The Size of Your Roof

The size and orientation of your roof will have a significant influence over the number of panels installed for your home. A team of solar installation specialists will do the hard work for you, using a satellite solar mapping tool to accurately measure how many panels will fit and perform efficiently in their intended position.

If you’d like to get an idea before the professionals get to work, establish the dimensions of your roof in north, east and west facing directions. Once you’ve got the measurements of the panels you’re looking to install, you’ll be able to calculate how many panels will fit.

Current Energy Usage

How much energy does your household consume in an average day? You can answer this question by taking a look at your most recent power bill. Flip it over to the back and it should display a graph that indicates your daily consumption.

A solar power system’s performance will greatly depend on location and level of exposure to sunlight; however, generally speaking a 1kW solar power system will produce up to 5kWh of energy per day. If your household’s daily consumption is 20kWh per day, and you’re hoping to run completely off clean energy, you’d need to look at installing a 4kW system.

This is just a guide, and your solar installation team will be able to direct you towards the system that will best suit your consumption habits.

Daytime Power Usage

Are you working from home, or spending most days at the house? Do your appliances run throughout daylight hours? Start to take notice of how much power you’re using during the day and if it’s a significant part of your overall consumption. If the answer is yes, a larger system would be useful for your home. If you’re rarely home during the day, a smaller system might be more suitable. However, we recommend shifting a few habits to support your system’s performance. For example, setting a timer on your washing machine or dishwasher so it runs during the day, rather than at night when you’re using power from the grid.

What’s Your Budget?

What size system is your budget going to permit? If you’re looking to make a serious long term investment, a larger system will allow you to save more money down the track. However, if you’re only in the financial position to install something smaller, that will work too! Your solar support team will ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck regardless of whether your system is 2kW or 8kW.

Closely consider your renewable energy goals to make an informed decision on what you want to achieve, the timeframe you wish to achieve it in and for what price. The above factors will ensure that you and your installation team can decide on the best size system to suit you and your energy usage habits.

If you’re ready to take the next step towards solar panel installation, talk to our expert team today.

Run Appliances During Daylight Hours

Don’t worry, you don’t need to sit in darkness every night when powering your home with solar energy. It can make the world of difference to your consumption levels if you make a conscious effort to use large appliances during the day. Try to use the dishwasher, washing machine or dryer during the day, or set the delayed start function before you leave the house in the morning. This will ensure these appliances use solar energy, rather than pulling from the grid in the evenings. You can also make other small adjustments, including charging electronic devices in daylight hours and unplugging all devices and appliances that aren’t in use at night.

Consider More Energy Efficient Appliances

Upgrading your appliances is an investment, however it’s one that goes hand in hand with the one you’ve just made! Why not continue the great work you’re doing for the environment and save even more money while you’re at it. Appliances with a five-star energy rating will ensure your home is as energy efficient as it can be. You don’t need to swap them out all at once. Do an audit on your appliances to determine what is using the most energy, what is costing you the most and what should be changed first.

Use Air Conditioners and Heaters During the Day

Even if you’re not home during the day, why not prepare it for when you arrive home? Use timers on your cooling and heating systems to save the most on your power bill. Get your home to the perfect temperature using your solar power and enjoy comfortable evenings without the stress of paying for it.

Alternate Appliance Usage

Don’t use all your appliances at once! Stagger the use of your appliances so your solar energy system can support your consumption. Give your system a chance to convert sunlight to power and ensure your home and appliances are working with the panels, not competing against them.

Ensure Panel Maintenance and Upkeep

When it comes to solar panel maintenance, there isn’t much to write home about! It’s fast, relatively infrequent and mostly requires a quick check. Monitor your panels to ensure they aren’t damaged, substantially shaded or covered in debris. By keeping an eye on your panels, you’ll get to the bottom of any issues quickly and your panels will continue to perform at their best for many years to come.

Your new life at home with solar panels is here. Do your best to adapt your lifestyle and give your panels the best chance at helping you to achieve your energy saving goals. While you’ll save money regardless, it pays (quite a bit extra!) to become smarter with your energy use and support your panels.

If you’d like to learn more about solar panel installation, maintenance or making your home more energy efficient, talk to our team today.

