Inexpensive Ways to Use Solar Power at Home
I live in the desert Southwestern areas of the United States, and solar power is something I’ve been heavily interested in for years. Since this section of the U.S. usually gets over three hundred days of strong sun each year, I figure it’s time for me to take advantage of that.
Putting in a full solar powered home energy system can be expensive though, particularly if you have a large family. Once it finally occured to me that I can do things in small steps instead of all at once, I started making better progress with lowering my electric bills.
I can’t stomach the thought of spending two to three hundred dollars or more each and every month for the entire rest of my life. So the first step I decided to take was reducing consumption.
– I replaced every lightbulb I could with the energy efficient “pigtail” bulbs. This has made the biggest difference in our electric bills so far, knocking as much as $100 and more off the total bill each month.
– I sealed up various cracks and drafy spots around the house. This house is old and unfortunately it has lots of drafts that let hot air in during the summer and cold air in during the winter. Blocking the drafts made a huge difference in keeping the house at more comfortable temperatures throughout the year.
– I started using more of the sun’s natural solar energy. In the wintertime I try to open my curtains during the day so the sun’s warmth can help heat things up. I also place water jugs in the sun so they can store heat during the day. At night, these are excellent heat source supplements to our small space heater.
I’ve also been trying out various forms of natural convection heating, solar power heating, and I’ve been learning how to create my own solar panels too.
After a bit of research I found I can buy ready made solar panels for $700-$1000 then install them myself, and this will save $1000 or more on installation. Making your own solar panels is actually quick and easy to do though, and that can cost as little as $150-$200. Since you can get started with just one or two solar panels instead of putting the entire system in place all at once, this makes the initial cost outlay much easier to cope with.