With an election right around the corner, the topics of climate change, global warming and energy efficient technologies are making their way into the spotlight. NextGen Climate has made a name for themselves by beginning a campaign titled #50by30. They’re calling on elected officials to power the United States with more than 50 percent clean energy by the year 2030, in hopes of powering America with 100 percent clean energy by 2050. A large contributor to clean energy is solar power. However, solar panels are not as cost effective as they are energy efficient. With the help of LEDs, you can reduce the number and cost of solar panels needed to power your home or building!
Step 1: Determining Your Solar Panel Needs
Determining how many solar panels you need can be complicated. According to Sunpower, you take into account your energy usage, your roofs useable surface, the climate and peak sunlight hours in your area, and the wattage and efficiency of solar panels. The first and most important step of this process is calculating your energy usage. In simple terms, the more energy you use, the more solar panels you’ll need. Here’s where LEDs step in.
Step 2: Decrease Energy Usage to Decrease Solar Costs
To decrease the number of solar panels needed to power your building, you’ll have to lower your energy consumption. There are simple ways to achieve this, such as turning off lights when you leave a room or setting your thermostat higher in the summer and lower in the winter. The most effective way to reduce your energy use is installing LED lights. LEDs improve energy efficiency in a number of ways. Due to LEDs reduced wattage, average households and businesses will see a 40 to 70 percent decrease in energy usage for lighting depending on the fixtures currently installed. This reduction in energy usage will lower the number and cost of solar panels!
Step 3: Call Sitler’s to Get Started Today!
If you’re interested in taking the next step toward energy efficiency, call us today to get a free LED quote! If you want to take it one step further by installing solar panels, we recommend using Moxie Solar to get started!
Posted in Energy Savings, LED Lighting Basics