People often ask what solar power can do for them. There is some misconception that installing a solar power package will eliminate your electric bill, but solar panels can only produce power when the sun is shining and can only produce peak power on bright sunny days. Batteries remain too expensive to be economical and do not last long enough to reliably provide electricity when solar power is not available. This means that solar panels are best suited to help provide relief from expensive utility bills. Solar power packages today are designed to supplement power usage that comes from the power company. The power produced by a solar power package can be used instead of electricity from the power company. Power companies are still a necessity in today’s power market, but solar power packages are now cheap enough to provide a good return period and help save you money every month on utility bills.
The best solar power packages are designed to produce as much power as needed without sending any excess power back into the electric grid. Being energy efficient is the best way to save money on electric bills. Obtaining energy efficiency means making sure buildings are properly insulated, installing smart thermostats, using LED light bulbs, and making sure to turn off lights and electrical devices when not needed. One more cost effective way to save money on utility bills is to install solar power. Most buildings consume about 40%-50% of their energy needs to heat and cool. If your building uses gas heat during the winter then it makes sense to take the average annual electric kilowatt hour usage and provide about 30% of your power needs from solar. When electric heat is used then you can add even more solar power to save money all year long (around 60%).
Taking heating and cooling factors into consideration can help you get an idea about how much money you can save off your electric bill. Every individual power profile is different. If your building uses gas heat then multiply your annual electric bill by about 30%-50% and this could be how much money you could save by adding a solar power package to your energy portfolio. If your building uses electric heat multiply your annual power bill by 40%-65%. This can give you a good average for much you could be saving on your annual energy bills with a grid-tie solar power package.
Once you are considering a solar power package it is important to consider your power company. In Oklahoma, it is more economical to make sure that your solar power package fits your power profile. On this website we provide a Solar Energy Calculator that tries to accurately estimate how much solar power you need in order to not send excess solar power back to the power company. Grid-Tie systems remain the most economical option and you need to check with your power company to make sure they understand what you are trying to achieve with your solar power package. Every power company requires that you fill out an application before connecting a solar power package to your home or business.
