Have you already lit up your life with solar?
Congratulations. You’re making a fantastic choice for your wallet and for the planet.
But how can you make the most of your solar investment?
On this page, we’ve compiled five practical strategies to maximise the economic benefits of your solar panels and make your system work even harder for you.
#1 Increase your self-consumption with battery storage
One of the most effective ways to maximise your solar energy savings is by getting a battery storage system. Solar panels generate the most power during the day. Still, most residential properties use most energy at night (when we’re all home from work and school).
As a result, much of this energy produced in daylight gets sent back to the grid. If you have a feed-in tariff (FiT) from before 2019 (especially between April 2010 and December 2011), you’ll receive an extremely generous rate for any excess, as high as 41.3p per kWh. However, these days, the unsustainable feed-in tariffs are gone, replaced by the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme, which pays you for your excess energy at a much lower rate (rates vary, but customers should expect to receive about 5p per kWh).
It’s still something, of course, but you could be using that energy yourself. Battery storage systems store excess power from your solar panels, allowing you to use it in the evening when solar production stops. This means less reliance on the grid during peak hours and better preparation for any power cuts.
The more you can use the energy you generate, the greater your savings will be. Plus, if you’re on a time-of-use tariff, you can avoid using more expensive grid power during peak times.
#2 Optimise energy usage with smart home technology
Smart home technology has also taken the world by storm in recent years. It’s another excellent way to boost your solar savings. The key here is to use smart technology to ensure your appliances run at the most appropriate times.
These days, you’ll find many programmable appliances like washing machines, dishwashers and smart thermostats, like Hive. These connect to apps and even AI virtual assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, CoPilot and Siri.
Optimise your solar panels’ effectiveness by setting these appliances to run during peak solar hours (typically between 10am and 4pm). This reduces your reliance on grid energy.
#3 Maximise savings with tariff optimisation and energy timing
Lots of energy providers offer time-of-use tariffs, where the cost of electricity varies depending on the time of day. Energy is cheaper during off-peak hours and more expensive during peak demand times.
Time your energy use to match the lower-cost periods. For example, as much as possible, charge your electric car, run your washing machine or power other energy-hungry appliances during off-peak hours. (Again, here’s where smart technology comes in very handy.)
In most cases, this is during the midnight hours. It depends on your specific provider and tariff, though. Combined with solar and battery storage, this leads to substantial savings by reducing the amount of expensive grid power you consume.
#4 Improve household energy efficiency
It doesn’t matter how good your domestic solar system is; even the best will struggle if your home wastes energy. Simple household energy efficiency upgrades make a big difference in reducing your energy needs. This directly translates to more solar savings.
Start by managing standby power. It’s the classic thing most of us all too easily overlook. TVs, computers, kitchen appliances, etc, all consume power when not used. Switch them off at the wall or use smart plugs to turn them off when they aren’t needed.
Another easy upgrade is switching to LED lighting. LED bulbs use significantly less power than the traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs. And they last much longer.
Other ways to improve your household energy demands include sealing gaps and drafts, installing double-glazing and upgrading your appliances to energy-efficient models.
The result is that solar will power even more of your home.
#5 Keep an eye on your system with monitoring tools
Keep track of your solar system’s performance. Solar panel monitoring systems provide detailed insights into how much energy your system is producing and how much you’re using.
These systems also monitor the condition of your panels. If you have a battery installed, they can show you its storage levels, use patterns and overall health.
Whether it’s your panels or your battery, spotting and fixing issues early is always more cost-effective than letting them get worse.
Maximise your solar energy savings with Electrical Innovations
Maximising your solar energy savings doesn’t end with your panels’ installation. The simple measures mentioned on this page – and many tweaks besides – will help you get the most out of your investment.
At Electrical Innovations, we’ve been helping customers make the most of their solar systems for over 20 years. If you’re looking for ways to maximise your solar savings or need advice on upgrading your system, get in touch with us today. We’ll help you create the best energy solution for your home and wallet.
