Understanding electricity as with anything, it is a good idea to have a good understanding of how something works and how it will benefit you before purchasing it. The same can be said for solar power. Before investing, it is important to have a clear understanding of what electricity consumption entails. The details of this is not a common thing that people learn about. Many people have no idea where to begin when it comes to calculating personal electricity expenses or understanding how electricity consumption varies between appliances. However, it all varies depending on the use and application of the energy. We’ve put together a simple guide to help you understand how your electricity bill is calculated.
Measuring a unit of electricity.
The power of an electrical appliance is measured in watts (W). However, the amount of energy converted in a one hour period is known as kilowatt-hours (kWh). Units of energy on electricity bills are equal to the kilowatts of electricity consumed per hour. In other words, 1 unit of electricity is equal to 1000 watt-hours (Wh) or 1 kWh.
Electricity use of appliances.
An appliance will use its wattage worth of electricity in an hour if left on and uninterrupted. In other words, a 100 watt light bulb will use 100 watt-hours of electricity in one hour and 200 watt-hours if left on for 2 hours.
Saving with solar
Through solar, you basically only have to pay for installation. The solar system will produce your energy. You don’t have to pay for the sun. Another of the many solar power advantages is that it protects you from the inevitable electricity price hikes of the future that will fluctuate and kill your wallet.
This is just the beginning of solar power changing the word. Just think where solar energy will go due to innovation in the coming years. Let’s eliminate wasteful traditional electricity all while saving you money. The future is bright for solar energy and for your business’ energy supply.
Ready to get started?
Contact Spectrum Energy for more details on how your business can make the switch to save you money and time. Our experts have a combined experience of 100 years and we are ready to apply our knowledge to your facilities.
Richard is the newest member of our team. He has 33 years experience in the general contracting business building projects such as restaurants, wineries, hotels, movie theaters and custom houses. Richard’s first role with 
Rich has 15 years experience in electrical contracting, commercial PV solar installation and utility grid interconnection. He has managed the installation of over 15MW of PV, both commercial and utility scale, and has many years of experience in off-grid solar design and installation utilizing various battery technologies (Li-Ion, LFP & Lead Acid).
Mike has been a member of the Spectrum project development team since 2010. He is well versed in developing a detailed energy analysis that allows Spectrum to create the best possible energy savings plan for clients in both commercial and agricultural settings.
James is 10-year energy industry specialist with a honed ability to communicate the technical, financial and environmental implications of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to any audience. He is responsible for originating and managing large scale solar PV installations for commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. James is also very experienced with designing and developing deep energy efficiency retrofits for commercial buildings with specialties in LED lighting and high performance HVAC systems.
Scott Wallace is a proven expert in the solar industry with experience working in all aspects of Agricultural and Commercial solar. His development of solar PV projects include project finance, Net Energy Metering Aggregation (NEM-A), interconnection, utility infrastructure upgrades and system design.
Mr. Collier is a founder and head of Engineering for Spectrum Energy. He joined the company in November 2003. He is responsible for the design, engineering, siting, permitting, procurement, and commissioning of all SEDI’s PV projects. Mr. Collier is also active in design and engineering consulting with utilities, government agencies, vendors, and corporate clients. Collier is the qualifying party for SEDI “C10” California Contractor’s License #892475.
Mr. Agnello is a founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer of Spectrum Energy. He started SEDI full time in July 2002 as CFO. His responsibilities include corporate finances, project finance, project management, sales, strategic planning, and vendor relations. Mr. Agnello has over twenty-five years of experience in the renewable energy industry. In the two years prior to forming Spectrum, he acted as a full time consultant to the SMUD Solar Program responsible for developing PV marketing and financial analysis in the commercial market sector. His project assessment tools enabled SMUD customers to adequately determine their financial benefits of going solar.
Mr. Osborn is a founder, President and Chairman of Spectrum Energy Development, Inc. (SEDI). His responsibilities include management of overall corporate strategy, project management, business development coordination, consulting management, and corporate policy. Before founding Spectrum, Mr. Osborn headed the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) Solar Program for 12 years and was the Superintendent of Renewable Generation for SMUD, where he led a staff of twenty professionals implementing the SMUD photovoltaics program as well as wind energy, distributed generation, and research and development programs. Under his leadership SMUD became the world’s leading utility in the use of photovoltaics and as of 2002, SMUD had over half of all grid-connected PV in the US and led the way for the eventual commercialization of PV. Besides numerous honors and recognitions, Don and the SMUD team were awarded the 2001 World Energy Globe Award.