Install a Solar Panel

The best way to reduce your fossil fuel-derived energy consumption is to switch the energy source. Homeowners across the world are making the switch to solar panels with results that are silencing naysayers and surprising the solar panel owners themselves.

Roof-top solar panels, like so many alternative energy options, are becoming more affordable and more readily available. It doesn't take much to set your house up with its very own solar system, and the benefits are huge.

New solar panel owners consistently report getting more out of their solar panels than expected. Just a couple of panels can take a house entirely off the fossil fuel grid. And here's the best part: with enough solar paneling, you can actually generate more than you need, and sell your surplus back to your local provider. Imagine replacing your monthly electricity bill with a monthly electricity paycheque.

Solar panels come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Standard solar panels (pictured) are now a familiar sight. Opting for solar shingles involves replacing your rooftop asphalt with photovoltaic cells designed to look like shingling. Solar paneling can also be modeled to resemble slate roofing material.

Many of the solar energy myths that generated early opposition to the technology are slowly being debunked. For example, solar panels require light, of course, but not necessarily direct sunlight which means that your solar panels will continue to generate electricity even on cloudy days ... or in characteristically cloudy areas.

Installing a solar panel will allow you to reduce drastically your reliance on coal-generated electricity, taking some strain off your overtaxed electricity grid and moderating your carbon footprint.

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