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4 ways to lower your bill and invest in renewable energy

Author: Cynthia Madison
by Cynthia Madison
Posted: Feb 18, 2019
solar energy

Many countries in the world started to notice the dramatic effects that pollution and overpopulation have on the environment, which made them take some initiatives to change the situation. Raising people’s awareness on this topic is a necessity in today’s world, where most states rely on coal, oil, and gas for their whole supply of energy. There are just a few countries that are actually investing in using clean energy instead. The top goes as follows: Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, Spain, Norway, the UK, Finland, Austria, and Poland. Norway and Sweden should be granted a special place in this top because these are states that actively work to improve their situation and seem to offer more attention to this matter than other states in the world. The most common types of renewable energy are solar energy (adopted in homes), hydroelectricity and wind energy.

When it comes to finding the more appropriate solution to adopt for your own home, as the state you live in is not developed enough to power entire cities through renewable energy, one of the widely selected options is represented by solar energy. Of course, you get the chance to choose other methods as well, such as installing your own wind turbine or your own hydropower source (if you live near a stream of the river). This article will describe each type of renewable energy and help people make a decision regarding how to use clean energy in their homes exclusively.

A power shift: solar energy

The first option that pops in people’s minds when discussing renewable energy has to do with solar energy. In order to obtain solar energy, one must invest in solar panels. These structures are usually placed on the roof of the house and they generate electricity through a photoelectric process. The use of solar panels was discovered back in 1839 when the photoelectric effect was discovered. Solar panels are based on photovoltaic cells, which produce electricity. The process is simple: light (coming from the sun) hits the solar panel and the electrons are activated by that light, thus making energy move around. This transforms in electrical current.

The more powerful the light is, the stronger the electrical current will be. Installing solar panels and using this type of clean energy saves people hundreds of dollars per year while being beneficial for the planet. Like other renewable energy types, the only downside is that solar energy depends on the existence of light. This is why another investment should be considered: a battery where all the energy is stored. Releasing the energy accumulated during sunny days whenever the person needs it is paramount for comfortable use. That is an additional investment besides the actual installation of the solar panels. Fortunately, installing solar panels became quite common and affordable today, transforming it into a great alternative to consuming fossil fuels. In America alone, around $8 billion was invested in solar projects, solar companies, and local jobs. It is expected that the solar power quantity will be increased with 1500% every five years, as well as dropping its prices considerably.

Double glazed windows

Although installing supply only double glazed windows is not as extensive as changing the power supply in your home, the impact on the environment will be significantly reduced and you will be happy to discover that your bills are lower too. In fact, once you decide to invest in a form of renewable energy, installing eco-friendly windows becomes a necessity if you want to zero your bill. Popular among homeowners for their noise-reduction capabilities, these windows are actually beneficial for a larger number of reasons, including reducing heat exchange and preventing humidity. According to Trade Windows 4U, the number of homeowners switching to double glazed windows has increased considerably in the past years, as more and more families want to enjoy their incredible financial and environmental benefits.

Wind power – an alternative to solar energy

Consumers that live in areas where the sun is not as friendly and can’t rely exclusively on solar panels have another option that they can consider, which is represented by wind power. Wind energy is renewable and turbines for individual homes started to be manufactured quite recently. The mechanism behind it is also simple. Wind hits the turbine, causing its blades to spin. The spinning (which should have around 10 rotations per minute for average results) cause magnets to rotate around coils of wire in a generator which is included in the wind turbine. This gives birth to an electrical current that is then sent into an electrical system. Wind turbines can produce energy for an entire city, but one wind turbine is enough to produce energy for one household, thus reducing the energy costs tremendously.

In areas of the world where the wind is constant, wind power represents a steady supply of energy that doesn’t use any type of fossil fuel to function. It is the least expensive type of renewable energy that a country can choose. The only disadvantage that using a wind turbine has would be represented by noise pollution. Since the turbine is placed quite close to the house, this might be an inconvenience, but there are sound barriers that might help people tackle this obstacle.

Hydroelectric power systems

A small-scale hydroelectric system is not expensive to build and it is also very reliable, as long as the house is located near an active water source. One household can save around $5000 per year by using hydroelectric power, making it one of the most cost-effective option. Evidently, the main downside is represented by the inaccessibility to water sources by all households. A small-scale power plant can provide with energy one household at all times. Large facilities of hydroelectric power constitute around 20% of the whole world’s energy production.

About the Author

Cynthia Madison is a young blogger and economics and marketing graduate. She writes about home, lifestyle and family topics and is a senior contributor to popular niche publications.

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  • bekarbarta  -  5 years ago

    Thank you for this article, Need more বেকার বার্তা, Bekarbarta, Primary school, circular 2019

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Author: Cynthia Madison
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Cynthia Madison

Member since: Jun 30, 2017
Published articles: 95

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