While most people dread receiving their electricity bill each month, those who recently installed a solar energy system may experience a bit of excitement instead. How much have you saved in total? Is this amount similar to what you have paid in previous bills?
Most new solar users will see their first bill decrease; however, some consumers will be unpleasantly surprised to find the reverse. You may think that solar panels are supposed to lower your power bill, so you wonder, “Why are my power bills still so high?” If solar panels are installed on your roof and you still have high energy bills, this post will explore the three most common reasons and their associated solutions. It is only logical that you should receive the maximum financial benefit from your compliance solar system installation.
Most of Your Power Consumption Occurs Overnight
After the sun goes down, your solar stops generating power. You might find that all of your electrical devices and gadgets are being utilized even when you are away at work. Your stove and microwave, washing machine, or television may consume a lot of energy. This, compounded by the fact that you’re likely to use them during peak times (generally 3–9 p.m.), is going to cause you to have an expensive electricity bill.
Solar energy is generated when the she shines and used off when appliances consume. At night, when solar energy is consumed, your home appliances draw electricity from the grid. The latter factor is a major contributing factor to inflated energy prices.
Consider how frequently you use household electric devices like the TV, stove, water heater, and electronic gadgets such as laptops and phone chargers. Is it possible to develop an off-time-of-day of how these devices are being used?
The truth is that you will export most of your solar energy to the grid if you consume most of your electricity at night. While a feed-in tariff will still be paid, the value of exported solar energy is only around half that of solar energy used in-house.
Align Your Energy Consumption With the Sun’s Cycle
Prepare ahead of time to align your daily activities with that of the sun. It’s important to remember that your photovoltaic panels won’t generate energy after dark. Without a solar battery to store, your evening electricity use will be served by the grid, not your solar system.
Your solar panels generate energy in direct relation to the amount of sunlight that they receive. As more energy is generated and consumed, power prices will reduce.
However, there are the periods of time in the year when solar energy generation is insignificant due to the wind conditions of Sydney and other major parts of New South Wales. Your solar panels could be blocked by rain, clouds or snow – dimming the light exposure.
As unfortunate as it is, people cannot stop weather from happening. The good news is that low energy output is only temporary and your panels will be productive once the weather gets better.
Load shifting is a term that has been tossed around. It means you just need to shift your routine to expend more energy throughout the day. The question is, “How?” So it basically boils down to changing the way you consume and using timers (your new best friends).
Simple methods of load-shifting:
- In the summer, you can beat the heat by scheduling your air conditioner to turn on before you get home. After the home has cooled, you can convert to fans that use less energy to keep the air moving.
- Keep the heat on low in the cold. Set the thermostat to kick on a few hours before you expect to arrive to prepare a toasty house for your return.
- Use the dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer during the day by setting their delay timers to run during the day.
- Laundry and other electricity-intensive chores should be saved for the weekend when you’ll likely be at home throughout the day.
- During the day, the pool’s pump and filter can be run on a timer, which is an added convenience for pool owners.
- Avoid taking a late-night shower if your source of hot water is electric.
Get a Solar Battery Set Up
The alternative is to install solar battery storage, which is more efficient but expensive. You can use your own electricity at home from solar power even when the sun isn’t shining. What’s more? The stored energy can give you way more electricity than the on-the-spot generated energy.
Compared to the Past, You Might Be Making Significantly Higher Electrical Consumption
New solar customers often have naïve views about solar energy use. They often think they can now use as much energy as they want, whenever they want, without paying any additional money. Obviously, this is not true. While solar panels can reduce your home’s energy use during the day, your energy bill won’t get canceled entirely if you spend more energy and expect the solar to cover the cost.
Solar panels that are perfectly installed will not prevent from electricity overuse. If your solar arrays are not reducing your electricity bill, here is why:
- The energy your system generates is insufficient to meet your current needs.
- At night, when solar panels aren’t producing any energy, you’re still using a lot of power.
- A multitude of electrical gadgets share a single outlet.
- When not in use, you repeatedly forget to turn off appliances and lights.
- You didn’t switch to more efficient light bulbs and home appliances.
