Tips to Save Energy Costs with Solar Power

The popularity of solar panels has gone up because the government has put policies like tax rebates and incentives. Everyone would like to have something in their roofing that gives them free energy and it pays for itself with time.

Once the solar panels have been installed, it doesn’t mean all the work is done. You have to monitor and maintain your solar panels because it allows you to get the most out of them. There are also some small changes you can easily make in your home that are going to have an impact on this too. Below are some tips and tricks from Joscos solar energy that are going to help your solar panels improve their performance and efficiency.

Cleaning your solar panels

You need to clean your solar panels once in a while to make sure they are operating at their maximum efficiency. With time, dirt, dust, and other debris are going to coat your solar panels, which is going to make them less efficient. This is a small problem that many people ignore, but they don’t realize it accounts for about 7% of energy loss, according to NREL.

You don’t have to clean your solar panels regularly, doing it once or twice a year is enough. You also don’t need any special equipment to do this; you just need a microfiber cloth water. If your solar panels have been installed on the roof, you should try climbing up there on your own – it is a good idea to leave that work to professionals.

Buying a battery to store energy

If you don’t have a battery system already, then make an effort to get one because it provides you with a great way of storing excess energy when the panels are soaking up the sunlight. When you have a battery, you can keep using energy from the solar even at night and you don’t have to switch to the grid. A battery system is also going to be needed during the rainy days.

If you want to get a battery system, talk to your solar installer so they can recommend good options for your solar setup. Buying a battery system is going to cost you because it isn’t cheap, but there are some states offering solar battery incentives.

Taking advantage when the sun shines

When the sun is shining, your solar panels give you a free steady supply of energy. You should take advantage of it while it is there – charge your electronics, run your weekly wash, and take your daily shower while the sun is shining.

When you start to change your energy-usage habits from night to day, you are going to rely less on the grid, which is going to save you money in power bills.

Using one appliance at a time

While the goal is to take advantage of the solar panels as much as possible, you need to have an eye on the energy being used at any given time. If many appliances are running at the same time, it means more energy is being used than what the solar produces, and you can end up drawing some from the local grid.

It is best to just run appliances at a time. wait until you are done with the appliance before starting to use another one.

Watching your usage via an app

There is a wide range of options when it comes to apps that can help in monitoring energy consumption in your home. When you have one of the apps, it is easy to see any periods of high energy usage. This is going to let you come up with a plan to adjust your habits accordingly.

Upgrading your appliances

If your home is full of old appliances, you are most likely spending more on energy than needed. It is better to invest in modern appliances because they are more energy efficient. You should choose those with Energy Star certification because they are more energy-efficient compared to non-rated ones. Modern appliances also have eco settings too, which is going to help in reducing consumption.

When you upgrade the appliances, your solar panels don’t have to work that hard to run them. You should remove incandescent bulbs and then replace them with smart light bulbs. This is going to save a lot of energy.

If you notice that there is a shade forming on part of the solar panels, then you should find out where it is coming from. Shade is bad for your solar panels because it affects the output. If you are using a string inverter, it can disrupt the entire system. If you notice this problem, try to solve it as soon as possible. If the shade is caused by trees that have intercepted the sun, then the best solution is trimming them back.

If the thing blocking the light is something that can’t be removed, then consider a microinverter or DC power optimizer which optimizes the energy output from the panels that aren’t being shaded.