Yesterday was the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, which is awesome, but we really want this to be part of our everyday thinking, right? So today we have a guest post from Lana Hawkins with some energy saving ideas. Lana is a stay-at-home mom, writer, and interior design enthusiast. She loves writing about interiors, but her specialties are landscape design and green living. She enjoys playing in the kitchen and cooking for her friends and family, spending time in nature and learning about other cultures by traveling.
Our planet is suffering. With the ever-growing pollution and carbon footprints that are through the roof, it is high time that we start rethinking our decisions and reassessing the way we live our lives on a daily basis. We should all make a conscious effort to try to significantly cut back on all of our poor habits if we want to have a world to leave to the future generations.
One of the easiest ways we can do so is by switching to alternative energy sources. Solar energy is one of the prime examples of renewable energy sources that unfortunately not many of us use. That being said, let’s explore some of the ways you can switch to solar and even improve its efficiency if you already have a system in place.
Make better use of sunlight
Since sunlight is the only source of energy used to power a solar panel system, you need to ensure that you boost the use of it. You can easily achieve this – first and foremost – by making sure your panels are positioned the right way. Additionally, since solar panels produce the most energy during the day, you should see to it that you use that somewhat direct energy to charge your devices. This way, you won’t be additionally draining out your solar batteries or using grid energy to do so during the night.
Limit the use of your appliances
Furthermore, while some household appliances need to be plugged in at all times, such as the fridge and the freezer, others simply do not. So avoid using more than a couple of appliances and gadgets at the same time. For instance, try to make sure that the stove, the hairdryer, the water heater and the electric razer are not all being used simultaneously. This way you will ensure that you are using less energy at any given time of the day.
Have a backup battery or other solar devices
Additionally, you should consider installing some sort of a backup battery. You can also use extra solar devices to your advantage. Solar umbrellas, solar lights and similar devices, which store energy to their own batteries, will ensure that you have plenty of energy even during a blackout, without necessarily drawing it from your main solar batteries.
Invest in a reliable inverter
When it comes to a solar panel system, it is worthwhile putting some time into research each part of it well before you buy anything. For instance, you might not know that choosing the right type of inverter can significantly affect the amount of energy your household uses. If the inverter you’ve chosen is not the best quality one, it might not be able to do its job properly, i.e. turn the DC current into AC current. This way you might be left with electrical current that ends up not being used. However, if you invest in a good inverter, such as the SMA inverter, you’ll ensure that you can use all the energy generated properly. If you choose anything less than stellar quality, you may not be able to make the most use out of your system.
Install a solar concentrator
Moreover, you should also look into the option of adding a solar concentrator to your system. These are the devices used to ensure that your solar panels get the most sunlight possible. Solar converters concentrate solar light on your solar panel and convert it into energy. This way, you will get significantly more energy out of your solar panel system. You can also boost the power of a solar concentrator with mirrors and similar reflective surfaces but make sure you research it well beforehand.
Invest in energy-saving appliances and fixtures
Finally, nowadays, there are plenty of appliances that allow you to save energy no matter the type of energy you use in your household. Energy Star rated appliances are designed in such a way to require far less energy to operate properly than their predecessors. Additionally, there’s a vast variety of different energy-efficient light bulbs on the market that can also cut your energy use. If you combine them with motion detectors or timed controllers, you will only boost your energy savings even further.
Getting the most out of your solar panel system won’t only require you to ensure that your system is working properly. You will also need to change some of your habits regarding the way you use your appliances and gadgets. However, these simple changes will bring numerous benefits not only to your household and your budget but our planet as well.
