Could your home run entirely on solar energy?
With the right solar power set up, you could essentially power your entire home life using the sun! You could power your lights, kettle, fridge, TV and heating entirely from renewable solar energy, without using non-renewable fossil fuels. It might sound futuristic and hard to acheive, but more homes than ever are already becoming energy efficient and disconnecting from the grid almost entirely thanks to domestic solar panels.
We all know that solar energy is great for the environment, reducing our dependency on non-renewable resources, but it is also a fantastic way to keep your living costs down. Once you’ve installed a solar panel system and solar battery in your home, you have access to energy that is essentially free. However, you do need to take into consideration the cost of paying for your set-up. Most homes set up monthly payment plans for the solar power systems, which can often cost a lot less than they spend on energy every month and, once paid off in full, allow you to benefit from no electricity costs. Some homes can also reduce their cost further by selling any of their unused electricity back to the grid, further offsetting the cost. There are also grants and funding that can help reduce how much you pay for your solar energy set-up.
Let solar panels do all the heavy lifting
Investing in solar panels for your home is a great way to start your clean energy journey, especially when paired with a solar power battery. Your solar panels generate renewable electricity from sunlight during the day, which can be used to power appliances around the home. Then at night excess solar energy that you have stored in your solar battery can then take over powering your home.
Most of the appliances we have in our home are already run by electricity, making the switch seamless. However, there are some elements of your home that use other fuels that would require some changes if you truly wished to power your home with solar energy alone. Heating can account for a significant amount of your household energy consumption, which often uses gas instead of electricity. Heat pumps are a great option if you are looking to improve your efficiency, as they move heat from outside into your home and can easily be powered by renewable solar electricity. The same principal goes for electric water heaters too.
Could your home go completely off-grid?
Technically, yes, your home could go completely off-grid, but this is not a straightforward task. Your home can be designed to operate without a connection to the electricity grid by only using the renewable energy your solar panels generate and sufficient solar energy storage. However, being completely off-grid can be challenging, particularly during winter when solar power generation can be lower due to shorter days. There are a few options that can help with this issue. Firstly, homes with solar batteries can purchase solar energy from the grid during off-peak times to run their home. Although this means your home is technically not fully off-grid, it does mean you stay sustainable even during the winter months. Some homes also choose to invest in more solar panels and solar storage to prepare for times when there is less sun. This also means during the summer months you can sell excess energy back to the grid. For many households, staying connected to the grid may actually be the more practical option, allowing you to use your renewable electricity whenever possible and only using electricity from the grid when it’s needed.
What about your car?
Investing in an electric car can become another part of a renewable home journey. Instead of filling your car with fuel, you can charge your electric vehicle using your solar electricity. If you choose to charge your electric car using your solar panels and battery, your car can then become part of your home’s clean-energy system too. A solar-compatible home EV charger will allow you to safely use your solar power to run your car.
Are you interested in running your home entirely on renewable energy?
Changing your home to run completely on solar energy is a big task. However, running the majority of your home with solar energy is much easier than you think. Investing in solar panels and a solar power battery is a quick and easy step to vastly reducing your reliance on non-renewable fuels. Once you’ve started using solar energy in your home, you can over time make small changes that will further increase your efficiency. Finding a solar panel provider is a realistic goal that our team at Solar Quotation makes quick, simple and efficient. Contact our team today to see how we can help you make the changes you need to become a solar-run household.