# Empower > your place for Sustainable Living ## Posts - [ELECTRICITY BILL](https://sustainableroute.com/electricity-bill/): A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that homeowners who switched to solar energy saved an average of $1,000 per year on their electricity bills. Renewable energy is a clean and sustainable source of energy that harnesses natural resources such as sunlight, wind, and water to power our homes. Unlike traditional fossil fuels, which contribute to air pollution and global warming, green energy sources are environmentally friendly and have a minimal impact on the planet. Besides, using renewable energy offers significant savings on energy bills for homeowners. One of the major ways you can save money on energy… - [SOLAR WATER HEATING](https://sustainableroute.com/solar-water/): Solar water heating is probably the most efficient way to save the most money on your energy bill. Really, I hear you say… When you consider that anything from 50% to 80% of your energy bill is used for heating your home and water, you realise that this is where your greatest savings are made. We all buy energy saving appliances, and don’t keep them plugged in on standby, using timers and smart energy devices. It makes us feel good when we are doing something positive for the environment and our pockets. Yet the biggest energy consumption in your home… - [RURAL HOME](https://sustainableroute.com/rural-home/): Within a rural setting, your options to be completely grid-free increase given the amount of space available, unlike urban home solutions. The house itself does not dictate the number of solar panels or the orientation.The space provides more options.
Understanding your energy needs with correct planning is the ideal step. Executing the plan in stages, if so desired, as long as you factor in your energy needs, to ensure all components are effectively purchased when needed, An area often overlooked is cabling & wiring. There is a host of information that will be added to assist you in your planning. If… - [URBAN HOME](https://sustainableroute.com/urban-home/): Not all of us have open space to locate solar panels. If the roof of your home is facing the optimal direction, this can be enough to power your complete house. Or just partial depending on this orientation towards the sun. An additional option is a smaller vertical wind turbine, which captures more power from the wind at much lower speeds.These turbines are virtually silent and provide top up of energy, where solar direction is a challenge, working all hours of the day. With such a set-up, you can increase the number of batteries, and can use the energy directly… - [APARTMENT](https://sustainableroute.com/apartment/): Living in an apartment does not have to limit your ability to harness the power of solar energy. By strategically placing solar panels on your balcony or windows, you can significantly reduce your reliance on the grid and lower your energy bills.   If your goal is to power devices, you can simply place a single panel at the window with the most sunlight. Connect the panel to a portable battery generator so it can charge during the day. Then, in the evening or overnight, you can connect your devices to it and charge them for free. It is likely… - [OUTDOOR CAMPING](https://sustainableroute.com/outdoor-camping/): Outdoor camping using a battery generator with PV (photovoltaic) panels can provide numerous benefits. Firstly, a battery generator combined with PV panels allows you to have a reliable source of electricity while camping. This means you can power necessary devices such as lights, fans, or even your phone and other electronic devices.   This can greatly improve your comfort and convenience while camping, making it a more enjoyable experience. Another benefit is that using a battery generator with PV panels is an eco-friendly and sustainable way to power your campsite. Unlike traditional generators that require fuel, PV panels use the… - [SOLAR EV CHARGING](https://sustainableroute.com/solar-ev-charging/): Solar electric vehicle charging: the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology for charging electric vehicles (EVs) has several benefits. Firstly, it allows for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of charging EVs.   Solar PV panels harness energy from the sun and convert it into electricity, which can then be used to charge EVs. This reduces the reliance on fossil fuels and the carbon footprint of EVs. Another benefit is that it reduces the cost of charging an EV. Using solar PV panels for charging eliminates the need to pay for electricity from the grid, saving money in the… ## Pages - [Blog](https://sustainableroute.com/blog/) - [Terms](https://sustainableroute.com/about-us/terms/): Terms The GDPR, Affiliate terms and terms that this website does not sell your data or offer it for use to external agencies or companies for any kind of marketing purpose. It is solely used to send any period email, newsletter or major change/update in the site. Anyone registered to post a comment on the blog can receive updates of changes or responses to the article they commented on or wished to add their experiences. PRIVACY NOTICE  Last updated February 26, 2024 This privacy notice for Empower Sustainable LLC (‘we‘, ‘us‘, or ‘our‘), describes how and why we might collect, store,… - [About Us](https://sustainableroute.com/about-us/): Background: We started our solar and renewable energy adventure fifteen years ago when we relocated to the Middle East from the UK. I believed that in a nation with one of the highest per capita energy consumption rates in the world, a plentiful supply of long sunny days would facilitate the simple adoption of solar power. I was sadly mistaken by this logic in an environment driven by fossil fuel promoters. Creating an environment of opposition to solar energy adoption, we directed our efforts towards Africa and underdeveloped countries, where there was a greater need for electricity and high gasoline… - [FAQ](https://sustainableroute.com/faq/) - [Calculator](https://sustainableroute.com/calculator/) - [Energy Generation](https://sustainableroute.com/energy-generation/): Solar Power Solar power harnesses sunlight to generate electricity through photovoltaic cells. These cells convert sunlight into electrical energy, providing a clean and renewable source of power for various applications, including residential, commercial, and industrial use. View Details Wind Power Wind power utilizes the kinetic energy of the wind to generate electricity. Wind turbines convert the rotational energy of the blades into electrical power. Wind power is a sustainable and widely adopted source of renewable energy, used in both onshore and offshore locations. View Details Solar Heat Solar heat involves capturing the sun’s energy for heating purposes, such as water… - [My