Home Solar
Setting your home up with grid feed solar energy is easy with Solar Power Australia
RESIDENTIAL SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS
Power Your Home With Solar Energy
Solar Power Australia has over two decades of experience supplying and installing residential solar power systems - reducing energy bills for thousands of households throughout Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, the Hunter Valley and Central Coast.
A grid feed solar system produces power that offsets usage within the house to reduce your total power consumption. It also feeds excess power back to the grid and you receive a credit towards your usage.
Solar Power Australia can examine your recent energy bills then design and install a quality solar power system that is matched to your energy usage patterns. We manage the process and will work with you to ensure you have the right sized system for your household requirements.
How much does solar cost?
This depends on your system size. The most popular size solar power systems for an “average house” are between 5kW and 8kW. These systems can save a good portion of your energy bill and, if correctly matched to your energy consumption, can achieve an investment payback time in as little as 3 to 5 years.
FAQS
Am I Actually Helping the Environment by Installing a Solar Power System?
Solar power systems don’t produce air pollution, water pollution, or greenhouse gases. They create clean, pure energy from the sun. Using solar energy can have a positive, indirect effect on the environment when it replaces or reduces the use of other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, that have a negative impact on the environment.
Installing solar panels on your home helps combat greenhouse gas emissions as it reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas. When fossil fuels are burned to produce electricity, they emit harmful gases that are the primary cause of air pollution and global climate change. Not only are fossil fuels bad for the environment, but they are also a finite resource. Energy from the sun is infinite and free.
Renewable energy also improves public health. Coal and natural gas plants produce air and water pollution that can be harmful to human health. But replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, such as solar power, can reduce premature mortality as well as overall health care costs.
Unlike fossil fuel production, which requires significant water resources, solar energy requires little to no water to operate. Solar energy also doesn’t pollute water resources, while fossil fuel production does.
Solar power continues to work during a drought or heat wave. Coal, natural gas and nuclear power use large amounts of water for cooling. During heat waves or severe droughts, electricity generation is at risk. But solar power systems don’t require water to generate electricity, and in fact continue to produce consistent power through a natural process called photovoltaics.
We also need to consider how much Greenhouse Gas is avoided by using solar power. The typical focus is on the most significant greenhouse gas from electricity generation which is Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
In Australia each kWh of electricity generated from conventional sources creates, on average, 1kg of CO2. According to the Australian Energy Market Commission, the average Australian home uses approximately 6,164kWh of electricity/ year thus creating 6.1 Tonne of CO2 each year.
The amount of CO2 avoided depends on the conventional electricity it replaces, and this varies by country and generation technology.
An average sized solar power system of 5kW will generate about 4,800 kWh per year. Solar works out to about 50g of CO2 per kWh. This system will, therefore, prevent approx. 240 kgs of CO2 pollution from going into the atmosphere every year. That equates to the saving of 6,000 kgs, or 6 Tonne, of CO2 over the 25-year life of the solar module.
Yes, it's true that making solar panels creates carbon dioxide, but over the life of a solar installation it produces on average 30 times less CO2 than coal power. While solar is 50g of CO2 per kWh, coal is 975g of CO2 per kWh, which is 20 times more!
If we look at the lifecycle energy cost, or how much energy it takes to create a solar panel from start to finish, the embodied energy is very low. Although this varies a little depending on the type of solar panel and the individual manufacturer, several studies have been conducted into the amount of embodied energy in different countries. The consensus is that the total amount of embodied energy will be recovered in the first 1-2 years of a solar panels working life, which is extremely low.
In principle, solar creates no CO2 or other emissions (other than during the manufacture and recycling of the product) and therefore is a renewable CO2-free form of energy generation.
Installing a solar power system is definitely helping the environment. Each household can help reduce the production of CO2 by an average of 6 tonnes/year. If everyone were to install a solar system, imagine the combined positive impact on the environment...
Do I Need Micro Inverters?
A solar grid system is very simple in terms of the functional parts involved – accessory parts aside, there are solar panels and inverters and thats it. Solar inverters are typically available in two main types – what they call string inverters and micro-inverters. Micro-inverters are the topic of this blog, but understanding them is greatly benefited by having a quick look at the original and most common type – string inverters.
String inverters require a number of solar modules to be connected together in order to make it operate – hence a ‘string’ of panels. The panels are connected in series to develop a high overall voltage (typically 200 to 450VDC) which is easier to convert to the 240V AC that our electrical network operates at. Usually 6 to 12 panels are connected in the string, so most homes only have one or two strings of panels installed.
