How to Use Green Energy in Your Day-to-Day Life

Over the past few decades, climate change and global ecosystem concerns have led people to question the future of the planet they live on. They worry about the lives and lifestyles of their children and posterity, and they are frustrated with the impact climate issues are having on the beautiful natural destinations that generations have enjoyed. While it will take the efforts of many to see things improve on a large-scale, every individual ’s decision to change habits or implement eco-friendly alternatives to normally harmful emissions does make a difference. Do your part by considering the switch to some of the following green energy options for your home and lifestyle.

Use Solar Panels

For your home, your RV, your generator and more, solar panels have proven to be an effective way to utilize one of the most accessible resources we have—the sun! Post-set-up, solar panels do all the work for you to draw in clean energy. With green energy products becoming more popular all over the world, solar panels increase the value of your home by promising a clean energy option to normal energy expenses. In addition, you may qualify for tax benefits because of your efforts to improve your home’s energy intake. Take control of your electricity by using solar panels to offset the cost of energy usage during high “time of use” rates, a window some energy companies use to get the most money out of energy needs. Solar panels are an obvious and simple way to conduct clean energy that can power your living space.

Choose Green Transportation

A revolution of electrically powered vehicles has rapidly taken place with frequent innovations in car design and technology. Charging an electric car is not only incredibly inexpensive, it means that (by not burning gas) it will produce a minute fraction , if anything, of emissions compared to a normal gas burning car. Green transportation is developing into an undeniably respectable and impressive means of transportation that saves the environment and saves you money. If an electric car doesn’t suit your circumstances, consider using public transportation. Doing so decreases the number of cars on the road, and therefore the number of cars burning fuels into the ozone. Both large and small cities all over the country, and even the world, are expanding their people’s accessibility to public transport—find out how your community is doing the same!

Switch to Propane

Switching to propane has plenty of benefits , in addition to helping the environment. Propane is a reliable, effective means of creating energy. It can heat homes to a higher temperature than normal electrical heaters, meaning where your electric heater has to work harder to get to or maintain an elevated temperature, your gas heater can do so easily, quickly, and with less expended energy. (This also means that, since you don’t have to use it frequently to get the same amount of heat as other heaters, propane can save you money!) It can be used for cooking appliances like ovens or stoves, and even for your water heater. Propane has no dangerous toxins or poisons that would put you and your family at risk, and is one of the safest options for the environment as well.

Avoid Using Your Heating or Cooling as Much as Possible

Perhaps making the switch to propane isn’t a viable or interesting option for you. If so, think about reducing your electric heating or AC use in other ways . Let the sun do as much of your home’s heating as possible—open blinds to let in the rays. If there are rooms in your home you don’t use, keep the door shut; any heat conducted by human energy or electrical energy in the main parts of your home will heat the home more effectively if the area it reaches is smaller. Try cooking more on the stove or in the oven, using them as a source of heat. Insulate, insulate, insulate: rugs, drapes, and carpet trap heat inside. If you’re trying to cool down your home, take advantage of cooler times of day—evenings, nights, early mornings—to keep your windows open and cycle cool air into your home. Ceiling fans or stationary fans are good ways to promote airflow. Finally, you may need to make simple wardrobe choices to help you stay warm or cool without tampering with the overall temperature of your thermostat! An extra layer on or off may make a bigger difference than you realize.

Install Smart Home Technology

Smart home technology is making it easier than ever to conserve energy without you even thinking about it. This “tech” comes with alarms that will alert you to doors and windows left open, lights left on, refrigerators ajar, even concerning changes in temperature that could suggest damage to your property. Better yet, all of these alarms can connect to one single platform that you can control from your smartphone. Staying on top of your energy use and preventing potential spikes in the heating, cooling, or burning of energy for any number of things, will help you to feel in control and put an end to being blindsided by bills.

Take Advantage of Your Resources

The sun is a resource most everyone has the ability to take advantage of. However, there are more natural resources that are efficient and powerful that, depending on your geological location, may also be available for you to utilize! Wind powered or water powered turbines are very effective means of conducting energy just by harnessing the elements nature already provides. If you live in close enough proximity to these kinds of landmasses (rivers, oceans, or windy hills and valleys), look into what local resources you have access to! This may be an easy way for you to encourage clean energy in your home, simply by using the natural energy around you.
Green energy does not have to be a difficult thing to implement into your life! Technological advances, local efforts, and simple changes in habit are the best ways to promote “green living” and support your community, environment, and planet.