One of the first steps you must take before installing a solar system for your home or business is a comprehensive energy audit. You must understand how much electricity you are using on a regular basis in order to install the appropriate size system. If you under-estimate the amount of electricity you use per day, you will not have enough capacity to comfortably rely on solar electricity. If that happens, you will need to expand your system and absorb the extra costs of doing so.
One of the easiest ways of calculating your energy usage is to create a spreadsheet with four columns: one column for the appliance’s name, one for its wattage usage and one column for how many minutes (approximately) it is used in a day. A device called a “Kill-o-Watt” can be invaluable here. Plug the Kill-o-Watt into the electric outlet, and then plug the appliance whose wattage you want to know, into the Kill-o-Watt. On plugging in the appliance, the Kill-o-Watt will display the wattage that is used by the appliance in various increments. Akamai Sustainable Technologies can assist you with the calculations -; but you need to be the one that ascertains exactly how many appliances you are using -; and for how long during a day.
Now, walk around your home or business and note every, single electrical appliance you use. Use the Kill-o-Watt to determine its wattage. Enter the name and wattage on your spreadsheet. Also, estimate as best you can, for how many minutes is this appliance used -; in a day or in a week. Note that number as well.
By calculating your overall wattage use on a daily and weekly basis, you will begin to see how much electricity or how many Kilowatts you are using regularly. You can also get the Kilowatt hours from your electric bill, if you have it handy. You should be aware that in 2011, the average electric use in the United States for a home was approximately 11,280 kWh, with an average of 940 kWh per month. You may need to modify your electric usage somewhat based on the cost of installation of a home solar system, based on your calculations.
Solar in Honolulu Akamai Sustainable Technologies has experienced personnel to assist you with the correct sizing of your system, and also to answer any local questions you may have about your energy audit.
