Solar Monitoring: 3 Reasons to Monitor Your System
Jeff Cantin
February 17, 2021Do you know if your solar system is still operating as it did when it was installed? Do you know how much it saved you last month? Last year?
In today’s modern world, it seems nearly everything is accessible at your fingertips. You can track your friends’ locations, monitor the weather, see how your favorite sports teams are doing— all in real time.
The technology surrounding modern solar energy systems is no different. Solar energy systems have developed so rapidly over the last decade that they can optimize performance like never before. Not only does this technology allow existing owners to upgrade their current systems to state-of-the-art abilities, but customers can now closely monitor energy use in their home with monitoring systems—giving full control over a home’s energy supply.
What is solar monitoring?
If you’re a Solar Alternatives customer, there’s a good chance that your system comes equipped with software that offers solar monitoring. Using what are called gateways, solar energy systems bridge the communication between the microinverters, located on the rooftop, with the cloud-based monitoring systems. The gateways and microinverters communicate via standard AC powerlines in the home, as well as via cellular or wireless internet connection. The gateways can control grid management functions and monitor PV production, making sure your system is running up to your standards.
A solar monitoring system can provide real-time data on the performance of a solar system. This contains information about:
- Energy production
- Energy consumption
- System efficiency
- Any damages to your system
Why should I monitor my system?
- Monitor system production
- Solar monitoring allows constant oversight of the performance of your system. It allows you to analyze and compare data over weeks, months, and years. By having a better understanding of your system’s performance, you can maximize your clean energy production all year long.
- Monitor energy consumption
- Solar monitoring allows you to monitor your energy consumption in addition to your systems’ performance, thereby allowing you to anticipate the fluctuations in your utility bills.
- Immediate notification if your solar system requires maintenance.
- Though solar panels come with a 25-year warrantee and a minimum performance guarantee, sometimes they can require maintenance. Rather than seeing an unexpected rise in your utility bills when a panel suffers in performance, you can identify problems in your system immediately and receive timely service to make sure your system is running at peak performance at all times.
Unsure what your system offers?
No matter the specifications of your system, Solar Alternatives has monitoring options for you. A wide variety of the products that we install have free monitoring available. Solar Alternatives also offers remote monitoring through our service team. If you know what system you have (or may be interested in installing), you can explore the details on the Solar Alternatives app.
A quick look…
Tesla Mobile App:
Enphase My Enlighten:
Generac Mobile Link:
Any questions? Ask us!
Solar Alternatives is here for all your solar service and maintenance needs—whether your system was installed by our team or not. Get in touch with our team of experts to schedule an annual checkup, or to sign up for one of our worry-free maintenance plans to make sure you’re maximizing your clean energy production all year long.
