4 Most Common Renewable Energy Options for Your Home
Photo by Vivint Solar
The article you just opened is going to be useful to people for 2 different reasons. There are some warnings and a couple of educational pieces of advice you can all apply.
First of all, people are not fair to Mother Nature. It seems that we are not even aware of the things that we are getting from her. All the things that we need are there, and they are completely free. Unfortunately, the way how people think is a bit ridiculous and silly. We choose to use expensive nonrenewable energy that negatively influences our environment.
The global health crisis brought us many awful things. Many people got sick and died, a lot of people lost their jobs, etc. However, there is one thing that the crisis reminds us of. We need to take care of our health continually. Being healthy in an unhealthy environment is impossible.
We do not need to mention any statistics and data here. It s the fact that we are not using renewable energy enough. Fortunately, things are slowly starting to change, and we hope that they will soon change completely.
The first place where these changes are visible are homes around the world. Certain homeowners realized that renewable energy could bring them many benefits. Different renewable energy options for your home are a long-term solution. Despite health benefits, you will have the chance to save money on different types of costs. These savings won’t be visible immediately, but you will see them sooner or later.
Enough talking; let’s find out together the most common renewable energy options for your home.
1. Rooftop Solar Panels
Producing renewable energy with photovoltaic panels is the most common options people use. In most cases, these panels are located on the roof of the homes. However, some people prefer to place them somewhere in the yard. The main goal of these panels is to capture solar energy and transform it into electricity.
How much energy you can gather depends on several different factors. Primarily, it depends on your latitude and the orientation. If both factors work for you, it is possible to generate more than 10 watts per square foot.
There is one piece of information that might be useful for Americans. On average, the American homeowners spend around 900 kWh of energy per month. This piece of data will help you calculate the right size of the solar panel for your home.
Another factor is to find the best possible brands that create photovoltaic panels. Well, this truly can be a tough challenge for people that are not familiar with this industry. It is not a secret that panels are a bit expensive. However, as we said, they are a perfect long-term solution. Because of that, the potential buyers are not quite sure which brand to choose. Fortunately, Harness Power is a company that can help you. Thanks to their experience and high-quality customer service, you can find out more about the best renewable energy solutions. You might want to visit their website and set up a consultation.
2. Solar-Water Heating
This is enough proof that people do not understand how useful the sun can be for our life. These water heaters are quite similar to the PV solar panels. Yet, the purpose of these heaters is not to produce electricity. People use them to heat water.
Once again, you will have the chance to save your money and organize your budget better. Most homes across the world use electric water heaters or traditional gas to heat water. Everyone who does that knows very well how expensive this can be. Well, by using solar water heaters, you have the chance to reduce or eliminate those costs.
The process of water heating with these panels is similar. They use solar energy to heat a water reserve. You can use that water in several different ways. One way is to connect it with the radiators at your home. However, you can also use that water for showerheads and faucets. In other words, this renewable energy option is multi-practical.
We know very well that some people do not want to power the entire home with this sort of energy. Well, applying this technology can be a good way to see which benefits you can get. After your energy bill goes down, you might want to apply similar technology to the entire house. In some strange way, this could be a good test.
3. Wind Turbines
People usually think that wind turbines are not suitable for every type of home. Indeed, you can usually find them on large tracts of open land. Do not get confused if you hear the names floating offshore or wind farms. All these names refer to the same thing. Still, it is not completely correct that they are not suitable for every home. Every person can install a small wind turbine to power the home.
We have to continue describing them in a negative tone. Certain disadvantages make this technology less popular among people. This especially counts when we talk about those that live in residential areas. They can sometimes be quite noisy, and that might be a big problem for you. Despite that, some local laws and zoning regulations might not allow you to apply them to your home.
However, if that is not the problem in your case, they can be amazing. The wind turbines with the proper size can generate almost all of your electricity needs. For instance, the wind of at least 10 MPH can produce enough energy to power your home. Logically, if the wind is faster, the electricity generation will increase.
4. Solar Oven
At the end of the article, we will get back once again to solar power. Some people can’t apply this technology because of different reasons. Fortunately, applying it to one part of your home is possible. More precisely, you can use solar ovens to reduce your electricity bills.
The way how they work is simple – they trap sunlight to heat food. Believe it or not, there is also a chance that you build this product alone. For something like that, you will need to get aluminum foil, cardboard, and insulation. Whichever option you choose, be sure it will reduce your electricity bills. Do not forget that ovens use a lot of energy.