8 Ways You Can Get the Most From Your Solar Energy Panels

More and more Americans care about their impact on the environment than ever before. Accordingly, more people rely on renewable energy options than ever before. Approximately 10% of the energy used around the country, in 2015, came from renewable energy sources. Solar energy use saves about 75 million barrels of oil every year. If you have solar power panels installed on your home, there are things you can do to get the biggest bang for your solar buck.

1. Use less energy. Conserving energy is a good idea no matter where you get your electricity. This can be pretty easy for most people to do. Merely changing your settings on your thermostat can do a lot. During the winter, lowering the temperature by two degrees can reduce your energy usage by 6%. You can also unplug devices when they are not in use. Small steps can make a big difference.
2. Use LED lights. LED lighting is much cheaper than incandescent light bulbs. Traditional light bulbs use most of the energy they use to create heat, not light. As much as 90% of the power consumed by an incandescent light bulb is turned into heat. That means only 10% is used to produce light. By contrast, all of the energy used by LED lights is converted to light. These also only need about 10% of the power of traditional bulbs. This is a great way to reduce energy usage.
3. Skip the standby option. There is a multitude of devices in your home that has "standby" as an option. These include televisions, gaming equipment, kitchen appliances, and computers. Whether you use renewable energy or not, these draw a lot of electricity while in the standby mode. There are two things you can do to keep them from running up your power bill when not in use. You can install switchable sockets or you can unplug them.
4. Have an energy audit done. After you have made the switch to renewable energy, it helps to get an idea of what devices are using most of the power in your home. You may find that making some selective upgrades can save you money sooner than later.
5. Get a new water heater. Traditional water heaters have a tank of water that is kept warm by a flame that needs gas to run. You can get an instantaneous water heater that has no tank but will heat water as it is needed. This will have the added benefit of giving you more hot water when you want it. Your solar power system can supply you the energy for all your hot water needs during warmer months.
6. Use appliances that need a lot of electricity during the day hours. If your renewable energy source is solar panels, if you use your washer, dryer, or dishwasher during the day, these will be powered by the solar panels. Your solar energy system is most productive during the time when the sun is up.
7. Reconfigure your heating system. Most solar power systems for homes have some storage capability. Often when this kind of renewable energy system has a storage system that is a decent size, you can use infrared radiators to heat your home. You can get these radiators in a number of styles. These are useful in taking advantage of any excess power from your solar system to keep your home comfortable when it is cold outside.
8. Charge all your batteries with solar. Most households use a lot of items that use electricity and have batteries. These include electric cars and scooters, wheelchairs, lawn mowers, and scooters. You can get the power to charge up all of these items with the solar power you generate on your roof. If you have an electric car, you will have to install a wall box charger to get it the power it needs.

Today's consumers are much more aware of the impact they have on the environment. The choices that are being made about renewable energy or what appliances to get are often influenced by a desire to lower their footprint. If that sounds like you, these tips can help you get the most from your new solar panel system.

3 Factors to Consider When Looking for a New Energy Provider

If you're moving to a new house, or re-evaluating the services at your current house, you may find yourself looking for a new energy provider. Choosing between utility suppliers is not always an easy task. So to help you find the right provider for your energy needs, here are a few considerations you'll want to make during your search.

Compare costs between providers: One of the first things homeowners tend to look at when choosing an energy provider is the cost. Energy is something you use every single day in your home, around the clock. So, of course, it makes sense that you'd want the lowest cost possible. Start by compiling a list of a few local providers so you can talk to each one and see what they have to offer. And while you may be tempted to go with the least expensive option, always remember that quality should also be a high priority.

Make customer service a priority: When you choose any service for your home, whether it's electricity, water, or Internet, you always want to make sure the company you choose values customer service. You also want to find out where the customer service department is based out of, is the customer service team that you are contacting located in the United States?  The bottom line is that you want a friendly, accessible customer service team that you won’t have to wait days for to respond to you and help you with your question or problem. 

Look for renewable energy options: And lastly, it's important to consider what kind of services the company can offer you -- specifically, whether or not they offer use of renewable energy sources. With more and more people realizing the importance of protecting the planet, more utility suppliers are offering green energy options. In fact, in 2015 alone, about 13% of U.S. electricity was generated from renewable energy sources. This means energy companies are either using sustainable energy options, like windmills and solar energy, or are working with their customers to help develop and expand renewable generation facilities.

It's important to find a utility provider that prioritizes customer needs, offers reasonable rates and offers products that match your needs and lifestyle. So please remember to keep these factors in mind when looking for the best provider for your energy needs.

3 Facts to Know Before Investing in Renewable Energy

Over the past few years, more and more people have been focusing on ways to go green with their energy. There are plenty of rewards for using less energy, like saving on your energy expenses and helping the environment. But if you're considering investing in renewable energy sources, there are a few important things you should know about sustainable energy. So let's take a look at a few interesting facts about renewable energy.

Solar energy is extremely reliable. Traditional sources of energy, like coal and oil, aren't always reliable -- these resources will eventually run out. Fortunately, the sun isn't going to go away anytime soon. This means that solar energy is one of the most dependable energy options. Experts say that if we could properly harness solar energy, the sun would provide enough energy in just one hour to provide the world's energy needs for an entire year. And since solar energy saves 35 Million Tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, there's really no reason not to invest in solar power.

Renewable energy is creating jobs. Investing in renewable energy doesn't just help the environment, it helps people too. Energy sources like solar and wind are creating jobs all around the country. The growing green energy industry means there are more factories to be built and worked at, more wind turbines to be constructed, and more solar panels to be installed. All in all, the renewable energy industry has already created millions of jobs and that number will continue to rise.

Greenhouse gases aren't a problem with renewable energy. Fossil fuels emit greenhouse gases -- which are essentially warming our atmosphere and contributing to global warming. But green sources of energy, like wind, solar, and hydropower, don't cause this issue. These sources of energy definitely have more positives than negatives and are great for the environment.

There are endless rewards for using less energy and investing in sustainable energy sources. So if you've been thinking about using renewable energy sources, now is a great time to do so -- you'll save on energy expenses and feel good about your choice to help the environment!