Using Renewable Energy in Your Home
There has never been a better time to use renewable energy than right now. Advancements in associated technologies continue to yield greater energy-efficient products that cost less to produce and less for the consumer to purchase. State and federal financial incentives make implementing renewable energy systems even more affordable for individuals. Ever-increasing utility costs make investing in a renewable energy system today a sound financial decision. The marketability of green and sustainable practices in business continues to grow. And perhaps most importantly, renewable energy provides clean, pollution-free power.
Benefits of Renewable Energy
- Make your home more energy efficient
- Increase your home’s market value
- Improve your business’s marketability
- Increase the market value of your commercial space
- Help reduce pollution and greenhouse gas production
- Save money on monthly utility bills
The State of Energy
Today, most of the energy we use comes from power plants that generate electricity by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. These energy sources are nonrenewable, as they do not naturally replenish, and when used to generate electricity, they pollute the atmosphere with harmful chemicals such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxides and mercury.
What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy is generated from natural sources, such as sunlight and wind. These sources do not deplete, are free to utilize, e.g., you do not need to drill for sunlight or mine for wind, and can be found in abundance everywhere on Earth.
In fact, enough sunlight bathes the Earth in a single hour to generate a year’s supply of electricity for the entire world.
Thinking About Renewable Energy
Consider this: for less than the average cost of a new car, you can purchase a solar power system that will provide 60%-80% of your home’s electricity needs.
But unlike a new car, which A) begins depreciating in value the second after you’ve driven it off the dealer’s lot; B) requires fuel and maintenance, and C) only comes with a 3-year warranty, a solar power system A) increases the value of your home, B) costs nothing to operate or maintain, C) saves you money every month, and D) comes with a minimum 10-year warranty.
Every year, the average passenger car releases over 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. Installing a 4 kW solar power system has the opposite effect.
It’s time to change how we think about energy. And it starts with individuals.