This article was written by guest blogger, Renee Rutledge, from CalFinder.com. I've decided to share with you some guest bloggers to give other perspectives on home improvement and broaden the resources that Home Construction Improvement can offer. I hope you enjoy.
When you think of solar power, what goes through your mind? Likely, it's a rooftop vision, complete with solar panels. While generating electricity through PV panels is one of the most popular and innovative uses of solar energy, it's not the only choice out there. The sun's energy can be harvested in many creative ways, making your home a starting point for a greener lifestyle. Here are some ideas from CalFinder Solar, a free resource for homeowners.
Build a solar tree. Corporations like Google are jumping on this bandwagon, but homeowners have room to get creative with the idea, too. Essentially a carport, a solar tree provides shade for 2 to 12 cars. At the same time, the multifunctional structure is the ideal resting place for solar panels, which will then generate electricity for the home and the hybrid vehicles parked beneath them.
Add a solar sunroom. This is one addition that will keep working for you throughout the life of your home. A form of passive solar design, sunrooms don't require much maintenance once built. The sunroom is built to collect and store heat through materials and design, requiring no mechanical or moving parts to distribute that heat to the rest of the home. This is accomplished via convection through vents or conduction through a shared, thermal wall.
Light up your garden. What better way to light up your garden than with the sun? Through solar powered LED lights, the sun provides energy to brighten your flowers and patio, even at night. These lights collect solar energy during the day, storing it in rechargeable batteries with hours of prolonged use. Another plus: they're plug-free.
Get cookin'. As they knew centuries ago, you don't need a conventional oven when you've got the sun. The sun is all the energy you need to operate a solar oven, essentially the most cost-effective slow cooker around. There are 3 types of solar ovens currently available to buy or even make: box, parabolic, and panel cookers. Perfect for when you've got the time, and the appetite!
Take a warm bath. Solar thermal systems are used for heating, and they're so efficient that some locations actually require them. The technology for solar water heating is relatively simple and used throughout the world. They can reliably drop your water bill 50 to 80 percent, saving you about $300 per year. In short, more people should know about solar thermal heating!
Turn up the daylighting. Solar tubular lights have all the advantages of skylights, without allowing as much heat or cold into the home. These lights are built not only to let light in, but to distribute it evenly throughout the room. An easy and aesthetically pleasing way to reduce your reliance on the grid.
Reduce attic heat. By so doing, you will relieve your air conditioning system tremendously. The problem with attics is they not only trap all this warm air, but they're frequently poorly ventilated. Solar powered fans are a great solution. They're made with built-in solar panels that draw power directly to the motor.
Extend your swimming season. Solar pool heaters work by pumping water from the pool, through solar collectors where the water is heated, and then back into pool to complete the cycle. The price tag is about $4,000, but the payoff can happen in as little as two years of savings on heating.
Step on it. Solar thermal flooring can range from concrete to tile to a solar hydronic radiant floor. While the first two consist of passive solar design choices that naturally absorb and distribute heat, a solar hydronic radiant floor is a form of thermal heating achieved by pumping water through tubing that runs beneath the floor.
Install PV panels. By generating your own electricity, you protect yourself from hefty price hikes, save money on monthly bills, generate back-up power, and can feel the satisfaction of utilizing a free, renewable resource to create critical residential power. No wonder this is one of the most well-recognized avenues to going solar!
Renee Rutledge is the editor of CalFinder Remodeling Contractors' web publications, where she writes on what's happening in the world of remodeling, providing useful information for homeowners on all types of remodeling projects. She also contributes to to CalFinder's remodeling library and ideas gallery, where you can view remodeling pictures of completed renovation projects.
Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, home improvement advice, solar power
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