SOLAR POWER FOR HOMES - ADVICE SHEET
(Where mains grid power is too expensive or not desired)

Before launching into your Solar Energy home project, remember that solar power is not boundless. You only have the power stored in your batteries, and compared to power supplied by the main grid, the capabilities are substantially less. However, there is great satisfaction in providing for your own needs, and for someone who is well advised and environmentally aware, the rewards of are worth it.

When considering solar electricity for your home, you should be aware of the differences and capabilities of solar power systems compared to mains grid power. The following items are usages for which solar is not suitable:
Load Problem
Best Solution
Electric Hot Water Solar Hot Water, with gas or wood stove backup
Electric cooking stove Gas or wood stove
Air conditioner Ceilings fans plus good energy passive house design
Room heaters Gas or wood slow-combustion heaters
Aerated waste water disposal system Septic tank or composting system
Electric radiators or bathroom heating lamps Good energy passive house design
Electric jug Kettle on the stove
Microwave oven Okay only for short heating jobs like defrosting
Dishwasher Not recommended, but if essential then use external hot water source, and disconnect internal heating element. Use on 'Eco'
Power tools, esp. welding Some are okay, some recommended with a generator.
Welding is definitely a generator supply situation.
Other household electrical items generally can be used, however we look for efficiency in the appliance. The largest power users generally are the refrigerator (and or freezer), and the washing machine. We will be able to advise you the best appliances to buy. You should speak to us before purchasing any electric items for your home, or plugging in any additional items for which we have not made allowance.

Generally, a well designed house which uses natural sun conditions for comfortable living, as well as good insulation in walls and ceiling, is the best way to beat the summer heat and winter cold. The more electricity you use in your home, the more it costs up-front to provide a large enough solar power system to meet the demand. Solar power generation is more available in summer, but we design the system to cope with winter, when days are short, and nights long. Excess power in summer could be available for special uses, such as water pumping.

Calculating your power usage
To design a solar power system, firstly you need to work out your average power requirement per day.

Lights
We prefer you select compact-fluoro lamps as the first preference. These lamps are approximately five times more powerful than a common incandescent (filament) bulb; so most lamps will be 12, 15 or 20 Watt, to replace 60W, 75W and 100W filament bulbs. Compact fluoro lamps have a BC base to plug in where filament bulbs were previously used. Strip fluoro tubes are the next best light source, and some people prefer these to reduce shading in work areas.

Quartz-halogen down-lights are only slightly more efficient that standard filament bulbs, and should be avoided for general room lighting, although they are good for short time usage such as over the sink, or lighting a food preparation area.

Appliances
The power rating of the appliance as well as its usage influences the amount of power it uses. We average power usage over a week to allow for larger items that are only used once or twice a week (such as vacuum cleaners). A fridge we anticipate will run for 4-6 hours mid-winter, and 8-12 hours mid summer - a best average of 6-8 hours is used, with the naturally increased solar input in summer to cover the rest. Try to get a fridge/freezer which uses less than 440 kWHr per year, or ask us for a recommendation (we sell the most efficient on the market).

WHERE TO NOW?
Contact us via the Quotation Request form, and we'll e-mail back a form to calculate your anticipated power usage.From this we can give you an indicative price for solar so you can work out your best option.