Green energy is gaining popularity around the world. That is because green energy not only conserves the natural resources available on this planet but because it can also be more affordable for most people. Here are some smart ways to introduce green energy to your life, if you haven’t already.
Just start using less energy every day. When not using a certain appliance, unplug it from the outlet. Make sure you turn off lights and electronic appliances when you do not plan on using them. This is easy to do and saves a lot of energy.
Air dry your laundry. If the weather allows you to, after you wash your laundry, instead of running it through the dryer, dry it on a clothesline outside. Let the sun and wind dry your clothes for you. Using an electric dryer will only use up energy, and if the weather is nice, you can save energy easily. In addition, your clothes will last longer.
Biodiesel is a great alternative to the standard oil used to heat a home. Depending on your system, you may be able to switch to biodiesel without having to make any modifications to your system. Bio-diesel is more efficient and burns cleaner than conventional petroleum, which in turn, reduces the environmental impact from your home during the winter.
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.
Set your computer so that it goes to sleep when you are not using it for more than 10-15 minutes at any given time. While most people believe that screensavers save energy they do not, and should not be used as an alternative to placing your computer in a sleeping state.
Plant trees around your home. The trees will help provide shading for you home and therefore will help keep your home cooler in the hot summer months. It will not require as much air conditioning to keep it at your desired temperature. Since trees lose leaves in the winter, they will still allow the sun to come in and help heat your home during the winter months.
Go green on your coffee break by bringing your own cup. If you usually order a Tall Latte at Starbucks, bring a tall re-usable coffee mug with you. Every time you ask your favorite coffee shop to mix your drink in your own cup, you are helping to green your environment.
Warm-air registers, radiators, and baseboard heaters need cleaning at least once per year. It is best to clean these at the beginning of the cold season so they are ready to work at top efficiency once the weather turns cold. Clean heating units will distribute the heated energy evenly.
Geothermal heating may be something for you to consider. If you live in the right kind of area, you are going to be able to take advantage of the heat that the earth naturally produces. These pumps will use that natural energy to heat and cool your home. Contact your local heating contractor to learn more about this process.
If you have a car with a diesel engine, think about switching to biodiesel. Biodiesel is degradable is will not have any harmful effects on the environment. However, using biodiesel can be expensive and finding filling stations is hard. If you can afford to use this alternative, do your best to reduce harmful emanations from diesel engines.
One of the cheapest and easiest ways to make your home more energy efficient is by replacing all of your standard light bulbs with green versions. Not only do such bulbs reduce your energy bill through lower wattage and higher efficiency, but these bulbs are also made to last longer, giving you a two-fold return for your investment.
For green energy use, always recycle your aluminum cans. The energy saved by just recycling one single aluminum can is enough to power a television for three hours. If everyone just recycled their aluminum cans, there would be more energy available for us to use for our everyday use and less energy wasted.
Try using LED lights as opposed to conventional ones for the next holiday season. Over two billion kilowatt power hours can be saved! Two billion KWh if everyone made the change, to be exact! That’s a large amount of electricity–it would power 200,000 homes over the course of the year. Even if you don’t care about those big numbers, you should care that you can personally save money by going green.
One very basic method of using renewable green energy in your home is the use of solar power to dry your clothes. That is, hang your wet laundry out on a clothesline. The amount of energy saved by not using a dryer is considerable, and it also gets you outside in the nice weather.
You can actually use biofuels to add heat for your home. What these fuels are composed of are wood, oil and vegetable or animal fats. If you have a propane furnace a professional may be able to convert your furnace to a bio-fuel furnace. That is roughly 20 to 99 percent biodiesel. Always consult with professionals prior to using this type of fuel in the home.
Do not forget the most basic ways to save energy, such as turning off the lights you don’t need. It’s surprising how much energy is conserved after turning the lights off. You will also save on your electric bill.
A great tip to help save energy is to utilize daylight in your house. Rather than turning on your lights during the day, open up your shades, and let the sun naturally light up your home. You may even want to consider installing a skylight to really help illuminate your home.
Once you introduce green energy to your life, it will become easier to implement the tips from the article. Implementing the tips will result in lower energy bills for you, but it will also contribute to a cleaner world. Think about how much green energy can help you, and apply the tips from this article.
