Home Energy Efficiency

Your Home Energy Efficiency is important because minimizing your electricity use also lowers your electric utility bills. At Phoenix Solar Panel Systems we offer products that increase your Home Energy Efficiency. These products cause your home to require less electricity, which saves you money. These products are:

• Attic Insulation
• Attic Air Sealing
• Duct Sealing
• High Efficiency HVAC Units
• High Efficiency Windows
• High Efficiency Doors
• Weather Sealing
• Smart Thermostats

• High Efficiency Water Heaters
• Tankless Water Heaters
• HVAC Smart Chips
• Variable Speed Pool Pumps
• Solar Pool Heaters
• Sun Shades
• LED Lighting

Home Energy Efficiency – Age Of The Home

The age of the home greatly affects Home Energy Efficiency. Homes that are built within the last five years will be far more efficient than homes built 60 years ago. Newer homes have more insulation, more efficient windows, smart thermostats, air duct systems with less leaks, and more modern building materials.

Newer homes with more insulation, more efficient windows, and modern building materials will keep the cold air in the home longer than an older home. This means the air conditioning system works less to pump new cold air in the home and uses less energy. New air ducts mean less cold air generated by the air conditioner is lost in the attic and more reaches the rooms in the home, making the AC unit work less. Smart thermostats have programming and learning features that use the air conditioning less when the occupants are not in the home.

A homeowner with an older home that purchases a solar system in addition to Home Energy Efficiency upgrades will lower their total energy usage while paying less for each kWh they use, which typically amounts to a lot of savings.

Home Energy Efficiency – Orientation Of The Home

The orientation of the roof planes on the home will affect Home Energy Efficiency when going solar. In North America, each solar panel on a south facing roof of a home will produce more energy than a solar panel on the Western, Eastern, or Northern facing roof. This is because North America is in the northern hemisphere on Earth. At the equator, the sun is directly above the homes in the sky. In the northern hemisphere, the sun is slightly in the Southern sky all day long. Thus, a solar panel on the Southern roof will receive sunlight all day long when solar panels on the Eastern and Western roofs will only receive sunlight for part of the day (Morning for Eastern, and Afternoon for Western).

Because the Southern facing solar panels receive more sun, they produce more energy and thus less solar panels are needed to produce the same amount of energy. Less solar panels mean less equipment to purchase and a lower cost for the homeowner. Solar panels are typically never put on the North facing roof unless absolutely necessary, as the North roof receives the least amount of sunlight of all. Solar panels on flat roofs are angled to the South to take advantage of increased sunlight and energy production.

Home Energy Efficiency – Number Of Occupants In The Home

Home Energy Efficiency is directly related to how many people are living in the home. Energy use and energy waste increases for every person that occupies the home. A couple with no children will generally use much less energy than a couple with four children. As children become teenagers, they tend to use much more energy because of their increased television, computer, tablet, video game, and internet usage. Teenagers are also notorious for leaving lights and other appliances on throughout the house.

Home Energy Efficiency – Energy Habits

The Customer Generation, Average Demand, Time-of-Use Export, and Electric Vehicle Export Plans all have the same Off-Peak Hours. Off-Peak Hours in the Winter (November through April) are 5AM to 9PM and 5PM to 9PM. Also, On-Peak times in the Summer (May, June, September, October) are 2PM to 8PM. Finally, On-Peak times in the Summer Peak (July, August) are 2PM to 8PM. The Electric Vehicle Plan also has a Super Off-Peak time segment from 11PM to 5AM every day of the year.

For more information on SRP’s Solar Rate Plans, visit SRP’s Website.