Shift to solar and save money
Given the historical annual utility increase of 10%, the investment in solar power offers households a shield against the continuous escalation in utility expenses.
Solar Power: offering long term financial stability beyond load-shedding
The decision to invest in a solar system should extend beyond addressing the immediate concern of load shedding. While resolving the problem of load shedding is a pressing issue, the financial benefits of solar power over the long term must not be overlooked.
Given, the historical annual utility increase of 10%, the investment in solar power offers households a shield against the continuous escalation in utility expenses.
Solar power – a stable, renewable alternative to price increases
The fundamental advantage of solar power lies in its capacity to independently generate electricity using abundant sunlight. It serves as a stable, renewable alternative to combat the persistent increase in utility costs.
Installing solar panels is the first step towards saving. To maximise the advantages of solar power, understanding load shifting and adapting behavioural changes are crucial.
Introducing load shifting
Load shifting involves aligning energy consumption with peak solar production times. By managing energy usage to coincide with maximum solar energy generation, households can substantially reduce reliance on the grid, leading to significant long-term savings. Appliances such as geysers and pool pumps are ideal candidates for load shifting as they can be governed by wi-fi timers to only run during peak sun hours.
Changing habits to maximise the daylight
By implementing behavioural changes to your daily routine to adjust consumption patterns, further maximises the efficiency of solar energy utilisation. Some practical examples of simple behavioural changes include; running the dishwasher after the lunch routine instead of turning it on after dinner time, limiting hot water use in the evenings by showering in the mornings, and scheduling the cooking main meals during daytime instead of in the evenings.
All these steps shift significant energy consumption during daylight hours, which can be serviced by the sun rather than the grid. By limiting your consumption at night it’s possible to fully utilise stored power in your battery delaying your consumption from the grid.
The emphasis on load shifting and behavioural changes plays a pivotal role in ensuring the effectiveness of a solar system. These strategies contribute to making solar power an ideal and enduring solution for South African households.
Pathway to significant savings
Moving beyond resolving the problem of load shedding, the installation of solar power addresses immediate electricity supply challenges and simultaneously offers a pathway to substantial, sustained savings. It ensures that households have greater autonomy over their energy consumption and are better equipped to navigate the volatile landscape of utility costs.
