If you want cheaper energy bills and an opportunity to earn a Government-backed income, then solar panels are probably something you’ve given good thought to.
But once installed, how can you get the most out of your new system? Make sure you read through the following section and take onboard expert tips to benefit from the fantastic opportunities solar panels offer.
One of the best ways to get the most from your solar panels is by using more of the electricity you generate at home, rather than exporting it to the grid. This makes financial sense as grid electricity costs around 15.32p/kWh, compared to selling power for 4.5p/kWh with the export tariff.
You have to be careful in how you make the most of your electricity usage though, because the last thing you want is to increase your bills.
This means your first step to successfully utilising solar is to reduce electricity demand. Essentially this is done by improving energy efficiency and the Energy Saving Trust suggest three ways to do this:
- Through the fitting of efficient lighting systems and high-rated appliances
- To check on and improve the level of insulation in the home
- To invest in a voltage control system if your home is electric heated.
Voltage control systems will help you to manage voltage level and reduce wasted heat and vibrations. They can save you as much as 10% each year on energy bills and help to slash CO2 emissions too.
So now that you’re using less electricity on a daily basis, how can you make the most from the solar panels?
There are four ways of doing this:
- As solar panels generate electricity during the day, use electrical appliances such as the washing machine and dishwasher in daylight hours.
This is quite an easy solution and only involves you switching your behaviour to have the dishwasher, tumble dryer and washing machine operating when you’re out in the day, rather than the evening. If you’re home, using other electrical appliances such as irons and hoovers will have a significant benefit. You can even charge up laptops and other technical equipment during the day.
- Start using electric to heat your home
If you don’t currently use electric as your home’s heating fuel, perhaps it’s time to consider the notion. This can be achieved with technology such as storage heaters, which work by storing heat and then distributing it when needed. Thanks to modern advances, storage heaters are now very efficient too. Of course, it’s important you don’t use more than the solar panels are producing though, otherwise you’ll be paying the more expensive daytime energy rates.
- Heat water with the electricity generated from solar panels
Another great way of making the most of electricity produced during the day is by using it to heat water. This is done with an immersion heater and needs to be fitted by a professional, costing in the region of £300 and £500.
Of course, savings achievable will be dictated by what fuel you currently use to heat water in the home. If you’re on oil, LPG or electricity then you’ll save the most money. If you’re on gas however, think carefully about whether this is cost effective and consider other means.
- Store excess daytime electricity onto batteries
If you’re out a lot during the day then it’s possible to have the electricity you produce stored on batteries for use at a later date. The only problem with this is that the batteries can be expensive and will need to be replaced every five to ten years. Solar batteries are more common on off-grid systems.