subject: 5 Great Tips On How To Make Your Home More Green Energy Efficient [print this page] Green Energy is used to describe heating and cooling devices that use natural resources such as the sun, water or wind and that are environmentally friendly. A strong emphasis has been placed on the need for our homes to use this and to make sure that the things used are as energy efficient as possible. Standard household energy bills are increasing every year making people look at ways in which they can produce green energy for their own use, which will help to lower those bills. Many of the energy efficient technologies that produce this type of electricity have become more affordable and companies are offering funding and incentives to encourage homeowners to make the change. Here are 5 great tips on how to make your home more green energy efficient.
1.Install a solar panel These are quite expensive to buy as an individual, but are one of the products that are funded by governments and energy companies. They work by using photovoltaic cells to capture electrons from sunlight which are then converted into energy. Solar panels can be used as a secondary energy source to power your home or if you have a large enough panel, it can power it on its own. This is a great source of green energy and not only will they save you money each year, but if you produce more energy than you use you can sell this back to the energy company so it could even make you money.
2.Fit a solar water heater There are lots of examples of these on the market ranging from reasonably priced to very expensive. Although some may think that they are too expensive, the money saved on your energy bills each year will help this heater to pay for itself quicker than you may imagine. They work on the basis of harnessing sunlight to power a boiler, which is set on a timer to heat the water that you use in your home. There are lots of websites that will show ways to build a solar water heater yourself if you are good at DIY.
3.Passive solar technology If you are renovating your home or building a new one make sure that you give thought to how you can install energy efficient materials and which green energy devices will work best for you. For example energy efficient doors and windows will save up to 20% per year on your energy bills and making sure that your home is properly insulated will increase this.
4.Install a domestic wind turbine Dont panic, not the enormous ones that you see on wind farms! These turbines have worked so well that many companies now offer a smaller version that can be installed in the garden. The two criteria are that you need a reasonably sized garden and live in a fairly windy place. If you meet both of those then this could be a great way to create your own green energy, do your bit for the environment and save money.
5.Finally, assess your home and see what you can do to improve its general green energy efficiency. Simple things such as fitting energy efficient light bulbs, sealing doors to prevent drafts, putting your water heater on a timer and lowering your heating temperature a few degrees will all help the environment and save you money at the same time.
