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The US
Department of Energy Says...
"Your home
uses energy every day, all day long. It uses energy to keep you warm
in the
winter and cool in the summer. It uses energy to provide you with light
when you need it. It
uses energy to provide you with hot water. And it uses energy to run all
of your appliances
and home electronics."
This is what you can do to conserve energy, protect the Earth, and save
money! The US
Department of Energy gives you the following information and advice...
Electricity
It's hard to imagine life without electricity. In our homes, we rely on
it to power our lights,
appliances, and electronics. Many of us also use electricity to provide
our homes with hot
water, heat, and air conditioning.
But as we use more electricity in our homes, our electric bills rise. In
turn, fossil-fueled power
plants not only generate more electricity, but also more pollution. The
continued reliance on
and depletion of fossil-fuel resources threatens our energy security.
Reducing Your Electricity Use
There are many ways you can reduce electricity use in your home and help
reduce your
energy bills. Also, if you're interested in using a small renewable
energy system to make
your own electricity, reducing your electricity loads will help make your
system more cost
effective.
You can reduce electricity use in your home by focusing on where and how
you use
electricity in these areas:
Appliances and electronics
Purchase energy-efficient products and operate them efficiently.
Lighting
Purchase energy-efficient products, operate them efficiently, and
incorporate more daylighting
into your home using energy-efficient windows and skylights.
Electric space heating and cooling
Purchase energy-efficient electric systems and operate them efficiently.
Incorporate passive
solar design concepts into your home, which include using
energy-efficient windows. Properly
insulate and air seal your home. Select an energy-efficient heating
system that doesn't use
electricity.
Electric water heating
Purchase an energy-efficient electric water heater and operate it
efficiently. Or select an
energy-efficient water heater that doesn't use electricity.
Lighting
Artificial lighting consumes almost 15% of a household's electricity use.
Use of new lighting
technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50%–75%.
You can reduce lighting energy use by selecting lighting and sources that
use energy more
efficiently, and by installing lighting controls.
Solar Power
The use of solar power in the home is becoming an attractive proposition
for a growing number
of people. Once thought of as an idea only found in science fiction,
solar power is now
becoming a very real prospect. Many people use solar power by harnessing
the sun's energy
to heat their homes and to run different appliances. It is an economical
and earth-friendly way
to bring power into the home.
There are a number of ways you can use solar power in the home. Some
homes in California
run basically from solar power. The utility bills for these zero-energy
homes have cut power
consumption by 50 to 70%.
wisegeek.com
Please visit
Strayer Solar to get
information about solar power for your home or business
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