By
Jim Smoot
One good way to reduce your gas and electric bills this winter is
to capture more solar energy to heat your home. Solar energy is the
energy from the sun that hits the earth on a daily basis. Although the
temperatures may be cold outside, the energy from the sun still
generates heat, and you can use that heat in your home.
There are some products on the market that can really help you get the most out of solar energy in your home, but there are some things you can do that won't cost you anything, and can end up saving you quite a bit. You can save yourself some money, and be more environmentally friendly at the same time.
The first thing is to take advantage of the windows in your house that are facing the sun. For people in the US, any windows facing the south get more sun that those on the north side of the house. Those windows will allow more of the suns heat to enter your home. During the daylight hours, make sure that any curtains are opened so that the sun can come shining in. You need to make sure that the windows are sealed and not allowing any drafts to come in. If you have double-pane windows already, you're all set. If you don't have energy efficient windows, you should think about investing in some.
As the day moves along your house will be collecting the energy from the sun in the form of heat. Once it gets later in the day and the sun is not shining in your windows you will need a way to keep that heat from escaping. The easiest way to do that is to have insulated curtains on your windows. When it gets later in the day you can close your curtains, and that will keep the heat trapped inside your house.
If you have some rooms that are capturing a lot of heat, you may want to consider installing ceiling fans in that room. That will help to circulate the heat back through your house to the cooler rooms.
If you do decide to remodel your home to add more energy efficient windows, you need to check out any tax breaks you can earn. Right now the government has some nice tax breaks for people that are making an effort to go green with their homes.
If you are thinking about building a new home, make sure you take the position of the sun into account when you are going through the design process. Make sure you can take advantage of the heat from the sun.
Capturing solar energy to heat your home is a great way to lower your heating bills. It provides more natural heat without using up natural resources, which is good for the environment. Saving some green by going green is always a good idea.
There are some products on the market that can really help you get the most out of solar energy in your home, but there are some things you can do that won't cost you anything, and can end up saving you quite a bit. You can save yourself some money, and be more environmentally friendly at the same time.
The first thing is to take advantage of the windows in your house that are facing the sun. For people in the US, any windows facing the south get more sun that those on the north side of the house. Those windows will allow more of the suns heat to enter your home. During the daylight hours, make sure that any curtains are opened so that the sun can come shining in. You need to make sure that the windows are sealed and not allowing any drafts to come in. If you have double-pane windows already, you're all set. If you don't have energy efficient windows, you should think about investing in some.
As the day moves along your house will be collecting the energy from the sun in the form of heat. Once it gets later in the day and the sun is not shining in your windows you will need a way to keep that heat from escaping. The easiest way to do that is to have insulated curtains on your windows. When it gets later in the day you can close your curtains, and that will keep the heat trapped inside your house.
If you have some rooms that are capturing a lot of heat, you may want to consider installing ceiling fans in that room. That will help to circulate the heat back through your house to the cooler rooms.
If you do decide to remodel your home to add more energy efficient windows, you need to check out any tax breaks you can earn. Right now the government has some nice tax breaks for people that are making an effort to go green with their homes.
If you are thinking about building a new home, make sure you take the position of the sun into account when you are going through the design process. Make sure you can take advantage of the heat from the sun.
Capturing solar energy to heat your home is a great way to lower your heating bills. It provides more natural heat without using up natural resources, which is good for the environment. Saving some green by going green is always a good idea.
Jim Smoot writes the "Renewable Solar Energy" website at
[http://www.renewable-solar-energy.com] Visit his site to see how you
can go green and save money in the process.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Smoot
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