Resolve to let the sun power your year

 If you’ve resolved to be more energy efficient this year, here’s a tip: Let the sun into your home, especially on cold days. It’s the most powerful source of energy around us.

You don’t have to install big, expensive panels on your roof to use solar power, although that option is getting cheaper and more realistic all the time. Instead, look around your home for ways to let the sun work as a heater and al light bulb.

 Here are a few solar first steps:

• Clean your windows. Even the sun can’t peek through windows that are covered with grime left behind by snow or rain that splashes your panes. Wash the outside and inside. If you can’t reach them all, consider hiring a professional window cleaning company to help you.

• Trim your hedges. Overgrown shrubs and trees can shade your windows too much. On cold days, the sunlight that beams into your home will help warm it up.

• Open your drapes. If privacy is a concern, add light-colored sheer panels that you can keep closed all day without blocking the sun’s rays.

• Choose shiny surfaces. Add some polished brass or chrome to bathrooms and other sun-deprived areas of your home. They’ll catch and reflect the little sunlight that makes its way into the rooms. Throw in some shiny tile on the floors and around sinks – as a decorative backsplash.

• Hang mirrors across from windows. They’ll not only make your rooms look bigger but they will bounce sunrays all around the room.

• Paint everything a light color. Light colors like white, cream and yellow reflect sunlight and will make any room look brighter. Semi-gloss and satin paint make the walls even more reflective.

• Scatter solids. Patterns absorb light more than solid fabrics.

      Back