So the biggest shortfall of this system... If you shade just part of a solar module, it throttles back the whole panel, and because the solar panels are connected together in series ‘end to end’ much like a tube, the throttled solar panel throttles back all the other panels in the string too. So just a small square of shade can significantly affect the output of half or even all your solar array.
Enter the Micro-inverter. With this setup every single solar panel has its own small personalised inverter. Shade over part of a solar module will still affect the output of the whole panel but it won’t affect any of the other panels in the system.
In addition, the output of every solar panel is maximised. Even though solar panels are rated at a certain number, 350W for example, many of them actually produce more, say 354W or 355W. In a string inverter system every panel is limited to the power of the weakest one in the string, but in a micro-inverter system every panel generates at its fullest potential. This is one reason why some micro-inverter manufacturers claim that their system will gain an 8% improvement on generation compared to a conventional string inverter system.
This last point is important as the less-attractive quality of microinverters is increased cost. You cant add all those extra electronics without a higher price tag. Micro-inverters can add another $1000-$2000 to the cost of a solar system. So what are the other benefits? Micro-inverters offer advanced system monitoring that can graph performance in detail of every solar module. Aside from pleasing the people who love information and performance visibility, this can be very useful for early detection of any issues with solar panels, wiring, or the inverters themselves. Some companies offer to actually contact you if their computer system detects a potential problem. With string inverter systems it may take one or two bill cycles to notice something is up.
The environment on the roof under a solar panel in the heat and moisture is a challenging place for electronics to live out their life. In my opinion you should only trust the most reputable and well-established brands in micro-inverters under these conditions.
In summary, if you have a roof with clear open access to the sun and no potential shading issues, then you should be well serviced from a string inverter system and can save yourself a few dollars. If you are likely to experience any form of significant shading on your roof from buildings, trees, power poles, or any other objects, it is strongly advisable to consider micro-inverters which although more expensive, will result in higher generation and are likely to present a better economic proposition over time.
East & West Facing Solar Panels - Are they worth it?
We should start this article by saying unless you have shading issues, you will always get more out of your system having your panels installed in a north facing direction, as this is where useful sunlight is most intense.
However, as not all houses have north facing roof space, and as it becomes more economical to have larger solar systems, we need to explore what options are available.
Using the PV Watts Calculator for a 5kW North Facing system, we find the average output in suburban Newcastle NSW would be around 7,400kWh/year. With an assumed 30% consumption figure and an average FiT(Feed in Tariff) of 11.1c/kWh, this equates to an estimated saving of $1,300/year.
Using the same method for an Easterly facing 5kW System, PV Watts suggests an annual output of 6,600kWh, and Westerly facing output of 6200kWh/year. Assuming the usage and FiT conditions remain the same, these two systems provide us with estimated savings in the order of $1,150/year & $1,100/year respectively.
One thing to consider when deciding between East and West facing solar systems is “When will I be able to use the most of my solar?” For most people, the answer to this question is when you’ll be home, and this is usually late afternoon when we get home from work. For this reason, we would suggest the West facing system as there is potential for you to consume more of your generated solar and, at the same time, increase your savings.
In conclusion, each system should be custom designed to suit the customer’s usage and property. At Solar Power Australia we aim to provide you with the system that best suits you, because we know, not one system suits everybody.
How Can I Monitor My Solar Power System?
The first thing you will require is a suitable internet connection. 4G Dongles are not recommended as a reliable source particularly if 24/7 monitoring is required.
The majority of solar inverters these days are WIFI enabled. With new installations Solar Power Australia offer to connect these to your WIFI network free of charge provided we can get good signal at the installation location.
During the process you will likely need to create an account on the appropriate monitoring website to allow you to access the data of your system. Once set up, you can log in and view your system performance online which can help you make the right decisions for running appliances to get the maximum benefit from your system.
Some inverters also offer metering for your loads. Often this is an additional extra as more hardware is required to measure the power consumption within the house. If this is available on your specific inverter then we can offer installation and setup for this feature. Having this online not only allows you to view the production of your solar system, but also how much power is being used in the house instantaneously and on a daily basis. This is a powerful tool to gain more grid independence and ensure your bills come in as low as possible.
Should your inverter not have these features you can also install 3rd party hardware for complete household energy monitoring.
How Do I Read My Power Bill?
At an initial glance, power bills can look a little daunting. But they actually provide some very useful information regarding your power consumption habits. Once you get over the initial shock of the large bold final figure owing, you can take a look through the rest of the bill to figure out what is costing you the most and adjust your usage to compensate.
In this example I’ll be using a bill from Red Energy. Your bill may have a slightly different layout, but each section of content should be easy enough to find.
