Thomas Neyhart Explains why Performance Matters
The benefits of solar energy are empirical, says Thomas Neyhart. Its benefits in reducing carbon footprint and lowering utility bills can be measured. But it is important for consumers to measure these benefits and gauge the performance of their solar panels. That way, they can see the real impact of their panels.
Performance matters when you invest in a solar energy system says, Thomas Neyhart. Consumers should be able to measure the benefits of their panels to ensure their investment is profitable. This is where solar energy monitoring systems become relevant.
A monitoring system is a tool used to track the amount of energy produced by solar panels. This gives consumers an idea of the possible decrease in utility bills. With a monitoring system, consumers can keep track of factors that affect the performance of the system.
With the industry’s growth, there are many ways we can measure and store the tracked data. Some systems offer internet access through mobile data, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi. Thomas Neyhart outlined some important things to know when discussing solar energy monitoring systems.
Thomas Neyhart Revealing How it Works
Solar panels – made of a series of tiny semi-conductors – convert sunlight to electrons that generate energy. A key component of solar panels is micro-inverters, says Thomas Neyhart. These micro-inverters are essential for measuring the performance of solar panels.
Solar panels take the glory, but the micro-inverters do the work, he says. These tiny components convert Direct Current from sunlight into usable Alternate Current power. While these micro-inverters generate usable energy, they also measure the energy produced with tracking software. The tracking devices monitor the temperature, voltage, and other elements that affect system performance.
Types of Solar Panel Monitoring Systems
Producers classify monitoring systems based on the methods and systems of solar panel monitoring. The grid-tied and off-grid monitoring systems are two broad classes of monitoring solutions based on system type. To shed more light on these systems, he explained their benefits and method of operation.
The Grid-tied monitoring systems generate solar energy and store it in a utility grid. This system allows consumers to access energy from the grid. By sending data to monitor and adjust solar panel output, Grid-tied monitoring improves the solar system’s performance. An additional benefit of the grid-tie system is its low cost. The system requires a low upfront cost since the utility grid is the storage unit, and there’s no need to purchase batteries. Some options he mentioned include Enphase, SMA, and Solar Edge.
An off-grid solar monitoring system works like a car fuel gauge, says Thomas Neyhart. It measures the battery’s state of charge, reporting when it’s time to charge or when the batteries are full. Some monitoring options outlined by Thomas Neyhart include Magnum, Outback, Schneider, and Morningstar. These options offer other features that make real-time tracking easy and accurate.
Thomas Neyhart on the Benefits of Solar Monitoring Systems
There are significant benefits for consumers who monitor their solar energy systems. Thomas Neyhart has outlined some key benefits of solar monitoring systems as:
Measuring Efficiency by Real-Time Energy Production
There are a lot of factors that affect the performance of a solar energy system. Each of these factors plays a role in the optimal production of energy. According to Thomas Neyhart, its standard practice to consult an expert before installing solar panels. This helps consumers understand their energy consumption and energy needs. With proper knowledge of the system and factors that affect its performance, solar energy monitoring is useful to see those efforts in action.
An “energy audit” is a term used to describe the energy consumption of a building. A solar energy monitoring system keeps track of how much energy goes into a building. According to Thomas Neyhart, the system should provide real-time reports on how solar panels generate power in terms of kilowatt-hours (kWh). In this way, a monitoring system is an excellent way to assess how your efforts are paying off.
Detecting Problems to Provide Solutions
The feedback from a monitoring system can point out issues with your solar panel system. These problems could range from bad batteries to solar cells that don’t provide enough energy. The system alerts operators about the problem and provides feedback on how to resolve it.
Knowing if a solar energy system is properly operating can be difficult. A monitoring system provides data on energy use and generation, as well as energy efficiency and possible damage to the solar energy system. The system notifies operators about performance issues that might have gone unnoticed for a long time. This data is all the warning is all it takes, says Thomas Neyhart.
Conserving Energy and Maximizing Battery Storage
A solar energy monitoring system can measure how energy passes through a solar battery. And it is a good practice to track this information, says Thomas Neyhart. It helps consumers stay on top of battery maintenance and points technicians toward possible problems when the need arises.
To conserve energy, consumers need to monitor how much energy they consume. A monitoring system is a great tool to help you achieve this, he says. It helps users identify high energy use periods and peak energy generation periods. After measuring the consumption rate, consumers can implement tips that help reduce energy use. The monitoring system relays the effect of their effort in real-time, says Thomas Neyhart, giving consumers an idea of how much improvement they’ve made.
Accessibility
Most monitoring systems come with mobile apps. They serve as an interface between operators and the monitoring system. With the data available on mobile devices, consumers can take preventive measures to prevent downtime.
Thomas Neyhart adds that using apps to monitor the performance of a solar energy system is a big step forward. It was hard to track solar panel performance or energy generation with older micro-inverters. Consumers would have to read raw data from the inverter and manually keep track of energy production. This made the process tedious for consumers, says Thomas Neyhart. Minor issues that could have been detected early tend to grow into huge problems before they’re discovered.
Conclusion
Keeping an eye on your solar panel system can increase the lifespan with little maintenance. The solar energy monitoring system is an excellent tool for maintaining peak system performance.
It delivers quick debugging, energy generation and consumption reports, and efficiency. All these ensure consumers get the most out of their investment.
