Solar competition

Can you SHRINK THE PINK?

Our Solar & Battery Simulator is a NEW feature in the Loop app. Using a household’s real energy usage data, details about the home’s roof and location, and weather data we show a real-time and historical simulation of what having solar panels and a home battery would mean for that household – in terms of money saved and self-sufficiency. It allows you to test how self-sufficient your home could be with solar panels and a home battery, before you invest.

To mark the launch of this new feature we’re challenging YOU to see how self-powered you could be for a week! Just follow the steps below to accept the challenge.

Why "SHRINK THE PINK"?

PINK usage lines in your new simulated Track screens view show energy imported from the Grid. The aim here is to make them as small as possible…that is, shrink them, as that means greater self-sufficiency.

YELLOW and BLUE lines are your friends, as they show energy use that would have been covered by your solar panels and battery respectively.

This is obviously a simulation – you are getting all your energy from the grid, but it shows what’s possible and how self sufficient you could be with solar.

Step 1

Open the Loop app, go to Track.

New to Loop? You can still take part! Try Loop risk free for 45 days with our no quibbles, money-back guarantee.

Step 2

For existing customers with more than 7 days’ of data, you should have already been prompted to add your roof details. If you have done so, you’ll already have access to the Solar and Battery Simulation. If you haven’t, just fill them in.

For new customers with less than 7 days’ of data, it takes a week for the simulator to unlock, so sit tight, then add your roof details and 24 hours later you’ll see the new Solar option appear in Track.

Step 3

Open Track > Past > Week, then turn on the Solar and Battery Simulation.

The challenge for the next few weeks is to have as little pink in your Week view as you can.

Less pink + more blue and yellow = higher self-sufficiency

See below for some Top Tips on how to SHRINK THE PINK!

Top tips to SHRINK THE PINK

All the normal energy-saving rules apply – if you’re using less energy by being smart with your energy use, it’s easier for your solar and battery to cover 100% of your requirements. So, focus on turning off things that don’t need to be on and reduce your Phantom Load.
Think about balancing your energy usage across the day to make the smartest use of your virtual solar and battery power. The best tool to help here is Live mode with Solar and Battery Simulator turned on. This shows you in real time how self-sufficient you would be. If you’re not showing as being 100% self-powered, it means you would be importing power from the Grid.
If you can, move things like clothes washing and dishwashing to the middle of the day as, if the sun is shining, they would be powered by solar. That said, make sure you don’t have too many high-powered things running at once as together they could use more than your solar could produce. The best results come from balancing your use through the day to make smart use of the Sun’s power.