Summer is fast arriving, the sun is staying out for longer, and things are getting a lot hotter. Those brighter days can feel truly invigorating, getting you in the spirit of making a change, and what better change than to become more conscious of your environment, and especially your home’s impact on it? Here, we’ll explore why summer offers an ideal opportunity to embrace green living and examine some key practices to consider adopting.
1. Smarter Water Use Has Never Been More Important
With the rising temperatures, water usage spikes and shortages both become a lot more common. Anyone with lawns and gardens should become much more mindful of their water use, using the conservation strategies to protect this resource that is becoming increasingly precious. You can install rain barrels to collect runoff, allowing you to keep your garden nourished, hydrated, and green without having to keep those running constantly. Indoors, check for leaks and upgrade to low-flow faucets and showerheads. These small changes can dramatically reduce your water footprint while keeping utility bills in check.
2. It’s Peak Sunlight Time
Solar panels are increasingly effective and accessible, fueling their widespread adoption as more people embrace green living. Of course, there’s no better time to experience the benefits of working with your local residential solar company than now. More sun means maximum energy generation right from the start, lowering your electricity bills during peak usage months. If you invest in the addition of a solar energy battery, you might be able to store enough energy to help you reduce your reliance on the grid at night, as well.
3. Make Modern Living A Breeze With Smart Home Tech
During summer, our energy use tends to spike across the board, especially as we rely more on air conditioning, fans, and cooling appliances. Installing smart home devices like thermostats, blinds, and lighting systems can drastically reduce that load. You can even use it to automate your home’s own cooling schedule, closing the blinds during peak sunlight hours and monitoring your energy to identify where your home is wasting it. Smart home tech greatly improves the convenience of the home, but it can also make it a lot more environmentally friendly, too.
4. Enjoy Outdoor Living
You might think that setting up an outdoor dining or living space might not have a lot to do with your home’s sustainability, but outdoor living naturally reduces your reliance on indoor cooling, lighting, and electronics. Summer offers the chance to shift meals, gatherings, and even workspaces outside, which allows you to use natural light (albeit with some shade) and cross-ventilation to help you stay cool and comfortable without having to keep the AC cranked up all day. Outdoor living also better helps you appreciate the environment that you’re trying to protect.
Summer is the perfect time for an upgrade to your home, and the suggested improvements can enhance your quality of life while allowing you to embrace green living, but they can satisfy that ethical yearning we all feel to live better with the world around us, these days.
