Melbourne researchers say Australian households could be more energy efficient with better insulation and solar power.
RMIT Professor Ralph Horne is leading the Housing Energy Efficiency Transitions (HEET) research project. He said households were “fairly resistant” to energy efficiency, although there have been some early adopters.
Horne said programs like the 2010 pink batts scheme were ineffective if not accessed.
Solar panel sizes vary with electricity use
There are reasons why people may or may not choose to make their house more energy efficient. For example, a large family may decide to install solar panels to counter high power bills.
A retired person may do the same to cut electricity bills while living on a pension or income from superannuation.
However, the number of solar panels needed for each situation is vastly different. A 3kW solar system may work well for a smaller household but prove inadequate for a large family.
A solar system will output around four times its size as a daily average. For example, a 5kW system puts out about 20kWh a day.
If your electricity bill shows you use more power than that, you can scale your solar system up. If you use less than that, you need fewer solar panels.
Matching batteries to power needs
Batteries are another area where size should be matched to power use. A Tesla Powerwall 2 can store excess solar power to use in the evening when the sun isn’t shining.
We now have many customers who are running on solar power 24 hours a day, with the grid only used as a backup for when we get extended periods of wet (and dark) weather.
Energy efficiency should be a concern for all of us since it affects the wallet as well as the environment. Using less energy, and/or clean energy like solar power is a win-win situation for any household.
If you would like to know more about solar power and battery storage contact the Solaray Team today:
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