We welcome your own contributions to our starter list via our Reader
Comments forum at the end of this article.
1) Heat Your Home with Clean Renewable Bio-Fuels
If you are currently heating with oil, consider switching to heating with
biodiesel (also referred to as bio-oil or bio-heat). With home heating oil
prices expected to reach record levels during this heating season,
biodiesel is likely to be competitive in price, cleaner burning and made
from crops grown by American farmers. There are a number of heating oil
suppliers that are offering their customers a blended product. Call you
local supplier to see if they offer biodiesel for home heating or visit
the National Biodiesl Board website to find a supplier near you.
National Biodiesel Board
Want to get away from oil altogether? Wood pellet stoves are fueled by
pellets made from compressed chips and sawdust, and purchasing one of
these super efficient stoves can also earn you a $2,000 tax credit thanks
to legislation in the recently passed Energy Bill.
Pellet Fuels
Institute
New England Wood
Pellets
Pellet burning stoves
2) Get Yourself Into Solar Hot Water
Want to make a hot change? Buy a solar water heater the next time your
conventional water heater dies (or sooner) -- and if you finance it when
you remodel or upgrade your home, condominium, or cabin the energy cost
savings far outweigh the amount in the monthly payments on your second
mortgage used to pay for your new solar system!
Solahart
SunEarth Inc.
SolarGenix
Thermal Conversion Technology
3) Light-up Your Home, Office or Big Box Retail Store
Home: Install a solar path, security or walkway lights. Whether
taking out the garbage, walking the dog or coming home late from work or a
trip, it's useful to have some solar-generated light at night -- and show
your neighbors a practical use of renewables.
Real Goods
Solutions
Catalog
Brookstone
Office: The least expensive energy is the energy you don't have to
buy. Consider a solar day-lighting solution for your home or office --
day-lighting in offices not only fits the occupation profile, but also
improves the productivity of people working there.
Solar Tube
Sun Pipe
If day-lighting is not the right solution, how about coupling solar
directly with your store's lighting system?
Nextek Power
Systems
Big Box: Have a big box store or warehouse and want to see what's
possible? Check out what Wal-Mart is doing on the renewable energy front.
Wal-Mart Deploys Solar, Wind, Sustainable Design
A 'green' spurt for US businesses?
4) Light-up Your Street, Neighborhood or Town
Outdoor public lighting can often be less expensive if you use
solar-powered lights and not only for driveways, but on roadways, piers,
parking lots, signage, street and security lights -- providing immediate
savings for not having to run or bury electric wires, not to mention the
ongoing electric bill. Properly designed outdoor solar lighting also
provides the right amount light for the task without over lighting, so as
not to get that "urban glow" -- great for urban dwellers, rural consumers,
and astronomy buffs.
Solar Street Lighting
5) Renewable Consumer Products
To prove that clean, green renewable energy can be hip and fashionable
too, we have compiled a list of 'cool' consumer products and gadgets that
integrate renewable energy. A solar watch by Citizen or Junghaus, the
Casio Scientific Solar Calculator, the new iPod charger by Solio, a
battery or solar backpack charger by Reluminati, even solar-powered models
for children -- RE-powered products are popping up all over the place.
Solar Fashion
Solarize Your i-Pod
Solaro Solar-Powered Models Building and Learning Kit
Solar Bags
Solar Powered Wireless Driveway Monitor
Plus, more than 110 products are certified as manufactured using renewable
energy.
Green-E products
6) Cool Your Building Clean and Green
Buy a solar vent fan or thermal barrier paint for your attic -- by
lowering attic temperatures your air conditioning bills go down, plain and
simple.
Solar Attic Fans
Real Goods
Thermal Barrier Paint
7) Purchase Renewable Energy to Power Your Home or Business
So you like Renewable Energy and want to support it, but for now just
can't buy a product or add some power generating device to your home or
business. The solution is simple. Buy Renewable Energy Credits (also
referred to as Green Tags) for a slight premium on your regular monthly
power bill and know that your source of energy is clean and green. Put
your money where your heart is. No excuses, no renovations or gadgets,
just a monthly tithe to ramp up the market so industry can reach
economies-of-scale so more people can "walk the talk."
Green
Power Partnership
Green-E
8) Clean Back-up Power Systems
If you need reliable power in your home or business for a specific circuit
or need be sure to buy a back-up power system that utilizes renewable
energy. When the electric power goes out your basement sump pump, web
router, refrigerator, etc. keep working -- no matter what. If a squirrel
eats a wire, falling tree limb snaps a feeder line, ice or wind bring down
a distribution connector, or substation transformer just gives out --
you're protected!
GridPoint
Xantrex
Outback
Power
SMA
9) Think Globally - Act for Renewable Energy Locally
Don't just rubber stamp local bond issues without demanding that renewable
energy be considered for powering (fueling) public spaces. Parks
(lighting), public restrooms (fans and water heating) and schools (energy
is the third highest cost of education after teachers' salaries and their
benefits) and other public facilities are great candidates for renewable
energy power, heating and cooling systems.
LEED Guidelines for Energy Smart Schools
Best Practices Manual for Energy Smart Schools
10) Educate Yourself and Others About Renewable Energy
If you are new to renewable energy, one of the best ways to learn about it
is by going to see a working RE system. There are an increasing number of
events that anyone can attend to learn about the technology and more.
RE Events Calendar
If you own or have access to a renewable energy system, organize an event
and invite your neighbors, business colleagues, friends and local
officials -- let them see your solar home or business installations or
even the solar gadgets you have. Most people still don't know how well
these technologies work -- and seeing is believing. Show off your
renewable energy system on the National Solar Home Tour (every October).
Solar Home Tour
Information
Now it's your turn. What's your best idea to save money and energy with
renewable resources. Please use the Reader Comments section below to share
your thoughts and ideas with other readers.
Acknowledgment:
RenewableEnergyAccess.com regular columnist Scott Sklar contributed to
this report
Disclaimer:
REA does not endorse any of the products mentioned in this article. They
are provided as a starting point only.
