Monday, February 2, 2009

Heating Your Home and Efficient Appliances"


It doesn't matter if you are building your home or remodeling, you can turn it into a solar energy home by making a few simple changes to your plan. If electric and gas become hard to manage you may want to consider heating your home with the sun. Solar energy is the heat that comes from the sun down to the earth. When it reaches the earth it spreads evenly but you may need it to go to a certain area like your home. How do you get that much sunlight to heat a home? It's easy to do and takes a few extra steps to help get it started.


There are several different ways to heat your water using solar power. You can even make your own solar power source. The water runs through pipes before it enters your home. Heating water using solar power will occur before the water gets into your home as it passes by the solar source that attracted the light. You may also have a tank to store the water in that can heat the water up. In order to heat your water successfully you will need to have both a solar collector and a storage tank.

Solar water heating systems are divided into two groups: Active and passive. When the heating systems are active, that means that they rely on the pumps or other mechanical device that can move the water between the flat plate collector and the storage tank. Active is the most common because it is quicker and more efficient. The passive system relies on gravity to feed the water from the flat plate collector to the storage tank. This may be slow at times and may not be sufficient enough to keep up with the demand. Both ways are logical and may be more of a choice of preference for you. Another thought that you need to consider is that if your flat plate collector and your storage tank is not angled right it may be hard for the gravity to feed the liquid through.

Solar power efficient appliances

Refrigerators: The one great thing about solar power refrigerators is that they offer the convenience of a refrigerator and freezer in one at a minimal amount of cost. They are thermostat controlled which allows you to set the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. There is minimal noise as it runs because the power to it is a natural constant flow. They also come in a variety of sizes as well as colors in order to fit into any solar power kitchen.

Appliances that are Efficient: Not all appliances can be solar powered and for that reason appliances that are efficient are the next best thing. They conserve the energy that it takes to run that appliance and provide you with the service that you expect out of that appliance. Chest freezers, dishwashers, stoves, microwaves, washers and dryers are all appliances that can be purchased with efficiency to save on energy and money. When you use appliances that are efficient they usually cost more up front but in the long run they are worth the effort and can last you a lifetime with proper maintenance.

Owning a solar power home means that you are encouraging preserving our natural resources for the future. It also means that you will not worry with the increase in cost of electricity and gas because you are using the best source out there without hurting the environment.

1 comment: