8 Ways To Optimise Your Solar

The best time to check you are getting the most out of your solar system and ensure it is performing at its peak… is right now!Check out these eight super simple tips to crank up your solar savings.

Maximising self-consumption is the aim with solar. The more you can use yourself, rather than selling to the grid (only to buy back later), the better off your financial return will be.

Even if you are away during the day, you can use timers on energy-hungry appliances such as washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, to make the most of your solar. 

If you’re not already doing this, it’s one of the simplest ways to maximise the benefits of your solar system.

While solar systems require very little maintenance we do recommend giving your panels a clean once a year or so. In general, rain keeps the panels self-cleaning, especially on steep roofs. But giving them a hose off helps prevent performance-hindering debris buildup. The end of spring is a good time to do this especially if you are somewhere with plenty of pollen in the air!

When cleaning your panels, you should:

As we’ve already mentioned, increasing your self-consumption is the best way to get more from your solar system. Energy diverters can help by sending any excess solar power to an appliance, like a hot water cylinder. These clever devices can read exactly how much power you are about to send back to the grid and instead put it into heating your water. This reduces the amount of power you need to purchase from the grid later.

We’re always happy to discuss if energy diverters might help your self-consumption – we can take a look at your system data to see if this is a worthwhile addition (if you don’t already have them!).

Smart EV chargers are another great way to increase self-consumption. They’ll divert excess solar into your EV, rather than sending it to the grid.

The next level of self-consumption comes with adding a battery. Storing solar energy for use at night not only reduces reliance on the grid but also keeps you powered during outages.

The Tesla Powerwall, goes a step further—it doesn’t just maximise your use of solar energy, it also helps lower your power bill by charging during off-peak times when rates are low and discharging during peak times when rates are high. This nifty feature is called Time Based Control and we’ve seen it keep customers from ever paying peak power prices. The great thing is the battery does it all for you; just set it up and let it do the work to optimise your energy use.

You never want shade on your panels. There might be a tree that wasn’t an issue when the panels were installed, but things grow. Keep an eye out for anything blocking your panels and trim any shading branches.

Picking the right energy retailer can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most from your solar system. As retail plans and buyback rates do change, it is worth reviewing occasionally to make sure you are still on the right plan for your setup.

Different plans work for different setups. If you have a Powerwall a plan with free power windows can work with Time Based Contol, to allow you to charge your battery from free off-peak power and discharge when it’s expensive. Whereas with a non-battery setup, the buyback rate is more important.

Check out Powerswitch, to compare power companies.

If you’ve changed your modem or had internet outages your system may have disconnected from the internet. Even if you don’t check your systems apps regularly (e.g. Fronius Solar.Web) have a look to ensure you are connected and recording data. Staying connected also means you’ll be able to get the latest updates to ensure your system is performing at its peak.