Estimate or Actual Read
First thing to check is if you have been given an estimate, or an actual read. This is often a little hard to find, but can sometimes explain if you have an unexpectedly high bill. In this example it states clearly next to the “Electricity Charges” that this bill is based on an actual read. If for instance your meter is inaccessible when the meter reader arrives (possibly due to a dog on the premises, or other access restriction) then you may be given an estimate. These are based on historic data, and not representative of your actual usage. Once you get an actual read, any differences should be adjusted on your next bill. If you do get an estimate you can contact your retailer and request a read. However usually there is a charge involved.
Electricity Charges
The most common tariff is Time of Use metering. This is where we have different charges for different times of day. Peak, Shoulder and Off Peak. Generally speaking this is the most sensible tariff to be on when you have a Solar PV System. If not listed on the bill it should be available on your energy retailer’s website:
So, now that we know when the most expensive part of the day is, lets compare this to what a solar power system can output:
We can see a good amount of the Shoulder and some of the Peak times where the solar will have a great effect in reducing the overall household consumption.
Total Peak = Over the 91 days there was 46kWh used during the peak period. At 51.6c per kWh the total charge for peak power was $23.74.
Total Shoulder = Over the 91 days there was 176kWh used during the Shoulder period. At 23.0c per kWh the total charge for Shoulder power was $40.48.
Total Off Peak = Over the 91 days there was 199kWh used during the Off Peak period. At 23.0c per kWh the total charge for Off Peak power was $31.04.
Total Solar = Over the 91 days there was 1092kWh of electricity exported to the grid. At the buy-back rate of 11.1c per kWh the total for solar was a credit of $121.21
Green Power Premium 100% = Extra charge to guarantee that any power used from the grid is from renewable sources. $22.31.
Service to Property Charge = An unavoidable charge for having access to the power network. $81.90.
How do I tell how much solar I made?
While the power bill shows you some good information, it unfortunately cannot show you the total output from your solar PV system. It will only show you the Exported Power. So – the more power you have used during the day the less export power you will be credited for. Initially this can be a bit of a worry to some, thinking that the solar output is lower than expected. But perhaps an increase in daytime consumption has reduced the solar export figure. Since the export rate is less than what they charge for both shoulder and peak when the solar is in operation, you are actually getting more financial benefit from using the power rather than exporting it.
Some inverters have built in WIFI allowing you to access production figures. Others have a basic display with a daily counter. If you are interested you can subscribe to one of the paid services such as Solar Analytics that will give you much more detailed information on power consumption and solar production via online monitoring.
Historic Data
There are some other convenient sets of data available on the bill. There will be a historic graph for previous bills. This can assist in determining the difference between summer and winter, or seeing any large changes due to adding different appliances to the house:
In this case we can see an increase in consumption in the summer months most likely caused by use of an air conditioner.
They will also give you an idea of where you stand vs the average consumption of other houses in the area. This can be a good gauge of generally how energy efficient your household is.
If you have any queries about what information is available on your bill you can always contact your energy retailer for more information. We are also happy to help decipher power bills to suggest the most appropriate solar or battery system for your home.
How Much Power Do My Appliances Use?
One of the most common questions we’re asked at Solar Power Australia is how much it will cost to power an average home using solar. The reality is that power use differs wildly between different homes, depending on what appliances are used and how much they are used. Some people survive quite comfortably on 6kWh per day, whereas others struggle to keep their daily power use under 60kWh.
Grab one of your energy bills where the graphs are displayed. Compare the graphs of the current bill, and the same time last year, and it will indicate how many kWh (kilowatt hours) your household uses a day. It’s also interesting to note the difference between the summer and winter usage.
Reducing your energy costs and choosing a correctly sized solar or battery system is greatly assisted by understanding where all the power is going - so let's have a look at the power consumption of some common household items. As a reference point, we’ll use an appliance that almost everyone has - a standard domestic fridge - which tends to use around 1.5 kWh a day.
Let's start with big consumers first. Generally speaking, one of the most energy hungry processes is any form of temperature conversion - both heating and cooling. Top of the list for common power guzzling is central (or ducted) air conditioning. These units can range anywhere from 5,000W to 20,000W, so can use more power in one hour than many homes use in an entire day! A mid-sized central air conditioner for 8 hours a day might use 30 - 40kW.
Any form of electrical heating - cooktop and oven, hot water, bar and fan heaters, hair dryers, kettles, heat lamps, in-floor heating, coffee machines, etc – use a lot of power, often as much as a standard Australian wall socket will allow, which is 2400W.
The impact on your bill depends on how much you use the appliance each day.
