Going Green Before Getting Solar
When you buy a solar energy system, you have to make sure that you have an idea of what your power requirements will be. This is important because you really want to make sure that you have enough power when you run your home on solar energy. The best way to do this is to cut your energy usage, and the best way to do that is to "go green". Here are some great ways for you to go green so that you can better use solar energy.
1. Change your light bulbs. If you aren't already using the new light bulbs, start! The old bulbs use a lot more energy and they do not last as long. Not only that, but they don't even provide that much more light, if any. The newer energy-efficient light bulbs are much harder to break, and they are much more likely to last for years. They are a great way to cut your energy costs so that you need less energy when you start looking at solar panels.
2. When you are not in a room, the light should not be on. This is a hard lesson for people to learn, but it really makes all the difference. Just turn off the light when you leave! If that is too hard for you to remember, think seriously about getting "the clapper" so that you can remember it for the fun value.
3. Use cold water to wash your clothes. This is a great idea because hot water really isn't' necessary for most laundry. Check your clothing, and you will only rarely read that it must be washed in hot. That is something that we as a culture learned that has no real value. The detergent you use is much more important that the temperature of the water. Make sure you do what you can in order to only use hot water rarely and only when you need to.
4. Take one shower a day. A lot of people take two or more showers a day, especially in the summer, and it is incredibly wasteful, for so many reasons. Stick to one shower a day. IF you are too hot or have exercised, take a shower after you exercise and skip the regular one in the morning.
5. Get the family on-board. Have a talk about your plans to get more energy-efficient. Make sure the entire family is helping out and thinking about being energy-efficient. Make sure everyone understands why it is smart and conscientious to do these things. If you can get everyone on board, then your costs will go down that much more quickly.
These are just a few of the things you can do to be more energy-efficient. Energy-efficiency will help you use less energy so that you need fewer solar panels, and you pay less for your solar energy upfront costs. You can always add panels in the future if you need to, but when you go green and get solar energy, you are doing the right thing.
