Smart home technology is nothing new – indeed, we’ve seen countless integrations and concepts rise and fall over the years. In more recent times, every household seems to have at least one smart device. This could be a smart thermostat, some smart bulbs, or even a smart kettle. The idea behind smart devices and a smart home is simple: everyday things make your life easier.
That being said, the best smart home solutions go above and beyond mere convenience; they improve your entire life by assisting with things like saving money or reducing your energy consumption. It’s why smart thermostats are so popular – and almost every new-build now comes with one. To be honest, we developed that technology a long time ago, and yet smart thermostats haven’t really seen any dramatic advancements in the last decade.
If anything, this makes today’s focus even more exciting. As the title alludes, we’re discussing smart solar systems as the next step in designing a truly smart home. Solar power most certainly looks like the best long-term solution for residential and commercial properties in the hunt for a future with cleaner energy sources. While solar installations have also been around for some time, this latest advancement could create the smartest home out there.
Smart Solar Systems Explained
To understand smart solar systems you must first come to terms with solar systems in general. Essentially, this is the term given to any solar panel installation on a property. A commercial and residential solar installer will visit your property and install a system that connects solar panels to your main electricity line.
The goal is clear: your solar system generates energy via the sun and provides it as a form of electricity for your home/commercial property.
So, how does a smart solar system differ? The general solar system setup remains, but a smart system goes beyond the simple action of generating and storing solar power. Instead, it uses clever technology to optimize energy usage and help you get more out of your solar installation.
Once again, a smart solar system has a clear goal: to assist you in using less energy from the National Grid and saving as much money as possible. Think of it as a way to make your home greener than ever before; you take less electricity from the conventional source and power more of your home with 100% renewable and free solar energy.
How Do Smart Solar Systems Work
What needs to be present for a solar system to be considered smart? You can normally narrow it down to a handful of key elements that work alongside solar panels:
- A Smart Inverter: This piece of technology can analyze your energy usage and automatically convert solar energy into electricity as and when required. It does this more efficiently than a traditional inverter by using AI and machine learning to predict your energy consumption needs. In other words, it optimizes solar energy conversion when you need it, but it doesn’t waste energy when you don’t.
- A Smart App: Much like you get an app for a smart thermostat, smart solar systems come with one of their own. This is what truly turns a property into a smart home because the app lets you manage, see, and control all aspects of your solar system. You can see real-time energy usage and set up timers for the solar system to kick in at certain times. Likewise, this can integrate with other smart devices, so you can select what gets powered by your solar system. It enables you to set up automations and use the app to work out the most optimal ways of using solar energy.
- Solar Batteries: Unlike a traditional solar system, smart ones have extra components in the form of solar batteries. This is where excess solar energy can be stored for later use. It offers a backup power source if necessary, meaning you’re less reliant on the grid for electricity. You can set up your system to store as much energy as possible in the battery during peak solar energy times. For example, your system automatically converts and stores solar electricity in the battery during the day while you’re at work. Then, when you’re home, you can use the battery to power your home with solar energy, even though the sun’s gone down.
These three features give you a very smart setup, and a smart solar system works by utilizing this new technology to improve the way you use energy in your home. AI systems can do clever things like analyze the best times to sell some of your solar energy back to the grid, maximizing the amount of money you receive. A smart solar system can also interact with an EV charger to dedicate more solar energy resources to it while charging your car – which can effectively let you run your EV with free energy.
Why Smart Solar Systems Are Revolutionary
Every so often, tech comes along that falls into the revolutionary category because it causes a critical shift in how we live our lives. Smart solar systems fit this description perfectly. As effective as normal solar panels are, a smart system elevates the concept of solar power and makes it harder than ever to dispute.
Who wouldn’t want an energy system in their home or commercial property that actively works to improve efficiency and reduce reliance on grid electricity?
We are in the midst of a climate emergency, and clean energy solutions are essential. Smart solar builds on the success of solar panel installations but makes improvements so users have more control over what the system does, how well it utilizes solar power, and so on. It moves us closer to a future where entire homes or buildings can operate on solar power alone. Widen the lens slightly and imagine huge industrial factories that generate just 50% of their energy from solar power, thanks to smart solar systems.
It’s a technology that can change the world – and the exciting part is that we’re still in the early days. New iterations and improvements are sure to come, meaning smart solar is the next step in building truly smart homes and buildings.
Madhurima Nag is the Head of Content at Gadget Flow. She side-hustles as a parenting and STEM influencer and loves to voice her opinion on product marketing, innovation and gadgets (of course!) in general.