The planet earth contains different sources of energy that can be used to make our lives simpler. The major drawback to many of these sources is that they are harmful to the environment. However, there are greener alternative energy sources that exist that have less of an environmental impact, and you will find out more about them in this article.
Buying energy-efficient light bulbs is a great way to save money and use green energy in your home. These light bulbs take a couple minutes to use their maximum brightness. This delay allows less energy to be used when turning on the lights in your home, which is a great way to save energy!
Consider switching to solar-powered water heaters for your home. If you live where freezing temperatures aren’t prevalent, you can purchase a system that can circulate water via a solar heater prior to being pumped to your home. Even though solar water heaters are useful, it is still necessary to have a normal water heater for periods of extended cloudy weather or unusually high hot water use.
If your property has a small stream running through it, you can install a micro hydropower system. These systems divert a small amount of the water through a turbine or wheel, providing energy that can be used to light and heat your home. If the flow is strong enough, you can power multiple homes on one of these systems.
Swap your old incandescent light bulbs for high-efficiency LED or compact fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs use far less electricity than incandescent, and they come in sizes that fit most existing fixtures. While the up-front cost is generally higher, most of these bulbs will last for years before burning out.
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.
If you use a dishwasher to clean your dishes, do not run it until it is completely full. Dishwashers consume a similar amount of water and electricity regardless of whether it contains one dish or 20. Make sure you are using the energy saving settings on your dishwasher that will air-dry your dishes.
Many people who own homes with air-conditioning fail to realize how much energy is used by these units. If you have an air-conditioned home, consider a greener way of cooling off by saving the energy used to cool the air. Try to save air-conditioning for the hottest days. Keep blinds and drapes drawn during the hottest hours and open windows and doors after the sun goes down. Ceiling fans can also help a great deal!
As stated before, many forms of energy can be found on earth that we use. Many are harmful to the environment, but there are some which are not. The information outlined here should have given you a clearer understanding of these green energy sources and how they can be utilized in place of other energy sources.
