Why you should reduce energy usage before replacing it with solar | DroneQuote

Whether you go solar or not, everyone should make an effort to reduce energy usage for several reasons. 

If you get 100% of your electricity consumption from the grid, the less energy you use, the more money you save. And the friendlier you are to the environment. But if you get your power from solar panels, reducing your usage can positively impact the price of installing solar.  To make it simpler, reducing your energy consumption will lower your electricity bill and result in a smaller, lower-cost solar panel system. This can be beneficial, especially if you have a small roof, have a lot of shade, or want to maximize savings on purchasing solar. 

There are numerous ways to reduce your energy use, from small changes you can make daily to significant improvements to your home. We’ve rounded up some ways to reduce your electricity usage. 

Use a laptop

Opting for laptops instead of a desktop is one of the easiest ways to reduce energy usage. Laptops use 80 percent less energy than desktop computers, peaking at about 60 watts. Desktops usually peak at about 175 watts. 

Avoid phantom power

Phantom energy, otherwise known as vampire power, is the power your home or electronics use while not being used. It can be the lights left on when you leave a room, the appliances left plugged in when you’re not using them, chargers plugged in when there aren’t charging, and others. All the “phantom power” adds up and costs you money.

Conserve water

Using less water will also cut down your water heater use. Heating water is expensive, with a monthly average cost of $36.50 or $438 in a year.  Conserving hot water every time you shower, wash your hands, brush your teeth, or do the laundry and dishes will help you save more.  

Use appliances intelligently

Your washer and dryer are two of the many contributors to your energy consumption so use them economically. Use cold instead of hot water, run full loads, and hang dry some of your laundries. 

Instead of an oven, you can use alternative kitchen appliances like air fryers, pressure cookers, toaster ovens, and microwaves. These appliances use less energy than an oven and sometimes may even be faster. For example, a microwave takes 15 minutes to do the same job as one hour in the oven. 

Replace appliances

Old appliance models usually consume more energy than new models, which are designed to be energy efficient. It doesn’t mean you must throw away old appliances, head to the store, and replace everything immediately. Instead, you may focus on the oldest devices in your home first or replace those near the end of their lives with more energy-efficient ones.

More tips on how to reduce energy usage

For advanced ways to reduce electricity usage, here are a few things you can do: 

Enroll in Time-Based Electricity rates

Utilities encourage customers to use electricity during off-peak hours-usually. This program can save you money as you use energy when the demand is low. 

Become more aware of your household’s energy consumption habits

Becoming more aware of your household’s energy usage habits is the first step to ensuring you’re using the right products to make the most out of your solar power system. Here are some ideas:

• Track your daily, weekly, and monthly electricity usage with an energy meter or power monitor. 
• Use an energy management system (EMS) like Ecobee Smart Thermostat Pro to help manage heating and cooling costs while also saving money by adjusting temperatures based on the time of day and how much sunlight there is outside. If possible, install one that plugs directly into your home’s electrical panel. If not, look for an affordable model that connects via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth with an app on your phone or tablet.

Doing an energy audit is a good start

An energy audit is a great way to learn about your home’s energy consumption and identify opportunities for improvement. An energy auditor will come in and analyze the solar panel system as it currently exists, taking into account factors such as:

• Location of your home (is it on a hill? In the middle of nowhere?)
• Type of roofing material you have (dry-roofing versus asphalt shingles)
• How much insulation do you have in place (if any)?

Make use of resources at home and within the neighborhood community

• Consider joining a community solar project. Community solar allows people who live in the same area as you (and have similar needs) access to renewable resources through collaborative efforts between homeowners to reduce energy usage before replacing them with the generated energy from renewable resources. 

Why homeowners switch to solar now

If you have been practicing energy consumption, it’s time to adopt solar. Here are some compelling reasons solar is one of the best options to save more. 

Solar panels and energy storage systems are becoming more affordable

In 2010, the average cost of a solar panel was $6 per watt.  Now it’s down to around $3-5. The drop in solar pricing has been significant. There may still be room for improvement, especially in energy storage systems. 

There are options to finance solar panels to make them more payment feasible to homeowners, even without any incentives from governments or utilities like net metering policies.  These policies encourage consumers who install solar systems on their homes by giving them rebates or credits when they sell excess electricity back into the grid system, usually at peak times when the demand is high, like evening hours after dark. 

Rising energy costs keep pushing solar adoption

The cost of electricity is rising faster than wages, and this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) foresees that electricity rates in 2023 will average 15.39 cents per kWh – up almost 17% since 2020, when the average electricity price peaked at 13.16 cents/kWh. 

If you want to keep your lights on or run your air conditioning system during the hot summer months, it will cost more money than ever before. The same goes for heating your home in the wintertime if you heat it with electricity.

We hope this blog has helped you understand the benefits of reducing energy consumption before investing in solar panels. By taking these simple steps, you can save money and significantly impact the environment while still enjoying all the benefits of owning a home with solar panels (or other renewable energy systems).

It’s also important to remember that many options for financing and purchasing renewable energy systems depend on your budget or needs. If you are interested in learning more about getting started, we have plenty more online resources! Feel free to contact us anytime at DroneQuote.net.