Saturday 25 August 2012

Small Steps To Living A More Sustainable Life

Using green energy will benefit both your home and the environment. Simple modifications at home will increase your energy efficiency and save you money on your utility bills. Read this article for some quick tips on conserving the energy used while at home.

Ceiling fans can help keep your home warm during the winter months. Switch them to rotate clockwise, which pushes warm air down. The little electricity used to run your fan is offset by what you save with your energy costs due to needing the furnace less often.

One clever way to conserve energy is to thaw frozen food in a refrigerator. Thawing your food in the refrigerator allows the cold air to be released back into your refrigerator resulting in reduced energy needed to run the appliance.

A common habit that uses energy is not turning off lights, appliances, and other things when they aren't in use. If you do this every day, your energy bills will plummet. By thinking about the costs involved and how much extra energy you use, should get you to shut off those appliances and lights when not in use.

If you're unsure about green investments, get an expert to provide a consultation that will optimize your energy usage. These consultants will visit your home, assess your energy usage, and provide options at several price points for making smart and economical green upgrades.

Very green-minded people may enjoy the uniqueness of a straw bale home. They are a great way to provide insulation, and it's inexpensive as well. If you do not want to make an entire house from straw bales, add a small structure somewhere on your property.

Prior to speaking with a professional about installing solar panels, make a list of your home's appliances and how many watts each use. A professional will be able to give you a quote, if they know how much power is needed.

The number of lights that are left on, or appliances that are run half full is astounding. If you were to get in the habit of turning them off, it would cut down tremendously on your energy bill costs. Consider what you are doing before it is done, and turn those appliances and lights off when you are finished using them.

Do you own a farm? If you do, or if you are aware of someone that does, you may be able to rent some of the property to a local energy company that will install a type of wind turbine. Everyone surrounding the area where these turbines are installed are sure to benefit, and the installation doesn't take up that much space.

Calculate potential energy generation during the planning of buying home solar systems. This prevents unpleasant surprises in the winter, and it saves money during the summer. You can actually get money back from your utility company for any energy your generate if you're on the net usage plan.

A solar oven can be an easy and free way to bake. A solar oven can be made by using an old window, a box and for reflection, a piece of foil. These ovens can reach temperatures of over 300 degrees, and use no outside energy other than the sun. They can be made in minutes.

Be responsible about how you use lights to make your home more eco-friendly. During months with more sun, keep your lights off until it is necessary to turn them on. Install dimmers so you can reduce the amount of light being used. It is also a good idea to use sensors or timers to make sure that excess lights are not left burning after a room is empty.

Spend time in order to learn the difference between passive and active solar power. Active power can be stored for later use. Passive power must be utilized more quickly but no expensive storage cells are required. Active power needs solar panels installed, cells, and mechanical systems. Passive solar power is simply making use of the sun to keep thermal energy in your walls so you can heat your home.

Find out more about active and passive forms of solar power. Activer solar power lets stored energy be used later, while passive power doesn't require expensive storage cells. Active solar powers requires solar panels that need installations as well as mechanical systems and cells. Passive power uses the sun for thermal energy in the home.

You can use biofuel to heat your own home. The biofuel is produced using fats, wood and oils. You can hire a professional to adjust your propane furnace to be capable of using any type of fuel you desire. Fuels are anywhere from 20-99 percent biodiesel. Before you try to use this kind of fuel inside your house, just make sure you speak to a professional.

Sometimes changing over your entire house to renewable energy sources, such as solar power, simply is not possible. In these instances, consider making changes to just one or two rooms, or one or two units. For instance, you can use panels that could be used to heat your home's hot water.

Don't use your electric heater when you can avoid it. Instead, make sure each member of your family has sweaters, robes and slippers, and heat your living areas with a pellet stove or fireplace. Keep in mind, cooler air while sleeping makes your breathing better, and keeps your airways from getting too dry.

During the winter, keep using ceiling fans. Warm air is pushed down when the fan is running in a clockwise rotation. The energy you will save from not having to use the furnace as much will cover what you need for the fan.

Change up the way you dress in your home and warm yourself up to avoid turning on the heater if possible. A thin sweater will provide you with two degrees of additional heat, while a heavier item will add four. You don't need to be cold at home, get yourself some nice warm clothes you can use in your house today!

Put your refrigerator in a cool place within your home. Do not install your fridge in the sun light or next to a heating vent or more energy will be used to keep your food cold.

After learning more about green energy, you are probably eager to get started using it. Remember these tips so you can use this technology at home. The earth, as well as your pocketbook will be thanking you for years to come

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