How can green energy improve your life? You can cut down on energy bills since your family will not have to depend on electricity provided by the city. It will also help you save some of the Earth’s resources. How are you able to help? Keep reading for a few easy ideas!
You will find that it’s easy to get solar panels and they’re a great way to get energy for your home. There are several things that should be considered prior to installing solar panels. How much sun is your house getting on average? When in a shaded area, or city with less sunny days, there won’t be as many benefits from solar power.
If you want to have hot water, but at a lower cost, then check into solar energy. Get a solar hot-water system. There are direct and indirect circulation systems available. If you have been plagued by frozen or broken pipes in the past, an indirect one could be for you.
Storm Windows
Homes with storm doors and windows have better airflow than homes without these upgrades. Storm windows are good at cutting down on the cool air that tries to get in. Homes equipped with storm windows and doors can see an increase in energy efficiency of up to 45 percent.
Change up the way you dress in your home and warm yourself up to avoid turning on the heater if possible. Even just a lightweight sweater keeps you two degrees warmer, and a heavyweight sweater will keep you four degrees warmer. It’s not necessary to dress good at home, so grab a sweater to save money.
Understand the difference between passive and active solar power. Using active power means storing energy for later use, while passive energy is about benefiting from the warmth or light of the sun rays right away. To use active power it requires mechanical systems, solar panels and cells. Passive power, instead, just stores the energy gotten from the sun inside your home.
Try to communicate to people as much as possible through email rather than traditional means. Go paperless with any company that has the option. Going paperless helps the environment by limiting the amount of deforestation as well as the energy costs associated with paper communications. This protects the environment, too.
Consider using a solar over when you wish to bake. You can make these with simple items, such as boxes, an old window, and some foil for reflection. The temperature in these ovens can heat up to 300 degrees, they can be put together in a few minutes, and the only energy they use is the sun.
If you are someone who is seeking out ways to live green so you can help save the planet’s energy, there’s a lot you can do. You might not have the money to invest in a solar panel array, but you can commit to cleaning your furnace filters once per month and setting your thermostat to 60 degrees while you are out. Reduce your water heat temperature to one hundred twenty degrees to save money as well. Each step you take, no matter how small, will count!
Make sure you remind yourself to be on top of being energy efficient and check into your energy bills on a monthly and annual basis to see what the difference is. Just thinking more about your energy usage will help you to change habits that lead you to over-use energy. For instance, if you make an effort to lower your electricity or water usage, it’s more likely that you will also try to use appliances and lights less often.
A really good energy saving tip is to change your boiler. A lot of the older boilers weren’t made to conserve energy, yet newer ones were made to keep this in mind. They produce much less carbon dioxide that benefits you, and they cut down on energy costs.
A good tip is to always microwave when cooking in order to save energy. Ovens and stoves use lots more energy to prepare food than microwaves. Take advantage of the microwave whenever you can to cut down on your overall energy consumption.
Although it is probably common sense, usually, most people forget to shut off lights and electronics when not using them. What they don’t understand is that doing so would save them a great deal on their utility bills. Think before you act, and turn things off when not using them.
Heat each room separately to save money on heat. The best way to accomplish this is to get a floor heating solution with a main board that allows you to monitor different areas and choose a specific temperature. This is especially convenient and effective in larger homes.
Ceiling fans can help keep your home warm during the winter months. Warm air is pushed down when the fan is running in a clockwise rotation. This will save energy so that makes running the fans worth it.
Prioritize your efforts to go green by moving light usage to the top of your list. In the months with longer days and more light, don’t turn your lights on until 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.
A lot of people think about utilizing green energy; however, there are very few who make an effort to figure out how to incorporate it into their lives. As you have seen here, there are many ways you can start to make your home greener without spending a large amount of time or money doing it!