New solar customers often make small mistakes that negatively impact their experience going green. That’s why we have compiled a brief list of tips to help you avoid those mistakes and realize maximum cost savings from your solar panel system. So, let’s get started.
- Solar Panel Orientation
An average solar customer is more worried about the inclination of their solar panels than about its orientation. The fact is that your solar panel inclination has little impact on energy generation efficiency. In fact, a 30-degree angle of inclination works best for most households across the US.
However, the orientation deserves more attention than inclination. For Connecticut households, the ideal solar panel orientation is North-South, and not West-East, as many people wrongly think it to be.
- Bye-bye Bulbs, Welcome LEDs
For many households, the single biggest source of energy consumption is house lighting. LEDs consume a fraction of the electricity consumed by bulbs. They waste little energy in heat generation. Therefore, much of the electricity is converted directly into the light, ultimately saving you a significant amount of energy.
- Turn Off Standby Mode
Devices on standby continue to consume considerable amounts of power, although it’s much lower than working appliances. Still, if you don’t want to waste solar energy on devices that you don’t need at the time, just switch them off instead of putting them on standby.
- Use High-consumption Devices During Daytime
Try to use appliances that require high amounts of energy during the day. During the daytime, your solar panels are at their most efficient and can easily meet your power needs.
- Reduce Electricity Consumption
Well, don’t give up on your TV, microwave, or anything else essential. However, you can definitely give up on some appliances that you don’t really need. Also, you can replace inefficient devices with more efficient ones.
- Do Your Gardening on Solar Power
Typically, gardens require the most work between spring and autumn. Incidentally, solar panels are at their most efficient during this period. Use electric lawnmower, hedge trimmer, lighting, and other electric appliances during the daytime. This way, your solar system’s surplus energy is used up entirely, and you don’t incur any costs on diesel or gasoline.
Efficient utilization of solar power not only helps reduce your carbon footprint but also makes your household resilient against blackouts and grid outages.
