by Nvard Hakobian
Electricity generation hugely impacts the environment. It is mostly because of increasing mass production and consumption, which are essential for the quality of life and cannot be avoided. However, the way to get the energy used for producing or consuming something can be reconsidered to minimize our ecological footprint. Sunlight, for instance, is one of the much cleaner alternative energy sources. So, going solar is beneficial not only for us in terms of cutting costs but also for the environment, which needs to be protected.
How do solar panels work?
Being placed in large outdoor spaces or on rooftops, solar panels absorb sunlight through their photovoltaic cells. Thereafter, the inverter converts the sunlight into electricity to be ready for use. You may choose to have an inverter for the entire system or microinverters for each panel individually. The converted electrical energy can be utilized to power appliances or be stored in a battery for later use. Hence, a solar panel kit may include batteries as well for you to make sure that there will be sufficient energy supply even in case of a power outage.
The benefits of solar energy
Along with reducing your environmental impact, solar power makes it possible to become 100% energy-independent. There is no need to worry about fluctuating electricity prices. Moreover, you will be able to accumulate a lot of savings over the lifetime of your solar panels, which is normally at least 25 years. The average solar payback period in the US is about 8 years. In other words, you may need approximately 8 years to get back your initial investment in solar power. Besides, net metering will allow you to sell the excess energy back to the main grid, which in turn, will help to lower electricity bills.
Tips to use solar electricity most efficiently
Keep the electricity consumption of the building to the minimum
To reduce your electricity costs you may consider eliminating the usage of devices and appliances that require too much energy. In addition, turning off unnecessary lights and unplugging unused electronics will help to save electricity as well as money. Therefore, the lower the consumption, the greater the effectiveness will be to cover it using the solar energy system.
Use high-consumption appliances during the day
Making use of the kitchen stove, the washing machine, the clothes dryer, and the dishwasher during the day is another way to ensure the system’s efficiency. Throughout that period a lot of output is produced by the solar generator on the roof and it can be directly used. The solar battery can be a buffer for temporary load peaks when you have a device with high-wattage. The reason behind this is that the abundance of kilowatt-hours on the roof is not enough and the currents should also be available at short notice.
Install LEDs
Lightning is one of the largest energy cost factors. So decreasing its usage will have a huge effect on electricity consumption. Unlike the obsolete light bulbs, LEDs utilize almost all of the available electricity to make light. It is obvious from their state of being cool that guarantees much less energy loss and also, longer shelf life.
Turn off the standby mode
Many electrical devices consume electricity even in case of not being in use. Some of those devices are TVs, computers, or kitchen appliances. When the number of electrical implements is taken into account for a normal house, it is apparent that the standby consumption can hugely increase the required amount for energy supply. So, the physical separation of such devices from the circuit will make the usage of solar power more effective, which can be done with the help of switchable sockets.
Nvard entered the Marketing world to explore her passion for valuable content creation. She writes for educating her readers and leading them to a better, healthier, and eco-friendlier life.
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