Renewable energy is the future of energy production. Since non-renewable sources are drying out, renewable energy is the way to go. Among the types of renewable energy available, solar energy has the most potential.
In solar energy, we use solar panels to harness the light from the sun. Here, sunlight is used to produce heat and electricity. Solar energy is clean, renewable, and available all over the world. However, it’s only available during the day.
However, by following a few simple steps, we can efficiently utilize our available resources and get the best out of your home energy solar system. In this article, we’re going to discuss these steps. Let’s begin!
Ways to Maximize the Efficiency of Your Home Solar System:
Measure Your Usage:
If you have an idea about how much energy you spend, you know how to make the most out of it. Furthermore, knowing when you use the most electricity is also very helpful. While you can keep track by seeing your meters, certain apps make the task much easier.
If you know when you’re using too much electricity, you can easily make changes to your behaviour to utilize the sun. For example, if you’re charging your devices after sunset, doing it during the day will save your energy costs.
Furthermore, having an idea about your energy usage helps you save energy to a great. You know which parts you waste the most energy so that you can keep that in check.
Utilize your Day Time:
It’s no secret that solar energy depends on sunlight. The rest of the time, we use the power we’ve stored or electricity from the grid. So, the more we utilize the daytime, the more energy we can save.
Use energy-intensive appliances such as washing machine, dishwasher, charging equipment during the day. This will reduce your dependence on grid connections, and make the most out of the resources available.
Keep Your Solar Panels Clean:
Since our home energy solar panels are generally placed on top of our roof, they can attract a lot of dust and dirt. Also, things like mould, bird-drippings etc. are prevalent on solar panels. These things create a cover on the solar panel, obstructing the collection of sunlight.
While you don’t need to clean the solar panel regularly, you have to make sure it’s in excellent condition. Make sure the place doesn’t get damp, and mould doesn’t grow on the panels. Furthermore, clean the panels by a professional contractor once every six months.
Use Batteries to Store Your Electricity:
Generally, most home energy solar systems don’t have batteries. People tend to use electricity directly from solar panels. As a result, they don’t get 100% efficiency, and some part of the current is wasted.
However, when you have a generator, you can easily store any surplus. This prevents energy wastage and ensures efficiency. Furthermore, you can use this electricity during the night and times when the sun isn’t visible to reduce grid dependence.
Also, when you’re using high-wattage appliances with your home energy solar panels, you might face load peaks. Load peaks happen when your panels cannot produce enough power to run your devices. In such situations, your storage can provide the electricity during load peaks to reduce the load on your panel. This reduced workload helps your panel last longer.
Use LED Lights:
One of the major caveats of conventional tungsten bulbs is that they produce too much heat. As a result, they waste too much power. For this reason, using LED lights are helpful.
LED lights utilize their electricity requirement into producing light. They produce a minimal amount of heat so that they can save up a lot of electricity. And since you’re saving up on electricity, you can reduce dependence on both your home energy solar panels and your grid connection.
Check Your Ventilation:
We spend a significant amount of money every year on your heating and cooling systems. However, a large part of our air condition is wasted due to faulty doors and windows. Since air conditioning is a reasonably high-wattage system, it’s essential that we use it to its potential.
Check your doors and windows carefully. Make sure the locks are working, and there are no little gaps here and there. Use insulating panels, or caulk to fill gaps if necessary.
Don’t Keep Things on Standby:
Most watt-intensive products like TV, washing machine, dishwasher, etc. can consume electricity when not in use. If you put them on standby, they’ll keep consuming power, putting a toll on your electricity bill.
When not in use, always keep your appliances turned off. If you have removable sockets, take them out and only connect when using. Keeping them physically separate from the circuit is the best way to keep them from wasting energy in standby.
Use Ceiling Fans:
Generally, our air conditioning system can take up to 48% of our total electricity costs. So, air conditioning can take up almost all of our solar energy production. However, using ceiling fans can help save up on this expense.
Ceiling fans aren’t a direct alternative to air conditioning. They don’t necessarily heat up or cool down our air. However, they increase the flow and circulation of air, keeping our house cool during summer.
Using fans during the day when air is abundant is a great way to save up on your watt-usage. They can be a great way to save electricity and reduce pressure on your home energy solar system.
Conclusion:
Sustainability is the key to our future well-being. With the increasing threat of climate change and pollution, it’s crucial to find sustainable alternatives.
The use of solar energy is a great way to reduce fossil fuel dependence and reduce carbon emissions. However, the initial investment and the lack of efficiency can make it look like a dealbreaker for many.
However, using our solar panels efficiently and a few subtle changes in our routine, we can utilize our home energy solar panels to its full potential. We’ve discussed some of these points in this article. We hope you find this helpful!