If you have used the national electricity power grid for your lighting needs, then you might have a hint of how much lighting can hike your electricity bills. As you use solar energy for your lighting needs, you equally need to focus on lighting energy saving tips to get the most out of your solar energy. The cost of solar is low making it a great alternative for lighting energy solutions.
Benefits Of Solar-Powered Lighting Systems
- Low installation costs: Compared to all other energy sources for lighting, the cost of installing both solar systems and their accompanying lighting system is very affordable. The absence of hindrances such as those arising from underground utilities further contribute to its efficiency.
- Forget Energy Bills: It may cost a considerable budget to have a commendable and energy efficient solar system, but once you have it installed, electricity bills could become a thing of the past.
- Low maintenance costs: Every system whether it runs on solar energy or electricity from the national grid, might require maintenance at some point. It is easier and cheaper to maintain solar-powered lighting systems because of the simplicity of the system. It is also easier and quicker to fix errors arising from solar-powered lighting systems, thanks to the variety of reliable solar installers in South Africa ready to assist you.
Tips To Maximize On Solar Energy When Using Solar Lighting
Zero-Cost Lighting Energy Saving Tips
You don’t have to spend money to save on your energy usage, check out some free tips below:
- Utilize Natural Light: Just because solar energy is “free”, doesn’t mean you should keep the lights on all day. Make use of natural light wherever possible.
- Turn Off Lights As Appropriate: When you leave a room or the house, make sure you remember to turn off the lights.
- Keep An Eye On The Security Lights. As you enjoy the service of green energy is powering your security lights outside the house, remember to do so with moderation. Ensure you switch on the lights at dusk when darkness encroaches and switch them off early in the morning as soon as natural light starts to take over darkness.
Low-Budget Cost Saving Tips
You can allocate minimal budget to fix issues with light consumption to ensure you are optimizing the usage of your solar energy.
- Mount Energy-Efficient Bulbs: Starting from the lighting system inside the house to your security lighting, you can work towards installing energy-efficient bulbs to avoid burdening your solar energy system. A modern energy-saving bulb can save up to 80% of energy consumed by an ordinary bulb.
- Appropriate Light Placement: Install lighting only where you need it. Eye-level lighting on desks and kitchen can help you perform your work better. Minimize the use of down lights. You may want to try dimmers – dimmers both help consume less energy, but also add to the longevity of your bulbs.
- Light Interior Colors Matter: If you use dark colors to paint your interiors, you will need very bright bulbs to yield enough lighting for the house. However, with light colors for the interiors, light reflection can help you to maximize on the light supplied from your energy-saving bulbs. Light colors are also favorable when using natural light as the house will look brighter unlike when you use dark interior paintings that dim light supply from natural light.
- Garden Lighting: Solar lighting would serve your garden the best because by entirely relying on sunshine and natural light to charge solar batteries, it will have adequate lighting throughout the night.
Investment Choices
If you are willing and able to invest consider the below solutions to maximize your lighting consumption needs.
- Invest In Skylights: Since not all rooms in your house may have the privilege to access natural light, you can invest in skylights or light tubes. Rooms without windows can be dark. Light tubes can supply the lighting required for those rooms. During the hotter summer months, consider skylight blinds to moderate the heating in the rooms.
- Invest In Motion-Sensor Lighting: Keeping security lighting throughout the night can increase the consumption of the solar energy and would likely reduce the efficiency of your solar system in due course. Motion-sensor lighting powered by solar energy can be the most effective to kill two birds with one stone. The lights will turn on with the slightest movement detection surprising burglars and still increase the efficiency of using solar energy.
- Invest In Motion-Sensor Lighting: Keeping security lighting throughout the night can increase the consumption of the solar energy and would likely reduce the efficiency of your solar system in due course. Motion-sensor lighting powered by solar energy can be the most effective to kill two birds with one stone. The lights will turn on with the slightest movement detection surprising burglars and still increase the efficiency of using solar energy.
- Buy Products From Reputable Brands: There are many brands in the market claiming to provide energy-efficient electrical equipment for solar. Although some of them are genuine, some sell substandard products that might not be suitable for your solar energy uses. You are better off with reputable brands because they are seasoned dealers in solar energy products and can give you guarantee of energy efficiency.
What Next?
The options to save energy on solar lighting systems are many. Although there are common benefits to all solar energy users, the solutions differ from one user to another depending with their lighting needs. You can get assistance and advice from our solar energy professionals.
Where else can you save?
