When it comes to household finances, some people are incredibly hands-on with the exact details of where their money is being spent, with real-time budgets, detailed tracking and categorization, and careful planning and shuffling for future investments. Others choose a route with decidedly less participation; perhaps just a series of auto-payments is all they need in order to “manage” their finances.
Something for everybody
First of all, if you don’t have the tendency towards “geeking out” by diving into spreadsheets and energy calculations, a solar-powered home still makes perfect sense for non-geeks. Solar panels are incredibly low maintenance and, by and large, run by the mantra of “set it and forget it”. Once installed, the panels last for up to 30 years (and often beyond) and require little work other than routine check-ins to make sure they are providing the expected energy production for your house. Perhaps a large snowfall has blocked your panels from seeing the sun, or a downed branch has fallen on your roof and is obstructing them. That will require a bit of intervention. But for true geeks and nerds wanting to get even more involved, there are a number of other areas you can dive into to truly engage with your solar system.
Seeing is believing
Solar panel systems come with monitoring platforms that allow you to track your system’s performance in real-time. At the base level, non-geeks should be logging into these systems to understand how much energy your panels are generating and begin to identify patterns in your energy production. Energy geeks will want to dive deeper into historical data around your household to see how energy use changes during the day, across seasons, and across other changes to your household. When you begin to pair your solar panel data with information about your home’s energy consumption, you can begin to understand how much energy your household uses and when, you can optimize your habits to maximize the benefits of solar power and look for opportunities to shift energy-intensive activities to times when your panels are generating the most power.
Smart home integration
If you are looking forward to geeking out over solar, you’re probably already geeking out over smart home devices and platforms that help you streamline everyday life in and around your house; controlling appliances remotely, automating energy usage, and making informed decisions about how and when you heat and cool your home. Energy geeks will enjoy exploring ways to integrate their solar panels into their smart home ecosystem. Smart home devices and platforms can help you automate energy usage, control appliances remotely, and make informed decisions based on real-time data from your solar panels.
Watt matters most
Most people who have switched to solar, at the very least, begin to look at energy a bit differently once their panels are operating. Energy is no longer just a mysterious thing that spews from their outlets anytime they need it. It’s a resource that can be managed and tracked down to the smallest watt, and sometimes small tweaks can have a very visible impact.
Most people who have switched to solar, at the very least, begin to look at energy a bit differently once their panels start operating. Energy is no longer just a mysterious thing that spews from their outlets anytime they need it; it’s a resource that can be tracked and managed. Sometimes, small tweaks can have a very visible and satisfying impact. That is the beauty of geeking out over solar. You can track the efficiency of each and every solar panel and each and every electrical device in your home to maximize efficiency and make the most of home power plants.
