These days, more people are aware of how vital the need is to protect our environment. Green energy use is not only cost effective, but it can help you to make a positive contribution towards a cleaner environment. In this article, you will find many tips for using green energy in your home or business.

Install solar panels and reap the benefits easily. But before you do this, there are a few things you must take into account. One thing to factor into your considerations is the amount of sun your house actually gets over the year. If you live in a shady place, or a location with a cloudy climate, solar isn’t the choice for you.

Replace and clean furnace filters yearly, and check them monthly. If your air intakes and registers do not have filters, take the time to install them. This will help ensure debris doesn’t enter heating ducts, thereby reducing your efficiency.

When not at home, use window coverings. This allows your home to be kept cool when you aren’t there, and in addition, it helps keep energy costs down. Typically windows on the southern side of the home receive the most sun. Dark drapes, or even energy-efficient lined drapes, are your best bet.

Instead of using a clothes dryer, hang your clothes in the sun to dry in the summer months. The smell of clothes dried in the fresh air cannot be topped. They’ll smell so much better than if you shoved them into a dryer! Also, your utility bills will be greatly decreased.

If you clean your dishes using a dishwasher, don’t run it until it’s completely full. A half load uses the exact same amount of water and energy as a full one. When you do operate your dishwasher, be sure to make use of the energy-saving feature, which air-dries your dishes.

When thinking about home solar systems, think about how much energy will be produced during winter. As winter sunlight is much lower than summer, you will want to be able to plan for higher energy costs in winter. If you have a net usage program you will get money returned to you from your utility company for energy generated by you.

One way to save energy is to limit the use of electrical heaters in the winter. Instead, wear multiple layers, slippers and socks, or even consider investing in a stove or fireplace. Cooler air is better for sleeping anyway, because it prevents airways from becoming dry.

Active Solar Power

Try to learn about passive and active solar power. Active solar power is stored so it can be used later, but passive doesn’t need pricey solar panel cells to store power. Active power uses solar panels, cells and mechanical systems. Passive is just used via the sun for storing the thermal energy in the walls of your home to heat it.

There are a great deal of products you can buy to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Use products such as double-glazed windows or eco-friendly doors to help reduce your energy usage without sacrificing your home’s needs. If you use these products extensively, you will see quite a bit of savings on your energy bills.

Use a laptop for your computing needs rather than a power hungry desktop. Making this switch can reduce your power consumption by up to 75%. This is especially true if you are an Internet addict or do heavy word processing. Plus, you can take your laptop with you anywhere you go!

Renewable Energy

Pay careful attention to rebates that may help you save money on renewable energy. Ask your utility company if they offer rebates for green energy upgrades. Also look into tax deductions offered by the government that may apply to your green energy technology. These rebates, credits, and other allowances can make it much more affordable to install renewable energy equipment on your property.

Switch as much of your correspondence as possible to email. Going paperless can help the environment in many ways. Reducing your consumption of paper saves energy on production costs, along with the costs of shredding documents in your home. This benefits everyone in society along with your own business.

Watch watt usage carefully. Devices like Watt Minder and Kill-A-Watt can help you determine the highest energy-usage culprits in your home. Using these devices with your appliances will tell you how much energy is used. This can show what your appliance is costing you.

Trim your fuel usage by carpooling to more places than just work. Parents can trade off driving duties and carpool neighborhood kids to school together. You could also start doing your grocery shopping with neighbors or friends and switch on and off with who does the driving.

To maximize energy efficiency, you should plan to weatherize your home. You can seal ducts, add in insulation, and put in new windows and cooling systems that are energy efficient so that you can reduce the energy it takes to operate your home. Not only that, you will also have a much lower energy bill!

Heat each individual room separately to save energy and money on your heat bill. You can use floor heating solutions to accomplish this, and include one main board that gives you the ability to individually select the temperature in each area. This is great if your home is big.

Ceiling fans are not just useful in the summer. Warm air is pushed down when the fan is running in a clockwise rotation. The little electricity used to run your fan is offset by what you save with your energy costs due to needing the furnace less often.

If you care about the environment, then you are going to want to apply the tips that you’ve learned today. Reduce your carbon footprint by maximizing your home’s energy efficiency. It will be more than worth the effort when the savings start adding up.