Solar Insights - Momentum Energy

Solar power is great – and that’s not changing

We love that so many people are opting to have their own solar systems at home. More solar entering the energy grid is great news for the planet. And with renewables on the rise, fossil fuels can take a back seat.

Here’s what is changing

The value of the solar energy you generate is changing. That’s because the price of energy is based on balancing supply and demand. And with more rooftop solar being generated, there’s less demand for electricity from the grid, and more unused solar entering the grid. This typically means that while the sun is shining prices decrease, contributing to lower Feed-in Tariffs (FiT).

You might think “Hey, I’ll just feed all my solar into the grid while I’m at work” but your neighbour Jerry and his mum down the street are now doing the same thing. And when everybody’s doin’ it, more solar supply means lower export value.

^{Fig 1. The proportion of solar in the grid has increased exponentially over the last ten years, and hopefully will continue to grow. Source: AEMO}

Maximise your solar savings

Give your appliances a day job

Appliances account for a decent percentage of your energy usage. And if you’re only running them at night, you’re likely paying for power from the grid rather than using your solar for free - missing out on a great chunk of savings. Most appliances have a delay setting so you can set them up to run during peak solar-generating times (instead of the evening peak energy-consuming hours).

Hot water - Water heating can account for up to a third of your energy use. If you have electric hot water, make sure the timer is set to heat during the day.
Cleaning - Set your dishwasher, washing machine or dryer to run a cycle in the middle of the day.
Heating / cooling - Using a timer or remote app set your split system to heat or cool while the sun is shining. Don’t forget to insulate well to maintain the temperature.
Cooking - Try to cook energy-intensive meals during the day. Get the slow-cooker out, or batch cook in the oven on the weekend and freeze.