Ways The Whole Family Can Get Involved In Green Energy Savings
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Filed under Green Energy
There are many individuals out there wanting to live a green lifestyle, but really do not know how to start. While there are alternative energy sources, like solar and wind, there are also green habits that can be started today. The following article illustrates many of these technologies and other ways to have a positive impact on the environment.
Solar panels can be easily installed on your home and are used to collect energy from the sun for use in your home. However, before doing this, you need to consider a few things. One major factor to consider with solar panels is the amount of sunlight your home receives. If your house is usually in the shade, solar panels will provide limited additional power.
Close the curtains or blinds before you leave the house. This simple act blocks the sun from entering and heating your house in the summer, while in the winter, it keeps the heat from escaping through drafty windows. Usually the windows with the most sun are the one’s which face south. Use coverings on each of your home’s windows, such as roman shades, dark curtains, or roller shades.
Turn off electrical items when you’re not using them. When you are ready to leave a room, go around and turn off appliances such as computers, televisions, and most importantly, the overhead light. Try using a power strip so you can turn off all of your electronics at once, instead of letting power be wasted in standby mode.
Using the sun to heat your water is very cost effective. Consider a solar water heater. You could choose of having an indirect or direct circulation system. Most individuals will find the indirect option to be their best choice, as this option has methods in place to alleviate the problem of pipes freezing in the coldest months of winter.
When planning the solar system used in the home, use winter sunshine hours to determine what potential energy generation will be. This can prevent any nasty surprises during winter, and it can leave you ahead in the summer. If you’re using a type of net usage plan, you’ll receive money back during the summer from your utility company for energy you’re generating!
When installing solar panels, ensure that the energy-storing batteries are installed as close to the cells as possible. This prevents energy from dissipating in a long cable. It will also minimize the possibility of a cable shading out the cells and lowering their generation capability.
Choose to get most of your correspondence via email. Don’t use paper whenever you can afford to do so. Not only will the business save on the cost of paper, but you will be saving energy from the production of that paper as well. Not to mention, it protects the environment for everyone.
Unless you’re freezing to death, don’t turn the heat all the way up. When the temperature drops, reach for a sweater instead of the thermostat. When your heat is turned to a higher temperature, unnecessary energy is being used too much.
When decorating for the holidays you should forgo traditional lights and get LED lights instead. According to research by the United States The Department of Energy show that 2,000,000,000 kilowatt hours of electricity could be saved if all Americans switched to LED lights. That amount of electricity could power 200,000 homes for an entire year. All that said, you can at least save some money on your own energy costs!
Green Energy
As shown in this article, green energy is not only cost efficient, but also environmentally friendly. With the proper knowledge, green energy can easily be incorporated into your life. Put the advice of this article to work in your home, and enjoy the benefits of going green today!