If you’re ready to take the energy efficiency of your home to the next level and save even more money on your utility bills, consider replacing the conventional appliances in your home with solar powered appliances. After all, your home appliances account for the vast majority of your energy consumption and are therefore responsible for much of your home utility costs.
Conventional energy sources are nonrenewable, derived from sources like coal, fossil fuels, petroleum, or natural gas. These sources of energy are bad for the environment, because when they’re burned, they release harmful pollutants into the environment. They are also unsustainable, meaning they are bound to run out in time.
In comparison, sustainable energy sourced from the sun is unlimited, clean, and essentially free, providing the perfect alternative to homeowners and business owners. Home solar systems are not the only option when it comes to making the switch to solar energy. Many energy efficient appliances are now designed to run entirely on the energy provided by the sun.
Solar Attic Fan
Attics fans serve an important function in the home. By removing excess heat from your attic, these fans work to cool your entire house without the use of your air conditioner. You can use an attic fan as a means of supporting and lessening the workload for your air conditioner, or you can use it to cool your home alone on milder days.
A solar attic fan derives all of its energy from the sun. Using a built-in solar panel, the attic fan is able to convert solar energy into usable electricity, eliminating use of conventionally sourced energy that is unsustainable and raises utility bills.
Solar Yard Lights
Solar yard lights contain everything needed to capture solar energy and convert it into electricity within each individual light. These landscaping features require no wiring and can be easily installed in any yard. By collecting energy from the sun during the day, they can light your yard at night by relying entirely on solar energy alone and eliminating the use of lighting powered by expensive and nonrenewable energy.
Solar Water Heater
Although there are various solar water heater designs, they all function with the same end goal. These water heaters collect energy from the sun and use it to warm water without the use of energy sourced from fossil fuels. Some models have a batch tank, warming water and storing it until it is used. These models are not highly efficient, but are less expensive and in some cases longer lasting. In comparison, active water heaters use solar energy to heat the water being pumped in the home. While this option is very efficient, it doesn’t work as well in climates that normally experience freezing.
Refrigerator
Refrigerators running on conventionally sourced energy account for a large portion of most utility bills. In an effort to reduce the energy used by this essential household appliance, companies are beginning to introduce refrigerators that run entirely on solar energy.
These energy efficient appliances are connected to a panel of photovoltaic cells and derive all necessary energy from the sun. Outside of their reliance on the sun for energy, most of these refrigerators run exactly like conventional models.
A greener lifestyle is achievable for homeowners in all walks of life. While making a complete switch to solar may not be an attainable goal for your household, at Modernize we believe any step you can take towards energy efficiency is important. Replacing appliances with solar powered alternatives is a great way to start your journey to a more sustainable and efficient way of life.
Tags: appliances, Farm Wars, farmwars, off-grid, solar
Cooking with Solar Ovens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I cook in a SUN OVEN?
Anything you can cook in a conventional electric or gas oven and most things you can cook on a stove top can
be cooked in a SUN OVEN. You can bake, boil and steam, so the only foods you cannot cook will be fried foods.
Where are the SUN OVENS manufactured?
The SUN OVENS which are sold in North America are made in Elburn, Illinois. With the exception of the thermometer, all of the component parts used in the SUN OVENS are made in the USA.
SUN OVENS that are used outside of North America are often made in the country in which they are used.
What is the cooking temperature range?
The SUN OVEN will reach temperatures of 360 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking temperatures will vary depending on the brightness of the sun and how often the oven is refocused to follow the sun.
Will food prepared in a SUN OVEN taste the same as food prepared in my conventional oven?
The food tastes much better! SUN OVEN cooking allows many of the natural flavors of food, which get baked out in conventional ovens, to remain. The slow, even rise in temperatures in a SUN OVEN gives the complex carbohydrates time to break down into simple sugars allowing subtle natural flavors to emerge. Sun baked- foods stay moist (the natural internal juices do not bake out) resulting in a superior, moist taste and much less shrinkage.
I got a couple of them solar generators last summer. I charged the batteries and have them stored waiting for an emergency. Been thinking of using them, but would be to easy to steal.
BTW I built and installed the 1st residential Solar air conditioner in the world, and the 2nd commercial. Japan just beat us.
I think I sent you this before Barb, but Canada is making a 5Kw generator that runs on water.
If one could make a quiet room, you could run these inside your home. Water vapor and oxygen are the by products!
H2O Gen
http://www.gdstechnologies.ca/
I got a couple of these but they were only $1200 when I got them. These may be better? I think you can use a couple panels or maybe more with the newer ones.
http://www.mysolarbackup.com/
Mary, My understanding is that individual solar appliances do not have to be connected to the grid. There is solar that is set up connected to the power grid, and there is independent solar installation. Most of the offers that you see giving rebates only do so if you connect your solar setup to the power grid. If you do it independently, it is off-grid. I am definitely for off-grid installation ;)
Are solar-powered appliances able to connect to the “internet of things”? If not, that would be another plus wouldn’t it? Or are they still within the wifi grid?