How To Reduce Fossil Fuel Consumption

Energy deficit – Sun to our rescue

First Published Date: November 6, 2014

What is it that is so abundantly available on our planet, something that is filled with heat and energy? The answer is solar power or the rays of the sun touching our planet which only seems to be growing in intensity and heating up our planet further. When one speaks about using solar energy the first thing that pops to the mind is huge investment required in putting up solar panels.

The truth is not all utilization of solar power requires investment. There are many methods in which solar energy can be used without spending any money. Some of them in fact are quite primitive but have been lost in this fast paced lifestyle.

When building your home, position your windows such that you make maximum use of sun’s rays entering your home. This will be especially useful in winter season and by doing this you can drastically reduce your electricity expense required for heating rooms. To avoid the entry of heat in summer time, you can either grow a big tree (most trees will shed leaves in winter and thus not obstruct the winter sun) or put up an awning. The great news is over 10000 American homes are powered entirely by solar energy and over 200,000 American homes utilize photovoltaic solar energy in some way or the other. Some of the developments during construction level include installing solar roof shingles, opaque glass PV facades etc.

Sun dry your clothes as much as possible. This is not only healthy but also saves on your electricity bill. With minimal investment you can install solar systems in your home that will help you heat water or power your lights and fans. While the initial investment may seem a little on the higher side the amount you save annually on your energy bills will more than make up for the initial investment. Not to mention the pride you get for having contributed your bit to saving planet earth

These are of course primitive ways of using solar energy. In the modern day solar energy is converted to storable energy through photovoltaic cells and this energy is used to light up the home at night. There is also the solar pool heating systems that helps eliminate heating expense in swimming pools and also extends the season of swimming benefiting the pool owners in many ways.

Apart from producing energy to meet their own needs Americans can also benefit from the “net metering”. When you install solar system in your residence and have excess energy produced that you do not find any use for, you can sell it back to the utility company and actually earn money.

We all need to contribute our might to save fossil fuel and instead of passing the buck, if every individual could take up the onus of doing their bit, a lot could be save not just in hard currency but in many other green ways.