The importance of minimising electricity use on all systems
A key step to planning a reliable renewable energy system is to work out your entire home energy requirements.
An off-grid solar power system must generate enough power throughout the year and have enough battery capacity to meet the home’s requirements, even in the depths of winter when there is less sunlight.
A tight building envelope is essential for lowering electricity use, but households planning an off-grid system should also look at their appliances, fridges, lights and more to ensure they’re not going to waste precious electricity. Remember the less power used, the less panels and batteries you are likely to need.
You can find out more about reducing energy consumption in theEnergy Efficiency section of the website.
Households should carry out an energy audit when planning their off-grid system, to work out exactly what needs to be powered, its expected power consumption and hours of use.
Mount Hawthorn Sustainable House in WA has a NatHERS 8.2 Star Rating and a 5.6kW Solar PV grid interconnected system. This video details the set-up, and was made by the homeowner as part of Sustainable House Day 2020.
