Winter warming tips and tricks

Keeping your home warm is the biggest energy challenge in winter.

1. Keep heating on low during the day - switching heating on during the solar window (when your solar panels are generating power) will help your home to stay warm even after you switch your heating off, thanks to thermal mass in your home.
2. Keep the thermostat between 18 and 20 degrees for efficient heating.
3. Reverse ceiling fans to bring that warm air back down to where you need it most.
4. Rug up! It sounds silly but we often go to the heater before we add an extra layer of clothing. So, grab your favourite Oodie and Ugg Boots and cosy up!
5. Hot water bottles are great for bed time and stay warm for hours. You can even buy electric heat packs that will charge from your own clean solar energy - how cool!  
6. If you have multiple electric heating options, test which one is the most efficient using data from your energy monitoring app – try running each for 20 minutes or so to collect enough data to see which one uses less energy. 
7. Insulate your home so that it retains heat in winter. The best investment you can make to keep your comfortable year-round. 
8. Close curtains and window coverings – glass is a big culprit for heat loss in the home. You can also invest in double glazing to help keep the warm air inside. 
9. Seal doors and windows to prevent draughts. Even the smallest gap can undo all your warming efforts!
10. Heat only the rooms you need and close doors to other parts of the house if you can. You may also consider changing your behaviour to make the most of the rooms that are heated efficiently.
    
    
    Load shifting is most critical in the winter months. If you are home during the day, try and use as much energy when your panels are producing. Do the washing, put the dishwasher on, dry your hair etc during the 'solar window' (ie the hours your system is producing the most energy, usually between 11:00am and 4:00pm) so that only the essentials are being run at other times of the day. It's not always possible, but load shifting will help you get the most out of your solar + battery system during winter and all year-round. 
    
    
    
    

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