You Don't Need Solar Panels to Harness the Sun

The sun is our most renewable resource, but currently, solar energy accounts for less than 1% of the world's energy consumption. While the solar industry is constantly growing, it is still in its early stages, and solar technology is not yet widely available or economically attractive. However, even if you aren't ready to invest in solar panels, there are still plenty of ways that you can take advantage of sunlight to conserve energy.

1. Adjust your windows according to the seasons. In the summer, keep your blinds down, and use light-colored shades to reflect the light. By preventing light energy from entering your house, you'll keep the ambient temperature down, so you can keep the air conditioning up. The opposite holds true for the winter: keep your shades up, use dark colors to absorb light, and make sure your windows are clean so that light can readily pass through.

2. Install semi-transparent skylights. This will allow you to use natural light during the day rather than electricity -- which is actually better for your eyes -- and it will provide heat. In the summer, cover your skylights with solar-screen awnings to keep the temperature down.

3. Large windows and light-colored paint will brighten rooms, allowing you to use less electric light.

4. Plant trees on the east and west sides of your house to block the sun during the summer, but keep the south side of your house clear to allow full sunlight to enter during the winter.

5. Grow plants in sunlight rather than under UV lamps.

6. Grow your own food. This cuts energy consumption significantly, because the food doesn't have to be transported, and you probably won't be using machines, pesticides and fertilizers to plant and harvest it.

7. Read, study and work near a window instead of a lightbulb.

8. Share electricity with others by sitting in the same room -- not only are you saving electricity by using one light instead of many; you're also bringing your family closer together.

9. Bask in the sun or grab a sweater instead of turning up the heat. You'll actually warm up faster, and you'll burn more sedentary calories.

10. If you're building a new house or remodeling an old one, take a few pointers from the architects of antiquity. In ancient times, artificial light was still an expensive, inefficient and often smelly technology, so buildings were constructed to make full use of the sun. Orient your rooms to let in maximum sunlight, and seal your house well to retain both your heat and your air-conditioning. Build on top of a hill to capture the cooling breezes if you live in a warm climate, but build into a hill to retain warmth if you live in colder zones.