There are many different ways of using solar energy. You can use it for heating, cooling and for generating electricity.
Each approach has different costs and complexity.
Here are 7 ideas how you can make use of clean, green solar power:
1. Generate electricity.
This is the first thing on everyone’s mind when we talk about solar panel. After all, we are all hoping to rely less on fossil fuel in the future. Using electricity generated from solar panels, you can power your household appliances and workstations in the office.
You can also store the solar generated electricity in rechargeable batteries to power up garden lights, floodlights, gate openers, garage lights, et cetera.
2. Passive space heating
Instead of using electricity to heat up your house, the sun can do the work. You can trap heat in your home and office by using blinds, sunrooms and awnings. As simple as this sounds, it works very well to lower your electricity consumption.
3. Heat up air and water
Your water supply can be heated up using solar collectors. Solar water heater do not require many moving parts other than the water pump itself.
Depending on your solar heater design and sunlight intensity, water temperature can be increased by as much as 10 to 15 degree Celsius. You can also increase your indoor temperature by letting a stream of air pass through solar heated water. This can be done using a simple heat exchanger.
4. Warm up food
Do you pack lunch to work? If you do, there is no need to wait for your turn to use the microwave oven anymore. You can simply use solar energy to heat up your food at your own convenience.
5. Heat up your swimming pool
You can circulate swimming pool water through a solar collector. This helps you get lots of heat into your pool so you can enjoy a rejuvenating dip after you come back from work.
Another way to heat up your pool is to cover it with a solar blanket, which also prevents heat loss through evaporation.
6. Enhance your landscaping
You can use super-bright LED lamps as landscape lighting. This can save you the trouble of hiding cables under the soil. You may be surprised at how well these LED lamps bring out the color of your plants at night.
7. Water your plants
Solar panels can provide electricity to sprinklers that water your plants. You can build a self-sustaining garden by collecting rainwater underground and using them to water the plants at regular intervals during the day.
How else can you use solar energy in your daily life? Hopefully these ideas above can help you find your own ways of using solar power in creative ways.
