Technology

Can Solar Power Help You Save Money?

As the world pays greater attention to sustainable and renewable energy sources to replacethe dependence on the limited supply offossil fuels available, both households and commercial establishments have been turning to solar power.

Although experimenting with technology for harnessing solar energy to convert it into a power source dates backto 1839 when Alexandre Edmond Becquerel happened upon the principle behind solar energy, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the technology started gaining mainstream attention.

Today, households and commercial establishments such as hotels, hostels and any other business concerns that require constant hot water are the first to consider solar power for their heating requirements. The set-up and cost for a water heating system don’t require too much time, effort and money and as a result, is an easy entry point to using solar energy.

If you want to discuss how solar power can help you save money with your water heating, speak to solar hot water Brisbane for a complete understanding.

Energy consumption statistics reveal that as much as 23% of household energy is used up for heating water in Australia. Many believe it is their light fixtures that consumea lot of electricity; however, it is only about 5% of the total usage. What if you could saveapproximately 1/4th (23%) of your electricity bill by converting to solar power? Money savingsevery monthhas been the strongest argument for conversion among both commercial establishments and households.

There are three factors to consider when thinking about converting to solar energy to help you save money. An understanding of these factors that determine your production of solar energy in terms of how much and for what uses will give you an idea of how much you will save, and your return-on-investment timeline.

The efficiency of the solar panel you choose to go with has a direct impact on savings. The more efficient the panels are at harnessing the sun’s rays,the more energy they can produce i.e., better panels = more energy production. This in turn translates to greater long-term savings for the user.

One of the first things a solar power sales consultant will discuss with you before proposing an appropriate system for you is the amount of energy youusually use for say heating water in a month. The amount of energyused or the approximate bill value of using electricity through the grid influences the amount of savings you can expect from installing a solar water heating system. The consideration is down to installation cost vs. monthly savings and how long it will take to recover the cost of installation.

If you choose a system that has a battery to store energy produced but not consumed you can sell the excess power that is generated through your system to the grid.It’s important to keep in mind that not every solar power system uses a battery or has the need to and that the battery itself has a cost attached.

DoreenBeehler
the authorDoreenBeehler