5 Energy Saving Tips for Summer
Flowers are starting to bloom, the mercury is rising above freezing, the morning air is fresh and crisp, and PV Solar Systems are starting to crank up – Spring has finally arrived, and we couldn’t be happier! That also means that Summer is on the way, with warmer and longer days in store. As much as we love the warmer weather (and we really do!), it’s also the peak electricity bill-season for many of us. In addition, electricity prices are also on the rise, creating a double-whammy of energy cost increases for consumers. Furthermore, PA and NJ residents are among the highest paying states for electricity in the US – just another reason to cut down your power consumption in the coming weeks!
But wait – what good would it be for us to bring a problem to your attention, without providing a solution? After all, providing energy solutions is what we’re all about!
Some weeks ago, we talked about 8 simple ways save on energy. This time, we’d like to go one step further and also provide you with ways to avoid using electricity in the first place. It really is amazing the amount of cost-free changes you can make around your home that save you money on energy costs!
Shade Your Air Conditioner
If you have window-mounted air conditioner, you can save energy and money by shading it from the sun. The cooler the air conditioner, the more efficient it runs.
Use Blinds and Curtains
Those South-facing windows are great in winter, but come summer they can act as unwanted heat-producers. If you have blinds and curtains, pull them across glass doors and windows of your south, east and west facing windows during the day. Your A/C will have to do much less work to cool your house down, too!
Make Use of Cool Breezes
Many people reach straight for the “on” switch on their A/C during summer, even before they have stepped outside. You may find that opening a few windows to allow air flow will cool your house down enough.
A/C On Means Windows Shut!
The cool air that comes from your air conditioner is not free. This may sound obvious, but leaving windows and doors open while the A/C is turned on is not only wasting energy, but it’s costing you money. And lots of it!
A Clean Fridge is an Efficient Fridge
In an apartment building, 25% of your electric bill may go towards the fridge. Keep its compressor coils clean to ensure your energy bill stays low. Cover your food. Check the fridge’s seal. Fill your fridge with water jugs to keep it full and colder.
With just a few changes around the house, it can make the world of difference to your summer energy costs.
Tip: Put the money you save into a Solar System savings account!
Solar 101: Is my roof right for solar?
1.8 kW solar power system, Philadelphia PA
If you’re looking into solar, you’ve probably concluded that you’re going to need a South facing roof. You may also be thinking that your heavily pitched roof just won’t cut it for solar. But, don’t give up on the Solar dream just yet!
You may be surprised to know that many solar systems are not installed on a perfectly South facing roof. Nor are they mounted on a 39 degree roof. Although these attributes would make for an extremely efficient solar system, you should not discount yourself from the solar market just because your roof does not fit this criteria.
As we mentioned in our previous Solar 101, How the output of a solar system is calculated, orientation (north, south) and pitch (angle of your roof) are factors that influence the performance of your system – but just how much?
Orientation
The orientation of your system is the direction that it faces (e.g. South, West, East), which determines the time of day in which your system is directly facing the sun. If your system is installed on an East facing roof, your system will pick up all the morning sun, some of the afternoon sun, and be relatively ineffective in the ladder part of the day. However, if your system faces South, it is able to generate electricity all day, with it’s peak at around 12-2pm, depending on the time of year. But, does this mean that your East (or West) facing roof is not suitable for solar? Let’s find out, using an example:
System Size: 5kW (DC)
Pitch: 30 degrees
Daily kWh (AC) South facing: 18.21
Daily kWh (AC) East facing: 15.32
Daily kWh (AC) West facing: 14.60
As you can see, although a South facing is more efficient (thus, the more preferred orientation for solar), it is not by as much as you may think. So, if your South facing roof is not suitable for solar (shade, obstructions, little space), your East and West facing roofs are still great alternatives!
Pitch
The pitch of your system refers to its longitudinal angle. For example, if your system is pitched at 0 degrees, it would be laying flat; if it was pitched at 39 degrees, it would be directly facing the sun during summer. As most residential systems are installed on a pre-existing roof, the pitch of the system cannot be altered; it is equal to that of your roof. So is the pitch of your roof right for solar? Let’s find out, using another example:
System Size: 5kW (DC)
Orientation: South
Daily kWh (AC) 0 degree pitch: 15.70
Daily kWh (AC) 20 degree pitch: 17.92
Daily kWh (AC) 39 degree pitch: 18.31
Like with orientation, we can see that even the typically less-desireable roofs are still solar-friendly.
So before you count yourself out of the Solar game, allow a Solar professional to assess your roof first – you may be surprised at the results!
Data obtained from http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/calculators/PVWATTS/version1. Location: Philadelphia.