Off the Urban Grid

Home Energy Tips: Ways to Go Solar

The sun is a powerful source of energy, and you can wrangle it’s energizing rays everyday if you have the right tools. Incorporating alternative energy into your home is beneficial for your wallet, and it will enable you to run your home more independently without electricity. So how can you start using solar energy devices around your house?

Sun jars are easy to make. All you need is a mason jar, solar panel and a bulb. Then you can capture the sun during the day and use the jars as night lights or mood lighting in the evening. Making sun jars can be a fun project for you and your children, and you will be teaching them a sustainable lesson. You can go a step further and glaze the jars, so you have some ambient lighting for dinner time.

Landscape and security lighting can be a costly monthly expense to maintain. However, it’s a relieving feeling to come home to a lit up yard where intruders have fewer places to hide. One option is to install solar lights in flower beds as well as around walkways and dark areas around your home. Solar lights have made many advancements, and some even have stylish designs that mimic flowers.

Supporting your local backyard wildlife is beneficial and enjoyable, but it requires maintenance and the regular purchase of birdseed, corn on the cob, nectar, etc. If you have been thinking about adding a bird bath to the mix, consider a solar powered one. You won’t have to worry about feeding it electricity all day.

These examples just go to show that you don’t have to invest in expensive solar panels for your home in order to make a difference in your electricity consumption. Taking these simple steps can give you some freedom from the grid.

Tags: alternative energy solutions, home energy savings, solar energy