If you have solar panels installed on your roof, garage, carport, or at ground level on your property, you will use less electricity from the power grid. Here you’ll find 10 tips to Get Maximum Output from Solar panels for your own purposes.
Making the decision to install a PV system represents a change of heart. Previously, electricity was obtained from the grid; however, it is now produced on your own property and is significantly less expensive than grid power. As a result, use as much solar energy as possible and feed as little as possible back into the grid. We’ll show you how to do it.
These are the top ten expert tips to Get Maximum Output from Solar Panels:
- Reduce the building’s electricity consumption!
- Replace light bulbs with LEDs!
- Turn off your computer’s standby mode!
- Make hot water with electricity!
- Use high-power devices during the day!
- Use solar energy to power your gardening!
- During the transitional periods, heat with electricity!
- Storage of energy improves efficiency!
- Make the switch to e-mobility!
- A treasure hunt for the entire family!
- Reduce the building’s electricity consumption!
First and foremost, if you want to save money on electricity – with or without PV – you should eliminate devices and appliances that consume an excessive amount of it. Standby devices, incandescent light bulbs, and water heaters are examples of these. The lower your overall consumption, the more of it you will be able to cover with solar PV.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs!
Lighting is typically the most expensive single cost factor. Obsolete light bulbs only use about 10% of the electricity used to produce light. 90% of the energy is lost as heat. They generate heat rather than light because they are powered by a tungsten filament that glows. To generate light, modern LEDs consume nearly all of the electricity available. This is evident by the fact that they remain cool, implying that there is much less loss. A good LED uses one-tenth the amount of electricity to produce the same amount of light. It also lasts much longer because it does not heat up as much. Furthermore, the cost of LEDs has dropped so much that replacing them with standard light bulbs pays for itself in one or two years. The same can be said for industrial lighting systems, which frequently employ mercury vapor lamps. These, too, consume a lot of energy and can be easily replaced by LEDs.
- Turn off the standby mode!
Many electrical devices (kitchen appliances, TVs, computers, game consoles, and HiFi systems) use electricity even when they are not in use. When you consider the number of electrical devices in a typical home, the standby consumption can quickly add up. As a result, such devices should be physically separated from the circuit when not in use by using switchable sockets.
- Create hot water using electricity!
If you generate solar power, you should convert your hot water systems to electric boilers. Instantaneous water heaters can also heat water close to the tap – for example, as under-sink units. The temperature of the water can be set to exactly what is desired. Throughout the year, the demand for hot water remains relatively constant. During the late spring and summer, solar power can completely meet that demand. That increases the level of self-consumption. A combination of special hot water heat pumps can also make sense.
- Create hot water using electricity!
If you generate solar power, you should convert your hot water systems to electric boilers. Instantaneous water heaters can also heat water close to the tap – for example, as under-sink units. The temperature of the water can be set to exactly what is desired. Throughout the year, the demand for hot water remains relatively constant. During the late spring and summer, solar power can completely meet that demand. That increases the level of self-consumption. A combination of special hot water heat pumps can also make sense.
- Use high-energy devices during the day!
The dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, and kitchen stove are the household appliances with the highest electricity demand. These can easily be outfitted with timer switches to run during the day when the solar generator on the roof produces a large amount of output that can be used directly. A high-wattage stove could pose a problem for PV on its own. A large storage unit (solar battery) can be used as a buffer for short-term load peaks in this case. Because not only must the number of kilowatt-hours on the roof be adequate, but so must the currents made available on short notice. This determines whether a storage unit is built for capacity (in kilowatt-hours) or output (in watts) (in kilowatts).
- Grow your own food using solar power!
Spring and autumn have the highest solar electricity yields. This is also the time of year when the garden needs the most attention. Solar energy can be used to power electric lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, and lighting. If you have a solar battery, you can use it in the evening and at night to power LED lights in your garden. A garden sauna can be heated up during the day with surplus electricity so that it is ready to use in the evening.
- Use electrical heating during transitional periods!
If you use your solar generator in conjunction with a sufficiently large storage unit, you can use infrared radiators to warm up cooler evenings. Such radiators are available in a variety of attractive designs, including bathroom heating mirrors. They are a good way to use up solar electricity as long as they use little power and are only used for additional heating. When solar-powered electric heating is no longer sufficient, you will need to purchase electricity from the grid. Alternatively, you could install a more efficient thermal heat pump system.
- Energy storage to Get Maximum Output from Solar Panels!
The price of stationary lithium batteries fell by more than 40% between early 2014 and 2017. This pattern is likely to continue. Furthermore, at the end of February, a new funding program that will run until 2018 was launched. These are compelling reasons to invest in a solar battery. The size you select is determined by the electricity demand of the building as well as the size of your solar generator. Lithium batteries currently cost around 1,000 euros per kilowatt-hour, whereas lead batteries cost between 500 and 600 euros (net prices for end customers). However, having a storage unit without a solar generator makes little sense in a private residence. For commercial enterprises, this may be different.
Without energy storage, you can use approximately 50 to 80 percent of the solar electricity for your own house. A battery can easily power that up to (almost) 100%. If you base your own consumption on the electricity demand of the entire house rather than just the solar generator, the following general rule applies: Without storage, you can directly meet 30 to 50 percent of your electricity demand with solar. When combined with a solar battery, this can reach up to 90%. A second generator, such as a cogeneration unit, is required to meet your entire electricity needs over the course of a year. Using the power grid is usually easier – and less expensive. During the winter, you can meet your needs by using green electricity from a certified utility.
- Make the switch to e-mobility!
Electric cars and vehicles of any size can be almost as useful as solar batteries. From the lawnmower to Grandpa’s (or a friendly neighbor’s) electric wheelchair to pedelecs (e-bicycles) and e-scooters for the whole family. All of these have lithium batteries that can be conveniently charged with solar energy. Finally, there is the small electric car, which can be used for shopping, short trips, or commuting to work. Because frequent short trips consume a large portion of a conventional car’s fuel budget. To charge an electric vehicle, you’ll need a wall box charging station near or inside your garage or carport. Of course, this has been covered in high-performance solar panels. It is advised to purchase a three-phase charging system capable of producing a reasonable output on short notice.
- A treasure hunt for the entire family!
When it comes to solar electricity consumption, experienced technicians can assist you to get maximum output from solar panels. It can be helpful to go step by step and check your meters to see what effect each measure is having. Finding the devices in your house which use up the most electricity can be like a treasure hunt, so make a game of it and let your kids go exploring. The money you save can be put aside and used to have a solar-powered party with your neighbors. Or a holiday to where the sun shines!