For most people, one of the biggest reasons to install solar panels is to save on electricity. But how do you know how much you are saving because of your solar, if you don’t have a solar monitoring system that provides you with this information?
That’s why we include solar consumption monitoring, as well as solar production monitoring, with every solar power system we install. It’s one of the differences you’ll experience if you purchase a solar system from Specialized Solar & Electrical. And it’s one we’re pretty passionate about!
See what you’re saving
Any customer who has a solar system installed by us can see exactly how much their system is saving them. And it’s super easy! They simply open the app and instantly see the dollar savings from their solar system for any time period they choose.
It’s the only way to know for sure if your solar system is delivering the bill savings you expect. Without comprehensive solar monitoring – which means having consumption monitoring installed, not just production monitoring – you’re literally in the dark when it comes to knowing whether your solar system is saving you the money it should!
On this blog,
- What most Solar Retailers provide with Solar Monitoring
- Why this isn’t enough
- How consumption monitoring is set-up
- Why consumption monitoring is a must-have
What most Solar Retailers provide for Solar Monitoring
Most Solar Retailers only provide solar production monitoring with their solar power systems.
This provides you with statistics on how much solar electricity your system is producing. You’ll get information like the number of kilowatt hours of electricity your system has produced, and how much solar electricity is being generated at any moment.
This production data is generally accessible via an app on your phone or on your laptop. It’s useful information – but it only tells half the story.
Why this isn’t enough
In our opinion, just having production monitoring for your solar system is not enough. You need the other half of the story. And that’s called ‘consumption monitoring’.
Consumption monitoring is a tech term for monitoring how much electricity is used in your home. Electricity bills are based on your usage. So, the only way to know how much you are saving, is to know how much LESS grid electricity you are using because you’re using your solar electricity instead.
The problem with production-only solar monitoring, is that it doesn’t tell you anything about usage. And if there’s no data on your total electricity usage – and the proportion of that supplied by your solar system – there’s no data on what your solar system is saving you in dollars and cents!
That’s why a production-only solar monitoring system isn’t enough. It’s also why we recommend that every solar power system is installed with consumption monitoring, in addition to production monitoring.
How is consumption monitoring set-up?
Installing consumption monitoring is straightforward. It involves adding a small energy meter to your switchboard which monitors the consumption of electricity in your home. The meter records how much solar electricity is used in your home, how much is from the grid, and what your solar exports are.
You, or your installer, add in your electricity tariff information via the app, i.e.: what you pay for electricity usage – whether that’s a flat rate or a time of use tariff – and the feed-in tariff you get paid for solar exports to the grid.
Why consumption monitoring is a must-have
Given that you’re investing several thousand dollars in a new solar system, it makes sense to get a monitoring tool added that shows how much your system is saving you. That way you can see how much better off you are because you’ve got solar. And you can see when the system has paid for itself (which should be within three to five years BTW!).
With a solar panel system that includes consumption monitoring, as well as production monitoring, you get the full story.
Consumption monitoring adds a couple of hundred dollars to the cost of a solar panel system. But without it, there’s no way of telling whether your investment in solar is paying its way. That’s why solar panel system that includes consumption monitoring is the best way – and quite simply the only way – to get the biggest savings from your solar system.
Consumption monitoring with solar. It’s a no brainer!
Request a quote
Put yourself in the control seat with a solar system that includes consumption monitoring. Don’t settle for anything less. Contact us for an obligation-free quote.
