We all want to be a bit more Earth-conscious and do the right thing for the environment. When it comes to energy usage though, for the longest time cutting your energy consumption was incredibly difficult and ridiculously expensive as well. For instance, solar panel installation was incredibly expensive even for just a small home system.
Couple the cost of solar with the lack of availability of other options, and many people were out of options. As little as 10 years ago, it would have cost an average of $40,000 to install a home solar energy system. This problem was compounded by the fact that most home appliances, as well as windows and insulation, weren’t nearly as energy-efficient as some of today’s options are. Residential solar become a regular practice in green cities, learn more about residential solar system.
Nowadays, folks that want to go green and save money as well have plenty of options. We’ll examine a few in this post.
Upgrade Your Windows
One of the easiest ways to cut your energy use is by making sure that it’s as easy as possible for your HVAC system to keep the temperature at a certain level. The way to help do this is with energy-efficient windows. These windows are extra insulated to keep outside weather out and your inside temperature in.
Energy-efficient windows typically use insulating argon gas and more panes to keep heat and cold from outside out while keeping your HVAC in. Many people compare the cost of the windows to the amount saved on energy bills, but if your goal is to go as green as possible, there’s no substitute for high-quality windows.
Update Your HVAC
Windows aren’t the only thing that can be updated to be more energy efficient now. HVAC options like radiant heating and cooling and geothermal pump systems give homeowners multiple choices for their heating and cooling needs while still being eco-friendly.
In particular, a geothermal pump system uses much less energy and doesn’t rely on any pollutants like freon to create cold air or coils to create hot air. Instead, the system pulls air from the ground to heat or cool your home. Only the forced air motor is used to circulate the air meaning much less energy is used.
Install Energy Efficient Insulation
The insulation used to be something you put in the walls to help hold in the heat or ac. Today there are several options that help to seal your home and keep your energy usage at a minimum. This is done by not only holding heat or cold in but by being able to block out more from outside. Attics and other high spaces will be kept many degrees cooler, resulting in lower bills and less energy usage.
Better insulation also prevents leaks and other problems resulting in wasted energy.
Take your pick of any or all of these options to cut down your energy use and save money at the same time.