Tips to Power your Christmas with Solar

Solar Panel Santa

With Christmas not too far away, many households are planning their annual celebration, this may mean a huge spike in energy consumption due to the number of occupants in the home.

Many opt for a late-lunch Christmas feast, it’s not too early or too late in the day to eat copious amounts of food. For those doing a late-lunch or dinner, preparation is key. Some states around Australia are experiencing almost 14-hour daylight hours per day, you want to be using as much of your free solar energy as you can on Christmas. Here are some tips on how to power your Christmas with solar! 

1. Sun’s out, buns out!
Before you start cooking, check on your energy management system if your solar has begun generating energy yet. Time your food preparation to be when the sun kicks in. Power your oven, microwave, kettle and appliances with the power of the sun.

2. Unplug unused appliances from the socket
Do a quick check of power points around the home. By switching off the power at the source of unused appliances, you are limiting the amount of power that is being fed to non-operating appliances, leaving the energy to power more of the appliances that you are using. Energy management gives you the tools to discover where energy is being used to limit wasted energy consumption. 

3. Set your air conditioner on a timer
Try to maintain your air conditioning. Instead of switching on the air conditioner on full blast incrementally throughout the day, set your cooling to a comfortable temperature of between 25°C – 27°C and utilise a timer setting if you have one. A timer is a fantastic feature of your air conditioner, by setting and forgetting about it, you can enjoy your Christmas celebration in comfort without the worry of uncomfortable guests.

4. Keep cool indoors with your evaporative cooling
Limit the number of open windows when your air conditioner is on. By ensuring that your windows are shut, you can keep more of the cool air in the house; rather than it being swept out of the house straight away. This will also help to limit the power used by the air conditioner through out the day. It’s recommended to open a window furthest away from your vent, this will act as an exhaust for your evaporative cooling.

5. Protect your Christmas against blackouts
Blackouts are a considerable worry for most Australian households during Christmas is the chance of a blackout and how it will turn your entire lunch plans upside-down. By storing your excess solar energy that you have generated throughout the day in a battery fitted with blackout protection like the Goanna Solar Battery, you can rest assured that in the event of a blackout, you can continue use of your appliances and be on your merry way. 

The festive season brings families and friends together. For some it is a yearly catch up, for others it’s the enjoyment of regular company with festive spirit. From the Sunbank Solar family to yours, we wish all our customers a safe and festive Christmas season.