With the cost of electricity and heating oils on the rise, more and more people are looking into alternative sources of energy. And the solar power seems to be the best solution to the problem. With an increasing number of innovations coming to the market, it is becoming more affordable (if still somewhat on the expensive side) to upgrade to this new technology. However, if you cannot afford to invest into solar panel, there are other ways you can use the sun to your benefit.
Here are a few products worth looking into:
- Skylights—not only do they provide additional light, which will help you save on the electric bill, nowadays they also come in a large variety; one of which are tubular skylights that allow you to adjust the illumination factor with a dim switch.
- Solar Cookers—a great solution for outdoor cooking. These types of ovens heat up using solar power and allow you to boil, bake or steam in about half the time than conventional cookers. One product from Sun Ovens International even comes in a compact size for your camping activities.
- Attic Fans—the conventional variety is a good choice to begin with as it fans out the hot air that builds up in your attic and can save you up to 10% of the AC costs but a solar powered fan is the best option. Not only does it save you money on your electric bill by using solar power, it can also fan out about 1800 square feet of hot air.
- Water Heaters—although not inexpensive addition to you household upgrades, solar powered water heaters will save you a lot of money in a long run both on your electric and water bills. Some of the manufacturers offer a solar water preheating system that hooks up to your tank, which gives you the upgrade without having to implement a lot of other changes.
- Home Heating—whole house heating system are the most expensive green upgrade available (other than the solar panels) but there are other option on the market, for instance one-room heating systems. The panels can be set up on the side of the house and increase the temperature in a 150 square foot room by 15 to 20 degrees F. They come equipped with temperature controls, which allow you to set it up to the levels comfortable to you and overall will save you 20-30% on your electricity bills.
