Solar Powered Home Blog

I probably don’t need to make the argument again.  It’s important to save energy.

• It’s important because it saves you money.  Gas prices go up, electric bills soar, oil or natural gas costs rise.  Saving energy saves you cash.
• It’s important because it’s good for the environment.  The effects of greenhouse gases are clear.  Climate change is real.  And the continued use of fossil fuels will do nothing but increase the potential damage to the planet.

But do you know how to save energy?  Here are some tips:

• Make sure everyone in your household is on board.  Enlist the kids to help.  Talk to your spouse and come to an agreement about it together.  Do you have a housekeeper, nanny or babysitter come by?  Speak to her to make sure she knows what you expect from her in terms of energy saving.  And the same for in-laws, parents, siblings and other family members that may spend a lot of time in your home.  Be specific about what you expect.  You may even want to post the rules.
• Switch to compact fluorescent lights, or CFL’s.  They use less energy.
• When you leave the room, turn them off.  But don’t stop there.  Turn off the television set or radio and shut down the computer.  And don’t forget the accessories.  Turn off the cable box and the DVR when you turn off the computer.  Shut off the monitor, printer and fax machine when you shut down the computer.
• Unplug appliances when you aren’t using them.  Electricity leaks into an appliance that is plugged in, whether it is on or not.  So unplug your toaster oven and coffee maker.
• Do you like to keep your porch light or outside lights on overnight?  Install a motion detector instead.  The lights will turn on when someone approaches, but you will save energy in the meantime.
• Use the washing machine and dishwasher only when you have a full load.  And if your dishwasher has an option of a quick cycle or air dry, choose them.
• Can you turn off your hot water heater during the day?  If no one is in the house and you have no need for hot water during the day, switch it off.  Turn in on when you get home from work and let the water heat up before you shower or wash the dishes.
• Install a ceiling fan to reduce the need for the air conditioner.

Of course to really save on energy, you should seriously consider converting your home to a solar powered home.  Installing a home solar panel can provide you with totally renewable, cost-free energy to cook your food, heat your home and turn on your lights and other appliances.  The most cost-effective way to convert to solar power is to do it yourself.  Visit Earth4Energy to find out how you can do it.

Read about some innovative approaches to saving energy here:

• German Innovation: Dial4Light – Street Lighting by SMS … – Lemgo, a German town situated between Hannover and Dortmund, is testing a new mobile application in a field trial: By sending a 50-cent premium-SMS a street of houses can be illuminated for 15 minutes. Many communities in Germany turn off their street lighting system from 11 pm to save energy and funds. It’s a bad solution for pedestrians at night, but a town like Lemgo saves about 50,000 Euro a year.

• Design with Intent | Design & Punishment – Design and Punishment, by Ben Cunningham. Photo from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth’s 2007 Three Dimensional Design graduate directory. Very neatly linking the themes of the last two posts (devices to make users aware of their energy …