If you have been wondering how to optimise solar and get the most from your off grid systems, this guide is for you. There are a few tricks and minor lifestyle changes that can make a huge difference to the overall performance of your solar system. In this brief guide, we will get into what these tips and tricks for optimising solar systems are, how they can assist in saving you money, and provide some information about the workings of our solar systems.

At Alumo Energy, we are committed to offering our customers the finest solar solutions available on the market. However, the solar journey does not end with installation – this is why we feel that it is beneficial to enlighten our clients with the information necessary to get the most out of their solar systems. 

Optimise Solar Systems South Africa: How To Bring Down Your Household’s Energy Consumption

Many people are not fully clued up on which appliances burn the most electricity. A few common household appliances use up a lot of energy even when they are not being used. Examples would be microwaves, televisions, and desktop computers – these sorts of devices go into standby mode in which they still require electricity, despite not being in use. 

We recommend that you turn these devices off at the plug as this will avoid unnecessary energy consumption. This practice may seem tedious to some, but over time, it can result in significant savings on your energy expenditure. 

In most households, geysers are the largest culprit for burning excessive amounts of energy. In fact, it is estimated that they could be responsible for around 30 to 50% of your energy consumption! Even if you have one of our solar solutions installed, we highly recommend that you switch off your geyser when you know it won’t be needed. If you usually leave it running all the time, the difference in your energy usage should be substantial and immediate. This becomes easier if you create designated periods for showering, cooking, and generally using hot water. 

You could take it a step further and invest in a heat pump for your home. These are fantastic alternatives, as they generate heat by drawing energy from the surrounding environment – this kind of device can work wonders for your energy consumption and your wallet. Additionally, we suggest swapping out some of the older lights in your home for more energy-efficient LED lights.

Another game-changer is ensuring that the insulation in your household is effective. By adequately insulating your roof, ceiling, and walls, you are able to make sure that your home remains at a comfortable, consistent temperature. 

This negates the need for air conditioners and heaters, which are certainly some of the most demanding appliances with regard to energy consumption. If you want to further optimise your geysers’ efficiency, wrap it in a geyser blanket. This reduces the loss of heat and ensures that you won’t need as much energy to create hot water.

Solar Systems South Africa: Optimising Your Solar Solution

Before we get into our recommendations around maximising your system’s production, it is crucial to remember that it generates more power at certain times of the day. Specifically, 10 am to 3 pm is the period where it will be creating the maximum amount of power – this is generally when the sun is high in the sky and providing large amounts of solar energy. However, the majority of households tend to use the most electricity between 6 and 8 am and after 4 pm.

With that in mind, we suggest running your high-consumption devices during the day when solar systems (South Africa) are generating the most power. So, switch on your pool pumps during these hours, as this will avoid your stored-up battery backup power being used up quickly. The same can be said for your geyser – heat it up during the day so that when you come back home, you have plenty of hot water ready to be used. You can program certain geysers to switch themselves on and off automatically or, alternatively, you could use a device like a “ASTUTE smart controller”, which performs the same role. 

Ensuring that your high-consumption devices run during the day will undoubtedly boost your solar systems (South Africa) performance. If you want more accurate measures of energy consumption, consider investing in an energy monitoring system. Conveniently, all Alumo Solar systems come standard with a mobile monitoring system. These allow you to view comprehensive reports on your household’s energy usage, including which devices are drawing the most power and when. 

Solar Systems South Africa: A Few Small Lifestyle Changes That Make A Large Difference

Let’s get into a few simple changes that can allow you to save money and get the utmost from your solar solutions!

