Many of us want to reduce our carbon footprint, but don’t know where to start.
Thanks to advancements in technology, there are more ways to increase energy efficiency and produce green energy than ever before.
Some are easy while others are more complicated, but you can do many of them all on your own. Here are 5 DIY green energy options for your home.
Replace Your Home’s Lightbulbs
Our first project is as simple as a few twists of the arm.
One of the biggest wasters of energy in our homes is our lightbulbs. Specifically, cheap incandescent bulbs are very inefficient. So much so that they’re being phased out due to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
In contrast, LEDs can bring an annual energy savings of 86%. Once incredibly expensive up front, LED bulbs are now very affordable.
Of all the green energy options, it’s hard to get more simple and effective than switching to LED light bulbs.
Install Smart Lighting
Another DIY way to reduce your energy usage is to install smart lighting in your home.
Smart lighting comes in many forms, from motions sensors that turn off lights in an empty room to lights that are synced up with your smartphone.
Voice commands and mobile apps make it easy to adjust your lights and make sure they’re turned off when not needed.
Tricking out your home with some smart tech won’t just make you feel cool and futuristic, it will also help reduce your carbon footprint.
Improve Your Home’s Insulation
Insulation keeps the comfortable air in our house while also keeping the brutal heat or cold of Mother Nature outside.
But an estimated 98 million homes in the US are under-insulated. Around 20% of the energy used by your air conditioning system might be completely wasted.
To reduce your energy consumption, take steps to ensure your home is well-insulated.
DIY insulation possibilities include adding insulation to your attic, installing energy-efficient windows, hanging up thick curtains, and adding draft stoppers to seal your doors.
Build Your Own Solar Panels
If you don’t want to just reduce energy usage, but also produce your own, you could add solar panels to your home.
Solar panels can produce a lot of clean energy, but come with the downside of only working when the sun is out. There’s also a substantial cost to buying and installing the panels.
Luckily, there are some cheaper DIY solutions to making your solar panels. You can buy inexpensive solar cells on eBay, and batteries and power inverters from Source Power Solutions.
It takes some handiwork and know-how, but with a bit of work you can build your own green solar panels.
Build Your Own Wind Turbine
While solar is one of homeowners’ go-to green energy options, wind power can also be brought to residential life.
Small wind turbines are great compliments to solar panels if you want to create a totally energy self-sufficient home.
Like solar panels, you can buy pre-made wind turbines or make your own.
More Green Energy Options and DIY Projects
There is no shortage of ways to save energy and money through do-it-yourself projects. Follow our DIY blog for more ideas on how to improve your home on your own.