An Electrician for Green Energy Consumption

Going green is an incredibly popular trend right now. People are buying cars that run on alternative or minimal fuel. They are recycling their bottles, cans, and paper. They use recyclable grocery bags to save paper and plastic. What not everyone realizes is that the largest energy consumption and the least efficient aspect of almost everyone’s life is his or her electrical system. We waste inordinate amounts of energy by leaving lights on and other wasteful behaviors. Many try to remedy these problems themselves but really the best thing to do is to hire an electrician to help green the home. They will have the knowledge and skill to retrofit the home to better conserve resources. This will save not only the environment but also money.

The first thing that an electrician will be able to do to help with reducing waste is examining the current set up of electronics and appliances and determine where there may be phantom loads. Phantom load is the term for electricity that is being drawn from the grid but is not being used. This occurs with appliances and electronics left plugged in but on standby.

The number one offenders are actually chargers for cellular phones and computers. These are often left plugged in without being used. While plugged in they continuously draw and it adds up fast. The other culprit is power strips that have many things plugged into them but none of them are being used currently. In these situations the best thing to do is turn them off when not in use. Alternately, they can be simply unplugged.

Next an electrician will be able to help find and install more efficient appliances. Refrigerators for one use a tremendous amount of electricity in ways that are terribly inefficient. One of the biggest contributors to waste in the home is the heating and cooling system. Often this is left running when no one is home or when he or she are sleeping and is literally just blowing money and resources. A few simple changes like an air conditioner with an energy saver setting, and placing an insulating blanket around the hot water heater can save tremendous amounts of power.

Finally and in many ways the most unique skill afforded by a green electrician is their ability to install alternative energy sources in the home. They will be able to install photovoltaic cells to collect solar energy if the climate is agreeable. This solar power is likely to provide enough power for the whole household and will undoubtedly take a dent out of usage. If sun is not going to work there are other options involving wind or water. Wind power is a fairly burgeoning field and it will soon be much more accessible to consumers. Only a trained electrician will know for sure what the best solution will be and so the time is now to call them and find out.