The dual threats of depletion of non-renewable resources due to over-exploitation and spiraling power bills due to ever increasing tariffs has made a lot of people seriously think about green energy solutions for their homes. If you’re one of them, here are 11 ways you can incorporate clean energy in your home.
1. Solar Panels:
solar systems for home are becoming a very popular option for those who want to bring down their electricity bills. Most providers of solar energy units offer 1 KVA, 3 KVA or 5 KVA systems. A 5 KVA solar unit can produce approximately 20 units of electricity per day in optimum weather conditions; if you’re a largish household with numerous appliances that suck power, like air-conditioners, ovens and water heaters, you’ll need it. A 3KVA unit produces about 12 units per day which would be sufficient for a small family . You can choose either on-grid or off-grid solutions. Both have their own pros and cons.
2. Solar water heaters:
These have become quite common in India now; electric heaters require a lot of current, so it makes a lot of sense to install solar water heaters for bathing and other purposes at home. The Solar panels use the sun’s heat to heat the water, which is pumped into your taps or showers. If it’s not possible for you to go solar for your complete energy requirements, this is a good option.
3. Solar cooker/oven:
Yes, this method of cooking and heating food is likely to be quite slow, but you can make good use of it in the summer months, and give your microwaves or induction cookers some rest, and save on electricity bills .
4. Solar air-conditioner:
Strange as it sounds, you can use the heat from the sun to cool your home! It uses a similar method to the water heater. If you live in a hot place and an air-conditioner is a must, you can think of investing in a solar air-conditioner. Though the initial cost is likely to be a little high, you can save thousands in the long run.
5. Wind turbine:
If you live in an individual house in a rural or semi-urban area with some land of your own, you could even think of investing in a small wind turbine, or windmill. It’s not a very pretty sight, it takes up space, and makes noise, but is more stable than solar power, and can produce more power than solar units.
6. Rainwater harvesting:
This is a cheap and efficient way to save water which can be used later for cleaning, gardening etc. All you need is a simple gutter system to collect rainwater from your roof, and to store it in barrels or underwater tanks.
7. Energy efficient windows:
You will not believe how much power is wasted on heating or cooling homes because of insufficient or energy-inefficient windows. If you’re constructing a new house, make sure to include lots of huge windows, and install energy saving glass that keeps heat out in summer. For existing homes, use curtains or blinds, double pane your windows if you can, or install insulation; this will keep heat out in summer, and inside in winter.
8. LED lights:
Today you have numerous options when it comes to LED lights for home . LED lights consume very less power (75% less than conventional lights) but give off ample brightness. This is a great way to ensure you consume less power. Moreover, LED lights are available in a dazzling array of shapes and patterns that look beautiful as well.
9. Smart home:
With IoT, today appliances can be connected, and you can control the air-conditioner or room heater settings through an app on your Smartphone. You can install an energy monitor in your home to check your energy usage; this will allow you to know if you’re wasting power, and switch off whatever is not required.
10. Energy Stars:
If you’re buying new appliances, check the energy star rating on them; make sure they have at least a 4 star rating. This tells you that it’s an energy efficient appliance; in fact, they can save up to 50% power as compared with non-star rated appliances. If you have a lot of old appliances, start replacing them one by one with energy efficient ones.
11. Smart Energy Strips:
Often we plug in devices that are charged fully, or not used – these waste a tremendous amount of power. By plugging devices into energy strips rather than directly into sockets, you can save power as these strips cut off power when they don’t sense the demand for it.
Do your bit for the environment, and save money – choose clean energy today!
Author, Freelance writer