You already probably know about green energy. You may do a few things, and think that is enough, or you may not have done anything related to green energy since it became such a popular idea. Whatever your experience with green energy, here are some great suggestions to make sure that you can use green energy, at least a little bit.
When drawing up the landscaping plans for a garden path or patio, incorporate solar-powered lamps. They don’t use any energy other than solar energy and they are cost effective. This, of course, will save you a lot of money. It means that there is no need to run wires outside to hook up lights.
If you want to conserve energy, adjust your air conditioning unit so that it is set two degrees higher in the summer and two degrees lower in the winter. You will probably not be able to tell that you have changed it, but taking that step will save you on your monthly bill and bring down your carbon emissions.
Before you start incorporating green energy sources into your home, you should cut back on the amount of electricity you use. Make sure you’re not wasting power by leaving things turned on when you’re not using them. This way, when you make the switch over to alternative energy sources, you’ll be more efficient with your energy usage.
If you live in a sunny area, you could generate your own energy. Invest in PV cells and have a professional install them on your roof. You should have your needs in electricity assessed by a professional to make sure your solar installation will provide enough power for your home.
Do not assume that green energies are too expensive. The initial cost can be high, but most states will give you interesting tax incentives if you invest in green energies. You will be saving a lot of money on your energy bills. Do the math for yourself, and you will find that green energies are not expensive.
If you prefer to use your dishwasher to wash your dishes, only run it when it is full to capacity. A half load uses the exact same amount of water and energy as a full one. Also, use your dishwasher’s energy-saver setting so that the load will air-dry.
Take time to make sure to properly maintain the fridge. With the fridge being a top energy consumer in the home, maintenance is important for efficiency. Every week, check and see if dust has accumulated near the heating coils. If it has, take the time to remove it. Also, make sure that the seal around the door is clean and tight.
Always have a backup power source for a wind generation system. Your system needs to be able to account for low-wind days. This backup could be another type of renewable source, such as a battery system powered by solar, or a diesel generator. Another option is to have the home plugged into the utility power grid.
Switch to low flow or dual flush toilets. These particular toilets only use 1.28 gallons for liquid flushes. Families typically use 20-40% less water by using them instead of average toilets. On average, a family can save up to 2,000 gallons of water per year! This can provide significant savings to your water bill, every single month.
Now that you’ve read a little about how to use green energy, you should have a few ideas in your head to make your home more green. Use the ideas in this article to get you started, and to give you concrete actions you can take today to make sure you are living green.