Are you interested in switching to renewable energy?
There are many reasons to switch to green energy options.
From saving a few bucks on energy bills to doing your bit for the planet, powering your home with renewable energy makes sense. There are also many tax incentives for people switching to green energy options.
Because of this, the days when solar panels and wind turbines were a fantasy of hippies are over. Nowadays, solar and wind energy is popular and mainstream.
In fact, the percentage of electricity generated from renewables has risen significantly in recent years, from just a 2-3 percent to over 15 percent.
With so many people switching to green energy options, it’s important to know what to choose for your home. It’s not cheap to install renewable energy systems, but once you have, you’ll enjoy the benefits by saving the planet and money. Let’s take a look!
1. Solar Energy
Solar energy is undoubtedly the most common and simplest way to generate energy domestically if you’re interested in green energy options. It’s incredible that human societies haven’t taken greater advantage of the free and endless power of the sun.
Solar Panels
While it’s by no means the only choice, solar panels are normally installed on the roof of your house. But you can also install them in your backyard.
The amount of electricity you can generate from your solar panels is mostly dependent on the latitude and orientation of the panels. But it’s possible to generate the majority of your electricity needs during sunny spells.
Solar Shingles
But if you’re also looking to replace your roof tiles soon, you could consider investing in solar shingles. Solar shingles are rooftop tiles that also act as solar panels.
You can purchase solar shingles from an increasing number of different companies. Most notably, Tesla’s Elon Musk announced the Tesla Solar Roof. But you can also purchase solar shingles from SunTegra.
Solar Air Conditioning
You can also cool your home with the heat of the sun with solar air conditioning (A/C). This is the same idea as a solar water heater, which is also a great use of solar energy.
The reason why solar is especially useful for A/C is that it’s so energy intensive. if you live in warmer climate, you could find that A/C is almost half of your overall electricity consumption in the hottest months.
What to Consider
The obvious downside of solar energy is that it only works when the sun is shining. However, it’s also true that solar panels work from light, so if it’s cloudy outside, they’ll still work fine.
But it’s also important to consider which way your roof faces, north or south? This could affect how energy you generate.
Nonetheless, whether it’s the right decision for you to get solar panels on your roof or not, is mostly dependent on how much sun you get.
This means that for all the benefits of solar energy, you’ll also need to keep the lights on when the sun isn’t shining.
Thus, you might want to also get energy from the national grid or another one of our green energy options to power your home the rest of the time.
2. Biomass Boilers
While many people know about the potential of solar energy to power their homes, fewer people realize the benefits of domestic biomass boilers.
Biomass boilers are great for reducing your carbon footprint and living a sustainable lifestyle. This is especially true if you were previously using gas and oil to heat your home.
You can start heating your home with a biomass boiler straight away. All you need is plenty of wood to burn.
The problem with biomass boilers is always sourcing the fuel. But it doesn’t have to be difficult. Many people find their own source of fuel, others find a local supplier.
But you also need to make sure you have a place to store the fuel. This needs to keep the fuel dry and needs to be big enough to have lots in stock. You never know when you’re going to need lots.
Finally, you need to make sure you have the space to install the biomass boiler. They can be quite large. In fact, most biomass boilers are significantly larger than conventional boilers.
But once set up, you’ll enjoy the benefits of having your own source to heat your home. This is a great choice for heating if you want live off-grid.
3. Wind Power
Most people think of wind power as coming in two main forms. This includes on-shore wind farms and offshore wind turbines. But you can also install a small wind turbine on your to take advantage of the breezy wind above your roof.
The decision to have a wind turbine on your home is mostly down to personal taste. Many people think that wind turbines are ugly and noisy. Plus, there are some laws and regulations that could prevent you from installing wind turbines on your roof.
However, if you want to show off your green credentials and you’re not prohibited by any regulations, wind power is a great option.
You might be surprised to find out that wind power is much more of a consistent provider of energy than solar. And if you go for a large wind turbine, you can generate a significant portion of your energy from it.
Therefore, if you live in a windy town, wind power could be the best one of the green energy options for you.
The Green Energy Options for You!
Many people think that green energy options are expensive and inefficient. But this is changing as more and more people are going green.
There are many green energy options out there, but you have to choose what suits you. You can start saving money and the planet by switching to renewable energy today!
If you’re interested in finding out more about going green, get in touch!