Solar Electrical Systems

Suggestions to Help You Reduce Your Energy Usage

Solar energy is just the beginning of low-energy, cost-effective living. Try these great green tips and suggestions to save even more money on household utilities.

• Replace your air conditioner with an energy efficient Energy Star air conditioner.
• Replace your noisy, out-of-date refrigerator with a sleek Energy Star model.
• If you don’t need your spare refrigerator, just get rid of it. If you do need it, make sure that refrigerator is an Energy Star model.
• Tankless water heaters are more efficient and cost less to run than traditional water heaters.
• Set your water heater temperature setting no higher than 120 degrees.
• If you have a pool or spa, replace the pump with a variable speed model.
• There’s tremendous savings in running the pool or spa pump during off-peak hours (before 10 am and after 6 PM). Make sure you only run the pump(s) as needed and no longer for additional savings.
• Cover your pool or spa with an insulating cover to keep the heat in. It also keeps the pool free of debris and animals during periods of extended non-use.
• Take a bite out of vampire power. 5% of the total power used in the U.S. is due to standby power.  Plug devices into easy-to-reach power strips and turn them off when not in use.
• It’s easy to forget to turn off the lights, so why not put them on a timer? You can also use motion detectors to turn the lights off when no one is in the room.
• Replace all your windows with double pane windows.
• Insulate you walls and roof to save even more on your energy bill.
• Replace indoor / outdoor incandescent bulbs with compact, energy-saving fluorescents.
• Replace your old thermostat with a programmable model.
• Lower heater setting to 65 degrees at night (Lowering the temperature from 72 degrees to 65 degrees can save you 10% on your electric bill.)
• Ceiling fans can be a great alternative to air conditioning on mildly warm Southern California days.
• An attic fan is absolutely essential to any house’s climate control strategy.  In the summer, an attic fan prevents damage by pushing super-heated air outside and cools the house overall. In the winter, it keeps the attic cool to prevent damage from over-running the heater.
• We’ve learned to rely too much on air conditioning.  A whole house fan can keep you cool and happy on most days.
• Change your furnace filter often to keep the air not only clean of allergens and contaminants, but also to maximize airflow.