The average household uses about 400 gallons of water and 32 kilowatt hours of electricity a day. In these modern times, you don’t have to make big, extreme changes to your home or lifestyle in order to change that. You can conserve natural resources, while also saving the resources in your bank account. Green technology is becoming more prevalent and cheaper to make, giving you plenty of options for home improvement projects.
Solar Panels
Solar panels are becoming cheaper and simpler to install by the day. Not to mention smaller, better looking and more efficient. You can even get solar shingles, so that they blend right into your roof. You can choose to either buy or lease the equipment. Leasing usually ensures that you won’t have to worry about maintenance; it will kind of be like you just made the switch to a new power company. This may depend on where you are located- for instance, solar in California is one of the most accessible and saturated marketplaces. If you don’t want to go full solar, you can pick and choose certain appliances to convert, one large example being a solar hot water heater. However, you could even go as small as solar powered outdoor lights to begin with.
Energy Management
There are ways to lessen the carbon footprint of your home without making any major energy changes, all you have to do is manage it correctly. One tool that makes this easy is a home energy monitor. It can be hooked up to a smart power meter so that it can track the energy flow throughout your home. It can even send data to your computer and mobile device. This means that you’ll know how much energy is used when and where, maybe even down to the exact outlet. Home thermostats are now programmable, as well. You can set it to adjust at certain times of day, so you aren’t just blasting heat or cold indiscriminately. You’ll never have to remember to turn it up before leaving the house again. You can also manage unnecessary power drainage by using a smart power strip. These power strips ensure that while not in use, appliances and electronics won’t continue to use power in stand-by mode.
Wind Energy
If you have the space, you can play out your own Don Quixote fantasy while harnessing the power of the wind for yourself with a backyard wind turbine. You would need to have a decent sized yard and live in a place with enough wind to make it worth it. The U.S. Department of Energy has a map that can tell you if you live in a suitable area. States like Texas and Washington are good places for this technology. The turbine can be large, so be sure to check with your HOA if you live in a neighborhood. They used to be noisy, but new low-noise turbines are now available on the market. The energy production is dependent on the amount of wind that is available, so this may not provide enough energy to power your entire home, but could be used as a supplemental source.
Water Recycling
Between washing your hands, cooking and showering, a lot of water gets used in the average household. Used water, if it is not contaminated by feces or bacteria, is called gray wastewater. It is possible to filter and reuse this water within your own system. You can install a filtered or unfiltered system to your appliances and bathroom plumbing to catch used water in a reservoir. This water can be redistributed to your yard irrigation, to your toilet tank or back to your appliances. If you don’t want to mess with your plumbing, you can also set up rain barrels at strategic points around your gutter system or your yard to catch rainwater.
If you are consuming less electricity and water, your bills will reflect that. Many of these upgrades will also help you become more self-sufficient. You can feel good about the impact you are having on the planet. Energy is a precious commodity- why not gain a little more autonomy in your home and in your life?
