From Guest Blogger Akaahan Terungwa: Five Important Questions (And Answers) You Should Tackle Before Transitioning To Solar
Like it or not, the renewable energy revolution is right here upon us and solar is clearly leading the game. For cynics (and doubting Thomases), the singular fact that Tesla made more money in the last quarter than the entire US oil industry made last year should be a sobering thought.
This can only mean one thing: the game has changed and the dawn of a completely new and exciting era is right upon us.
The further fact that the renewable energy industry can record such outstanding success in so short a time is even more troubling for the average cynic: renewable energy, particularly, solar energy is here to stay and the markets are already positively responding 🙂
This means the all-important switch from the national grid or at least, less reliance from coal inspired power. However, many who appreciate clean power are still a little confused about it – especially its most popular variant, solar energy.
If you are one of those, here are the five most troubling questions you should find good answers to before the all-important switch.
Here:
- How Much Sunshine Do You Get Per Day?
Solar relies primarily on the sun rays (via solar panels) to generate a form of energy called DC (direct current). It is this DC electricity that is converted to AC (alternating current) via an inverter and fed to the regular appliances that consumers depend on.
It thus does not make any sense to talk of using solar energy – or converting the sun’s naturally occurring DC into use-able AC when there is no (direct) sunlight or exceptionally poor (reflected) sunlight.
Sadly, this may be the reality of a few countries or cities like Iceland or the Canadian region of Labrador.
When poor sunlight is the case, solar power may become a challenge. If you thus receive less than 5 hours of direct sunlight a day – and are interested in solar energy, you should have an honest talk with an independent contractor (who has nothing to gain by your choice).
If you need tips to help you decide or would rather go ahead without consulting anyone, the 3 (three) tips below will certainly help:
- Install more solar panels than necessary for your standard installation. This way, you maximize the little direct sunlight and the ever present reflective light that comes your way.
- Invest in good storage batteries. The Tesla PowerWall or dedicated Gel batteries will awesome storage capacity will help you avoid the situation of actually trapping sunlight but failing to store it (for later use).
- In such extreme cases as Iceland, the smartest option will be to still maintain connection to the national grid and ration your energy use. This way, you actually spend less on energy bills – and also contribute to keeping the earth as safe as you can go.
- What Is The Space You Can Afford For Panel Installation?
This is a super relevant question to ask – and get a good answer to, prior to actual installation of your solar unit.
However, if you are building – or can afford to completely change your roof, the Tesla solar rooftop tiles will ensure that you can completely skip this question – or its answer without any further ado. You can also completely worry less about this issue if you have enough space to install your solar panels or can conveniently roof-mount them.
However, in the event that you are renting/leasing your residence and your contract terms do not permit any such modifications to the roof, you have a limited amount of space or your present roof cannot withstand the additional weight of solar panels, this becomes an issue that must be trashed out creatively before making any progress.
Here are your options:
- Make certain that you choose the monocrystalline variant of solar panels so that you can minimize space usage without actually compromising wattage or raw power.
- Consider shedding off unnecessary load and keep the bare minimum that your solar installation unit (as dictated by your panels size/capacity can comfortable handle).
- You may consider using a portable solar generator. While small and extremely space efficient, solar generators are exceedingly awesome in serving space constricted homes where power waste is not permitted/desired.
- What Is The Load You Need To Run On Solar Consistently?
The idea of renewable energy is quite a seductive one. However, it does not mean the infiniteness of your storage; rather, the infiniteness in the equation denotes the source (in this case, the sun) and not your storage (the batteries).
This means, the heavier the loads (watts wise) you subject your solar unit to, the faster you will deplete the energy trapped. Once expended thus, you will need to replenish or, may need to contend with the lack of power for your devices.
What this bores down to is quite simple: heavy electricity consuming devices, need appreciable solar energy panels and impressive storage, if they are to run round the clock. The source of solar energy, the sun is infinite – however, your solar unit, especially the batteries can only serve according to their capacity.
If you run a mismatch, there could be problems of efficiency that could have been avoided with a little forethought.
If you do not have a straight answer to this open ended solar energy question, the three (3) tips below will help – immensely, and immediately:
- Go with only energy star certified products/gadgets. While this will not automatically solve your woes here, it will surely lessen the task you put on your solar unit – making it more likely to serve you in an efficient manner.
- Use energy intensive machines/devices like the electric cooker, pressing iron, washing machine and vacuum cleaner when the sun is at its peak – i.e. between 12noon and 1pm. When on backup, use only light appliances like the stereo and TV.
