Not long ago, the thought of generating energy to fuel an entire household seemed far-fetched. Nevertheless, the technological landscape has evolved so much over the past ten years that house owners cannot use both passive and active ways to produce renewable energy. Such an achievement isn’t done overnight, but striving for it and making active steps to shift as much as you can to renewable energy brings benefits on two fronts: your bills and your environment. You don’t just pay less for electricity – a great feat since energy prices have risen astronomically lately – but also reduce the strain on nature. Natural resource depletion is a big concern today.
Now, if you live in a gigantic house or in a really cold or hot climate, powering your whole dwelling with renewable energy might be pretty challenging, if not unfeasible. Nevertheless, by introducing one or a few of the systems we’re running through below, you might be able to slash your environmental impact and your monthly electricity bills considerably.
Solar energy
Once considered purely idealistic talk, solar energy has become the most reliable and widespread source of clean energy as of late, and for good reason. There’s barely any better way of using more “renewable” energy than taking advantage of the sun’s rays to generate it. Solar panels take in the rays and convert them into electricity that you can use to fuel your dwelling. Moreover, household owners are encouraged to install these systems in various ways, some being tactile, including subsidies and reimbursements.
Solar energy considerably decreases carbon dioxide emissions by transferring fossil fuel-run energy generation, with a mere acre possibly saving more than 100 metric tons of CO2 yearly. Over the past half-decade, the use of solar photovoltaic systems alone has prevented around 1.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from effluxing every year—a figure that compares to Japan’s yearly CO2 emissions.
Once you’ve installed solar PVs, you can use them to power electronics and appliances, regulate your home’s temperature, and even charge your vehicle. For the latter, you’ll need a reliable installer who can set up the EV charge installation for your car/s. If you install a solar water heater, too, you can take hot baths powered by clean energy. Solar power is the shortcut to reducing your carbon footprint and slashing your monthly electricity bills.
Debunking the “dog days” myth
Despite what many people think, and even if sunnier days are generally more productive in terms of solar energy generation, you don’t need to wait for such conditions to have your PVs create solar power. This equipment can generate energy during most daylight hours despite any cloudiness. Moreover, you can stock the surplus of energy generated in batteries and later use them to power your dwelling post-sunset. There are some places where you can even lend out extra solar power to the grid and be reimbursed, cutting down bills and making your contribution to the fight for environmental conservation.
Wind energy
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just massive agricultural establishments or big corporations that take advantage of wind energy. Provided your region is windy enough, and the situation facilitates your undertaking, you can install some tiny wind electrical systems and use them all year round. These are some of the most budget-friendly systems for renewable electricity, producing zero pollution and emissions. Moreover, wind electrical systems can double as a good investment for your home, possibly boosting its selling price if you ever want to put it on sale. These can be employed for a range of other applications, like water pumping on ranches and farms.
Wind is generated by the sun’s uneven heating of the planet’s regions. These turbines use convertible wind-based kinetic energy to generate clean electricity. Shortly put, a rotor catches this energy and transforms it into rotary motion in order to fuel the energy generator when there’s sufficient wind. You need to unite a tiny wind structure to the extensive grid via your energy supplier or shift to completely off-grid power. It’s not only environmentally aware households that can take up this advantageous system, but also spaces like rural area households that can’t use the public electric grid due to barriers like distance.
Shortly put, wind electric systems consist of a turbine installed on a tower to enable unhindered access to intense currents of air.
Hydroelectric energy
Provided that your house is located in the vicinity of a stream or river, you can give hydroelectric energy a thought. This can serve as the following energy-saving home upgrade, possibly raising your home’s value if you ever plan to sell it.
As with wind turbines, hydroelectric instalments leverage an outside force to run a generator. The nearby water of the body’s flow creates kinetic energy that’s next converted into environmentally friendly energy that you can rely on to power your dwelling. Hydroelectric energy systems are great for households located in remote areas that need energy around the clock.
Geothermal energy
This eco-friendly energy-generating method uses the natural warmth stocked beneath the planet’s surface and converts it into electricity, which permits homeowners to regulate their dwellings’ temperature.
After deciding to deploy such upgrade, a team of experts will place underground pipes beneath your household, pipes that distribute heat caught from the surrounding ground. Lastly, the pump takes warmth out of the liquid and uses it to heat or cool your domicile, depending on the season.
The takeaway
Renewable energy sources are inherently replenishable more rapidly than they’re used up. Different types range from solar to geothermal and from wind to geothermal energy alternatives.
A recent survey discloses that 51% of individuals would shift to renewable electricity for the possibility of slashing energy bills, whereas another 18% find the governmental incentives offered appealing. No matter the reason you consider making a partial or complete shift to renewable energy, remember that it’s a long-term investment you might thank for down the road. Such systems only grow more popular by the day.