Learning About Energy Use

For a few months after we purchased a home, we were really frustrated with our monthly power bill. We couldn't believe how much it was costing, but we knew that it couldn't be right. We started evaluating various ways to save money, and it occurred to us that doing something about our energy use needed to be a top priority. We focused on keeping the lights off during the day and eliminating phantom power use, and it helped us to reduce our spending. Now I can honestly say that our home is energy efficient, and it makes me so happy. Check out this blog for more information.

What Happens To The Unused Solar Energy Your Home Generates?

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Energy-efficient solar panels for your home allow you to harness the sun's energy by absorbing its light and converting it into electricity that you can use at any time of the day or night. But what happens when you don't use all the electricity that your solar panels collect? Is it wasted? The short answer is no. There are two ways to use that power. First, solar batteries store excess solar panel electricity so that you can use it when you want to later. Second, if you don't have a solar battery, then the excess energy will be converted back to your utility company's electrical grid where you will get energy credit from a tool called "net metering" that you can use at another time.

First, Solar Batteries Let You Use Your Own Stored Energy

Solar energy collected by your home's solar panels is greatest during the midday hours. However, that is typically the time that your energy usage is low. This can lead to having more solar energy collected by the end of the day than you use. If you have a home solar battery connected to your solar panels, the excess solar energy is routed to the battery and is stored there for later use instead of being routed back to your utility's electrical grid. This means that the energy your solar panels collect is for your use when you need to draw that power to your home.

The Electrical Utility Grid and Net Metering

On the flip side, if you don't have a solar battery connected to your solar panels, your home's excess solar energy will be routed to your utility company's electrical grid. You will then receive utility credit for that unused energy. This is called net metering. Net metering is an electric billing tool used by utility companies to credit you with the solar energy you don't use. For instance, if it's a day where the weather isn't conducive to your solar panels gathering sun energy — those cloudy, rainy, snowy days — then that credited energy you've banked will be used to fuel your home with energy that your solar panels would have otherwise produced. You're billed only for your net energy usage — hence the term net metering.

Either way, whether your unused solar energy is stored at your home in a solar battery or routed back to your utility company's electrical grid, you get to use all the solar energy your panels collect at a later date. This makes solar energy a very cost-efficient way to run your home's energy needs.

For more information on solar battery storage, contact a company near you.

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7 February 2022