Learn how to maximise your solar investment

So, you have invested in solar power. Now, let us make it work for you in the best way it can! 

We have put together some useful ideas to help you maximise your investment. These tips relate to using more of the daytime sunlight to direct use while it’s available, instead of let it go to the grid. This advice also helps you to spread your usage throughout the day, making sure you avoid over usage. 

Use more energy during daylight hours and focus the use on peak solar times. 

Solar systems only produce electricity while the sun is out therefore, it makes sense to use as much of this sun generated energy as possible by using more of your power-hungry appliances during day. Here’s some useful tips:  

• Using timers on energy-hungry appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, so they operate during daylight hours while you are at work. 
• Adjusting your heating and cooling appliances to the desired temperature during the afternoon, so you can switch them off at night.  
• Using appliances with rechargeable batteries such as cordless kettles and vacuum cleaners, which you can charge during the day and run off battery power at night. 

Stagger the use of your appliances 

The number of appliances you can power form your solar panels is limited by the size of your system and the amount of electricity the appliance draws, a good way to ensure you are using less electricity is to only use one appliance at a time.  

For example: 

• Vacuum the floor once the dishwasher has finished its cycle, rather than at the same time. 
• Use your power consumption monitor to understand how much energy you are producing versus how much you are using, if you have it. All Enphase systems come with consumption monitoring. Other inverter systems would only have consumption monitoring by request.  

Upgrade to a heat pump 

Hot water production is a major energy demand, another way to maximise your solar energy efficiency is to replace your old gas or electric hot water system with a hot water heat pump. This efficient device gathers and uses the ambient heat in the air outside the home to heat a tank of water. It can capture up to three and a half times as much heat energy as it uses in electrical energy, giving you a net gain of free renewable energy. Simply set it to operate during daylight hours using your free solar power and enjoy free hot water at night. 

SkyGreen is preparing to provide and install heat pumps.  

Register your interest for a heat pump now. 

Upgrade to a battery suitable to your needs 

Battery technology has come a long way and is now commonplace to install in addition to your solar power.  

Installing a battery is a good idea if: 

• You are exporting a huge amount of solar to the grid and you feel like it’s going to waste  
• If you still have a large amount of energy consumption at night-time that needs to be dealt with or  
• If you want a certain amount of battery independence from the grid.