- Energy usage increases because more individuals are staying at home. Adding more people to your household might increase your electricity consumption.
Customers are led to believe that when they install a solar panel, they will never need to pay for electricity again. But if your household’s energy needs are greater than the output from your solar panels, your setup will have to pull power from the grid.
That will increase the cost of electricity. So, how can you tell if this is happening in your own home?
Learn Your Energy Consumption Patterns and Make Load Adjustments as Needed
The first step is to confirm the issue. Collect your pre-solar and post-solar electricity bills. Compare peak and off-peak electricity use figures to see how the two invoices differ. The most likely cause is higher energy use during this billing cycle.
If you’re using more energy than normal, a remedy is changing your consumption habits. Move your loads around if you can, and try not to run appliances like the heater at traditional hours of the day. You could also install a smart meter for real-time tracking of your electricity usage so you can target areas to save.
A smart meter, which you can get free from your utility company, graphs your energy usage throughout the day so you can decide how and when to use energy.
A Problem Exists Within Your Infrastructure
What if you have been using the bulk of your electricity during the cheaper off-peak hours and have been practicing sensible energy consumption behavior, but your spending is still higher than you expected? The issue might be that your photovoltaic arrays aren’t producing enough energy. The following are all possible reasons:
- The size of your system is inadequate to supply your needs.
- You aren’t making the most of your system’s capabilities because it wasn’t set up properly or isn’t suited to your environment.
- The flaws in your system are obvious.
This means the homeowner isn’t reaping the full financial and environmental benefits of their solar system, and their costs continue to rise.
If your solar panels are smaller, you might not have planned as far ahead as you need to. Adding more solar panels or using portable solar panels may solve this problem.
When you get your solar system installed, you’ll want a solar meter to monitor your energy use and sales. The power company that supplies your service will usually install the solar meter. Until the new solar meter is installed, most solar professionals recommend that you switch your solar off.
Please note that the solar system may not be activated once the solar meter is installed. The customer might mistakenly think he’s already getting solar power and start turning on all household electrical appliances. It may be an unwelcoming awakening when the quarterly electric bill arrives.
If you want to avoid this problem, all you have to do is consult your solar array installer. One way or another, they should always be able to verify whether or not the solar panel system is operational.
Take a Look Into It and Fix It
Your solar system’s performance can be assessed by its expected output, which will be affected by attributes such as penal size, location, and time of year.
For starters, most solar inverters can give you a 12-month rolling average of the daily kilowatt output, which you can then compare against your state’s daily average. Make sure your average is within 10% of the state average.
If your solar system is installed for less than 12 months, you can still calculate a monthly average to determine your potential returns. NREL’s PVWatts Calculator is a useful resource for estimating the monthly power production of grid-connected solar installations. Although the input fields may look confusing at first, there is a helpful indicator to the right of each entry that provides additional context.
Meanwhile, you can always call the store where you bought the system from. Your panels should have at least ten years of warranty. A reputable company would be happy to inspect the system to ensure it is functioning properly. For an accurate evaluation and repairs, consult a local solar system electrician.
All other things being equal, if you’ve seen your energy bills rising despite having solar panels, they may be broken.
The most appropriate action to take is:
- You should check the solar panel tracking app. This app allows us to verify the levels of energy production and consumption.
- Tell the person installing your solar panels. Your technician will quickly diagnose and correct the problem so your system can resume regular operation.
How to Go Solar the Right Way
One of the best ways to lessen your impact on the power grid and save money on your energy bills is to switch to solar panels. You are probably not “making hay whilst the sun shines” if your investments aren’t producing the results you anticipated. The only way to truly save money with solar panels is to be conscientious about when you use electricity and try to use as much of it during the day as possible. Almost all of your daylight and nighttime energy needs can be met by power generated by your own solar battery system, provided your system is large enough.
Maybe you were just led on. It is not uncommon for solar vendors and salesmen to exaggerate the financial benefits of going solar. The claim or guarantee of zero utility bills should raise red flags for consumers, as this is highly improbable, particularly in the absence of a battery installation. If you go to a reliable solar energy supplier, they will give you an accurate estimate of the financial benefits you can anticipate to enjoy.