According to the US Energy Information Institution, American residential electricity bills increased last year by $5 a month, averaging $122 per month, or $1,464 per year. One way that savvy consumers are reducing that cost (and their carbon footprint) is by installing solar panels along with a battery to store all that solar energy.
How Solar Panels Reduce Your Power Usage
Most solar energy technology you’re likely to see are called photovoltaic (PV) panels. According to the U.S. Energy Information Association, “When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel. This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing electricity to flow.”
From there, the energy has to go somewhere. When you have solar panels on your house, you must have a PV system that can redirect all that energy to where it’s needed. New systems are very efficient, and there are mobile apps available to let you monitor and control your system remotely.
The Benefit of A Battery
Of course the sun doesn’t shine at a steady rate 24 hours a day. And on very bright days you might generate more solar energy than your system needs at that particular moment. That’s why it’s a great idea to attach a large battery (such as an Enphase IQ) to your solar energy system that can hold onto that extra energy until it’s more needed. You can use it at night, or when a storm darkens the sky. You can use the battery like a backup power generator when the power goes out. You can also tap into this reserve power during peak use hours. These run approximately from 2pm to 7pm on summer weekdays. Everyone’s running the air conditioning because it’s so hot. The strain causes power to flow more slowly and costs users more money. You can avoid this extra cost by using solar power stored in your battery.
Can Solar Panels Eliminate Your Electric Bill?
If you have good sunlight, a large enough battery, and enough solar panels installed, you can even cut your electric bill down to nothing. That battery really helps by distributing power evenly through all times of day. If there are a lot of trees over your roof you may need to trim them to make sure they don’t block the sun. Every ray of light helps.
At InfinityEnergy, we’re proud to have built a team of trained, in-house professionals devoted to bringing affordable and clean energy to the Northeast. We help homeowners save money each month, with the best solar energy system available while making a better tomorrow for us all. And with our advanced in-home monitoring controls, A+ warranty, and exceptional service, our customers know they’re getting the best in the industry. Based in Mahwah, New Jersey we service Northern New Jersey, Hudson Valley, NY and Connecticut. Feel free to get in touch with your questions or contact us for your free quote!
