You and many others probably don’t think much about the environment when you’re using products at home. Whether you like it or not, all the things that you do have an effect in the environment. It is possible to make your own home more green. Read these tips for green energy ideas.
Simply lessening the amount of daily energy consumption can save lots of energy. If you have appliances that are not in use, keep them unplugged until you need them. When you are no longer using them, turn off lights and the television. This is easy to do and saves a lot of energy.
Switch to water heating systems that use solar power to heat hot tubs, pools and indoor water. Using natural gas and electricity is certainly the norm, but it’s not very energy efficient. By contrast, solar energy is very efficient, and it keeps water temperatures steady just as well as traditional heating methods. These upgrades may cost more, but qualify for tax deductions, too.
Solar panels are easy to install. However, there are several things to consider before making any decisions. Think about how much sun your house typically gets. Shade is valuable in some respects, but when you are considering solar energy it can be a complicating factor.
Window Coverings
Use window coverings when you’re not at home. The result will be a cooler house because the window’s admit less heat. Pay particular attention to covering the windows on the south side of your house. They typically admit the most sun. Window coverings such as roller shades, roman shades or dark curtains can be used on all windows.
Consider solar water heaters to make your home more energy efficient. If you live where freezing temperatures aren’t prevalent, you can purchase a system that can circulate water via a solar heater prior to being pumped to your home. However, consider that you may still need a traditional heater if you will be using a great deal of hot water, or if the sun does not come out for some time.
On hot, summer days, hang your clothes outside. Your clothing will have a great smell from the sun. They will feel and smell fresher than machine-dried clothes. You will also save money on utility bills by doing this.
To save money on heating your water, buy a tankless system. Tankless water heaters do require energy for operation, but since they heat water on demand, power is not wasted by keeping a full tank hot 24/7. You can purchase tankless heaters that supply the whole house, or ones that supply just one faucet.
Passive Power
There are active and passive options for solar energy systems. Passive power is used immediately and is cheaper, but active power has the ability to store energy for later use. Active solar power requires a lot of involvement in the form of installation, mechanics, and power cells. Passive power, instead, just stores the energy gotten from the sun inside your home.
Choose a laptop instead of a desktop PC to save energy. You will find yourself shaving 75 percent off of the amount of electricity used for computer usage, especially if you go on the internet often. Not only that, the laptop offers you the benefit of taking it anywhere.
Try using a solar oven for your baking needs. These can even be made yourself using items such as a box, a discarded window, and some tin foil. 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.
Keep an eye on how many watts of electricity you use. Use great gadgets such as the Kill-A-Watt or the Watt Minder to find out which fixtures and appliances use up the most energy. If you attach the device to the appliances in your home, it will let you know how much energy that appliance uses for different lengths of time. This way, you will know how much that appliance costs you, and you can adjust your usage or settings accordingly.
Green Energy
If you don’t spend much time thinking about the environment, you are not the only one. However, since now you know about green energy technology, you can make some changes. By utilizing the tips from this article, you can include green energy at home to help do your part to have a positive environmental impact.