Solar power is an effective way to reduce your electricity bill and your carbon footprint. This renewable energy resource can readily provide more than suitable power for your home’s requirements. Solar power is reliant on the sun, so there are going to be days where you will need to use your solar as effectively as possible.
Use your solar power wisely to make sure that you can keep your household running smoothly with as few interruptions as possible. Solar power is incredibly impressive in its use of sunlight, but it is still not a miracle worker, the most effective use of solar energy will still be reliant on the end-user. So, aside from knowing why solar panels are worth it, you also need to use solar power properly.
Follow the tips below to get the most out of your green energy system.
1. Install LED Lights
Traditional light bulbs use ten times more power than LED light bulbs; unfortunately, most of that energy is wasted on producing heat instead of light. Older bulbs, like incandescent bulbs, are nowhere near as efficient and energy-smart as LED bulbs are. Your first step should be to replace all of the old light bulbs in your home with newer LED versions.
An LED light utilizes far less energy to produce the same lumen or light output. For instance, a 115 luminous flux will require a traditional bulb to consume 15 watts, while an LED bulb will only need 2.5 watts.
LED bulbs can also last 3.5 times longer than other light bulbs. With LED bulbs, you can reduce your overall cooling cost. They’re safe to use outdoors, don’t emit heat, and are dimmable.
2. Use Appliances During The Day
That should go without saying, but most of us are still falling into our old ways in terms of behavioral energy consumption. That may sound like a tricky concept, but all it means is that we aren’t taking the time to think about our consumption.
Use your appliances during the day, when the sunlight is at its strongest. That is particularly important for heavy usage appliances like dishwashers, dryers, and ovens.
3. Stagger Your Electricity Consumption
Try not to have all of your heavy usage appliances running at the same time. Instead, think smart and act smarter – stagger the usage throughout the day. That means that you won’t have a massive drain on your solar system all at once, which will give it time to replenish the energy as it is used. This is one of the ways you can create a greener home.
4. Clean Your Panels Regularly
Your solar panel installation will be reliant on the panels getting the most sunshine possible. After some time the dirt, dust, and bird droppings will build upon the panels and stop them from being able to work as efficiently as they did in the beginning.
Getting on your roof yourself can be dangerous and difficult, rather hire professionals to come in and take care of them for you. Make sure to clean solar panels every six months. The best times to clean your solar panels are late spring and autumn. If your home is located in farming or construction areas, maintain your solar panels more frequently. A roof access hatch can make it safer and easier for professionals to reach your solar panels during scheduled maintenance.
5. Clear Away Trees
Your solar power system will last you years if you take care of it properly. That means that trees and bushes near your panels will continue to grow and possibly cover the panels. You need to check your panels every few weeks and make sure that nothing is covering them.
Shade is the enemy of solar power, so trim back any bushes or trees that look like they could interfere with your system working efficiently. You can hire a tree removal company to ensure proper clearing of trees away from your solar panels. In this way, you can securely clean the solar panels without undue risk of damage from improper tree removal.
6. Monitor Your Usage
The only way to know if your energy habits need changing is if you start monitoring your usage. It is perfectly normal for your usage to fluctuate seasonally, particularly when you need to heat or cool your home.
Monitor your consumption and make note of any changes that occur. You should also switch out old appliances for newer, more energy-efficient models. Solar power companies have online tools that you can use to measure your average solar energy usage. If your energy needs are higher than what your solar panels can provide, don’t hesitate to contact a solar power specialist to avoid service disruption. Specialists can also provide you with tips so you can still maximize the use of your new appliances.
7. Add Batteries
Solar batteries are a great way to store energy for use later on. This comes in handy when you need to use power in the late afternoons or evenings. You can draw on the stored energy from the batteries instead of paying the higher rates that are charged during these peak hours.
Check with your installer beforehand so that they can add the batteries to your initial set-up. You can add more batteries at a later stage if you need them.
8. Use Smart Home Tech
As technology evolves, it becomes smarter. Smarter tech is more efficient than older tech, so use this to your advantage by installing smart tech into your home. This can include anything from smart light bulbs to timers for your water heater.
The smartest home tech will be able to stop or start almost any appliance in your home from dryers to lights, and even your pool pump. This way you can choose the exact time when your heavy usage appliances will come on.
9. Check Windows and Doors
You would be horrified to know how much heat your home loses through windows and doors. These areas typically have tiny gaps where air and heat escape, these are also the same places where cold air enters from outside.
Reduce the strain on your solar power system by installing double-paned windows and regularly replacing the weather stripping around your home. You can also try cheaper ways to improve the insulation in your home, like adding thick drapery to your windows.
10. Change Your Behavior
Installing solar power in your home is just the first step of many that we need to take to live a greener and more sustainable life on Earth. None of that will matter if your perception of energy usage doesn’t change – your behavior can make or break this change.
Be mindful of the way you utilize power and pay particular attention to how you waste energy. Having lights on in empty rooms, running the washing machine for only a handful of items, and opening and closing the fridge multiple times are just a few examples of how we waste electricity without even realizing it.
To End
Solar power can only be as effective as the person using it. Take the time to understand electricity and solar power consumption and find ways to reduce your home’s utilization. Alternative energy resources are the way of the future, we cannot be relying on traditional forms for energy anymore, like coal power.
Solar power is the cleanest and most abundant renewable resource and deserves everyone’s attention. Everyone should know about the vast range of benefits that solar power installations have on the environment and our grid security – it is truly something worth investing in.
