empty.
Though you may not have the option of whole-home supply through renewable energy, you can consider incorporating something like solar power to offset some utility cost. You may be able to use solar energy to heat hot water or meet some of your other needs without heating your whole home this way.
A good tip for saving money and making your life a little greener is to reduce your water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees F. That can save you almost 10% on your power bill if your family size is 4, and will provide you with a safe and adequate temperature for your hot water.
Step Towards
When you take a small step towards using more green energy, you take a big step towards saving yourself money and protecting Earth. As you have seen, it does not take a great deal of effort to go green, so start using the tips from this article to make your home more sustainable and efficient.