• When doing laundry, try to make sure that you are only doing full loads. Washing machines use a fair amount of energy, and multiple small loads can end up being a large drain on electricity. To make this easier, coordinate with members of your household and do laundry together.
• On hot summer days, try not to overuse air conditioners. Consider running a ceiling fan to help with air circulation or leaving windows ajar to allow fresh air into your home. Air conditioners are high-consumption devices, and they can be expensive to run continuously.
• During the day, try to use natural light to reduce your energy consumption. Depending on the design of your home and the natural light available, this is a simple trick that can result in substantial savings.
• Perform regular inspections and maintenance on your cooling and heating devices. By doing this, you ensure that they are clean and can perform efficiently. In fact, it could be a good idea to do this with all the high-demand appliances. This way, you can stop them from drawing more power than is necessary.
• Begin air drying your clothing instead of using a tumble dryer, when the weather allows for it. Not only will this assist in reducing energy consumption, but your clothes will also look better and last longer as a result! 

As you can see, these tips and tricks are not overly complicated or time-consuming, but they can help you maximise your savings. It pays to keep track of energy usage and implement alternative methods. These simple lifestyle changes will not only benefit your bank account but will also help your household become more environmentally conscious. 

Solar Systems South Africa: How Our Solar Solutions Can Help You Save Money

We have covered some of the best ways to reduce your energy consumption and optimise your solar systems (South Africa) productivity, now let’s move on to how the systems themselves can save you money on your energy bills every month. Whether you opt for an outright purchase, solar rental, or the expand-as-you-go approach, all can have substantial financial benefits. At Alumo Energy, we have already helped more than 5,000 South Africans make the switch to renewable solar energy, and we would be only too happy to help you do the same.

Your high-quality solar solution will generate power throughout the day by harnessing solar energy; this electricity can then be used to power your home’s appliances and lighting. With the addition of solar power, you can greatly reduce your household’s reliance on the traditional electricity grid, which will significantly lower your monthly energy expenditure. 

Additionally, this enhanced energy independence will safeguard you from rising electricity prices. In South Africa, the cost of electricity has risen massively in the last few years, and this is not expected to stop anytime soon – when you decide to invest in a solar solution, you won’t need to think about this issue as much. 

Unless you decide to go completely off-grid, you will still have an electricity bill, but it will be greatly reduced compared to what it would have been without solar systems (South Africa). Some people may find the initial investment of installing a solar solution to be too much. However, it’s crucial to note that a solar system is a long-term investment – some solar panels can last for 20+ years! 

This is important because your energy savings over a period of years will eventually cover the initial cost of the whole system and, after this point, you can simply enjoy minimal energy costs for as long as the system lasts. 

Another notable financial benefit of solar solutions is that they can increase the value of your property. Solar systems (South Africa) have become extremely desirable to potential buyers and tenants, and you will find that many people are willing to pay a premium for a property that includes one. So, if you decide to sell or rent out your property, much of the initial investment spent on your solar system can easily be recouped in the increased value of your home.

Optimise Solar Systems South Africa: Wave Goodbye To Load Shedding

Beyond the many wise financial reasons to join the solar revolution, there are certainly more benefits involved. With a solar solution, you can leave load shedding in the past. The rolling blackouts have been escalating in frequency and length, and this is one of the foremost reasons that customers make the switch to renewable solar energy. When the power goes out for everyone around you, the stored-up energy in your battery backup will kick in, and after just a few seconds, you will be back up and running again.

The peace of mind this provides is a game-changer and knowing the lights will always stay on can remove the stress of these power outages from your life. Beyond this, it allows you to remain productive even during load shedding, and maintain consistency without being hindered by the blackouts. 

If you have been thinking about a move to renewable solar energy, there truly is no time like the present. Contact us, at Alumo Energy, and we would be only too happy to provide you with a quote. 

Conclusion: Why Choose Alumo Energy?

At Alumo Energy, we have climbed our way to the top of the renewable energy market in South Africa, and we are just getting started! With more than 4,300 buildings powered across the nation, we have no shortage of experience to draw from. Our knowledgeable teams are dedicated to ensuring that installation goes off without a hitch. The combination of our skilled staff and the high-quality solar components we stock from the best local and international suppliers truly is a winning combination. 

For the very best end-to-end solutions built to stand the test of time, it’s tough to find a better option than us. We are dedicated to encouraging a greener, brighter future for our country, and assisting more South Africans in creating energy-efficient homes. Come find out why we are the number one trusted solar installer in the renewable energy landscape!