From Guest-blogger Mirsad Hasic — Clever Ways to Save Money with Alternative Energy

Do you want to use alternative energy in your home or office? Non-renewable energy sources are causing a world of trouble for the world. Their amount is limited. Their emission of carbon into the sky is sky-high. Their cost is controlled by the companies that collect and process them. Fortunately, alternative energy sources can help not only to save the Earth, but also your money. By taking some basic steps, you can use various alternative energy sources, in order to reduce your utility bills. Here are some of the most effective methods:

1. Use a rack to air-dry your clean dishes

We usually think of wind, rather than air, as an energy source. However, consider how much energy your dishwasher uses to dry your dishes. Yes, the process is faster when you use heat to dry your dishes. However, keep in mind that your dishes won’t absorb water like a sponge. Simply using a dish-drying rack by aptly spacing out your dishes can save you a substantial amount of money that you’d had spent to complete a dishwasher’s drying cycle.

2. Install energy-efficient windows and doors

Taking this step will help to reduce your energy bills, due to their climate-control effectiveness. Conversely, using energy-inefficient windows and doors will result in higher utility bills. This is due to various factors, such as intense sunlight causing your home’s central cooling system to work overtime. Although energy-efficient windows and doors will have a higher price tag, they’re a worthwhile energy investment in terms of the lower utility bills that you can enjoy.

3. Use cold water for most of your washing machine loads

According to experts, about 90% of the energy that washing machines use, is to heat the water in them. If you need to get out tough stains from your clothes, then you might want to consider using hot water to clean your clothes. However, even in that situation you could pre-soak your clothes before washing them. Using cold water to wash 80% of your washing machine’s loads can help to save you a small fortune on your annual energy bills. As an added bonus, the cold water is gentler on fabrics than hot water is.

4. Air-dry clothes and linens instead of using drying machines

This is an oldie-but-goodie way to save money on the cost of drying your clothes and linens. In fact, the only energy you’ll be using is your own-and that’s not a bad thing since most of us can afford to get more exercise during the day, right? The main drawback of air-drying your clothes and linens is that the process will take much longer than by using a drying machine. So it’s crucial to wring out as much water as possible from items, before hanging them up.

5. Heat your home by using more biofuels and less oil

Some examples include oils, wood, and fats from plants and animals. Most of the time you won’t need any new components for your oil-based heating system. Depending on the type of furnace that you currently have, you can switch to a fuel source that’s a maximum of 99% biofuels.

6. Install at least one solar panel or wind turbine

By using a Do It Yourself (DIY) kit, you can build either of them for less than $200. Such alternative-energy devices can save you big bucks on your utility bills, based on factors such as how much solar energy or wind energy they collect. Even if you don’t eliminate your energy bills completely, installing at least one solar panel or one wind turbine in your home can help to reduce your utility bills significantly.

7. Use sunlight instead of indoor lighting

Did you know that lighting accounts for an average of 15% of electricity bills in the USA? One of the ways to lower that figure is by using sunlight whenever possible, as your source of lighting. Most of us don’t live near the North Pole or South Pole, so enjoying midnight sunlight isn’t ever an option. However, during the daytime we can probably use sunlight more efficiently than we currently do. That includes taking basic steps, such as opening curtains; reading books, magazines and newspapers outdoors, and so on.

8. Get passive solar energy from walls and windows

This is an alternate and cheaper way to harness solar energy, than using traditional solar panels. It involves collecting solar energy from windows, walls, and sun rooms. If you want to enjoy solar energy that’s significantly cheaper than the cost of solar panels, then consider passive solar energy. The lower price tag is due to the mechanics being less technical than the mechanics of solar panels.

9. Choose an energy source based on your home’s location

While there are several sources of alternative energy, not all of them are ideal for all homes. When choosing among the different alternative energy sources, you should certainly take into account the location of your home. Consider solar energy if you live in a location with much or intense sunlight. Consider wind energy if you live in a rural area. Consider hydro energy if you live in a hilly area. While you should consider other issues as well, start with the location of your home.

10. Install a hydro turbine if you live near running water

If your home is near a source of running water, then you can use a hydro turbine to transform the water into energy. If the water runs continually then the turbine can provide energy non-stop.

11. Use more ethanol and less gasoline

Ethanol typically originates from sources such as corn and sugarcane. The main benefit over gasoline is that it’s significantly more environment-friendly. When combined with traditional gasoline, the result is a motor that works efficiently, yet produces significantly less pollution than a gasoline-only motor. Typically a gasoline-ethanol blend includes the proportion of 85% gasoline, and 15% ethanol. As the technology of corn-based and sugarcane-based ethanol improves, their manufacturing costs will decrease significantly in the future.