By Ruth Clark Besides the rent or mortgage payment each month, one of the largest bills you likely have to pay is the electric bill. Chill...
Besides the rent or mortgage payment each month, one of the largest bills you likely have to pay is the electric bill. Chilly temps in winter and sweltering highs in summer mean more air conditioning and heating, which increases you power bill exponentially. To combat this, you can have a solar system installed that will greatly reduce or eliminate your bill. This is especially true of off grid solar systems Oregon.
Most houses that have a system installed do so on the grid. This means that you are still hooked up to power from your local utility, as a backup of sorts should your energy needs exceed what your panels are producing. You still save a lot of money this way, but it does not fulfill al your needs for power.
When you are completely off grid, that means do not use the local electrical company for backup. The panels and battery bank are your only sources of energy. That is why it is important to make sure that you have enough equipment to handle your daily load. Load in solar terms refers to the amount of power you consume each day.
To calculate your daily load, you should sit down and make a comprehensive list of all the items you plug in each day, and ones that stay plugged in, like your refrigerator, for example. You can then add up how many watts they use each day. If you are unsure, you can refer to the manuals that came with the appliance. If you no longer have these, most manufacturer websites or customer service can help. You might even be able to download a manual with the pertinent information directly from the manufacturer's website.
There are also essentials that consume far less power, such as cell phone chargers and hair dryers. Again, write all of these down and figure out how much energy they take, and see if you can eliminate or reduce any usage to keep your overall needs lower. The lower you can get your needs, the fewer panels you will need, which saves you money.
A great place to start if you want to conserve is your lamps and overhead lights. Many fixtures still use older fluorescent bulbs, which take a lot of energy to power up. Instead, opt for LED bulbs to really save money and cut down on consumption.
After you have pared down and made your list, your local solar contractor can make a home visit and decide which system you need to be set up with to go truly off grid. This setup usually involves several panels and batteries, as well as an energy inverter and charge controller. Ask for a package deal to save money.
The contractor can also survey your property to find the sunniest spot that will yield the most power. Placement is absolutely essential, because if you put it in a shady area or a place that only gets sun part of the day, you are not using your panels to their full potential. They can find a spot that gets the maximum amount of sun for maximum output, so you never have to worry about your electricity going out due to insufficient power.
Most houses that have a system installed do so on the grid. This means that you are still hooked up to power from your local utility, as a backup of sorts should your energy needs exceed what your panels are producing. You still save a lot of money this way, but it does not fulfill al your needs for power.
When you are completely off grid, that means do not use the local electrical company for backup. The panels and battery bank are your only sources of energy. That is why it is important to make sure that you have enough equipment to handle your daily load. Load in solar terms refers to the amount of power you consume each day.
To calculate your daily load, you should sit down and make a comprehensive list of all the items you plug in each day, and ones that stay plugged in, like your refrigerator, for example. You can then add up how many watts they use each day. If you are unsure, you can refer to the manuals that came with the appliance. If you no longer have these, most manufacturer websites or customer service can help. You might even be able to download a manual with the pertinent information directly from the manufacturer's website.
There are also essentials that consume far less power, such as cell phone chargers and hair dryers. Again, write all of these down and figure out how much energy they take, and see if you can eliminate or reduce any usage to keep your overall needs lower. The lower you can get your needs, the fewer panels you will need, which saves you money.
A great place to start if you want to conserve is your lamps and overhead lights. Many fixtures still use older fluorescent bulbs, which take a lot of energy to power up. Instead, opt for LED bulbs to really save money and cut down on consumption.
After you have pared down and made your list, your local solar contractor can make a home visit and decide which system you need to be set up with to go truly off grid. This setup usually involves several panels and batteries, as well as an energy inverter and charge controller. Ask for a package deal to save money.
The contractor can also survey your property to find the sunniest spot that will yield the most power. Placement is absolutely essential, because if you put it in a shady area or a place that only gets sun part of the day, you are not using your panels to their full potential. They can find a spot that gets the maximum amount of sun for maximum output, so you never have to worry about your electricity going out due to insufficient power.
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You can find an overview of the benefits you get when you install off grid solar systems Oregon companies offer at http://www.rvpartsplusbatteries.com right now.
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