Prevent energy waste with solar power

According to Energy Central, the U.S. has an energy efficiency of 42%, which means that nearly two-thirds of the power produced in the country is wasted. 

The New York Times published a study in 2008 that calculated the main causes of energy waste. It estimated that 71% of energy generated for transportation is wasted, 66% is wasted in electricity, 20% is wasted in commercial and residential buildings, and 20% is wasted in industry or manufacturing.

Most of this waste is due to the burning of fuels. When we burn fuels, whether it’s in a car’s engine or our home oven, most of that energy becomes useless waste heat.

An easy example of this is a light bulb left on for hours. The area around it will get hotter after some time. Thus the reason to switch to energy efficient light bulbs.

Electricity waste

For electricity, the waste begins as it is created. 

Power plants – whether based on coal, natural gas, petroleum or nuclear (the most common form in the U.S) – burn those fossil fuels to release heat, which boils water into steam, which spins a turbine, which generates electricity. The thermodynamic limits of this process mean only two-thirds of the energy in the raw materials actually make it onto the grid in the form of electricity, according to Inside Energy.

But that’s not the end.

There’s electricity lost as it travels to your home as well.

Electricity travels on long-distance, high-voltage transmission lines. The voltage in these lines can be hundreds of thousands of volts. Once again, because of their loads, those power lines get heated. Electrons moving back and forth crash into each other, and those collisions warm them up and the air around them.

If you’ve ever been around transmission towers on hot days, you can even hear this waste: the crackling sound emanating from them is lost electricity. 

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) losses average about 5% of the electricity that is transmitted and distributed annually in the United States.

This costs utilities and their customers somewhere between $2 and $8 billion annually based on annual retail electricity sales of $390 billion, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

Additionally, large quantities of electricity cannot be stored for later use economically and safely. We must use the electricity that we produce. 

Fight this waste

No one likes waste, especially when it means money, and if you have not installed residential solar panels, you’re contributing to it and losing money because of it.

One way to fight it is with solar power that is based on abundant, renewable and clean energy coming from the sun. There’s no need to burn limited and expensive fossil fuels or precious water. And there’s no heat being generated by the solar panels. 

When you set up the solar panels on your property, you’re generating the electricity that will power your electronics. And if you produce more than what you require, you can send that extra energy to the electric grid, meaning that the utility won’t have to produce as much.

And you also eliminate the electricity wasted as it travels to your home. 

To find the cost for a solar power system that meets your energy needs, click on the Hahasmart price checker that will provide you with the actual price of solar panels and inverters, which are the most critical parts of a solar powered system, as well as provide you with an estimated cost of installation based on thousands of completed solar projects in your area. All you have to do is provide your address and your average monthly utility bill.

They’ll even provide you with an estimated buyback period, the point where the electricity savings cover the purchase of your residential solar panels and your system becomes free.
In addition, they’ll connect you with their installer network to get your residence equipped with solar power as possible.  

With a home solar energy system, the music you hear, the TV show you watch, the power tool you use is all being electrified by your own investment. 

But this doesn’t give you permission to waste that power. Solar energy is not free, you’ve made that investment and are hoping to pay it off soon with the savings you accumulate in your electric bills. So the sooner they can cover the initial cost of your domestic solar power system, the better. 

So, make sure turn off those lights when you leave the room and don’t leave plugged-in those electronics that you’re not using constantly. Every little bit helps. 

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