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 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!

The Pros And Cons Of Solar Energy

A lot has changed in the recent years of solar energy. Science has advanced and our understanding of the changing climate has called for more serious efforts in the solar energy market. In 2015, 10% of the energy consumed by Americans was from renewable sources. By 2017 that number was 11%, which is almost nominal. However, half of that renewable energy produces electricity and accounts for 13% of U.S. electricity consumption. Now renewable energy accounts for 17% of U.S. electricity consumption.

What that data dump ultimately means is Americans are generating around the same amount of electricity from renewable energy sources, but utilizing it more efficiently to create electricity.

That being said, there are still some pros and cons you should be aware of if you're looking to start using green energy.

Pros of Using Solar Energy:

• A Sustainable Renewable Resource
• This is the biggest pro because solar energy comes from the sun. This particular resource keeps on giving day after day.
• Generally Cheaper Than Traditional Energy
• In general, green energy services are often cheaper than other forms of energy. Because of up and coming solar farms and community solar energy projects, solar energy is a beneficial option for both you and the environment.
• Tax Credit For Using Solar Energy
• The federal solar tax credit was extended to 2020, giving you more savings for your solar energy.

Cons of Using Solar Energy:

• Can Be Costly To Install
• Though the overall cost of going solar can be a lot cheaper, getting fully installed solar energy panels on your home can cost more at one time than just staying with your current energy utility.
• You May Not Catch A Lot Of Sun 
• You could try to access a community solar farm if you're lucky enough to have one near you. Most likely you will want to install solar panels on your home. If your roof is covered by trees or you just don't catch much sun where you live, you may not be able to actually get solar power.

Green energy services are working every day to make it easier to access solar energy. Recent years have seen updates to important components to solar systems, like batteries which can hold better reserve energy when it's not too cloudy. Combine that with the falling cost of solar energy overall and you have a system where the pros are starting to outweigh the cons.

Biggest Summer Energy Expenses and How to Reduce Them

If you're looking for ways to save some money so you can spend it on fun-filled summer activities, you should start by evaluating your energy expenses. Summer tends to cause an increase in energy bills -- fortunately, there are easy ways to reduce these costs.

Biggest Summer Energy Expenses

Like every other time of the year, summer comes with its own unique energy challenges. Let's look at a few of the biggest culprits for increasing energy bills.

Cranking up the air conditioning: When the temperatures start to rise, everyone's first instinct is to turn up the AC. And while it's nice to have a cool, comfortable home, air conditioning can cause your energy bills to increase significantly. So try to remember that the closer the temperature is inside to outside, the lower your energy bills will be. Try other methods to cool down like opening windows for a cross breeze and utilize ceiling and floor fans.

Letting cool air escape: If your home has cracks and leaks around windows or doors, you may be letting your cooled air sneak out of your home. While this may not seem like a big use of energy, sealing air leaks and ensuring your home is properly insulated can save you up to 20% on cooling bills. When there are even small holes or leaks, your cooled air can easily escape, making your cooling costs skyrocket.

Using more hot water: With the kids out of school, your dishwasher and washing machine are probably running more often. And it's important to remember that you'll use the same amount of water whether or not the machine is completely full. So to avoid wasting water and energy, make sure you're always doing a full load of dishes or clothes.

Renewable Energy Options to Consider

Fortunately, if you consider using sustainable sources of energy, you can save significant amounts on your energy bills all year long. There are plenty of sustainable sources of energy to explore to fit your wants and needs.

Solar panels: With solar energy becoming one of the most popular renewable energy sources, solar panel costs continue to decrease. Even if you can only afford one or two, utilizing solar energy is a great way to save money on energy expenses, especially with the hot summer sun beating down.

Solar oven: If you're looking for more of a DIY source of sustainable energy, you should consider making your own solar oven to cook your meals with. They're easily made out of a few common materials and work by trapping sunlight. This is a great project to get the whole family involved with too.

Hydroelectric power: If you have a source of flowing water nearby, you can make some of the water flow through a turbine to produce energy. While you may need a professional to help install the hydropower generator, it's a great way to utilize natural resources to help power your home.

