What will green energy help you accomplish? It can do a number of things, such as reducing your need to rely on the electrical grid, lowering bills, and helping to save the environment. What can you do to help? Continue reading for a few simple ways that you can help out.
Consider installing solar powered lamps for outdoor lighting. These lamps are cheap and don’t require any power besides sun exposure. This saves you a lot of energy. It also means you don’t need to wire your outdoor lights.
Clean your furnace filters regularly and replace them at least one time a year. Install filters for your warm-air registers, too. These filters keep debris or toys from entering the duct-work, which could reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system.
Don’t run the dishwasher unless it’s full in order to save energy and money. Avoid running the dishwasher when there isn’t a full load to run. If you do this, you’ll become used to filling the dishwasher with as many dishes as you can. Set up the plates so that you fill it up as much as possible.
Don’t run your dishwasher if it is less than totally full. Dishwashers consume a similar amount of water and electricity regardless of whether it contains one dish or 20. When the dishwasher is used, it is also important to use the main energy-saving feature, which air-dries the dishes.
Solar hot water heaters are an excellent way to have lower costs on your hot water energy use. Upgrade your hot water system to one that’s solar-powered. You have a choice between both an indirect or direct circulation system. Indirect systems are the best option for those who have frozen pipes during the winter.
Consider how many hours of sunlight you can expect in the winter as you plan your solar system, so that you know how much energy you can expect it to generate. That way you won’t run out of energy during winter months, and you will have more than enough in the summer. If you are on a net usage plan, during the summer, you’ll receive money back from the utility company for the energy you generate!
When designing your solar PV system, try to locate the battery storage system as close to the PV cells as possible. This helps prevent power loss in the cables. It also lowers the risk of the cable casting a shadow over the cells, which reduces their ability to generate power.
Try to get your mail, like bills, sent to you through email. Don’t use paper whenever you can afford to do so. Reducing your consumption of paper saves energy on production costs, along with the costs of shredding documents in your home. This also keeps the environment in better shape for everyone.
Make use of a solar-powered oven for baking. Common items, such as a heavy cardboard box, some shiny foil and an old window are all that you need. This oven uses only solar energy and can reach cooking temperatures in excess of 300 degrees.
Less Energy
Replace your older appliances with the newer, energy-efficient ones that have Energy Star ratings. The Energy Star rated appliance is guaranteed to use appreciably less energy than the older non-rated appliance. Refrigerators and freezers use about 20 percent less energy, while the energy that washing machines use is cut in half.
If you want to save energy, do the obvious, well-known thing: turn off lights every time you leave the room. It’s surprising how much energy is conserved after turning the lights off. You will also enjoy a lower power bill, saving you money every month.
It might seem like common sense, but a lot of people don’t turn off their lights, machines and other electronics when they are not being used. If a person put this practice into action, he or she would save a huge amount on the electric bill. Think about your actions and turn off things you are not using.
Green electronics may seem expensive in the beginning; however, the amount of energy saved will pay off over the life of the equipment. Energy savings, coupled with monetary savings, will make the investment worthwhile over the longer term. It also results in long-lasting environmental benefits.
Installing a programmable thermostat can save you a lot of cash on your utility bills. When you get one of these thermostats you help regulate the temperatures for your home during both the winter and summer months. You are also able to program these thermostats to regulate day and night hours temperatures.
Though you may not be ready to convert your entire home to a more energy efficient power source, you can start by trying it on some areas of your home. A good place to start would be by replacing your hot water heater. Replacing this one appliance can save you a lot of money.
Environmentally Friendly
Create a high demand for green energy and you will help lower the price. As a consumer you have the right and the power to demand environmentally friendly technologies. If your voice is heard, and your vote is in the balance, the prices on green alternatives will be forced to go down. An additional benefit to demanding green products is that it encourages manufacturers to develop new environmentally friendly practices.
People are often intrigued by green energy, but don’t bother learning more about it or how to use it. This article gave lots of ideas to begin with, so you can live green for very little money and time.