The world is developing a greater environmental conscience every day and a growing number of people are saving money by going green. To discover some of the many ways in which you can utilize green energy in your home and save yourself money while benefiting the environment today, read on!
Contact your current energy provider and see if they offer an option for you to use renewable-energy sources. Many providers harness renewable energy through solar or wind power and therefore, have this option available for their clients. However, you should keep in mind that this may cost a little bit extra.
Remember that solar panels, whether you install them on your roof or anywhere else on your property, must be angled toward the sun to receive maximum exposure. In the Northern Hemisphere, this means facing them south with an angle of latitude plus fifteen degrees. Otherwise, your investment will not return as much energy as you hope.
Save on water heating costs by using solar energy. Upgrade your hot water system to one that’s solar-powered. Indirect or direct circulation systems are both available. Indirect is the best choice if you have pipes which often freeze in the winter.
Make sure that all heating and cooling units and registers are not blocked by furniture, window treatments, or kid’s toys. If a piece of furniture must be placed in front of a baseboard heater, leave a space of two feet. This may seem like a waste of space, but this allows you to avoid wasting energy.
Replace regular light bulb with Energy Star qualified bulbs. These bulbs last about ten times as long as a traditional incandescent bulb, and use approximately 75 percent less energy, saving you about $30 in energy costs during the lifetime of the bulb. They also emit about 75 percent less heat, and are therefore much safer.
Instead of utilizing a desktop computer which eat up lots more energy, purchase a laptop. Laptops use up to 75% less electricity than desktops, especially during non-demanding tasks like surfing the web or word processing. The laptop is also mobile, so you can take it with you everywhere.
Insulating the home can prove to be really helpful in reducing your home’s energy usage. Insulation can help keep heat inside the home during the cold winter months. In addition, it prevents the heat from entering your home during the summer. If your home’s insulation is lacking, then you should make sure you put in more of it.
A great way to garden green and efficiently use green energy is to xeriscape. This means plant native plants in your yard so that there is less maintenance and energy used on it. You will save by not using a lawn mower and you will not have to use energy on your sprinklers to water natural plants as often.
Buy Energy Star products. In the typical home, appliance’s make up about 20 percent of the electricity use. You can purchase products that contain the Energy Saver seal and start saving money on your electric bill and use less of the world’s power sources. In order to carry the Energy Star seal, the appliance has to run efficiently.
Invest in solar power for your home. Adding a few solar panels to your roof can actually decrease the cost of heating or cooling your home by up to 50%! Talk to a professional about where best to install them on your roof, as the placement is very important to get the optimal amount of direct sunlight.
As you have read, converting to green energy with the technology in your home can be achieved with a little bit of work and research. Hopefully, you have received a mini-education with this article and are now ready to embark on creating a more environmentally friendly and cost efficient home with the use of green energy today.