By exploring some sustainable sources of energy and being smart about how you're using energy at home, you can significantly reduce your energy costs this summer.

Hawaii College on Track to Run Completely on 100% Renewable Energy by 2035

Three years ago, Hawaii pledged to use renewable energy sources to generate all of its electricity by 2045. While the whole state is working towards this goal, the University of Hawaii (UH) is stepping up to do its part. Working with the Hawaiian Legislature, UH set a goal for the university to be "net-zero" by January 1, 2035. "Net-zero" means the total amount of energy that is consumed by the university will equal the amount of energy it creates.

University officials announced that UH's Maui College is set to be the first U.S. college campus to use solar systems to completely make the switch from fossil fuels. The university hopes the system will be up and running by 2019 and will consist of 2.8 megawatts of solar PV.

"We are proud to move the entire University of Hawaii System closer to its net-zero energy mandate, to celebrate UH Maui College's achievement and to position the Oahu community college campuses within reach of 100 percent renewable energy generation," said UH Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton.

Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, Kapiolani Community College, and Windward Community College are not far behind the Maui campus and are planning to see reductions of fossil fuel use by at least 70%.

This sustainable energy project is not only saving the state energy and money, but providing educational options for these college students as well.

How Can You Start Saving Energy?

When you see the bill you get from your electricity company, you may be wondering how you can reduce your energy use at home. Let's discuss a few energy saving tips you can try.

Change your lightbulbs: Homeowners can reduce their energy use by up to 80% simply by utilizing today's energy-efficient LED, CFL, and halogen incandescent light bulbs. If you're still using traditional light bulbs in your house, now is the time to make the switch. Your electricity company may even have some suggestions for which light bulbs would be best.

Install new windows and doors. The windows and doors in your house might not be doing their job as well as you may think. Hot and cool air both escape through inefficient windows and doors, costing homeowners money on bloated HVAC bills. By choosing energy efficient models that stop air leaks, you can ensure your home stays comfortable without racking up your energy bill. 

While it may not seem like these little things make a difference, they really do! In today's society, every little bit of energy reduction helps -- so do what you can to reduce your energy use at home.

How Are Big Businesses Contributing to the Renewable Energy Movement

Renewable energy has been a major topic of discussion over the past few years. From individual homeowners to giant corporations, more and more people are going green when it comes to getting electrical power. In fact, over half of U.S. renewable power sources are used for producing electricity, with about 13% of U.S. electricity being generated from renewable sources in 2015 alone. But are big companies continuing to go green this year?
Despite the U.S. government seemingly going in the opposite direction, big companies are, in fact, investing more in sustainable sources of energy. In 2017, we saw a lot of companies head in the renewable direction, including Starbucks, General Motors, General Mills, and Target.
According to Kevin Haley, marketing manager at the Rocky Mountain Institute's' Business Renewable Center, "an increasing number of non-utility buyers ... believe they need to be part of the sustainability solution." Haley added that the decreasing prices of these renewable sources are sure to be a motivating factor as well.
Already this year, renewable energy deals are expected to surpass the 2.78 gigawatts worth of power last year's deals saw. Between 2008 and 2013, there were only four big companies that signed deals for renewable power sources. But between 2013 and 2018, 51 more companies jumped on the green train.

These companies recognize that climate change is a problem and that there is a relatively easy way they can help reduce their impact on the environment.

Benefits of Using Renewable Energy Options
So why exactly are people making the shift towards more sustainable options? For starters, these renewable sources produce little to no harmful emissions. Nonrenewable sources, like coal, produce harmful amounts of CO2 and are continuing to contribute to global warming. But by making the switch to sustainable choices, people can significantly reduce their CO2 emissions.
Additionally, these harmful emissions provided by non sustainable sources are impacting public health. The pollution emitted by coal and other energy sources has been linked to health issues like breathing problems, cancer, and heart attacks. Deciding to use wind, solar, or hydroelectric power doesn't have this same negative effect on public health.
With the numerous benefits sustainable energy sources can offer, like less harmful emissions and lower costs, there's no reason for people to not make the switch. These sustainable sources can constantly replenish energy sources and help the environment in the process.