What is Solar Offset?
Don't worry. We'll do the heavy calculations for you.
by Alex Kelleher
5 min read - Published on 05/10/2022
"Solar offset" is the new jargon in the solar industry—so what exactly does it mean? Essentially, solar offset tells you how much energy your solar system produces compared to how much energy you use. It's a one-glance peek into how effective your system is at swapping out your grid-based power.
To calculate your solar offset, divide the amount of electricity your solar system produced over a year by the total amount of energy you consumed in your home. This figure is expressed as a percentage.
Understanding your solar offset gives you an idea of how much energy you'll have to pull from the grid to subsidize your system's energy production. I know it sounds like a lot, so let's break it down with a simple metaphor.
Pretend you have an apple tree in your yard that yields 50 apples during the year. Now pretend that your family eats 100 apples that year. You will have to subsidize the apples produced in your backyard with 50 more apples purchased from the grocery store, making your apple-tree-based offset 50%. Pretty simple.
Now let's apply that to a hypothetical solar energy system:
Your system produced 18,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity and you used 20,400 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
So your solar offset would be 89% because your solar system accounted for 89% of the energy your home consumed during the year.
It's important to note that a 100% offset doesn't necessarily mean that you will have a $0 utility bill. Solar panel technology hasn't quite improved to the point of creating power from sunlight during the middle of the night yet (that's called magic!), so you will still be using grid-power or pulling from a backup battery during those hours. However, with a high enough offset number you will start selling your excess energy back to the grid, and lowering the cost of the energy you may have to purchase from your utility company.
What is the magic offset number?
There is none.
Sorry—probably not the answer you were looking for, but it's true! This is one of those things we will figure out with you.
When we calculate your system size and determine your offset we will consider dozens of uncontrollable factors to optimize your design to best meet your expectations.
Ideally, we'll shoot for around or a little over 100% offset, but some homes have a huge south-facing roof with wide-open shingle space to fit a system sized for a king, and sometimes we do the best with what we have.
But, here is the beautiful thing: even if the best ends up at less than 100% offset, it's still pretty amazing.
What is the benefit to less than 100% offset?
With less than 100% offset you still benefit from a fixed monthly solar payment and lower costs from financing less panels, all while utilizing a clean and renewable source of energy for a good chunk of your energy needs. Some solar owners will even choose to start off small and include more panels over time, gradually increasing their offset.
Fixed Lower Monthly Payment
It's simple: the higher your solar offset, the less energy you have to buy from your power company and the more clean, renewable energy you can use to power your home.
Whether or not your offset is 100%, your solar payment will be a fixed monthly payment, so you won't have to worry about any more rate hikes or fees that you have dealt with in the past.
By switching to solar with Lumio you reclaim power over your energy bill—at whatever offset plans meet your current goals.
With minimal connection fees and your solar panels generating a good amount of power during those peak hours you’ll see your savings start to add up. With additional programs like net metering and the investment tax credit you can easily begin to produce your own electricity and help society pivot away from dependence on fossil fuels.
Less Panels To Finance
One of the biggest reasons for designing a system with less than 100% planned offset is due to limited roof space. Your roof may have a few unusable areas due to vents, skylights, or other obstacles, but financing fewer panels is a good way to limit your solar burden and still enjoy the rest of the sweet benefits of switching to solar. Remember any amount of solar produced by your panels can save you money, no matter the size!
Utilizing Renewable Energy
When you utilize the clean, renewable, energy from the sun that your panels generate you’re not just saving money, you’re doing your part to save the planet. Switching to solar benefits you and the environment by decreasing your carbon footprint, lowering our dependance on fossil fuels, and gaining true energy independence for decades to come.
Whatever your solar offset may be, solar with Lumio gives you the power to dictate what happens with the future of your electricity. To learn more, talk to one of our solar experts today!