Make the Most of Natural Light

Let there be light! Natural light that is. Lighting an office or a large commercial space can become costly. Do your best to take advantage of any natural light, whether it’s through windows or skylights, and only use artificial lighting in areas that are less exposed to the outdoors. While natural light can be advantageous in reducing energy use, it can also be detrimental in your efforts to cool your space during warmer months. The sun’s light and heat can work against your cooling system, so be sure to install blinds, awnings or window film to reduce the effects of the heat.

Upgrade to Energy Efficient Equipment

While it may be an investment to get your business set up with energy efficient equipment and devices, it will certainly show its worth in the long run. Don’t run outdated cooling and heating systems (these are renowned for churning through electricity!), switch to computers, monitors, printers and photocopiers with a five-star energy rating and ensure they’re switched off when not in use. Shut down devices or set them to sleep mode when your business is closed. You’ll be shocked at how such a simple task can save you so much on your power bill.

Invest in a Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats are a great way to control the temperature of your building during nights, weekends or holiday periods. Essentially, it will prevent you from wasting money on heating and cooling your building when it’s unoccupied. It will allow you to cut down on your spend and regulate the temperature to suit the current season.

Building Maintenance

Routine maintenance of your building is an important part of increasing the efficiency of your cooling and heating systems. During maintenance, check for any drafts that could be leaking air. Even a small draft that may not identify as a big problem, could be sucking your business of the money spent to power cooling and heating systems.

Switch to Renewable Energy

If you’re serious about operating your business more efficiently, it may be time to invest in solar panels. If your business hours run from 9-5 (peak solar conversion time!), you’ll benefit greatly from a solar system large enough to support your energy consumption. More than  simply a trend, it’s becoming increasingly important to make small adjustments to support more sustainable ways of doing business. Solar panels will allow your business to run off renewable energy and you’ll never pay a hefty power bill again!

Pay more attention to your business’ energy consumption and watch the savings roll in. Whether you make physical adjustments to your space, a few small investments or you encourage employees to become more conscious of their energy consumption; you’ll notice the benefits to your business almost instantly!

Do you want to know more about solar installation or switching to more efficient appliances? Get in touch with our team today.

Cash

Ok, so it’s not technically a financing option, but it’s a great investment if you’ve got the cash. Solar systems generate a tax-free return, plus you’ll never pay a hefty power bill again and you’ll see a return on your investment in just 3-5 years! In a lot of cases, solar systems can actually generate excess power (i.e. more power than you use), in which case, you’ll actually get paid (usually in credit) for your contributions to the power grid.

While it might initially seem like a large investment to pay for straight up in cash, it might surprise you to find how little a system actually costs in comparison to its benefits. If we could tell you now how much a system would be right here right now, we would, but there are too many variables. We encourage you to give our team a call for a free, no obligation quote on a tailored solar system.

Green Loans

Many financial institutions now offer green loans to customers. These personal loans specifically fund the purchase of energy saving products, such as solar panels. They generally incur lower interest rates, minimal upfront fees and no early repayment fees.

Borrowing limits are more flexible and loan terms range from six months to seven years.

Do your research and you could land a great deal on a green loan.

If you’d prefer not to pay cash and your credit rating is high, it’s one of the best options for financing your solar system.

Interest Free Loans

While we’ve listed it as an option, it’s probably not the best one. Interest free loans are often too good to be true and it’s no different when it comes to solar. The terms are usually longer than green loans, making the monthly repayments higher. Despite technically paying no interest and owning your panels from the get-go, this will likely end up being one of the most expensive financing options.

Personal Loans

Personal loans are a safe and reasonable way to finance your solar panels. Personal loans are easy to apply for, pre-approved and if your credit rating has suffered slightly over the years, they’re easier to attain than a green loan. You’ll also be granted the flexibility to source the best solar system with the cash you’ve received from the loan. While interest rates can be a little higher and you’ll need to shop around to find the best loan, it can still work out to be cheaper if you’re committed to paying it off quickly.

Start doing your research to find an option that works best with your financial situation. Your choice should reflect the size of your system, your credit rating and your level of willingness to make repayments. Make smart choices from the start when switching to solar and your investment will pay off.

If you’re interested in learning more about solar or getting a quote, get in touch with us today.