In recent years, the UK has seen a significant increase in the number of households and businesses installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. With the rising cost of electricity and the growing concern over climate change, solar PV systems offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for energy generation.
However, to get the most out of your solar PV system, there are several factors to consider. In this blog, we will explore some tips for maximising the savings and benefits of your solar PV system and speeding up the return on investment.
1. Monitor your Solar PV system performanceMonitoring your renewable system performance is essential for maximising its efficiency. To get the most out of your solar energy system our products come with iOS and Android apps to help you monitor and optimise performance.
The great thing with our phone apps is that you can take your energy usage into your own hands (literally!) and you no longer have to rely on your energy supplier to understand your energy consumption.
One of the best ways to get the most out of your solar PV system is to reduce your overall energy consumption. This can be achieved by making simple changes to your daily habits, such as turning off lights and electronics when they are not in use and making sure your home is properly insulated.
By reducing your energy consumption, you can reduce your reliance on the grid and maximise the benefits of your solar PV system.
Try to use your electricity during the day when your solar panels are producing the most power. You can also install a battery system to store excess power for use later in the day.
In addition to optimising your energy consumption, you can also consider using energy-efficient appliances and lighting. LED lights, for example, use much less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and can help you save on your energy bills.
3. Use energy-efficient appliancesUsing energy-efficient appliances is a great way to maximise your savings from your solar PV system. Look for appliances that have a high energy efficiency ratings, ideally A-rated appliances, as they will use less electricity and therefore require less solar power. Additionally, consider using appliances during off-peak solar hours or when excess solar energy is being produced, such as running your dishwasher or washing machine during the day.
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme is a UK government policy that requires energy suppliers with over 150,000 customers to offer a tariff to pay households and businesses for excess renewable electricity exported back to the grid.
Here’s how the SEG scheme works:
a) Install renewable energy technology: First, you need to install renewable energy technology, such as solar PV panels that can generate electricity.
b) Register for SEG: Once your renewable energy system is installed, you need to register for the SEG scheme with a supplier that offers an export tariff. You can check with different suppliers to see which ones offer the best rates.
c) Export your excess electricity: Whenever your solar PV system generates more electricity than you can use, the excess electricity will be automatically exported to the grid.
d) Receive SEG payments: Your energy supplier will pay you for the excess electricity you export back to the grid at a rate per kilowatt per hour (kWh), as specified in your contract with them. The kWh rate will depend on your supplier.
By participating in the SEG scheme, you can earn money from the excess renewable electricity you generate, which can help offset the cost of your energy bills and provide a return on investment for your renewable energy system.
5. Add solar battery storageBatteries are a technology that allows solar PV system owners to store excess solar energy for later use. Your solar PV panels deserve an equally advanced energy storage system.
Batteries can be optimised for cost-efficiency, feeding your home electricity during the day whilst prices are at their highest and then taking advantage of lower cost energy at night by storing excess created by the solar panels.
When needed you can also top up your battery overnight from the Grid at much reduced rates with smart and flexible tariffs, like Octopus Energy's Flux or Go tariffs.
6. Charge your electric car using solar PV panelsElectric vehicles and Solar PV panels are a match made in heaven.
Solar PV systems generate electricity from the sun, which can then be used to charge an electric vehicle or any other electrical product in your house. The average domestic solar PV system can produce one to four kilowatts of power (kWp). This is enough to fully charge an EV with a battery capacity of 40 kWh in around eight hours.
Of course, the amount of solar energy available to charge an electric vehicle will vary depending on the weather conditions and the time of year. In winter, when there is less daylight and more cloud cover, you may need to supplement your solar PV system with power from the grid. But solar energy is a fantastic way to charge an EV sustainably, even if you only partly charge your car.
Solar compatible EV chargers are becoming increasingly popular. We can supply Zappi EV chargers, which are the UK’s first choice for solar compatible EV charging.