How to optimise your solar power:

Use your energy when the sun is shining brightly!

Generally, on a sunny day your solar system will be at peak production between 10am & 3pm.

If you have a battery system it should be fully charged for evening use, however keep in mind that it has limited energy, so use your energy-heavy appliances during peak sun hours.

The best way to use your solar power:

Use household appliances during daylight hours.

Use washing machines, dryers and dishwashers while the sun is shining.

Use the delay start setting on your washing machine – for example if you work during the day, load the washing machine and delay the start time to 11am when solar production is at its peak.

Set air conditioning to run during the day and look at automating this if possible, you may be able to control your air conditioning through a phone app and have it cool down your home before you arrive home from work in the afternoon. Keep temperatures within a controlled range to maximise efficiency.

Set pool pumps and hot water systems to run during the day only – Ask us about installing a hot water timer so the water only heats while solar is being produced.

Stagger running times of appliances during the day to ensure they don’t use more energy than the solar system is producing – this will result in drawing energy from the grid.

Turn off unused appliances such as drinks fridges, electronics, computers and TV’s at the powerpoint.

Switch your light globes and appliances to energy-efficient options wherever possible:

Use LED light globes in your light fittings and lamps throughout your home.

Check an appliance’s energy efficiency rating if you are adding or replacing items in your home.

Ask us about installing a hot water timer.

How do you know how much solar energy your system produces each day?

This information can be found in your system proposal document, and changes marginally dependent on the season but as a rough guide:

• A 6.6kW system produces: Average 25kWh per day
• A 10kW system produces: Average 40kWh per day
• A 15kW system produces: Average 60kWh per day

What is a kilowatt hour (kWh)?

This is how we measure energy usage. For example, if you run an appliance with a rating of 1000 watts (1kWh) for 1 hour then the appliance will have used 1 kilowatt hour.

The typical cost of 1 kilowatt hour is around 28 cents.

Examples of how much power your appliances use:

Monitoring

If your renewable energy system has monitoring you can see what power is available from the your solar system and match it against your current home usage to ensure you are producing more energy than you are using in the home. You should also see how much your battery has been charged throughout the day to ensure you have enough stored for evening using to avoid drawing energy from the grid.

Hopefully this information helps you to optimise your savings. If you need to speak with us or require any further information on monitoring your usage levels please contact us.