- Using two cooktop elements to cook a meal might use up 4-5kWh,
- A hot water system for a mid-sized home might use around 4-7kWh,
- A fan heater on max setting for 6 hours in a day might use a whopping 15kWh,
- A coffee machine is only on for a short time so might add up to 0.7kWh a day.
Another typical impact on domestic power bills is a pool pump. Pumps often fall in the power range of 700W to 1500W, but many household pumps only run for short periods so don’t make much of a dent. A pool pump however is often set to run for about 8 hours a day, so can account for 8 – 10kWh per day. Once solar power is installed, a pool pump is a prime article to run during the day to make use of the solar generation.
Power tools can have large power draws but, except for enthusiasts and home workshops, usage of power tools is often infrequent and doesn’t account for a large percentage of the total.
Most other appliances fall into a group of items with smaller power consumptions, but where these can impact your power bill is if they are run for significant periods of the day. Take halogen downlights for example – a home could have 20 lights at 50W running for 6 hours a night, which equates to 6kWh per day. An NBN router may be 90W - over a day this adds up to 2.2kWh, but when you combine a few other small loads running constantly together, this can account for large portions of your bill. Small loads can really add up!
Electricity is invisible but we have a variety of tools and tricks to track where it’s going. There are some great monitoring packages available now that break everything down into easy-to-understand graphs.
Whether you’re:
- assessing the value of installing a solar system,
- wondering how to maximise the benefits from an existing system,
- considering battery storage for your home, or
- contemplating a stand-alone system for your house, cabin, or 4WD/caravan,
our staff at Solar Power Australia have a lot of experience in finding the best option to maximise the value and return of your solar or battery purchase.
Contact us on 02 4954 3310 or [email protected] to discuss your project further.
|
Appliance |
Power Rating |
Hours per Day |
Common Power Use in a Day |
Percentage of Power for the Day |
|
Split System Air Con |
1200W |
6 |
6 kWh |
18.0% |
|
Pool Pump |
1100W |
8 |
8.8 kWh |
26.5% |
|
Electric Hot Water |
3600W |
1.5 |
5.4 kWh |
16.2% |
|
Electric Cooktop |
2400W/element |
1 |
4.8 kWh |
14.4% |
|
Fridge |
150W |
12 |
1.8 kWh |
5.4% |
|
Toaster |
900W |
0.2 |
0.18 kWh |
0.5% |
|
Microwave |
1200W |
0.2 |
0.24 kWh |
0.7% |
|
Kettle |
2400W |
0.2 |
0.48 kWh |
1.4% |
|
TV |
200W |
5 |
1.0 kWh |
3.0% |
|
Sound System |
60W |
4 |
0.24 kWh |
0.7% |
|
Phone Chargers |
15W x 2 |
5 |
0.15 kWh |
0.5% |
|
Laptop |
100W |
2 |
0.2 kWh |
0.6% |
|
Combined Lighting |
130W (LED) |
5 |
0.65 kWh |
2.0% |
|
Bathroom Fan |
60W |
0.5 |
0.03 kWh |
0.1% |
|
Washing Machine |
2400W |
4 hrs / week |
1.37 kWh |
4.1% |
|
Standby Appliances |
120W |
16 |
1.92 kWh |
5.8% |
|
TOTAL |
33.3 kWh per Day |
|||
How Much Power Should I Expect From My Solar PV System?
When monitoring your inverter, it can be useful to know what some expected readings might be so you know if your system is functioning as well as it should be. To do this you’ll need to know how much solar (in Watts [W] or kilowatts [kW]) you have installed on your roof - otherwise known as your solar array size.
There are two main power productions of interest:
Instantaneous Power in Watts or Kilowatts is often one of the main displays shown on your solar PV inverter. This, as suggested is the power that the system is producing this instant. This figure is great to understand when best to power on appliances around the house to take advantage of the available power.
Daily Output Power in Kilowatt hours (kWh). This is a running total of how much power has been produced that day and can be used to compare with your power consumption as noted on your power bill.
Instantaneous Power
First we should look at what the available “average sunlight” should do for a solar system. This graph shows the expected output on an average day for a north facing, unshaded solar panel system.
While this is a fairly broad generalisation, it is fairly typical of what you could expect to see at an initial glance what a solar system might produce. For instance, on an average sunny day at 10am in summer an average 5kW solar system would likely be producing up towards 3.5 to 4kW but in winter you might only expect between 2 and 3kW.
Cloud cover also has a fairly drastic effect on the output of solar panels.
