Caring for the Earth is the responsibility of every single one of us. From solar to wind power, there’s lots of ways to get eco-friendly energy. What can you do to incorporate green energy in your life? Read more to find out.
If you are considering purchasing outdoor lighting look into solar lamps. This type of lamp is cost-effective and needs no power other than sunlight. This will end up saving you a lot of energy. It means you don’t have to wire up outdoor lights.
Solar Panels
It is fairly simple to have solar panels installed to tap into solar energy to use in your home. However, there are several things to consider before making any decisions. The most important thing that needs to be taken into consideration is to determine how much sun your home gets on average. If your house is usually in the shade, solar panels will provide limited additional power.
Use window treatments to shade the inside of your home when you aren’t home. These help your home remain cool and keep your energy bill down when you are not there. More often than not, south-facing windows will let in the most sun due to their positioning. Window coverings such as roller shades, roman shades or dark curtains can be used on all windows.
Find out about the various energy sources that are available in your local community. Compare costs and look up regulations on green energy and tax incentives. For example, you might see a savings if you switch from electricity to natural gas, or even switch from electricity to solar or wind power.
Instead of using a clothes dryer, hang your clothes in the sun to dry in the summer months. Using the sun can make clothes smell a lot better. They’ll smell so much better than if you shoved them into a dryer! You will also save on your utilities bills by line drying your laundry.
One way to be environmentally friendly is to only run the dishwasher when it is completely full. Running it with half loads is wasteful. You might be surprised by the number of items that you can fit in your dishwasher. Line up the same types of dishes, such as plates and cups so you are filling it completely.
Using solar energy is one good way to heat water. Upgrade your hot water system to one that’s solar-powered. Your options include direct circulation systems and indirect ones. If frozen pipes are a concern where you live, the indirect option is probably better.
Active Solar Power
Try to learn about passive and active solar power. Passive power is used immediately and is cheaper, but active power has the ability to store energy for later use. Active solar power needs to have cells, mechanical systems, and solar panels installed. Passive power, on the other hand, stores the power in your walls and allows it to radiate outward, heating your home.
If you don’t know what changes to make, consider having a heating expert or plumber come to your home and give you a list of changes you can make to cut your energy costs. These professionals can inform you of how much you are wasting by using appliances that are not energy efficient. That can also provide you with an estimate of how much it will be to replace your systems.
Decide to receive your correspondence through email by opting out of receiving monthly statements. Go paperless with any company that has the option. This doesn’t only help you communicate and save electricity, it will lower your bills as well. In addition, going paperless helps the environment, something that everyone benefits from.
Closely monitor how many watts you are using. Use great gadgets such as the Kill-A-Watt or the Watt Minder to find out which fixtures and appliances use up the most energy. Plug your appliance or gadget into the watt-checking device, and it will tell you how much the unit consumes in energy in one hour, month or year. This can let you see how much your devices really cost you.
In order to keep up with energy efficiency goals, compare all your energy bills to previous year to see how much progress you are making. Simply being more conscious of your energy expenditures can help you to significantly reduce them. For instance, reducing your electricity or water usage will get you into the habit of turning off appliance and lights when not used.
Now more than ever, it’s important that we make the transition to greener forms of energy. Of course it is true that there is no such thing as a source of energy that does not have some sort of environmental impact, but green energy is still far better than traditional energy. Having read this article, you’ll have some ideas for making your life greener.
Many people want to find out more about The Power Efficiency Guide, but they don’t know where to start. This article has so much information, you’ll be ready to move forward with confidence. Get out there and implement this information.
