A solar system installation from a trusted provider like DFW Solar Electric can drastically reduce your electricity consumption from your local power grid helping make your house more sustainable in 2022. Read the full article to learn more.
"Sustainable" has, unfortunately, become something of a hollow buzzword in the last decade or so. It's not uncommon to see large corporations touting their "sustainability" as a clever marketing tactic, tapping into a cultural zeitgeist that cares more about environmental protection than ever before. Some of these companies may be making a genuine effort, but digging a little deeper can often reveal business practices that are less sustainable than they may seem on the surface.
Still, sustainability is at the forefront of many Americans' minds, enough that it can even influence where they shop and eat. Homeowners, especially, may realize how much waste they generate and how much water and electricity they use every month. To make their home life more environmentally friendly, homeowners just like you are looking for ways to reduce their contribution to the problem.
Much of the responsibility for reversing our warming climate rests on world governments and the world's largest corporations. Still, voting with your ballots or dollars isn't the only way you can live a more sustainable life at your home or business. Many options are available to you, and many can begin right away.
1. Invest in the future of your home and the planet by switching to solar
Residential solar panel systems are at a popularity peak right now. In fact, "popular" might not be the correct phrase to describe this phenomenon. The growing interest in solar energy for homes or small businesses isn't just a trendy fad – it's an economically and morally driven decision for many homeowners.
A solar system installation from a trusted provider like DFW Solar Electric can drastically reduce your electricity consumption from your local power grid. Unsustainable fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) provide the energy for 60% of electricity generation in the U.S.
Burning these increasingly limited resources pumps massive amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, which climatologists agree is the driving force behind our planet's warming. Unfortunately, electricity providers have little incentive to diversify into more sustainable energy sources until current methods become unprofitable, so equipping your home or business with solar panels can pull that leash in just a bit tighter.
Environmental friendliness may not be a priority for you, and that's okay. Even so, equipping your home with solar panels (and the following four tips) promise to save you money over time.
Solar panels can be a considerable up-front investment. However, a solar system can start saving you money quickly by reducing your grid reliance, government incentives, and even loan programs.
2. Upgrade your new or existing solar array with power storage
Solar panels alone can significantly reduce the amount of energy your home needs from your local grid, but complete reduction may require an extra step.
Solar panels generate electricity immediately, ideally to be used directly. Unfortunately, they also work best during hours of peak sunlight, from late morning to late afternoon, depending on your roof's orientation.
That also happens to be when many homeowners and their families are at work or school, and then energy usage shoots back up during the evening and nighttime hours.
Ask DFW Solar Electric for your energy storage options to make the most of your solar installation. In most cases, residential solar systems can store unused energy in lithium-ion batteries. Battery storage can prove especially helpful in emergencies or grid failures, but they also can store plenty of power to get your home through those busier late-day electricity needs.
3. Reconsider your relationship to appliances
Even while reducing your public electricity consumption, you can reduce further by using the most power-hungry appliances as little as possible. Doing so can also help your solar panels power your home more efficiently.
The rogue's gallery of least efficient appliances may surprise you. Things like central AC/heating, your clothes dryer, and your refrigerator are obvious electric hogs, but your home's light fixtures may be using significant energy too.
Make your home routines more sustainable with some slight adjustments. Make changes one at a time, if that helps. For example, drying your clothes on an outdoor line, handwashing as many dishes as you can, keeping your thermostat within a reasonable temperature range, and adjusting it when you aren't home can all improve your energy consumption. Switch out your old incandescent bulbs for more efficient LD bubs is another easy goal you can achieve in segments.
4. Reduce waste with recycling and composting
Check with your local utility department and ask about recycling options. More cities provide recycling bins than not these days, and while municipal recycling isn't without its problems, it's better than all your household waste ending up in a landfill. Be sure to ask your waste disposal agency what materials can be tossed into your recycling bins – certain materials may not be recyclable. They could get the whole lot thrown in the landfill anyway rather than through a waste-sorting machine.
Similarly, composting is a great way to turn your food waste into usable materials. Even if you don't garden or care for potted plants, you probably know someone who does and would love to use fresh compost. It can be easy to imagine composting as a space-intensive and smelly endeavor. However, you can buy cheap and effective composting cans that fit under the counter or in a pantry and keep potential smells contained.
5. Make sure your home is outfitted for temperature efficiency
In particular, older homes may have small air leaks or aging insulation that allow your "store-bought" cooled or heated air to leak out. It might not be enough to notice in the ambient temperature, but that decreased efficiency in your HVAC unit can add up to a surprising amount of money over time.
While doing so, consider installing window dressings (drapes, curtains, shutters, etc.) that can also play a supporting role in your home's insulation. Windows generate a surprising amount of heat transfer between your home and the outdoors, so an extra layer of insulation can work wonders for your home's energy efficiency and sustainability.
Whatever your reasons for pursuing a greener, more sustainable home life, DFW Solar Electric knows that you care about your family's finances and the health of the planet we all share. Let us support your sustainability goals as you explore your solar power options. Call us today at 972-827-7651 or visit https://dfwsolarelectric.com to get a free estimate for your residential or commercial solar installation or to speak with one of our field experts on how your system might work. The best time to switch to solar energy may have been ten years ago, but the next best time is now.
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