Energy Savings Solar Power Energy Generation Guide
Energy Savings Help Reduce Power Bills
By Gerard J Howson
Once you receive an energy audit, you’ll notice several
key areas for energy savings. Heating and cooling your
living space, heating your water, lights and appliances
are some of the most popular areas to concentrate on.
These changes may cost as little as $6 for energy efficient
lightbulbs or several thousand dollars for a new heating
system. The good news is that the federal government
has many initiatives that can offset the cost of these
upgrades as energy conservation becomes a national priority.
Installing a programmable thermostat is one of the
best ways to maximize your savings. With an Energy Star
programmable thermostat, you can store and set different
temperatures for different times of the day.
Programmable Thermostat To Suit Your Lifestyle
Why bother having the house at seventy degrees if you’re
asleep under your warm comforter or away from the house
at work for forty-five hours a week? According to the
U.S. Department of Energy, "You can save around
10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply
turning our thermostat back 10°–15° for eight hours."
For maximum efficiency, your thermostat should be located
away from direct sunlight, drafts, doorways, skylights
and windows. You can program up to six different settings
to automatically switch on throughout the day to correlate
with your schedule.
Preventing Heat Loss With Home Insulation
Adding insulation to your home is another way to review
your options and seek energy savings. You may want to
insulate attics, crawl spaces, ducts, cathedral ceilings,
foundations and basements. Insulating wide-open heating
ducts in attics and crawl spaces and maintaining your
ducts can prevent heat loss of up to 60%, says the Department
of Energy.
Even if you don’t have major gaps to fill, Energy Star
says you can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs
by sealing and insulating the smaller leaks. The attic
is the most common area for this sort of renovation.
You should have approximately 12-15 inches of insulation
installed.
Also, if you have an older water heater, they also
recommend insulating it with an insulation blanket to
prevent heat loss.
Find Energy Sucking Appliances In Your Home
Purchasing energy efficient appliances is one of the
easiest ways to ensure greater energy savings. To determine
which appliances need replacement the most, you can
buy a Kill-A-Watt energy monitor for less than $30 that
will tell you how much power your appliances are sucking
up, as well as how much the particular appliance is
costing you each year.
Once you know where the power hogs are, you should
shop for Energy Star qualified appliances, such as refrigerators,
stoves, dishwashers, microwaves, washers, dryers, freezers,
air purifiers, water coolers, television sets, cordless
phones, computers, DVD players, battery chargers, cable
boxes, boilers, dehumidifiers, fans, furnaces, heat
pumps, light bulbs, light fixtures and water heaters.
About the Author:
Gerard J Howson has written a number of articles on Home Improvement, Energy Efficient Appliances, Saving Energy,
Solar Power, Renewable Energy including
Energy Efficient Home,
Energy Savings,
Save Energy In Your Home,
Smart Homes,
Green Building,
Solar Technology,
Solar Hot Water,
Solar Electric.
Gerard is working on more articles. Look out for new articles as they become available on this site.
Little Known Energy Efficient Home Devices Facts.....
One of the biggest phrases you hear today about the
environment and energy is to "go green." But
what does it really mean? It means switching to energy
efficient home devices. It means turning to alternative
sources of renewable energy such as the sun or the wind.
Each little thing you can do to reduce your carbon
footprint is a step towards a healthier Earth. Plus
the benefit to your pocket book cannot be overlooked.
It may seem confusing at first but with the right information
you can do it.
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