Uhamisho wa Jua Ni Nini? Usiwe na wasiwasi. Tutafanya mahesabu mazito kwa ajili yenu. "Kulingana na Alex Kelleher, ""Solar offset"" ni neno la kisasa katika sekta ya nishati ya jua, lakini ni nini hasa inamaanisha?" Kwa mfano, offset ya jua inakuambia ni kiasi gani cha nishati mfumo wako wa jua unazalisha ikilinganishwa na kiasi gani cha nishati unayotumia. Ni moja ya jicho peek katika jinsi ufanisi mfumo wako ni katika kubadilishana nje ya nguvu yako gridi-msingi. Ili kuamua kiwango cha nishati ya jua, gawanya kiasi cha umeme ambacho mfumo wako wa jua umezalisha kwa mwaka kwa jumla ya nishati unayotumia nyumbani. Kiwango hicho huonyeshwa kama asilimia. Kuelewa offset yako ya jua inakupa wazo la kiasi cha nishati utakachohitaji kuvuta kutoka kwa gridi ili kusaidia uzalishaji wa nishati ya mfumo wako. Najua inaonekana kama mengi, hivyo hebu kuvunja chini na mfano rahisi. Fikiria mti wa mtofaa katika bustani yako unaozalisha matunda 50 kwa mwaka. Kwa mfano, fikiria kwamba familia yako ilikula matunda 100 kwa mwaka. Kwa mfano, unaweza kununua matunda ya shamba la nyumbani kwa kutumia bidhaa za 50 za duka la chakula, na kuongeza faida ya shamba la shamba kwa 50%. Ni rahisi sana. Kwa mfano, kwa mfano, mfumo wa nishati ya jua unaozalishwa kwa saa 18,200, na unatumia saa 20,400 za umeme. Kwa hivyo, kiwango cha nishati ya jua cha nyumba yako ni 89%, kwa sababu mfumo wako wa jua unashughulikia 89% ya nishati ya nyumba yako iliyotumiwa wakati wa mwaka. Ni muhimu kutambua kwamba 100% offset haina maana kwamba utakuwa na $ 0 muswada wa huduma. Teknolojia ya paneli za jua haijaendelea sana hadi kufikia hatua ya kutengeneza nguvu kutoka kwa mwanga wa jua wakati wa usiku bado (hiyo inaitwa uchawi! Kwa hivyo, bado utahitaji kutumia umeme wa gridi au betri ya ziada wakati huo. Hata hivyo, na idadi ya juu ya offset, utaanza kuuza nishati yako ya ziada nyuma kwa gridi, na kupunguza gharama ya nishati ambayo unaweza kuwa na kununua kutoka kampuni yako ya huduma. Nambari ya uchawi ya offset ni nini? Hakuna hata mmoja. Samahani <unk> pengine si jibu wewe walikuwa kuangalia kwa, lakini ni kweli! Hii ni moja ya mambo ambayo tutajifunza pamoja nawe. Wakati sisi kuhesabu mfumo wako ukubwa na kuamua offset yako, tutaweza kuzingatia kadhaa ya mambo uncontrollable kuboresha kubuni yako ili bora kukidhi matarajio yako. Kwa mfano, unaweza kuwa na kiwango cha juu cha 100% au zaidi ya 100% ya offset, lakini nyumba zingine zina paa kubwa la kusini na nafasi ya wazi ya shingle ili kuendana na mfumo wa ukubwa wa mfalme, na wakati mwingine tunafanya bora na kile tunacho. Lakini, kwa upande mwingine, ni muhimu sana kwamba hata kama matokeo ya mwisho ya matokeo hayawezi kufikia chini ya asilimia 100, bado ni ya kushangaza. Ni faida gani ya chini ya 100% ya offset? Kwa chini ya 100% offset bado unafaidika na malipo ya kila mwezi ya jua na gharama za chini za kufadhili paneli chache, wakati wote ukitumia chanzo safi na cha upya cha nishati kwa sehemu nzuri ya mahitaji yako ya nishati. Wamiliki wa jua wengine hata watachagua kuanza ndogo na kujumuisha paneli zaidi kwa muda, hatua kwa hatua kuongeza offset yao. Kwa mfano, kwa kiwango cha chini cha malipo ya kila mwezi, kiwango cha juu cha nishati ya jua, na nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati ya nishati. Ikiwa malipo yako ya jua ni ya 100% au la, malipo yako ya jua itakuwa malipo ya kila mwezi ya kudumu, kwa hivyo hautakuwa na wasiwasi juu ya ongezeko la kiwango au ada ambayo umeshughulika nayo hapo awali. Kwa kubadili kwa jua na Lumio wewe kurejesha nguvu juu ya muswada wako wa nishati <unk> katika yoyote mipango offset kukutana malengo yako ya sasa. Pamoja na ada ya chini ya uhusiano na paneli yako ya jua kuzalisha kiasi kizuri cha nguvu wakati wa saa hizo kilele utaona akiba yako kuanza kuongeza juu. Kwa programu za ziada kama vile kipimo cha wavu na mkopo wa kodi ya uwekezaji unaweza kuanza kwa urahisi kuzalisha umeme wako mwenyewe na kusaidia jamii kugeuka mbali na utegemezi wa mafuta ya mafuta. Kwa sababu ya upungufu wa vifaa vya ujenzi, moja ya sababu za msingi za kuunda mfumo wa chini ya 100% ya mpango wa offset ni kwa sababu ya nafasi ndogo ya paa. Paa lako linaweza kuwa na maeneo machache yasiyoweza kutumika kwa sababu ya vents, skylights, au vikwazo vingine, lakini kufadhili paneli chache ni njia nzuri ya kupunguza mzigo wako wa jua na bado ufurahie faida zingine za kupakia jua. Kumbuka kiasi chochote cha jua zinazozalishwa na paneli yako inaweza kuokoa fedha, bila kujali ukubwa! Kutumia Nishati Mbadala Unapotumia nishati safi, mbadala, kutoka kwa jua ambayo paneli zako hutengeneza wewe sio tu unaokoa pesa, unafanya sehemu yako kuokoa sayari. Kubadilisha kwa nishati ya jua kunakufaidi wewe na mazingira kwa kupunguza alama yako ya kaboni, kupunguza utegemezi wetu kwa mafuta ya mafuta, na kupata uhuru wa kweli wa nishati kwa miongo ijayo. Kwa sababu ya uwezo wako wa kuendesha umeme wa jua, Lumia ina uwezo wa kuamua nini kinatokea na umeme wako wa siku zijazo. Ili kujifunza zaidi, zungumza na mmoja wa wataalamu wetu wa jua leo!