Nowadays, everyone’s talking about green energy. Green energy enthusiasts consider it the best form of energy and believe that you can help both the environment and your finances by using it. But is this all for real? Read this article for some great tips about using green energy daily.
Using less electricity saves a lot of money and energy. When you aren’t using an appliance, unplug it. Lights and televisions should be off when not in use. This is an easy, money-saving tip.
Consider installing solar powered lamps for outdoor lighting. These lamps are inexpensive and do not require any kind of power source other than exposure to the sun. This not only reduces energy costs, It also means you do not to have string up those outdoor lights.
There are grants that can help you invest in green energy. Contact your local government in order to see the different programs available in your area. There might be programs in your area that can allow you to install solar or wind energy solutions for free or with taxable deductions if you qualify for them.
It is fairly simple to have solar panels installed to tap into solar energy to use in your home. Before you do this though, you need to think about a few things first. The most important thing you need to consider is the amount of sun your home gets regularly. If you’re in a shady area, or a place that doesn’t have many sunny days, you won’t be able to gain as much power.
It is important to clean your furnace filter on a regular basis to be sure you are using as little energy as possible heating your home. You should also install filters on any warm-air registers included with your furnace. This helps keep debris (or Hot Wheels cars) from getting into heating ducts and reducing efficiency.
Whenever possible, you should use cold water to wash your clothes. Most of the energy used to wash clothes is actually used in heating up the water. If your laundry detergent is a high quality brand, the use of cold water won’t affect the cleanliness of your clothing. Also, don’t wash your clothes until you can completely fill the washer, as this saves energy over time.
If you use a dishwasher to clean your dishes, do not run it until it is completely full. The same amounts of water and energy are used every time. When running the dishwasher, turn on the setting for energy conservation.
Active Power
Take the time to learn about active, and passive solar power. Active power is the power stored for later use and passive doesn’t require pricey cells for storing power. Active power requires the installation of solar panels, mechanical systems, and cells. Passive power, on the other hand, stores the power in your walls and allows it to radiate outward, heating your home.
Keep an eye on the wattage you are using. Devices like Watt Minder and Kill-A-Watt can help you determine the highest energy-usage culprits in your home. All you need to do is plug the item in question into the device to find out how much energy it uses in an hour. It gives concrete information about how much energy the appliance is wasting.
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. You can reduce your energy use just by being aware of what you are spending. For instance, if you actively attempted to use less water or power, you going to make the effort to turn off lights and appliances when you leave the room.
Energy Star Appliances
Replace aging major appliances with ENERGY STAR appliances. An Energy Star appliance is built to use less energy than non-Energy Star appliances. Refrigerators and freezers use 20% less energy and dishwashers use 40% less. Energy Star rated washing machines save at least 50% of the energy used by the older styles and also save a lot of water.
An on-demand (tankless) water heater is very green. Traditional water heaters waste a lot of energy because they heat water constantly, even when no hot water is needed. On-demand heaters only heat water when necessary, which greatly reduces energy costs.
If you are planning to make your home a greener one, consider adding solar panels to your roof. Although the upfront costs for solar panels are significant, they will pay for themselves in just a few years. Once you have the panels installed solar energy then becomes free, and with any excess power you gather you can potentially sell that to electric companies.
Responsible light usage should be a top priority in your home. Don’t turn on any of your lights before it gets dark, especially during months where you get a lot of sunlight. Dimmers along with timers and light sensors can be used to lessen the amount of light you use when not needed.
The laundry room is a great place to cut energy usage. Provided your dryer has it, the moisture sensor setting will shut down your dryer as soon as your clothes have been dried completely. Use high spin speeds to cut the moisture in laundry; that will cut drying time as well. Make sure to regularly clean lint from dryer filters and vents.
If your home isn’t suitable for full solar paneling or other sources of renewable energy, maybe you can power some areas using this type of technology. Consider using solar power to supply the energy for your hot water heater.
Green Energy
After reading this article, what do you think? Is green energy technology something that is helpful to you? Use the strategies from this guide, in order to find ways on how green energy could improve your life. Start today, and you will discover the joys of contributing to the environment through using green energy.
