Powering up efficiency: Lee-Ann’s journey to better solar utilisation and lower electricity costs

Abstract: 

Lee-Ann struggled to get the full value out of her solar system. 30% of her solar energy was going to waste, and she was still relying heavily on grid power. Through installing Plentify’s SolarBot and HotBot solutions, Lee-Ann now uses 98% of her solar energy and has achieved a 45%-80% reduction in her electricity costs. This case study explains how Plentify’s intelligent home energy management solutions improved Lee-Ann’s solar system’s performance.

 

The challenge

Lee-Ann wasn’t getting the full value out of her 5.5kWp solar installation despite having an advanced setup with an 8kWh Deye inverter and 10kWh battery. During daylight hours, Lee-Ann’s electricity demand was low, and her solar system was unable to generate its full potential because there was nowhere for the excess energy to go, resulting in a 30% loss in potential electricity generation. In contrast, at night and early morning, her demand increased. However, without stored solar power to meet it, she remained reliant on the grid and still paid between R2 500 and R4 500 a month for electricity.

 

The solution

Lee-Ann was asked to be part of the Plentify SolarBot beta trial and was excited to discover how Plentify could help her optimise her existing solar installation. 

Plentify’s SolarBot and HotBot were installed, making the following key changes to improve the performance of her solar system:

Shifting demand to clean energy times 

• • Plentify’s SolarBot and HotBot shifted Lee-Ann’s solar battery charging and geyser heating times into peak solar production hours. 

• • This reduces Lee-Ann’s reliance on the grid.

Optimising battery charging 

• • SolarBot detected that Lee-Ann didn’t need to keep her battery highly charged at all times. Instead, she could use the stored power to reduce her reliance on the grid at night and early morning. 
  • SolarBot constantly monitors Lee-Ann’s battery level and optimises its charging schedule based on factors like the weather, planned grid outages, and Lee-Ann’s power use habits.

 

“Since installing SolarBot, my electricity bill has decreased by an average of R2000 per month” 

– Lee-Ann

 

The results

Lee-Ann has enjoyed the following key benefits since installing SolarBot and HotBot: 

• 45%-80% decrease in electricity costs. Lee-Ann’s electricity bill has decreased by an average of R2000 a month.  
• 42% increase in solar utilisation. Lee-Ann now uses 98% of her available solar generation capacity. 
• SolarBot also identified that Lee-Ann could improve the performance of her solar system by adding more panels, which would reduce her reliance on the grid even further.

 

A win-win 

Choosing Plentify will benefit both you and your customers. By becoming a Plentify installer, you can: 

• Increased competitiveness: You can gain a competitive edge by ensuring your clients get the best possible performance from your system. 
• Happier customers: Plentify helps you deliver proactive support to your customers by alerting you of potential issues before they arise.  
• Upgrade opportunities: Plentify will recommend ways you can upgrade your customers’ systems to give them even better performance.

Your customers will benefit from increased solar utilisation, reducing their reliance on the grid and significantly lowering their energy costs.

 

Ready to help your clients unlock the full potential of their solar systems while enhancing your competitive edge?

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