Using Solar Energy In Your House

So, you don't have enough money right now to install an array of solar panels on your roof. However, you still want to take advantage of solar energy to help bring down your overall power bill. There are some tips in this article that will help you figure out small ways to use solar energy around the house.

There are a variety of outdoor lighting solutions that depend on solar energy. Some of these are the small lights that you just slide into the ground, making a nice border for your path to the front door from the sidewalk. Others are somewhat larger and allow you to light a whole area of the backseat. Also, there are some larger, free standing lamps that rely on solar power as well, and you can place them strategically around the yard to create a groovy ambiance.

Temporary lighting is also a great idea for a summer party. Your guests will be able to follow each other around the yard, and if you also put out some citronella candles, the insects will stay away. Using these lights will make you look like you're green at heart -- and will make your part of the house very cool.

While solar-powered cars are not yet a realistic method of transportation for a family, new advances are made each month in this area of technology. It certainly makes sense that one day, a solar-powered car could carry people around, but right now the prototypes are small -- and do not have a lot of room inside them. The closest thing right now is an electric car that you could plug into a wall outlet inside a home with solar panels on top of it.

The power that these would generate might well be negligible, but a solar powered attic fan would bring some relief to the summer nights. Using these appliances to cool the house and get rid of unnecessary moisture would drive bills down -- as well as temperatures.

If you want to install some panels but not a full array, you can still hook it up to your hot water heater. This way, your energy has a dedicated appliance to go to, and you haven't gone to the full expense of a major array. Connect a small array of four to eight panels directly through the roof to your hot water heater. Excess energy will still enter the grid for you, but if you need the rest of the energy for your own needs, it will be there for you.

If your family does not have the money for a solar energy project right now, you can start smaller. You can put some lamps in the back yard, or even install a smaller array dedicated to one or two of you appliances. Once you build up some savings from your electric bill, you can go back and buy the rest of the array, or mix up your energy sources in another way. Either way, it's possible to start solar savings without a full array of panels.