- Refrain devices like the refrigerator and air conditioner(s) from running 24 hours. The refrigerator can survive on just 7 hours power a day and still keep its content frozen and fresh. The air conditioner(s) are heavy energy consumers…they should thus be used only when the need arises and fresh air is proving a scarce resource.
- How Much Money Are You Willing/Can Afford To Spend On The Solar Unit?
It is no longer news that solar energy installation costs are dropping by the second daily. This means that, a comprehensive solar solution is now, more realistic for consumers than ever before.
However, the truth is that, the initial installation cost of powering your home via solar energy is still higher than opting for the national grid or conventional gasoline or diesel generators. The beauty of solar, it is important to understand, lies in the returns on the initial investment.
This is why it is important and super critical to analyze how much money exactly you are willing/can afford to invest and see if that maximum can serve your energy needs. This assessment should be carried out with all seriousness and if you are not knowledgeable in green tech, the assistance of a professional should be sought.
This assessment will instantly help you understand exactly where you stand and will aid you to decide intelligently whether to proceed with the clean energy switch or defer the transition to a time more appropriate.
If you are however confused, here are 3 (three) tips that will illuminate the process:
- Instead of getting monocrystalline solar panels, opt for polycrystalline panels if cost is an issue. The difference is efficiency of the latter from the former is less than 7%. This should not cause a noticeable performance defect if sunshine is not an issue and the panels are enough for the purpose they are put to.
- If the first option above does not please you, kindly install your unit (as you initially desired) and keep your main connection to the grid. This way, you use your solar unit as a backup option or only during certain times of the day (like during the peak periods when charges are actually super high). This will ensure that you save up power cost and also have a reliable means of backup power in case of an emergency or cut.
- If the two options above do not please you, you should opt for a portable solar generator – which may serve your whole house or may not (depending on your load). If you plan on using this solution to serve your entire house however, you should purchase a model that permits expansion (both battery and panel wise).
- How Excellent Are You With Energy Conservation?
Solar energy is super awesome.
However, trapped for use in homes (and other places that need it), the tendency for abuse is very high – especially for those who are either ignorant about its operation or those who simply do not care (enough) about energy conservation or what this implies.
Before you talk about installing solar energy right in your house, it is therefore of the utmost importance to ask yourself a simple question: ‘how energy saving conscious am I?’ The answer here should be as honest as possible.
If you are not, getting a much bigger unit than you would have ordinarily needed would cater brilliantly for your kingly tastes and habits. However, irrespective of the divide you fall on – energy saving or wasting – the tips below will surely help.
Here:
- Get only devices and gadgets that are certified ‘solar friendly’. These devices consume power minimally and like their energy star certified kin, can really save up your power reserves even if you are careless enough to forget to actually power them off after use.
- Start the purchase of ‘smart devices/electronics’. These devices trigger off once they are idle or have served the task they are supposed to execute. This way, power reserves are actually saved or protected.
- Be smart to ensure that if you cannot outrightly get ‘solar friendly’ devices, make certain that the devices/gadgets you buy are energy star certified – so that you can save power even if you forget to power things off.
Cap Up: What More Do You Need Before The All Important Switch?
Ask yourself the questions above, provide the honest answers and you will certainly be ready to face the transition to solar gracefully and like a true master/professional.
If the answers become hazy or the questions particularly hard, the accompanying tips will certainly be of immense help.
If any other issue bothers you, kindly use the comment box below; I’ll personally stay around and tackle any concern you may have.
Akaahan Terungwa is an ardent believer and user of portable solar generators. When he is not outdoors enjoying nature, he can be found updating his pet project, Reviews Mimi.
December 10th 2016 Dear Akaahan
Thank you for putting together a good let’s call it a check list for people to go thru when they are considering a go solar decision.
You covered things pretty well but here are a few points that may be worthy of including in your check list.
1. Start with analyzing your electric usage and bill. One will see typically a summer peak usage , shoulder months usage and then winter usage. Depending on your heating source and location you may have 2 peaks with both Summer and Winter Peaks usage.
a. Two peaks result in larger sized systems but you will get more benefit from the system due to the 2 peaks.
b. 1 peak results in a decision on how much of the peak one wants to try to meet with solar after one has made the other demand reductions necessary to prevent un economic over investing in over sized systems. In my locale in the SW where solar resource is in the Top 1 % of the Nation most solar systems are designed for 60 to 75 % of peak usage.
This minimizes the large volumes of excess production in the winter and shoulder months were the utilities only pay avoided fuel costs – a very low value making the economics of exporting large volumes of solar power Un Economic proposition and Waste of Capital!
2. Inventory your major appliances and other loads.
3. Start with LED retrofit and Energy Star upgrades first as this reduces loads. Look at foam insulation for roofs or attics- 40 % to 50 % reduction in AC demand can result sometimes more. This is huge.
