You’ve made a wise investment in a solar system, and now it’s time to Use Solar Panels Effectively. Here are ten suggestions for making the most of your solar energy…
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- Make use of your appliances throughout the day
- Spread your consumption out
- In the afternoon, heat or chill your home
- Examine the area for shadow and trash
- Have the panels cleaned
- Make use of energy-saving appliances
- Look for a better deal by shopping around
- Insert a battery
- Seasonal Changes
- Keep an eye on your system and usage.
- Make use of your appliances throughout the day
This may seem like a no-brainer, but many individuals fail to take advantage of daylight hours. By using your high-use appliances during the day, such as the dishwasher, dryer, and washing machine, you are consuming power as it is generated. Make use of the time you have because it is free energy!
Bonus Points! When loading the dishwasher in the evening, wait until the next morning when the sun is shining before turning it on.
- Spread your consumption out
Spread out your usage throughout the day, for example, start the washing machine at 11 a.m. and the dryer at 12 p.m. This keeps you from adding to your bill by drawing from the grid.
- In the afternoon, heat or chill your home
You can save money and avoid the evening peak energy cost by heating or cooling your home during the last few hours of daylight.
- Examine the area for shadow and trash
Keep an eye out for any potential shading issues, prune any trees, and clear any debris if necessary. Keep in mind that shadow has an effect on the system’s performance.
- Have the panels been cleaned?
Dirt, dust, and bird droppings can obstruct your savings efforts. Anything that blocks your solar panels diminishes your system’s production, which reduces your savings on your electricity bill. Getting up on your roof and cleaning your solar panels can be difficult and risky, so let us handle it with the necessary tools and expertise. While on-site, we also perform a complimentary system check. Get a quote for panel cleaning by clicking HERE.
- Make use of energy-saving appliances
Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances and replace your lights with LEDs to reduce your consumption at night and keep your cost as low as possible!
- Look for a better deal by shopping around
Even though solar reduces your consumption, your energy retailer will still charge you a ‘supply charge’ for supplying power to your home. You can further minimize your payment by obtaining a lower supply charge. Look for a decent solar feed-in tariff to help you save even more money.
- Insert a battery
If you don’t already have a battery, check your statement to see how many kWh you’re exporting to evaluate if a battery is a good investment. If you’re currently exporting about 12kWh per day into the grid, installing a battery will help you make the most of your system by allowing you to use solar electricity at night. You can also have complete blackout protection by adding a battery. To discover more about batteries, go HERE.
- Seasonal Changes
The performance of your system will alter as the season changes. Summer kWh production should be around 5.2 x System Size, whereas winter kWh production should be around 2.6 x System Size.
- Keep an eye on your system and usage.
Monitor your solar system to ensure it is operating properly, Use Solar Panels Effectively, and learn how it performs. Most inverters include an app that displays your system’s PV production. Your energy distributor can also provide you with information about your energy consumption. Customers of DSS Solar Power can monitor their usage and solar export via ‘mobile app’. This provides you with valuable information about your usage habits and how your solar system performs throughout the year.