Green Tips for the New Year

Yet again, another year has passed us by. 2018 was filled with fun, adventure, and new experiences. No doubt, it will be hard to beat, but we’re up for the challenge. The New Year brings with it a clean slate, a time to set new goals and make new plans. Perhaps one of your plans is to reduce waste or use less grid power. Some of us would like to improve, expand, or create a new solar power system. Others just want to use less water or recycle more. Whatever your goals are, we hear you! Below are some tips to make 2019 cleaner, quieter, and more adventurous.

Recycling Tips

If you haven’t already switched over to cloth shopping bags, now is the perfect time! Spend $1 or so per cloth bag, and you’ll end up with a great grocery tote that will last for years. If you’re still using plastic bags, don’t fret. Those plastic bags can be saved in an old tissue box and reused as waste basket bags. To save more waste at the grocery store, you can purchase more bulk/dispenser products that don’t come in individual boxes or bags. Along the same lines, some vegetables, such as leeks, can be cut and regrown. Food scraps that cannot otherwise be repurposed can be composted in the yard and recycled as fertilizer for the garden. You can also consume some dry good items after their expiration date rather than throwing them away.

Water Consumption

H2O is a necessity to all living things. With a constantly growing population, clean drinking water is becoming a bit scarce. Use less water by doing the obvious- turn off the tap when scrubbing your hands, brushing your teeth, and fix any pluming leaks. There are also new, more creative ways to save water, such as installing a rain barrel. The barrel fills after a good storm and can then be used to water the garden. If you live in an arid region, opt for little to no grass and desert plants. You can also conserve water by changing your diet. Since livestock require water, by consuming less meat every week, you can also reduce water usage.

One thing that many consumers do not realize is that water usage and electricity are closely tied together. It takes energy to heat water for showers, pump it to your home, and clean it. By reducing overall water usage, you are also directly reducing your reliance on traditional power sources such as electricity and gas. Some homeowners are even relying on solar water heaters to heat water for personal use. How innovative!

Reduce Grid Reliance

Since Renogy is in the business of manufacturing solar panels and accessories, its only natural to include a section about grid power. However, solar is really making a difference around the world! Not only will your electric expenses drop, you’ll also be relying less on traditional power sources. In the first quarter of 2018, the US installed over 2.5GW of solar, a 13% increase over the previous year. Solar capacity is also expected to double over the next five years. As usual, California ranks first in solar installation, but what if the other states followed suit? A single solar power system can offset over 100 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, which in itself is a great reason to jump on the solar trend. Renogy has many on-grid solar power kits to suit residential needs. 

At the end of the day, even small changes can add up over time. Make 2019 your greenest and cleanest year yet!