account](https://sustainableroute.com/my-account/) - [Checkout](https://sustainableroute.com/checkout/) - [Cart](https://sustainableroute.com/cart/) - [Products](https://sustainableroute.com/shop/) - [Contact Us](https://sustainableroute.com/contact-us/): Home We’d love to hear from you! Do you have questions or feedback? Please check our FAQ pages where many of the questions raised from our research and those we sought reviews from came up.Maybe you have other Questions we have not covered, please drop us a line. If you wish to post any response please feel free to do this. We ask for constructive solutions to be put forward. The content on these pages is from users based on their experiences and findings. Please respect their willingness to share their experiences through this portal.We are all here to help… - [Regional](https://sustainableroute.com/regional/) - [Blog Old](https://sustainableroute.com/blog-old/) - [Terms old](https://sustainableroute.com/about-us-old/terms-old/): The GDPR, Affiliate terms and terms that this website does not sell your data or offer it for use to external agencies or companies for any kind of marketing purpose. It is solely used to send any period email, newsletter or major change/update in the site. Anyone registered to post a comment on the blog can receive updates of changes or responses to the article they commented on or wished to add their experiences. - [Site Map](https://sustainableroute.com/about-us/site-map/): Home About Us Blog Regional Featured Products Energy Generation Solar Wind Hydro Solar-water Hydrogen Calculator Contact-us Terms - [About Us Old](https://sustainableroute.com/about-us-old/) - [Home](https://sustainableroute.com/): Dear Users. This site will be closing on its annual Domain Renewal. We inadvertently used 1 image unknown it was a copyrighted one. After being made aware our infringement. We immediately removed it. After many months of communication with the image owners legal team, legal action will be taken against us. As a non profit and non commercial site. We are unable to continue with the costs of hosting and all other obligations which require annual fees costs and charges to keep a website online. Not even able to cover any legal fees, and exorbitant charge for the use of… ## Products - [Camping power Generators](https://sustainableroute.com/product/camping-power-generators/): I purchased this unit from Amazon with a 100w portable solar panel . I felt I could use it regularly to power my electronics and laptop as I work from home. In order to make my energy consumption less reliant upon the grid. Environmentally friendly and saving money on my energy bills. The item arrived at the worse time when we had so many cloudy days and unexpected rainfall. Yet in the sun the solar panel was all to product some energy, all was not lost. On a regular basis I use it and it light enough to take into the car for any external uses. I am assured in my own way that I have available energy and can charge it whenever I reach a place. Thus I keep all my use topped up, often have found that I come home with a higher batter charge than when I left. It has all the ports I need and from the portable solar panel it has the adapter to charge the generator, It is missing the APP Anderson power port from fixed solar battery systems. However for the portable use and the fact it comes with the required connections for charging from the solar panel, it is proved to be working well and perfectly adequate. I don't wish to add technical calculations to any review as we aim to make this site a place to understand the practical applications of renewable energy products. In my office the printer is permanently connected to the mains outlet, as I use this infrequently I know whenever I need to print anything it is using solar energy to power it. My MacBook Pro is also powered daily from the Big Blue 600 as I charge it once a day to ensure the internal battery is kept and used according to the manufacturer's guidelines. I plug in 2 phones 2 tablets every-night and find that I have enough energy for the daily powered devices to last me 3 consecutive days from this small generator. Each device is virtually consumed at the end of each day and is charging from 10-15% battery life for the phones and 20-30% for the tablets, with the MacBook being down to 15% each day and sometimes needs a top up if I have long days, which are 2-3 times per week. Hopefully this gives you realistic understanding of the capacity and usage. I feel I will end up buying another unit maybe slightly larger power capacity for the office and use the smaller one to be used elsewhere and to top up this unit. As I can take the CP600 with me in the car and other places with ease, it is not uncomfortably heavy or awkward to move with. In summary this was a good purchase and I found the item on a promotion which made the deal even better at the time. I will review the prices when I look to add the larger unit as I want to consider which other items in the house I can power with the generator. My objective is to become minimum 50% self sufficient in energy production and will add more details of my plan and journey as I progress. - [Balcony power / apartment solar](https://sustainableroute.com/product/balcony-power-apartment-solar/): It does not matter if your apartment has a balcony or not: A solar package can be suitable for you. If your goal is to power devices, you can simply place a single panel at the window with the most sunlight. Connect it to a portable battery generator, and it will charge throughout the day. Later on in the evening or overnight, you can connect your devices to it and charge them for free. It is highly likely that you’ll have extra energy left over. In that case, you can plug in any other electrical device or even use a small heater to warm up a room, and so on. Prioritising your needs and goals is important because the possibilities are endless. If you have a larger window space or have a balcony, then the energy produced will be greater than, as well as the opportunity to use more of this energy to power more items as you need them. Fridges are always on, so let us consider mainly those items which you turn on when you need. This could be your electric stove top (induction is ideal type) as it uses the energy most efficiently and is controllable. Room Heaters in winter if you are in a cold region. A cooler if you are in a warm region, TV, Game Console, Computer & Printer. The list of options increases with the extra power you have. A portable generator allows for easy, movement around the apartment as you need it.       - [Solar power for heating water](https://sustainableroute.com/product/solar-power-for-heating-water/): Huge saving made on your energy bells from preheating water with solar - [Solar for heating and cooling house](https://sustainableroute.com/product/solar-power-in-house/): Heating or cooling your home with solar panels [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)