Because of all the green energy information online, finding what you need can be hard. Using this article will start you out on the road to a greener home.
Just start using less energy every day. Unplug your electrical appliances from outlets when not in use. Turn off the TV and lights when they aren’t in use. This helps to save money without much effort.
Wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. Almost 90% of energy used for doing laundry is due to heating the water. Just make sure you don’t harm your clothes in the process; check out the labels on your clothes and make a judgment for yourself. Another great tip is to always fill up the washer with a full load so that you’re being as efficient as possible.
When not at home, use window coverings. The result will be a cooler house because the window’s admit less heat. Typically, the south facing windows are the ones that get the most amount of sun due to their location. Use dark curtains, roman shades, roller shades or other coverings on all windows.
Discover all the different sources of energy in your community. Find out what the cost of using these utilities to run your home would be. For instance, it might be worth it to switch to gas heat instead of electric, or switch to well water instead of municipal water.
Rather than using a dryer, dry your clothes outside, as long as the weather permits. The smell of clothes dried in the fresh air cannot be topped. Laundry will smell fresher and cleaner, much more so than when they were in the dryer. As well, you save quite a bit on monthly utility costs.
Solar energy can heat water for a lesser cost. Upgrade your hot water system to one that’s solar-powered. You have the choice for an indirect or direct circulation system. For colder regions,indirect is a better option.
If you’d like to be more environmentally friendly and cut down on your energy costs, try wearing warmer clothing. Sweaters of varying thickness can offer more warmth, from two to four degrees depending on its weight. You don’t need to be cold at home, get yourself some nice warm clothes you can use in your house today!
Passive Solar Power
Take the time to learn about active, and passive solar power. Active power is energy that gets stored and is used later. Passive is energy that can be used without expensive cells. Active solar power needs to have cells, mechanical systems, and solar panels installed. Passive solar power is simply making use of the sun to keep thermal energy in your walls so you can heat your home.
Buy energy saving materials to help save energy in your home. One of the most popular products to increase the energy efficiency of your home are double-pane windows that have received a high energy star rating. By installing these products, your home is sealed tighter, and you use less energy to heat and cool your home.
Desktop computers are very power hungry. Try using a laptop as an alternative. Making this switch can reduce your power consumption by up to 75%. This is especially true if you are an Internet addict or do heavy word processing. In addition, the laptop is portable and be used anywhere in the house.
A solar oven is a fun and effective way to reduce your energy needs for cooking. You can make one from an old window, cardboard box, and tin foil. They require only sunlight to reach a temperature of more than 300 degrees, and they only take a few minutes to construct.
When Christmas or other holidays roll around, try LED decorative lights instead of traditional lights to spruce up your home. There are many studies from the U.S. to back this up. The Department of Energy says that if everyone did this, the country would conserve more than 2 billion kilowatt power hours. To put this in perspective, that amount of power could supply the energy needs of 200000 homes for a whole year. If nothing else, you can cut down your power bill!
Biofuels can be used to heat your home. These fuels come from vegetable or animal fats, wood, and oils. If you have a propane furnace a professional may be able to convert your furnace to a bio-fuel furnace. This way, you would have approximately 20 to 99 percent biodiesel. However, it is important that you seek professional advice before any attempt is made to utilize this fuel.
Green Energy
Although researching the many green energy technologies can be a bore, putting the tips that you learned in this article to use in your home will be fun! They’re all super easy and affordable ways to make simple changes in your own home and life, in order to start taking advantage of green energy. The environment and your wallet will both thank you for making these small changes.
