Going Solar? Learn How to Save Energy and Money

Your monthly power bill eats into a considerable portion of your income. Therefore, you must cut back on your energy consumption to save money and keep it aside for better use. You can save a considerable amount if you know how to use the sun’s energy smartly to power your home and appliances. Harnessing the energy from the sun for domestic or commercial purposes is nothing new, especially if you are from California or Florida, the US states blessed with abundant sunshine. When it comes to renewable energy, Tampa residents have the choice to leverage the power of the sun and use it to run appliances, heat water, and use solar attic fans to keep cool air circulating throughout their houses, keeping temperatures down during the hot summer days. However, you need to exploit the sun’s light intelligently to save on power bills. Here are some of the best ways you can save money and energy when going solar:

Switch to Energy-Efficient Lights

Instead of replacing all your light bulbs at home, make some smart choices. You can always use the natural light from the sun to work or read at home. In case you are reading or doing a daily chore in a room poorly lit by the sun’s rays, use solar skylights or solar tubes, as they are great additions to the dark corners of your house. You can make the most of these energy-efficient bulbs provided you have light-colored walls that reflect more light. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) set new guidelines for energy-efficient bulbs, which came into effect on January 1, 2012, and requires you to use lights that are 25 percent more energy-efficient to emit the same kind of light that is measured in lumens.

The labels of energy-efficient bulbs will display the projected annual energy cost, lumens, color, watts, and life expectancy. You should look for the lumens for the level of brightness you want and watts for energy consumed. All of this information will help you choose the right bulbs for your home. Instead of using the conventional 100-watt bulbs, switch to 72-watt incandescent halogen bulbs emitting about 1,700 lumens. Even compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) emit 1,600 to 1,700 lumens using not more than 23 watts. These bulbs will save you $3 each year for every replaced bulb when used for about four to six hours daily. Moreover, CFLs will last 10 times more than traditional incandescent bulbs. So, before you install solar, make your home more energy-efficient with these lighting options.

LED bulbs emit maximum light and perform better than traditional bulbs. Though LEDs are a bit expensive than CFLs, they are more durable and usually last five years longer than CFLs. Therefore, make your choice based on your home lighting needs.

Evaluate Your Current Power Consumption

Look at your previous electricity bills to compute how much electrical energy you consumed during the summer and winter months in the past year. Keep a note of the months when there was the highest consumption. You will need to do some number crunching to determine what solar panel size you will require based on your energy use. The cost will be not much of a problem if you have already managed to save energy by switching to a green lifestyle.

Invest in an Inexpensive Home Energy Monitoring System

One of the best ways to cut back on your energy use and reduce electricity bills is by installing an affordable home energy monitoring device. This system comes with a small meter that is set up on an energy panel to transfer data to your Wi-Fi network. When combined with the device app, you will get details of your energy consumption. It will help you reduce your home energy consumption and make the most of your solar panels depending on your power consumption needs.

Reduce Appliance Power Consumption When on the Standby Mode

Did you know that some electrical appliances keep using power even when they are in a standby mode or turned off? They continue drawing electric power, and some of the devices even consume almost full power even in a standby mode. Your stereo systems, personal computers, TVs, DVD players, electronic phones, and glow bars in gas ovens all consume electricity in the standby mode. The best way to reduce consumption of these devices is by turning off the power strip when they are not used.

Add Insulation

Before you install rooftop solar panels, determine whether your house is energy-efficient or not. If not, add insulation. If you have an under-insulated attic, it may lead to a significant amount of energy loss as the heated air ascends or escapes into and out of your attic. Heat also tends to break out through the walls, particularly in old houses with poor insulation. You can insulate the window curtains or blinds that help to reduce your heating costs.

Use Energy Star Appliances

The kitchen and laundry zone of a house consume maximum electrical energy. To overcome this problem, figure out what kind of appliances you are using and how you are using them. Side-load washers, for example, consume less power than top-load machines. Instead of cooking every meal in a conduction microwave, you can prepare food on conventional gas ovens without consuming much electricity. You can also use pressure cookers to save cooking time and energy.

Refrigerators consume the most electricity if you have been using the appliance for more than 10 years. If you are planning to install solar photovoltaic (PV) system, consider replacing your old refrigerator with an energy-efficient one. Modern refrigerators, especially the ones with Energy Stars, help to reduce your monthly electricity bills to a considerable extent. Always check the number of green stars before buying any kitchen appliances. The five-star ones are the most energy-efficient. The same rule holds true for your home air conditioners.

If you want to reap the maximum benefits from renewable energy in Tampa, use energy-saving lights and appliances before going solar. Evaluate your current power consumption and learn how you can conserve it more. It will help you save your hard-earned dollars.

Whenever you want to install a new solar panel or replacing the existing one, Coast to Coast Solar Inc is the right place where you can sort out all your solar related issues.