People are increasingly trying to find new ways to save money on their energy bills. One route people are increasingly looking to is renewable energy.
As people increasingly look to renewable energy, one option remains incredibly popular – solar panels. Solar power works by capturing the suns energy and converting it into electricity for your home to use. This renewable electricity is carbon friendly and also a fantastic way to save money on your energy bills.
In this article we’ll look at what solar panels can do for your home.
Making the most from solar panels
As soon as you turn your solar power system on, you’ll be generating electricity which can lower you electric bill by cutting down on your reliance on the grid. There’s a number of factors which will affect your overall savings – for example, location, the shade, the size of your system, your utility rates, and local policies – but overall, the principle remains the same: the more solar energy your home produces, the less you’ll need from the power grid and therefore the more money you’ll save.
Outright purchasing a solar system is the best way to achieve high, long-term savings. A solar system can pay for itself within 10 years if you go for a high quality one. After you’ve broken even, you can look forward to generating free, renewable energy.
Protecting yourself against electric price hikes
Electric prices are on the rise, and this is no longer a long-term prediction but a serious reality for many people. One of the best ways to keep on top of this is the use of solar panels, whose long lifespan and ease of maintenance makes them an excellent choice for any home.
Making money
You won’t just save money with solar panels – it’s possible to make money as well.
The smart export guarantee (SEG) scheme works by selling back excess energy you make to the power grid. The SEG doesn’t just cover solar panels, but also renewable technologies like wind and hydro.
This allows you to make money through your solar panels, not just save it. You will need to sign up to the scheme for it to take effect.
Property value benefits
Another major benefit of solar panels is that in the long term, you’ll increase the value of your home.
Solar panels do not increase property taxes either, which is a major benefit over many other home improvements.
How to get the most out of your solar panels
So, once you have solar panels, what can you do to maximise their benefits? Well, there’s a few routes you can take.
Solar Battery
One option is investing in a solar battery.
Solar panels are most effective around the middle of the day, and if you’re out during this time you might not be able to make proper use of them. This can undercut your investment. However, one way to counter this is by investing in a solar battery.
An energy-storage system, also known as a solar battery, allows you to store electricity you capture with your solar panels so you’re able to use them another time. This means you can use solar power captured during the day at night – further reducing your homes reliance on the power grid. This can really help to cut down on your energy bills.
Monitoring
Keeping a close eye on your system can help you manage your overall usage can allow you to significantly improve your energy use.
Focus electric use during the day
It is best to focus your energy use during the day if you have solar panels. This is because you’ll be primarily using the solar energy that your panels manage to capture, rather than using the power grid. This is a huge benefit and a fantastic way to cut down on your energy bills.
You should use any expensive appliances or equipment during the day, so things like the dishwasher, tumble-dryer, etc. By focussing your efforts, you can significantly cut down on your home’s energy demands and also cut down on your energy bill.
Out during the day?
If you’re out during the day, you can still make good use of your solar panels and the savings by using inbuilt delay-start timers for appliances like washing machines or through slow-cookers for evening meals rather than electric hobs.
Turning off appliances
When you’re not using them, it is best to turn off and unplug any appliances you have. Even if an appliance is turned off, it is still going to be draining power if it is plugged in, and all this does add up – which means it’s vital to turn anything off and unplug it. If you get into a consistent pattern with this, you can really reduce your energy bills.