Solar power is more common and more popular than it’s ever been. The cost of equipment has dropped over the last couple of decades, while the cost of traditional power continues to rise. This makes solar power an excellent investment, but that doesn’t mean you should rush into it. Keep reading to learn a few things that you should do before installing a solar power system.
Cut Back on Your Power Consumption
While it’s true that a solar power system will provide you with free energy from the sun after it’s installed, reducing your power consumption before you install a system is still a great way to save money. How? The cost of your system will depend on just how large it needs to be to support your energy habits; the more power your use, the bigger your system needs to be, and the more it will cost you. So, before you invest in a large solar power system, it might be a good idea to work on changing a few habits and reducing your consumption so that you can purchase a slightly smaller system while still meeting all your energy needs.
Calculate Your Power Usage
Once you’ve established a few good energy habits, it’s time to calculate just how much energy your family is using on a monthly basis. (Of course, you can also do this before you start changing your habits. Performing this calculation twice will allow you to see just how much of a difference your changes are making in your energy consumption.) This calculation is essential to properly sizing your system to ensure that it can provide you with the power you need, so you’ll want to make sure that it’s completely accurate. Professional assistance may be a good choice on this step.
Assuming you’re currently connected to the city grid, your utility bills can be a good starting point for determining your monthly power usage. However, you need to keep in mind the changes associated with the changing seasons, so be sure to look at an entire year’s worth of utility bills, at the very least.
Choose Your System Type
Many people don’t realize that there are different types of solar power systems out there, so be sure to research all of your options to find the right one for you. Grid-tied systems are popular, as they’re the most affordable option, since they use the grid as a backup power source instead of requiring you to purchase a generator or solar battery system. If affordability is important to you, then you’ll want to opt for a grid-tied system with an SMA grid-tied solar inverter that can feed your excess power to the grid for credits on your utility bill.
