Oh, summertime. The season of outdoor activities, vacations and festivals, fresh fruits and vegetables, lush greenery, and the list goes on. Now that it’s sunny and bright outside, you can put the sun to work for you. This summer, we’re showing you how to leverage those golden rays to light up your life more sustainably.
The only thing more satisfying than enjoying the freshness of a home-cooked meal is being able to say you’ve grown the ingredients yourself. Stepping outside to pick in-season produce from your garden or snipping fresh herbs from your countertop promotes sustainability in more ways than one: You’re eliminating waste and lowering your carbon footprint by nixing the store packaging and eating food that didn’t travel miles to make it to your plate. The only thing left to do in this scenario is create your very own compost to green things up just a bit more.
When you want to add a little variety to your summer veggies, throw them on a solar-powered grill. Solar grills harness the power of the sun to provide a cleaner cooking experience because they don’t rely on fossil fuels. By eliminating the use of propane and charcoal grills, which can negatively impact the environment, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint. Grilling outdoors also gives your oven and stove a much-needed break — putting less stress on your A/C, and more savings in your pocket.
The sun’s rays are readily available to you throughout the day — use them wisely. If you work from home, pull back your window coverings and let the sun’s natural light illuminate your work area. But you’ll want to be strategic, making sure to keep blinds and curtains shut in unoccupied areas of the home to keep the heat out. Speaking of unoccupied rooms, ensure that lights are turned off in those. Lighting accounts for 10-25% of your electricity bill so be sure to flip the switch if you’re leaving your home for an extended period of time. According to energy.gov, lights should be kept on if you’ll be out of a room for 15 minutes or less and turned off if you’ll be gone for more than 15 minutes.
The summer months present the perfect opportunity to save energy and money by line drying your laundry. Using your outdoor clothesline to dry your clothes will prevent shrinkage, static cling and the damage that sometimes comes with using a dryer. Not only will you be doing yourself a favor by taking advantage of the sun to dry your clothes, but you’ll be helping the environment, too. According to the site greenamerica.org, air-drying your clothes can reduce the average household’s carbon footprint by as much as 2,400 pounds of CO2 a year.
Most of us are connected to our electronic devices for several hours a day. But now that summer’s here, it’s time to give them a rest. The long days of summer make it easy to enjoy a leisurely stroll or family bike ride, even after a long workday. Not to mention, the mental and physical benefits of spending more time outdoors speaks for itself. Studies have revealed that getting outside can increase your Vitamin D levels, lower your blood pressure, help you to sleep better and even improve your creativity. The more time you spend outdoors, the less time you’ll spend using some of your home’s most power-hungry electronics — another big win for you and the planet.
Even when the sun goes down, you can keep harnessing its energy to power your green lifestyle. Choose from any of our 100% clean solar energy plans to stay Powered by Sunshine day and night. If you’re ready to install solar panels, we can connect you with our partners to take advantage of industry rebates that’ll help you gain Solar Independence through our buyback programs. Or, if you see solar panels in your future, but you aren’t quite ready for them, you can start saving toward your Solar Tomorrow through our Solar Panel Fund plan. No matter where you are on your solar journey, we can connect you with a plan that’ll meet your needs.
While solar plans offer an effective way to use the sun for your daily electricity needs, solar backup solutions can ensure that you’ll stay up and running with uninterrupted clean energy during extreme temps and power outages. From portable power banks to solar backup generators, you’ll save money on fuel and feel safe in the face of an emergency, all while staying green.
By harnessing the power of the sun to power your home and your daily activities, you’re helping to light the future with hope for a cleaner, greener tomorrow.
Find a clean electricity plan that meets your household’s needs.
Enter your ZIP code to get started.
