Use a solar water heat system to lower water and heating costs. Heating your water with natural gas or electricity is inefficient. However, solar water is inexpensive and more efficient. While many of these upgrades have high up-front costs, they may qualify for tax credits or other rebates.
Using water, wind, and sun to produce energy can dramatically reduce the costs of running a home, and creates great results in the environment, as well. If you want to learn how to use more green energy in your house, keep reading and discover some great tips about what to do and how you can start today.
Close the curtains or blinds before you leave the house. These help your home remain cool and keep your energy bill down when you are not there. Usually the windows that face south tend to get more sun exposure. Use dark curtains, roman shades, roller shades or other coverings on all windows.
If you are thinking of designing your outdoor areas with lighting, consider using solar lamps instead of conventional power. These lamps require now power source, except the sun, and are generally inexpensive. This does more than just save energy. It also means that you avoid having to go outside and wire up outdoor lights.
Know the available energy options in your community. Check to see how much it would cost to run your home with these other utilities, and remember to take into account the government bonuses that are sometimes available. You might be able to save money by switching to well water or natural gas heat.
Reduce the price of heating water in pools, hot tubs and inside your home by using solar-powered heating systems. Using natural gas or electricity is not as efficient as solar power, and solar water heaters can keep the water temperature steady. Although these upgrades could cost a lot, they also might qualify for energy tax deductions.
When designing your solar PV system, try to locate the battery storage system as close to the PV cells as possible. By doing so, energy loss through the cable is reduced. You also will not have to worry about the cells being shaded by a cable and not producing as much energy as they could.
Do you live on a farm? Farms are the perfect place to put a wind turbine. If you don’t have a farm, you might be able to rent from someone. You and those around you can benefit from the free energy. A turbine doesn’t take up much space, either.
A solar oven can be an easy and free way to bake. You can make one from an old window, cardboard box, and tin foil. The oven can heat up to well over 300 degrees using no electricity!
When not at home, use window coverings. This cools the house and cuts energy costs. Windows that face south tend to get more sun due to their orientation. Try to cover the windows using coverings like roman shades, roller shades, and dark curtains.
Use LED lights on the holidays to save electricity. LED’s have been shown to save a significant amount of energy. By having everyone make this change, the country can save 2 billion kilowatt power hours. That is enough electricity to power 200 thousand homes for a whole year. At the very least, you can shave some money from your own power bill!
Try drying your laundry outside in the sun whenever possible, rather than using a dryer. 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 can save a significant amount on your utility bills, too, because the dryer uses energy and heats up the air, causing the air conditioner to run more often.
If you are purchasing new appliances, try to aim for Energy Star rated ones. This rating is given only to energy efficient appliances that are guaranteed to save energy over standard appliances like the ones you are replacing. Refrigerators and freezers that are Energy Star rated uses approximately twenty percent less energy. While dishwashers and washing machines can save up to fifty percent on energy bills.
Green Energy
You may want to get bamboo items when you’re in the market for something made out of wood. Bamboo is very green and strong and is technically considered a grass. It grows quickly and can be used and sold for a variety of purposes, from cutting boards to flooring. Using bamboo can help conserve energy when making new products as well as saving on the costs of recycling old products.
Starting to use green energy means that you will save yourself money today, and save the planet tomorrow. It is easy to see that green energy methods are not overly difficult or costly. Take the information you have seen here and make a positive transition into a greener way of life.
Green electronics may seem expensive in the beginning; however, the amount of energy saved will pay off over the life of the equipment. Green technology appliances can cost a bit more up front, but you will be paid back through lower energy bills for the life of the appliances. It will also have a positive effect on the environment over the long term.