Climate change and increasing awareness about global warming has opened opportunities for experts to help people tap solar energy for most of their energy needs. By harnessing solar power with help of easy and user friendly devices, you can convert and save solar energy, which can used to cater to your specific requirements. Solar energy can be cost effective as it offers multiple benefits like generating electricity using solar panels or heating water using solar water heater or keeping your house warm using active solar heating system and many more. Solar energy is an effective low cost, low maintenance and energy efficient way of green living. Listed here are some ways to use this natural and abundant source of energy.
Solar panels to generate electricity
Solar panels help generate electricity, thereby saving money, time and energy. Solar panels which are also referred as solar photovoltaics (PV), harness the sun’s energy using these photovoltaic cells. They don’t need direct sunlight and can generate power even on a cloudy day. Electricity generated by this is as efficient as the electricity you receive from power companies. You can use the electricity generated by solar panels as per your convenience and needs. Solar electricity helps to reduce your electricity bills, cut the carbon footprint and even governments of some states offer tax benefits for the electricity generated from solar panels.
Solar water heater
Water heaters consume a lot of electricity and account for almost thirty percent of your household electricity consumption. You can contribute your bit in saving our planet by using cost effective solar water heaters. They come in two varieties – active and passive. Active water heaters come along with circulating pumps and controls unlike passive system. Solar water heaters require a well-insulated storage tank. For cloudy days, solar water heating system comes along with a back-up system to store hot water.
Passive solar power to keep your house warm
For the eco friendly folks, this could be your pick. Solar home heating system involves a little higher initial installation cost but you can recover your cost within a few years as it helps you save substantially on your electricity bills. Once the installation is complete, remember that you are heating your home by spending nil. For a nature lover, this is one way of contributing towards a pollution free environment. Once you attach your solar panels to your roof, you can heat your entire house, all for free. You can opt for eco friendly walls and floor design that will tap solar energy during the day, and discharge the collected heat as the room cools during night.
Solar cooker
Tapping solar energy in a small box size appliance is a great option to cook your favorite delicacies. You can warm and prepare your food without using any form of fuel. Solar cooker can help you boil or roast food and also helps to keep the nutritional value intact. So, for the eco lovers and health conscious people, this should be your pick to contribute in your own little way to the environment.
Solar lightning for your home
A solar lighting system is easy to install and can convert sun’s energy to produce light for your house with an ease. If you store the solar energy in batteries, you can even have the power at night. Once you install this natural lighting mechanism at home, you can reduce your electricity bills to nil. Solar LED modules can also be your pick for using natural, free solar energy to illuminate your house.
Clothesline for your laundry
Clothesline solar power saves money and energy over using a washing machine or a tumble dryer. It is simple and not time consuming. It doesn’t need your constant attention unlike a tumble dryer. Your clothes will dry under the sun even before your know it.
Solar power outside lighting
Solar energy can be used for outside lighting in various forms like solar street lighting, solar bus shelter lights or solar flag pole lights or solar billboard lights and many more. Outdoor solar lighting does not require any wiring and solar lighting is used in gardens can increase the aesthetics and mood of your garden as well. They add an atmosphere for the parties too.
Thermal solar power to heat your swimming pools
Inexpensive and environmentally kind, solar water heating system uses the thermal method to collect the heat from the sun and convert it in to water. You get a green power bonus using solar energy to heat your swimming pools as a solar water heating system avoid emitting over 50 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over a twenty year span.
Passive solar energy to cool your home
First thought of solar energy could mean heat for you. However you can use this heat to cool your home too. Passive solar power system can heat the sun’s heat to cool your home by taking advantage of natural forces. A solar chimney helps to create a vacuum of cool air by pushing the hot air out through a vent in your ceiling.
Solar power water pump
Solar power water pumps do not use the power grid or combustible fuels. These pumps run on electricity generated by photovoltaics and are relatively low priced and long lasting. They can also be used for irrigation purposes. They are most suitable for small applications like landscaping or garden fountain.
