5 Responses

1. The most barely detectable door and/or window crack can wind up generating costly A/C and/or heating bills. Go over these areas carefully. Inexpensive white calk or other color sealants can cover these areas with minimal, if any, defacing.

   “Eco-friendly” light bulbs, quite popular and in stock at most “do it yourself” or retail stores also can be of help here.

   If you have a central air / heat pump unit: change or clean filters every 30 days and make sure high weeds or grass are clear of the outside compressor unit; check the grill area also insuring it too is clear of any clogging or obstruction. Maintain an average inside home temperature of 75 degrees.

   Many homeowners swear using the “pink fiberglass” insulation around the hot water heater unit can be a huge energy saver. If you choose to do this–do so with a CAREFUL degree of common sense: make sure the insulation doesn’t come near the pilot lighting or electrical component of the heater unit or hampers the operation of the water heater.

   And it’s always a good idea every six months to clean sediment out from the heater. Get the safety instructions on how to do this and follow them carefully.

   Setting your PC and monitor both to “sleep” modes also can save energy. And it’s a pain in the…..well….you know where….but it’s a true energy saver: Unplug TV sets when no longer used for the evening. Yes: even when turned off, a TV and/or stereo set STILL drains electricity.

   Solar panels CAN save some on a home’s utility usage, but constant weather exposure ( wind, snow, hail and yes…..even sun) can cause wear and tear on them—and they aren’t cheap to repair or replace.

   Tree shade is another novel approach—until a severe storm, hurricane or tornado brings that tree crashing on your roof, making a “natural” skylight that can prove very costly to repair.

   Oh yeah….almost forgot….turn off that light when not in use.

2. Dude, go solar, yeah it will cost a bunch in the installation,but it pays for itself,even to the point of “free electricity”(your results may vary).But it seems to me trees big enough to shade a house aint so cheap either.Plus your gonna need a backhoe, and a crane, and a place to put all that dirt that came outa the hole for the tree, and if you think about it, those panels will provide shade also, and you dont have to rake up after solar panels.

3. Unless your house has a hundred acres of roof, the solar panels will save more electricity. If your electric company provides net metering, you may even find yourself making a bit of money as they buy back power you don’t need.

   Unfortunately, solar panels come with a hefty price tag, similar to the cost of a car, whereas trees (of any portable size) tend to cost less than $100.

   You can of course have both, but then the solar panels will not be quite as effective, and for the investment you put in to them, you will want them to be effective.

4. solar panels will shade your roof.

5. You can keep most of your trees and save money by installing a solar thermal system. payback will be roughly 5 years and the system will last almost 30 years. i work for a company that can sell you a system (based on how many people live in your home). We use stiebel eltron systems. chosen because of the control module on the hot water tank(which also has dual heat exchangers). solar thermal has a 95% efficiency compared to 14% pv panel. you can also install a heat exchanger in your duct for solar hot air. go to appalachianenergy.com to learn more.