Given the rising costs of both energy specifically, and life in general, you are probably looking to save money just like everyone else. You also want a better world to live in. Harnessing green energy any time you can gives you the best of both these ideals and aspirations. Keep reading for ways you can make green energy work for you in both your home and your life.
Never waste electricity in your yard. Any lights you have outside of your home should only use solar energy. Garden lights and outdoor lighting you use for driveways and walking paths are all available using solar sources. They draw on the sun’s energy all day long, even focusing on the radiation bands that come through cloud cover. By dusk, they are charged for shining through most if not all of the night.
Wind energy is easier than ever to take advantage of. When you think of wind, your first thought might be of giant wind turbines, but the truth is there are small ones that you can put on your roof. Any number of these can capture the breeze going over your house and spare you some of your power bill anytime the air is moving.
If you want to brighten up particular rooms, think about small skylight tubes. These are nowhere near as expensive to put in as skylights, and actually help you retain a sense of privacy. However, they can still get natural (free) light into the darker rooms of your house.
A large part of your power bill is from heating water. If you put in a hot water system that is solar powered and/or heated, you can still have the luxury of hot water without having to pay for it. Combine this with water conservation devices, doing cold laundry and hanging your clothes to dry, and you can slash your power bill a lot.
Biofuels are a growing area of interest for many. There are modifications you can make to your cars that let them use local area biofuel instead of internationally imported gasoline or petroleum products. Some new model cars are even ready for these, although finding such a model can take a little hunting.
If you have a swimming pool, you can enjoy it throughout the year when it is heated. Check around and you can quickly find options for heating it using solar power. Since you want to swim on the days with lots of sun and no clouds, it will be ready and warm for you when you need it.
Check your local, regional and federal governments for what kinds of grants and tax breaks they offer for making green home improvements. There are all kinds of programs, deductions and even grants out there, all because politicians love showing they care for the environment and the economy at the same time. Take advantage of this.
Green energy might have been a dream many talked about when you were growing up. The nation and world are not getting their overall power from renewable sources, but the dream of green energy is available in a wide swath of smaller scale sources that you can use in your life. The preceding paragraphs listed a number of tips that you can use now to do your part for the planet and save money off of your power bill.
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