So you’ve purchased and installed solar panels for your home – congratulations! You’ve joined over 2 million Australian households committed to producing clean energy and achieving financial freedom.Once your installation is complete and your meter has been reconfigured by your electricity supplier, you can embark on your new journey. It’s time to power your life with clean energy. To help you make the most out of your new investment, we’ve compiled some handy tips and tricks for first-time solar users. Following these tips will ensure you are maximising your solar return.
Solar panels only produce electricity during the day; if you’re trying to maximise your energy usage, you should try to use as much free electricity as you can whilst the sun shines. While the amount of energy needed varies from household to household, some easy ways to ensure you are maximising your solar return are:
And if you still need to use your solar-generated electricity during the night, all you need to do is access the energy stored in your battery.
The number of appliances you can use during the day will depend on the type of solar system you have and the amount of electricity certain appliances need in your household. However, a general rule of thumb, you can conserve a significant amount of electricity by using one appliance at a time.
For those not used to limiting their appliance usage, this can sound a little daunting. However, the practice can be made really simple by following these suggestions:
Appliances with rechargeable batteries can be another great way to ensure you are maximising your solar return. Take a kettle, for example, you can charge it during the day and then run it from battery power at night, when it’s less likely to be used.
If you’re looking to buy new appliances, consider cordless options with high EECA energy star ratings. They tend to be battery operated and you can charge them during daylight hours. This will further maximise your solar energy usage. energy.gov.au have a guide on the most energy efficient appliances if you would like some more information.
Generally, you won’t have to climb on your roof regularly to clean your solar panels. However, it’s important you clean them every now and then. The number of times per year they will need cleaning depends on a number of things, in particular the area within which you live. Things like dirt, mould, sea salt and animal droppings reduce the amount of sunlight your solar panels are able to soak up. This can significantly affect the output. You should also make sure that there aren’t any trees or bushes casting too much shade over your roof. This can reduce your panel’s capacity to soak up the light.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll probably want to have your solar panels inspected by a professional every two years. This will ensure you’re giving your system the best chance at absorbing the most light, year round.
Tracking your home energy usage will help you keep your solar panels working as efficiently as possible. Energy usage tracking apps connect to your solar panels. They display your daily, half-hourly and total daily feed-in credit. They are very cost-effective monitors, that utilise CT clamps to record flows of power to and from your meter.
Having all this information at your disposal will give you an insight into when your house is using the most power. Now you can get more savvy with your usage habits.
You may find that your system uses the most energy at certain times of the day. You could then set a timer on your dishwasher or washing machine to start at different times. Otherwise it’s helpful just to keep it in the back of your mind as you go about your daily routine.
Keep in mind, utilising remote control switches and smart light bulbs can further optimise your home for greater energy savings.
Start incorporating these habits into your daily routine today, and maximise the return on your solar investment. If you’re concerned about your energy usage, or have any questions, get in touch with us using the button below. One of our friendly NGSS team will call you to discuss your enquiry.