How to maximise your new solar investment.
Have you just installed a solar system into your home? Perhaps you are wondering how to get the most out of it? Power Up Solar have compiled a list of their 10 top tips to maximise your new solar investment to ensure you decrease those monthly electricity bills and maybe even start generating money!
By changing up a few daily habits, you can use the energy your system captures and really start maximising the consumption of your solar power.
- Minimise your use of power as it’s generated! As solar power is harnessed from the sun’s rays, it is a no brainer that the biggest way to maximise your energy savings throughout the day is to use as little power as possible. By doing this, any excess power you generate gets sent back to the grid for a “feed in tariff.”
- While we know it’s best to try to minimise our day time usage, it’s also important to remember that we maximise our day time usage too! Consider what time the sun will be hitting your panels. Are your panels east facing? Then, morning is your time to put your larger appliances like dishwashers or washing machines to use. Set timers for appliances to be used during the day time ensuring you get to use your free energy! This goes for pools too, with your swimming pool being one of the most energy draining assets in your home. Consider when your panels are really getting the most out of capturing solar energy and use this time to see significant decreases in your power bills.
- Utilising online monitoring systems such as the Evergen in home monitor, can really help to enlighten you to where your energy consumption is coming from. Used in conjunction with the smart meter, you will receive real time information on your solar production and household electricity consumption as well as the all important data relating to the amount of excess solar power that is being exported back to the grid.
- We all love a home cooked meal, but how can we prepare dinner if not at dinner time? If you can, it is best to be prepared and plan your meals for the evening, ahead of time. Minimising the use of ovens can have a real positive impact on your energy consumption so pull out the slow cooker and leave it to do the work for you during the day!
- Appliances with reusable batteries are a great option. Allowing you to charge throughout the day for evening use. Have a look at today’s smart appliances with everything from cordless kettles and vacuum cleaners to back up batteries and chargers for your phone or computer.
- Remember mum screaming “Turn off the lights!!”? It had huge savings on her electricity bill and now will serve you well as a reminder to save your free energy generated from your solar system as well as reducing the energy you consume from the grid. If it’s not in use, turn it off!
- Be more energy efficient. Did you know that installing roof turbines will aide in cooling your home in summer for free? Dispelling the hot air from your roof space will dramatically reduce the temperature of your home. Another great option for cooling and heating is ensuring your home is well insulated and plugging all gaps to stop warm or cool air escaping. And remember that clothes line that you have left abandoned in the backyard? Use it! It dries your clothes for free!
- Save water. This is a double winner! Shorter showers mean less energy on hot water and massive savings on your water bill and our environment too! Do you need any more reason?
- Need a backup? Power Up Solar have a range of back up batteries available that will store the energy harnessed from your solar panels during the day. If planning ahead is all too hard, a backup battery is a great way to store the energy so that you can use it in the evening or with the added benefit of being a backup in a blackout.
- Keep your new solar system in tip top running order. Solar panels can lose their efficiency over time if they aren’t properly maintained. Keep an eye on over hanging branches that can block light and a regular clean every 6- 12months will ensure they are free from external environmental factors like bird droppings, dust and dirt or even mould. This build up reduces the amount of light the panels can access and reduces their efficiency. Power Up Solar recommends a biannual service to ensure your system is operating to its maximum potential while identifying any issues before they get too costly.
We hope these top tips really help you to maximise your new solar investment so that you can start seeing those savings!