One thing I just keep going back to is the optimal usage of solar panels, once installed, and the question this raises about how far one should tailor one’s energy consumption to suit the renewable energy that is now available.
The usage of solar panels is almost a question or architecture and urban planning. Knowing that one will receive a certain amount of (somewhat) predictable renewable energy supply means that one can plan obsessively over how to get a bit more squeeze out of the lemon, so to speak.
Solar panels are a very poorly understood asset. Their value is all too often overstated, and yet there are many opportunities for their deployment where they would deliver exceptional returns.
The question for me is, do I allow solar panels to dictate my usage of energy, particularly in summer when we have an abundance of it, or do I instead prioritise the (sometimes whimsical) use of energy in my household, and just use the panels as a mop to catch the consumption?
A better understanding of solar panels could potentially save me thousands. Yet I struggle sometimes in summer to come up with ways to use the power.
I also struggle to adjust my habits quite as far as I should. I know I could make better use of my slow cooker, for instance. But with spare time across the holidays it’s actually more fun to chuck something on the frying pan.
This year I’m going to learn at least 15 new recipes. At least 10 of them will be slow cooker recipes. I could perhaps go so far as to invite a few more people over for a feed.
I also want to concentrate a bit more on legumes as a source of nutrition, and find ways to make better use of the stock I make.
It’s a fun little exercise, and cents are on the line.
