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 would like to know more about the ways you can put green energy to work in your home, read on for some valuable advice and interesting tips.
Cutting back on your daily electricity usage can save lots of energy over time. If an appliance is not in use, unplug it. Turn off lights and the television when you are finished using them. These simple tips can save you money, as well as saving electricity.
Reduce your energy consumption by unplugging anything that is not in use, especially battery chargers. Even if you are not charging your laptop, cell phone or mp3 player, just having it plugged in uses energy.
Cover your windows when you are away from home. This will help save energy. This cools the house and cuts energy costs. Usually, the windows facing the south get more sun because of where they are in the house. Think about covering all of your windows with different types of shades and curtains.
During the summer months, think about using the heat from the sun to dry your clothes instead of utilizing a dryer. The smell of clothes dried in the fresh air cannot be topped. They’ll smell so much better than if you shoved them into a dryer! As well, you save quite a bit on monthly utility costs.
Solar energy is a great way to get hot water at a low cost. Look into hot water systems that run by solar power. Indirect or direct circulation systems are both available. The indirect system is best if you don’t want to worry about your pipes freezing in the winter.
When determining the economical impact of a PV solar system, be sure to run a calculation using the hours of winter sunlight. This can prevent surprises in the winter, so you ensure your home has proper energy inventory. And even more exciting, on some plans, you can receive money from utility companies if you use less energy than you generate.
When you have a solar energy system installed, ensure that the batteries that hold the power are situated in close proximity to the cells. This helps to prevent any power loss in the cable. This also prevents long cables from casting shadows over the PV cells.
Storm Windows
If you have storm windows and doors in your home it helps control air flow. This is because storm windows and doors prevent drafts, which means less cold air enters the home. Storm windows and doors boosts energy efficiency as much as 45%, which can cut electricity costs.
Don’t use your electric heater when you can avoid it. In order to do this, you need to do two things. First, buy the necessary clothing and slippers, to keep family members warm. Second, use a pellet stove or fireplace for heating. You want to remember that sleeping in cooler air is better for your breathing, and it also prevents the airways from becoming dry.
Before you decide on large energy-saving projects for your home, get a professional evaluation of your existing appliances, windows and insulation and your heating and cooling systems. They can tell you the amount of money you will save, and quote the cost of a new system.
Keep the heat as low as you can, unless you absolutely have to raise it. If you feel a small chill, instead of turning up the heat, put on a sweatshirt or sweatpants. Higher levels of heat use a lot of excess energy!
Keep track of your watt usage. Use gadgets like the Watt Minder and the Kill-A-Watt so that you can discover what uses the most energy. Plug these gadgets into an appliance to find out how much energy is used in an hour, a month or a year. You can get a real idea of what your appliance is costing you and the environment.
You can save money and protect the environment with green energy. As you can see from this article, being green does not mean that things have to cost a lot or be complicated. You can have an environmentally friendly house today.