As any homeowner knows, plenty of areas in and around your home can drive up utility costs — even your garden. Whether you’re powering a pool pump, water features, a sprinkler system or a greenhouse, your garden needs electricity to stay functional.
Thanks to solar power, you may be able to reduce some of those costs to keep your garden running. Plus, it’s a more sustainable option compared to more traditional, fossil fuel-burning energy sources.
Whether cultivating plants indoors under grow lights or maintaining an outdoor oasis, solar technology can provide an efficient and sustainable solution to your gardening needs.
Why Use Solar Power for Gardening?
Using solar power — particularly solar panels installed on your roof — has multiple benefits, including:
- Potential savings on your utility bill. With solar, you can rely less on grid electricity to power outdoor lights, irrigation systems or gardening equipment. Over time, these costs can add up, especially if you rely on energy-intensive tools.
- Reduce your carbon footprint. By harnessing clean, renewable energy, you can rely less on fossil fuels to power your home and lower your carbon footprint.*
- Potential net metering credits. Depending on your state’s utility programs, you may be able to return to the grid any excess energy your solar system makes, earning you credits to offset future costs.
Solar Powered Gardening Solutions
Using solar power — particularly solar panels installed on your roof — has multiple benefits, including:
Solar-Powered Irrigation
While your garden needs sun to grow, irrigation is essential. However, you can also use the sun to power some of your irrigation.
For one, you can utilize smart irrigation systems powered by solar battery storage to monitor moisture levels within your garden and disperse water as needed. Both technologies can reduce water and energy usage, boosting your garden’s sustainability twofold.
In addition, you can use a rooftop solar panel system to power electronic devices in your garden, such as water features like small ponds or waterfalls. These features enhance the aesthetic appeal of your garden and serve practical purposes, such as aerating water to keep it clean and healthy for fish or plants.
Solar-Powered Lighting
For many gardeners, the arrival of cold weather doesn’t signal the end of growing season – it’s simply a time to focus on the plants they grow indoors.
With tools like grow lights and greenhouses, you can grow practically anything in a controlled environment year-round. However, this can undoubtedly become costly if you’re relying on traditional power. Solar power can ease some of these costs while keeping your indoor plants alive year-round.
While you may have fewer hours of daylight during the winter to power your indoor lighting for your indoor garden, the season doesn’t necessarily interfere with solar panels. Plus, if you pair them with battery storage, you can increase your independence from the power grid and use stored energy during an outage if the grid goes down in a storm.
Solar Power Battery Backup*
As any gardener knows, gardening needs don’t stop once the sun goes down. You may need more energy in the dark for extra lighting, heating for greenhouses, and irrigation. You also need a reliable source of electricity to sustain your gardening needs if the power ever goes out. That’s why pairing any solar power system with battery storage is essential, as it can help meet your gardening needs in any condition – day, night, rain, shine, and everything in between.
For gardeners in areas with time-based utility rates, solar battery backup offers an additional advantage. Many regions charge higher rates for electricity during peak hours, often in the afternoon when many people tend to their gardens. By tapping into stored solar energy instead of traditional utility power during these times, you can avoid these higher rates and still garden at any time of the day.
Address Your Energy Needs
If your current setup isn’t enough to power your gardening needs, you may want to investigate your current energy requirements while planning for future expansion. For one, you may want to look at areas of your home where you can cut back on energy, such as:
- Use a smart thermostat
- Swap lights to LED bulbs
- Unplug devices when not using
- Seal any cracks in your doors and windows
- Avoid running high-energy appliances at the same time
These changes can give you a realistic idea of how much energy you need before upgrading to solar for gardening.
How to Set Up Rooftop Solar Panels for Garden Use
To enjoy the benefits of solar energy for your garden, you have to set it up correctly. Because of the many risks and red tape, working with a professional solar company like Sunnova is often the best option.
In addition to installation services, some providers, like Sunnova, also offer warranties and protection plans. Suppose your system doesn’t provide as much energy as originally promised or becomes damaged. With a warranty, you can save on any unexpected repairs or replacement costs.
Examples of Solar-Power Setups for Your Garden
While you may already have an established set-up for your garden, here are some ideas you may want to try to get the most out of solar energy, such as:
- Solar-powered raised bed. In raised garden beds, you need a drip line or small pump to distribute water. With solar-powered smart irrigation systems, you can automate drip systems to avoid excessive water waste.
- Solar greenhouse. Whether your greenhouse is connected to your home or stands individually, you can power it with solar panels to keep plants thriving year-round.
- Solar-powered fountain or pond. Many water features require electricity to maintain a regulated temperature and keep water running. Solar lets you keep these features operating without worrying as much about utility costs.
- Solar shed. You often need to store and charge electronic devices like weed whackers, lawnmowers, chainsaws, etc. In your garden shed. Solar power lets you charge these items without worrying as much about excessive grid use.
This is not an exhaustive list, of course. If you find more energy needs within your garden, consider how you can integrate it with your solar panels.
FAQs About Gardening with Solar
What are the benefits of using solar power in my garden?
Solar power in your garden can reduce electricity costs, lower your carbon footprint and promote sustainable gardening.* Solar-powered systems for irrigation, lighting and water features allow you to enjoy an eco-friendly garden with minimal ongoing costs.
Can I use rooftop solar panels to power my garden systems?
Yes, by going solar, you’re investing in a convenient and sustainable power source for your entire home, garden included.
Can I connect smart devices to solar-powered garden systems?
Many localized solar-powered garden systems now support smart technology, allowing you to automate and control features such as lighting and irrigation. By pairing smart devices with your solar setup, you can monitor energy use, schedule watering and even control lighting remotely for a fully optimized garden experience.
Is solar power effective for large gardens?
Solar power may benefit gardens of all sizes. However, more extensive and complicated gardens may require a bigger system and/or battery storage.
Can rooftop solar panels provide power for multiple garden features?
As long as your features are connected to your electrical panel, rooftop solar can power multiple garden features such as lights, water features and irrigation. Before buying any garden feature, consider its power requirements and whether a solar setup can provide enough energy.
What are some common issues with solar-powered garden systems?
Common issues include reduced performance on cloudy days and occasional maintenance needs which, if you use Sunnova, are included in your 25-year protection plan. If you need to replace your roof, there are solar panel removal and reinstallation considerations. There are also tasks like solar panel cleaning that can be purchased through Sunnova or other local companies.
Let the sun power your garden!
