Reliant Consumer Energy

Eco-friendly living starts at home. The steps can be as simple as using recycled materials or making sure that you don't consume as much power. On our end, we can make the earth a better place by using renewable energy sources and investing in energy efficiency.

What makes an eco-friendly home

When we say eco-friendly homes, what pops up to mind is "living off the grid." This sounds simple enough but is not so easy to realize. There's more to using energy-efficient home appliances for reduced energy consumption. Anything that helps save the environment can be considered eco-friendly, which includes using recycled materials to reduce waste or home building techniques the leave less carbon footprint and barely cause any damage to the environment. Building materials can be anything from reclaimed wood or natural building materials such as stones, mud, or straw. You can also use bamboo and other renewable sources to curb further deforestation. An eco-friendly home is one that is properly insulated by making use of renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power. For instance, you can use solar panels or have double-glazed windows to let in more heat, light, or natural source of energy. There are lot of ways to define an eco-friendly home, though the main objective is to save the environment.

How to conserve energy at home

To conserve energy, you home must be well-insulated. Make sure that the heat is trapped inside the house so you don't have to maximize the use of your air-conditioning unit. Check the doors, windows, and vents for weather-stripping. Another tip is to make good use of the thermostat to regulate the temperature. Go for energy-efficient lighting by using fluorescent bulbs and the like. Invest in energy-efficient appliances as well. Though the price is quite steep, you can save more in the long run. Clean your air conditioner and other home appliances well so they won't be a power guzzler. Best of all, turn off and unplug unused electrical devices.

Simply by planting trees and plants around your home or in your garden, you can insulate your home to save power and create a greener environment.

The intense heat and light produced by the sun is a great source of renewable energy. From powering small devices such as calculators to running cars and power plants, solar energy is a natural, environment-friendly resource with numerous applications.

How solar energy works

Simply put, solar energy is harnessing light and heat from the sun and making it work for human processes. An obvious use of solar energy is natural lighting. This may be as straightforward as designing buildings to make maximum use of daylight, without having to resort to artificial forms of illumination. Solar energy can also be used to purify water and make it suitable for drinking, by simply exposing the water to sunlight for a few hours. Further advances in technology have made it possible to collect and store solar energy using specially designed thermal collectors, reflectors, and cells. Thermal collectors may be used to provide heating to buildings. Reflectors can be arranged to form solar cookers, using the heat reflected to cook and process food. Solar cells contain substances that release electrons when light shines on them, thus converting sunlight into electrical energy. Solar cells, or panels, can be used to provide electricity to homes.

Benefits of using solar energy

The most obvious benefit is its constant supply—as long as the sun shines, solar energy will never run out. The electricity produced by solar energy can also be stored for future use, so you need not worry about solar energy running out once the sun sets. The many uses of solar energy provide low cost solutions to many vital processes, such as those mentioned above. All that we need to pay for is the equipment used to harness solar energy. Sunlight—which is what powers these processes—is free. Using solar energy is also greatly helpful to the environment. The use of solar energy produces little pollution, and does not contribute to greenhouse gases. Also, if more people use solar energy, more governments will be interested in further developing it as a viable source of electricity. This will reduce the worldwide dependence on fossil fuels, leading to even less destruction of our environment.

The sun has long been worshipped as a giver of life. By using technology to make sunlight work for us, we can further develop ways for solar energy to efficiently and cleanly power our world.

Wind is a popular option for renewable energy. It provides 0.1% of our energy needs and is a source that is growing at a rate of 30% annually. Wind energy is now widely used in the US and in Europe and is one of the cleanest and most sustainable ways of generating energy today.

How wind energy works

Wind energy is generated when wind causes the turbines to turn. Modern wind turbines can produce a range of 600 kW to 5 MW of rated power, but turbines with a rated output of 1.5 to 3 MW are now becoming more popular. How fast and strong the wind blows determines the amount of energy generated. Electricity is converted in the nacelle, the box that is located behind the turbine blades. Other main parts of a wind turbine include the tower and the blades. A collection of wind turbines in one area is known as a wind farm.

Benefits of using wind power through wind turbines

Wind power is clean, unlike other sources, such a fossil fuels, that release a number of harmful byproducts in order to harness energy. They are also quiet and not as destructive to the aesthetics of the environment. Wind energy also comes in unlimited supply and is easily available. Properties where wind turbines are installed instantly go up in value because of the instant benefits you can have--having your own energy generator right on your front lawn.

Wind power is one of the cleanest and most environmentally-friendly methods to harness energy, unlike other sources that can harm the environment while providing us the energy we need.