How Our Energy Analysis Tools Mean Better Solar PV Systems for You
No homeowner looking to go solar wants to “mail it in” with a solar PV system that barely meets their needs or reduces their energy expenses. When you want to go solar in your Phoenix area home, you’ll want to get the most out of your investment, with long-lasting solar panels and solar energy storage systems that ensure you are protected from demand response price hikes, and in some cases even keep your lights on during an outage.
SouthFace Solar & Electric has made it our business to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to designing effective, efficient, and durable solar PV systems, and we have done so using our own proprietary energy analysis, developed over years of data collection. Here’s how it works, and why it matters for you before you go solar.
Developing Our Own Energy Analysis
Years ago, we started gathering data from willing families in many different home types and of varying energy use habits throughout Carefree, Chino Valley, Phoenix, Prescott, and Scottsdale. We started to develop different “average” energy use profiles, based on appliances and historical energy use. Using these profiles, we were able to start recreating daily and monthly energy costs with impressive accuracy.
This allowed us to apply these models and show homeowners looking to go solar what their energy costs and overall solar energy use will look like with multiple types of solar equipment. We can:
- Swap out the type of solar inverter used
- Change the number of panels used
- Predict how solar energy storage can be used
Then, in 2017 when APS made the big shift to rate change plans, SouthFace Solar & Electric was one of the first and only companies able to calculate how a homeowner could avoid the rate change spikes in their energy bill, and what they could expect from the new complicated plans. We continue this energy modeling today, and are one of the few solar installation contractors in Phoenix that uses its own, accurate, in-house energy modeling!
How Does This Make Your Solar PV System Better?
So, how does this affect your solar installation? It allows us to crunch the numbers with you, predicting energy costs and swapping solar equipment in and out to find the right combination of materials to meet your exact needs.
Sizing your solar PV system is essential to its long-term success—size too large and you will have too much solar energy on your hands, reducing the efficiency, and you will have spent too much on installation costs. Size too small, and you won’t see as much savings each month on your energy bill, meaning you have just spent all this money on solar panels without the benefit of lower energy costs!
Off-Grid Experience Counts!
Another reason our energy modeling and analysis are above the rest here in Phoenix is due to our experience with off-grid systems. Because we have installed multiple systems that we designed to cover all of the energy use in a home, we understand the importance of every single kilowatt hour. In the case of off-grid solar, reducing energy use in the home is the first step, so we can properly size the system for sustainability.
This experience also benefits solar PV systems that are not designed for off-grid use—by looking at how far off your home is from a similar “average” home, we can usually tell which appliances you could cut down on or what energy habits you could change to reduce your energy consumption before we install solar on your roof or property.
Another way we have helped customers reduce their energy usage, even after their solar panels have been installed, is through solar energy monitoring and energy audits.
We have found that for some, just knowing where the energy is going can really help tighten up energy usage! Many of the solar PV systems we install include some kind of solar energy monitoring, such as Sense Monitoring, and unlike many other solar contractors, SouthFace Solar & Electric commits to staying with the customer and supporting you through your questions, life changes, any maintenance of the system, and future upgrades.
Solar Installation Customized to Your Life in Phoenix
Are you ready for a solar-powered home here in Phoenix? We are here to answer your questions, and get you started on a path to using your own renewable energy. If you are curious about going solar electric in Phoenix or are wondering what a solar battery will cost, there is no greater ally in your solar journey than SouthFace Solar & Electric. Get a free solar energy analysis from our team today!
