Electric Solar Energy Monitoring

When using electrical power or natural gas provided by a utility company, many people monitor their use to understand their consumption and how their power is being used. For many home and business owners, the goal of installing electric solar energy systems is to reduce consumption of these utilities, but monitoring usage doesn’t have to stop once the switch is made to solar power. Monitoring systems can be used in conjunction with electric solar energy systems, and they continue to provide valuable data about energy use, as well as alerts if the system is not performing properly.

When your electric solar energy system is installed, you’ll have the option to include monitoring. The monitoring system collects usage information from your commercial building or residence, and displays it in an easy-to-understand, typically web-based format. Depending on the monitoring program you choose, you can access this data remotely from any computer and other web-enabled devices. Use this information to make smart decisions about your energy use and track your system’s performance.

Monitoring tools for your electric solar energy systems allow for the measurement of energy production, as well as energy use. It can also provide live weather information for your area, providing information such as panel temperatures, solar irradiance, wind speed, and more factors which affect energy production. Monitoring tools make it easy to look back over periods of time to see production and usage data to identify trends and plan for the future. These tools can also alert you if your electric solar energy system isn’t performing as it should, allowing you to troubleshoot and solve issues affecting system performance.

Many monitoring tools provide information regarding the positive environmental impact your system has. For some, technical data isn’t always the best way to communicate; your monitoring system can translate the electric solar energy your system produces into real-life equivalencies, such as gallons of gasoline saved, or hours to power the average home. Seeing this data in relatable values can provide a better understanding of just how much your electric solar energy system is benefitting your family, your business, and the world around you.

Take your electric solar energy system installation one step further with monitoring tools; measure consumption and production, system performance and efficiency, and see the direct benefits your system has on the environment. Contact Smith Sustainable Design today to discuss monitoring solutions for your commercial or residential electric solar energy system.