In other words Reduce your load Demand that is the name of the game. By reducing Demand you reduce the Solar system size & Capital outlay for the solar as your system size can be more optimally sized to meet load.
4. It is clearly established in the US that over sizing to produce excess production and export to Grid is not real good economics. The complexity of rate designs and utility wholesale energy purchases and the market dynamics of wholesale energy market pricing make this a losing strategy in almost all cases.
a. The exception tends to be Electric cooperatives that tend to pay higher Kwhr prices for excess production as their wholesale purchase rates from their suppliers tends to be higher . They don’t own their own generation so their cost structure is more conducive to accepting excess power, etc.
5. The current net metering of paying solar users full retail prices for excess energy exported to the Grid is going to go away over time as Net Metering rules are updated to reflect lower solar costs and prevent cross subsidization of solar users by non solar users. This issue is rising to the forefront and has created political backlash to solar in many States. Sad but that is the result of bad policy that is politically motivated and not based on utility economics from a System of Systems approach.
6. Most utilities in the sophisticated solar markets ( heavy penetration) are going to phase out Net Metering despite pandering politicians and self serving solar advocates well intentions but mis guided actions that don’t include System of Systems concepts.
So in designing a solar system that effectively integrate with the utility Grid requires some getting facts from local utility as to their direction of their rate designs.
Most utilities are moving in the direction of Time of Use rates. A well designed solar system with appropriate components can interface with these rate structures quite well. Everyone can benefit this way – Solar user, Non solar user and the Electric Grid from a cost /benefit sharing relationship that exists once one connects to the Grid.
Since these tend to have higher peak time prices that typically run from 3 to 7 pm one can prepare for harmonious integration with the grid by adding some
1. West facing panels so peak production from the solar system runs to 7 or 8 pm. So your system rides thru the 3 to 7 pm Peak time. Your system will have improved Power Density by blending the orientations.
OR
2. Look at combinations of battery storage , off peak / smart appliances which you mentioned quite well. These are controlled and integrated by a energy management system that optimizes the diversity of energy usage for all your loads.
3. Traditional South facing only panels will generate max kwhr but the utility does not benefit as much from them as the solar systems have peaked by 3 pm and are declining in production; just as the Grid system needs peak reduction relief. This is the grid impact chasm that results in punitive rate designs from utilities as solar is not saving the grid system serious costs. The starting point for the rate game tug of war.
4. Ask your solar provider to cost out a Advanced or so called Smart Invert er so that positions your solar system for the future interactions with the Grid.
This is why consumers need the advice and professional guidance of real energy vendor professionals so they can navigate their way thru the decision process and maximize their Solar Journey.
Historically consumers have Rented their power or energy. Much simple arrangement.
When becoming a self producer one has to raise one’s game to a higher level to maximize their time and investment. You will own your power decision and like all things in life there is Ownership costs.
These steps should be included in your decision analysis. So that your system integrates well and you will not be the victim of negative or repressive rate structures that some utilities are trying to implement against solar users. Design for Life cycle cost / benefits and not impulsive lets go green feel good actions.
This is a More Holistic Process.
nice post thanks
Thanks for your input Silent Running.
However, the summary of all you have captured is already presented in my entry: not all readers understand the jargon/inner workings of solar energy like you and I hence the COMPLETE simplification.
Be sure to make the day great.
Always,
Akaahan Terungwa
@ Akaahan
Thank you for your Kind reply. Glad to hear that you are incorporating these concepts and more in your complete blog entry.
We have to be smart about adapting to new technology as we can easily fall into or repeat the mistakes of the existing energy challenge.
Had a Wonderful Day decorating home for Holidays – using LED s totally.
Good wishes and Blessings to you in all you do ,
Sincerely
Silent Running
I use all LED. 600 bulb tree, 2 picture windows with 2 strings of colored LED and a 3 candle fixture (with 4W incandescent much to my chagrin) each, 2 net lights on 3 bushes, 1 single string on another bush, a 75 foot single string on the Dogwood tree out front and “icicle” like lights all around the perimeter of the front porch.
70watts total.
When I had an incandescent tree it used 250 Watts all by itself.
I am actually considering putting a cigarette lighter adapter in my lawn light string which runs off my batteries and getting one of those plug in the cigarette lighter inverters so the outside lights will run off the batteries also.
Hi Brian you are on Top of your Lighting project.
Pretty cool to run off your EV or Car Battery .
Those LEDS are low wattage. I bought some more Sunday and a Box of 100 bulbs draws 43 watts low demand for sure.
Next year I am going to look into some of these Solar Powered light strings , do you or anyone have experience with those?
Holiday Greetings