Tip 1 – is to look at when your solar panels are actually producing the most electricity. For a north-facing roof, for example, between 10am and 3pm, for solar panels facing towards the east, earlier in the day 8am to 1pm and panels that face west between  about 11am to 5pm. You can use your inverter systme to monitor this information.

 Tip 2 – is to follow the sun. If it’s a beautiful bright sunny day use your power. Run your washing machine, dishwasher, air conditioning, underfloor heating perhaps or your pool or spa during the time that the sun is shining.

If it’s a grey, overcast day of course you can use your power but where possible follow the sun to get the most out of your solar panels.

Tip 3 – is to program your appliances to come on if you’re not home. For example, if it’s a gorgeous sunny day and you’ve gone to work or you’ve ducked out for an appointment you want to get the most out of your solar panels.

That means, for example, you might want to put your dishwasher on a delay start or perhaps your washing machine, pools are really easy as are air conditioners – a lot of people actually run their air-conditioning systems when they’re not home so that they come home to a lovely comfortable house by the time they get home.

Tip 4 – is to stagger your consumption. By that I mean instead of having on your washing machine, your dishwasher, your dryer, your pool etc all at the same time try and stagger your consumption because what you find is a big curve in terms of production in the middle of the day.

If you put everything on right in the middle of the day that’s fine but if you put something on right at 10am in the morning and all your solar panels are producing a lesser amount of electricity you’ll find that you’ll be dipping into the grid instead of using up all of your solar energy.

Tip 5 – is to minimize the consumption at night. By that I mean you don’t have to live by candlelight but put LED lights in, turn off things when you’re not using them, for example, the television or lights in bedrooms so that you’re really shifting your usage more to daylight hours and minimizing your evening consumption when your solar panels aren’t producing.