I find the tips useful, though tip #5, Run appliances at night, is somewhat controversial at first glance. To persons who possess a solar system, the tip is not intuitive, as appliances such as dishwashers will be operated during the day, when the solar panels are producing electricity. The home will be cooled by air conditioning.
However, the tip would be practical for renters and others who do not own a solar system.
Choice should have made this distinction in the article.
I think it is even more complex than that. what rate are you on for your solar? If you are on the low tariffs that pay between 8 and 12 cents per kw then taking the solar power during the day would make sense. If you are on the generous tariff of 49 to 52 cents then using the evening prices would be better. To be really efficient, you must have an application that monitors your solar generation, your solar feed into the network and see if during the day you have excess generation that you are only getting 8 cents per kw and the use of the appliance will not exceed the excess solar power you are sending to the grid at the moment. you must also take into consideration just how stable your solar excess is over the period you are using that appliance. To help work this out, you would need to setup a spreedsheet for each appliance detailing the power consumed and if there is any change in consumption for specific jobs. Such as, an oven on 150 degrees C or 180 or 200, with the fan on and off, and what changes that does to cooking time and taste. It can get very complicated. That pales to simplicity when you try to do a comprehensive sheet on aircon and include different times of the day, humidity, temp and number of occupants. And yes, I did try. I am still on medication.
I am assuming that you are serious although I am not too sure.
I would rather use the oven to cook each dish the best of its and my capacity to make attractive and nutritious food. I am not about to change that no matter what results the spreadsheet comes up with. There is more to life than cost minimisation.
Thank you Phil T. Although having taught differential equations it could possibly lead to excessive consumption of good whisky or even good whiskey. I love the definition: sarchasm, the gap between the author and those that don’t understand it.
Well then I disagree. I pay a yearly subscription to Choice and I expect quality articles that do not use slang, or ‘informal usage’, another word for slang. Unless it is made clear that such informal usage is being used, for the purposes of the article.
