Solar Energy
With around 300 days of sunshine every year, India has one of the best conditions in the world to harness solar energy. So, one cannot ignore this huge source of energy. Solar panels are an efficient way to generate clean renewable electricity. They can be installed on your rooftop and incur a one-time cost which may be very less considering the money you will save on your electricity bills in the long run. Experts believe that 1kWp solar rooftop plant can on an average generate over 4.6 kWh of electricity per day (considering an average 5.5 sunshine hours per day).
“The per kW cost for installing a solar panel is about Rs 50,000. Depending on your roof rights, in a high-rise society or independent house, you can choose the product from the listed government vendors. Currently, the biggest bottleneck is the rooftop space in high-rise buildings. Without space it is not possible to install solar panels, which is a bottleneck especially in Delhi-NCR. The government gives subsidies on installing solar panels and the cost is almost half for an individual,”
Lighting
Use of low-consumption LED lighting and the most energy-efficient variants of appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners can make a big difference in your electricity cost. “Most new buildings by reputed developers are being designed to harness solar energy as well as rainwater harvesting. The designs include accommodating enough natural sunlight and ventilation to reduce the need for appliances for lighting and cooling. These factors need to be incorporated at the design stage itself and can often not be introduced retrospectively in buildings which have no provisions for it,” explains Anuj Puri, chairman, ANAROCK Property Consultants.
- Use task lighting. A reading lamp, for example, lights only reading material rather than the whole room.
- Fluorescent tube lights and CFLs are five times more efficient than ordinary bulbs and thus save about 70% electricity.
- Use ceiling or table fans against summer heat. Ceiling fans, for instance, cost about 30 paise an hour to operate - much less than air conditioners (Rs 10 per hour).
- You can reduce the air-conditioning energy use by as much as 40 per cent by shading your home's windows and walls.
- Plant trees and shrubs to keep the sun's heat off your house.
- Keep doors to the air-conditioned rooms closed
- Clean the air-conditioner filter every month. A dirty air filter reduces airflow and may damage the unit.
- Keep refrigerators away from all sources of heat, including direct sunlight, the oven and cooking range.
- Allow enough space for continuous airflow around the refrigerator.
- Think about what you need before opening the refrigerator door. You'll reduce the amount of time the door remains open.
- Allow hot and warm food to cool and cover them well before putting them in the refrigerator.
- Make sure that the refrigerator's rubber door seals are clean and tight.
- Defrost the freezer compartment regularly for a manual defrost refrigerator
- Use an electric kettle to heat water as it is more energy efficient.
- Regularly clean your electric kettle by combining boiling water and vinegar to remove mineral deposits.
- Don't overfill the kettle for just one drink. Heat only the amount of water you need.
- Turn off your computer/TV when not in use.
- Pull the plug and save battery chargers, for laptops, cell phones and digital cameras, as they draw power whenever they are plugged in and are very inefficient.
