Solar installation guidelines for residential homeowners and ongoing effective use of the same.

So you finally decided to get your very own set of solar panels to show off to the world, catch the attention of the sun, and gave one more reason to cause your neighbors to be envious. Now, what?

Every home owner needs to ensure that he receives the maximum benefits from his purchase.  In doing so, the solar panel owner has a few measures that he should adhere to maximize solar power usage.

Energy Audits

• Estimate energy usage patterns by performing an energy audit throughout your house
• May be it’s time to replace the energy guzzling air conditioner
• All plugged in devices such as televisions and laptop computers still consume power

Know Where the Energy comes from 

• Energy comes from the power grid or solar array. Batteries (one or many) further expands the reach of power during non-sun hours.
• Perform a monthly verification of power consumption to ensure a minimum production guarantee from solar manufacturers
• Another, equally important thing is to determine your solar installation model. Please note that there are several models that are currently in use, however, depending on the utility and incentives some models may not be applicable
  • Grid Tied – This model only works with utilities that provide a feedback. However, it’s a good idea to check with the utility before completion.
  • Battery storage – Grid assisted or Off-Grid
  • Hybrid models – Solar+Battery+Grid

Know Where the Energy Goes

Create a log of all high use appliances. In general, washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers tend to absorb a significant amount of energy;

Nowadays with the help of Solar monitoring applications, all high energy usage appliances are configured to use minimal power from the grid.

And Last but Not Least 

It is important to keep your solar panels clean.  Freeing them of leaves and debris will allow more sunlight to convert into energy.  In turn, this gives them their maximum allotted usage.

For any questions about usage of your solar panels and lifestyle changes that positively impact the environment, contact us here.