Get more out of your solar
The way you manage your solar can help you get the most out of the system and reduce your overall energy bills.
Make best use of your power
Those with a home battery system can store their power for later use and enjoy flexibility in how they use their power, but for those who don't, timing your use of solar can help you reduce your energy bills.
While your system will automatically sell excess power back to the grid through your solar feed-in tariff, it can work out better to time when you use solar power. You may choose to run appliances during solar generation times (during the day), especially when you are on a flat usage tariff, so you don't end up sending it to the grid during the day only to have to buy back more power later.
This does not apply to everyone. If your usage tariff is lower at night, then you may want to sell more of your generated energy during the day and utilise the cheaper tariff at night to run your appliances. This assumes that your off-peak tariff is lower than the feed-in tariff you get for selling your excess solar to the grid.
Stagger your consumption
Most modern appliances have timing delay functions so you’re able to set the dishwasher, washing machine or clothes dryer to begin at any time during the day. If you're on a flat usage tariff, staggering when you use appliances will minimise the power drawn. You can use the power from your panels evenly throughout the day instead of buying extra power from the grid when you run them at the same time.
Alternatively, try delaying your use of appliances until your off-peak tariff kicks in (if you have one).
Monitor your solar power
Monitoring your solar power allows you to:
- Have peace of mind. Beyond regularly cleaning your solar panels from dirt and grime as well as having them inspected by a certified electrician, monitoring your solar power will reassure you that your system is working.
- Track your output. This way you can notice any patterns or identify faults in your system.
- Optimise your use of solar. Tracking your power usage and the health of your system will keep it performing at its best.
There are a few ways you can monitor your solar power:
- Using your electricity meter, we're able to send you data about your solar exports and usage through the AGL app or My Account. You may not be able to access this data immediately, as it can take up to two weeks to get this up and running on our end.
- Existing AGL customers with solar may be able to monitor their solar power with Solar Command Check.
- Monitor it directly from the inverter or a monitoring system you’ve set up. Most inverters will have 'this month/last month' figures or an inbuilt Wi-Fi/Bluetooth monitoring system.
Learn more about how Solar monitoring helps your system shine.
Maintain your solar system
While inspections and technical maintenance should be left to a licensed electrician or Clean Energy Council-accredited solar panel system installer, you can prolong the life of your solar and ensure its performance by cleaning it regularly. To learn more about solar maintenance, head to Solar problems and maintenance.