There are many ways in which the average house can save electricity, from monitoring electrical usage to turning off lights, reducing your heating thermostat, or even reducing the length of your shower.
But, potentially the ultimate technique is to invest in solar panels. If you invest in enough you won’t need to draw any electricity from the main grid, It’s time to discover how to put those solar panels to good use.
Understanding The Solar Panel
You may have already seen houses with their roofs covered with solar panels. There is no doubt this is an expensive investment but it’s also one that can return your investment in a few short years.
Each solar panel has 60-72 solar cells. These attract and react to sunlight. The sun hits the cell and the electrons are separated by the cell, these are allowed to move through the cell and this creates a small current, known as direct current (DC).
An inverter will convert this DC to an alternating current (AC), which can be used by the appliances in your home.
Of course, you’ll get a limited amount of electricity from one cell. But, 60-72 cells multiplied by several panels can produce enough to run your house.
Saving Electricity
The first aspect of saving electricity is simply reducing your reliance on the electrical grid. It won’t actually make you use less electricity but it will reduce your costs.
However, there are several other things you can do to help ensure you don’t pay for electricity again.
Repair Panels
This may not be a concern when you first install your panels but you should note that solar panels are expensive. If you have a problem with any of them then you can get a specialist in solar panel repairs to fix them. This saves you from having to purchase a new panel and maintains your electrical generation.
Invest In Batteries
No, not lots of AA batteries. Your solar panels can produce electricity which is used straight away and the excess is sold to the grid. The funds you get should help with the cost of electricity used at night when the solar panels aren’t getting any sunshine.
However, if you invest in a battery backup system the electricity generated by the panels and not used can be stored, allowing you to use it later.
This will save you a considerable amount of money.
Monitor Usage
Having your own electricity supply doesn’t mean you can use electricity with abandon. You should know how much power your system produces and how much you draw. The best scenario is to always use less than is available, this will give you the reserve in your batteries for when the sun has set.
Maximum Number Possible
To help ensure you always have enough power you should invest in as many solar panels as possible. Don’t forget that, in the southern hemisphere, they need to be north-facing to make the most of the available sun.
The expense of the investment can be off-set against your reduced energy bills, it’s usually recouped within a few years.
