Use Green Home Designs To Lower Your Energy Bills
If you are thinking about installing a residential solar energy system in your home, you will need to know your current energy consumption. Usually, you can get this information from your local utility company. Using this as a basis, you will be able to design your solar energy system to fit the needs of your house. However, before you begin you should investigate your current energy usage and look at different ways you can minimize your energy footprint.
The climate in your region will have an impact on energy use, as will the direction your windows face, the number and location of trees on your site, and the types of appliances you own. Even the kind of light bulbs you use can make a difference. Coming to a good understanding of your energy consuption will allow you to build a more effective and less expensive solar array.
Using Geography To Your Advantage
The yearly temperature extremes in the geographical region you live in will be a big factor. If you live in an area with temperature extremes in winter or in summer, you will use more energy to heat or cool your home than if you lived in a moderate climate. Of course moving is not an option, so consider things you can do to your windows to improve energy effienciency. South facing windows in a cold climate can help lower your heating bills. North facing windows in a hot climate can lower cooling bills.
Mature trees can provide shade and help lower cooling bills during the summer, while the bare tree limbs allow sunlight in during the winter months. All of these factors contribute to your overall energy use. And installing energy efficient insulation in walls, roofs and floors help reduce utility bills in all climates.
Photo courtesy of Energy Star.
Look for Energy Star Appliances
If possible, convert all of your appliances to Energy Star efficient models. Newer appliance models often use as much as 50% less energy than older models, especially if they need repairs and are not working at top efficiency. Changing to compact fluorescent light bulbs also makes a substantial impact on reducing electricity consumption.
After evaluating your house for these factors, you can plan to build a solar photovoltaic system by multiplying your average daily kilowatt hour usage by about 25%. This should give you a rough estimate of the daily kilowatts your solar panels will need to generate in order to supply your current electrical needs.
Related topics to "Energy Needs of a Solar House"
introduction to residential wind turbine
With the rapidly growing need and demand for renewable energy sources, there are a number of residential options that you can use to get in on the act. One of these is the residential wind turbine which might be something that you haven't thought about. These turbines are typically located on top of a tower usually at a high point in your property.
Solar Energy Sources
If you and your family are more concerned about 'living green' this year, you'll definitely want to learn more about solar energy. There are a few solar energy sources that your family can choose from, and you'll save lots of money every year on electricity bills--plus you'll be doing your part to care for the environment.
will solar panels work during winter
If you live in an area that has long, harsh winters you may be wondering if your house is a good candidate for solar panels. After all, days or weeks of overcast skies, snow flurries or monsoon rains hardly seem compatible with a technology that relies on the sun for its power.
