When the summer heat arrives, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is to crank up the air-conditioning unit. While it provides instant respite from a hot interior, it can leave devastating effects on your electric and utility bills. When following a green lifestyle, you want to conserve electricity and reduce your carbon footprint on Mother Earth. There are a few green ways you can keep cool during the summer months.
Programmable Thermostat
One way to keep your air conditioner from running all day when you are not home is to install a programmable thermostat. This is a green way to save on utility bills and the overuse of your central air-conditioning system. A thermostat that has Energy Star ratings is a good choice because it is recommended by most HVAC contractors and Energystar.gov. A programmable thermostat can be programmed around both time and temperatures. The main goal of the thermostat is to cool a home and maintain the same air temperature during day and night. At night, the thermostat may go into hold mode, where it raises or lowers the temperature based on the need of the homeowner. It can also be set to work less during the day when the house is empty and then more in the late afternoon and early evening when everyone is home. Some thermostats can also keep track of the seasons so they adjust accordingly during colder and warmer months.
Insulation
Installing insulation is another green way to keep your house cool. When many people think of insulation, they think about how it will keep their houses warm in the winter and allow their furnaces to work more efficiently. While this is true, insulation also plays an important role as a barrier between the heat outside the home and the cool air inside. A combination of insulation, such as wrapped insulation for the ceilings and attic with blown-in insulation in the walls behind the siding, will help your cooling system work better and draw less electricity from the grid.
Installing insulated double-paned windows and new doors also helps with preventing hot air from seeping through cracks. Keep reflective window shades closed to prevent sunlight from coming in and warming up the room. Planting shade trees around your home or around your air-conditioning unit will help block the heat of the sun and allow the cooling unit to run more efficiently.
Fans
Fans are another green way to keep your house cool. While fans run on electricity and use up energy, they are more energy savvy than air conditioners. Solar attic fans provide relief from hot weather by pulling the hot air out of the house and replacing it with cooler air from outside. They also use little to no electricity making them a viable green alternative. You can get even more energy savings from your fans by placing them in strategic locations in your home. If you have a basement, set up a box fan at the bottom of the basement stairs facing the upstairs. This will pull the cool air from the basement upward and work on cooling the house. Installing Energy Star ceiling fans will help oscillate the air and push cool breezes downward. At night, open the windows when the air is cooler. Place a box fan in the window to pull in the cool air from outside. Using fans in place of the air conditioner will help reduce your electricity bill.
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