On a sunny day you should see a nice smooth curved output like the above graph:
In cloudy weather things will look a little different
It is very likely that in very cloudy times a 5kW solar system could produce less than 1kW.
If you like the look of these graphs, check out our blog on Monitoring Options.
Daily Output Power
Most brands of solar PV inverter will give you a display of Daily kWh or Energy Today or something similar. Consult your inverter manual if necessary. This is the amount of power generated by your system since it started in the morning.
There are again many factors to take into account to accurately predict how much power your solar system should make each day. But there is also a VERY simple formula to give you a rough idea.
Daily Average Production = Solar Array Size x 4
Yes, that’s it! So a 5kW solar system should on average produce around 20kWh per day. You will likely see much more power produced during great solar days in summer, probably up to 30kWh and much less power produced during a cloudy winter day maybe lower than 10kWh. But over the year it should average out to around 20kWh. You don’t need to be out there with a pen writing all this down, but if you would like to do an occasional check just before dark, check the daily total. Divide by 4 and you should have a number pretty close to the size of your solar array.
If you feel that your system is performing poorly, the next step would be to consider cleaning your solar panels. If that doesn’t fix the issue, it would be a good idea to give your solar installer a call to discuss what else can be done.
Is My Solar System Working As Well As It Should Be?
A grid-connected solar system is designed to be simple and passive so that you don’t need to flick switches or monitor it every day.
But if you want to ensure you:
- are getting the absolute best out of your panels,
- prolong the life of your system, and
- have peace of mind the system is performing well,
there are some very easy things you can do.
Firstly, almost all grid-feed solar systems consist of two primary components:
- solar panels, and
- a solar inverter
The solar panels are the units on your roof, and the solar inverter is the box mounted on the wall next to your meter box, or in your garage. The two best ways to tell if your system is working is to:
- check if your inverter is functioning properly, and/or
- check if your electricity bills have decreased since you originally had your solar installed.
A few things you can do to keep your system fit and healthy
Keep an Eye on that Inverter
Most inverters have an LCD display screen that will scroll through how much solar you’re producing and how much power you’ve produced that day. Some newer inverters don’t have the screen and you can access the data through your computer (via Wi-Fi connection), but they’ll also have a few lights on the inverter (green = good, red = bad). We recommend you have a look at your inverter once a month when the sun is out and when your inverter is doing its thing. If you see anything out of the ordinary like:
- an error code,
- flashing red lights, or
- a totally blank screen
you’ll either need to consult your User Manual or call our support team to determine what the problem might be.
Should I Just Cover My House with Solar Panels?
We are often asked this question when customers are considering installing solar. The answer is that it really depends...
The main variables are:
- How much roof space you have;
- Your budget; and
- How much your electricity bills currently are.
It wouldn’t make sense to spend $10,000 on solar if your bills are only $250/quarter. Likewise, you wouldn’t fill a roof with solar panels, even if the roof could take 30kW. These examples are just excessive for normal households and it would take far too long to get a return on your investment.
Let’s say you have $15,000 to spend on a solar system, and for this you have been offered a 12kW system with 2 string inverters because you don’t have enough north facing roof space to fit all of the solar modules. In this instance, we’ll assume 6kW will be split across north and east facing roof spaces and the other 6kW will be split across the west and south facing roof space.
This 12kW solar system in Newcastle NSW should generate around 41kWh/day, taking into account directional losses (panels facing different directions due to roof space issues). Assuming a Feed in Tariff (FiT) of 11cents/kWh, self-consumption of 30%, and a shoulder rate of 31c/kWh, we would expect to see estimated savings of $2,550/year. A simple payback period for this is around 5.9 years ($15,000/$2,550).
If you’re able to load-shift into the prime solar sunlight hours, have a home office, or are at home most of the day, then yes it would make complete sense to maximise your roof space. The more of your solar you’re able to consume, the higher your energy savings will be.
What Impact Does Shading Have On A Solar PV System?
Shade on Solar Panels
Any amount of shade cast on your solar panels is going to be detrimental to the output of your system, and in a roundabout sort of way it will be costing you money. Even partial or speckled shading for small portions of the day can greatly impact your solar gain.
If only one cell (out of the usual 60 cells) in one of the panels in your solar array is shaded, the overall output of your system can drop by 30-40%. Much like a clogged pipe or kink in your hose, if the current flowing through your solar panels is interrupted by a shaded cell, the end output is throttled.
A great illustration of the impact of shading on solar panels at an individual level is available in a video here. Notice the shape and orientation of the shade can change the impact caused by shade pretty dramatically.
When you have a new solar system installed you should make sure the panels are being installed away from anything that can cast any kind of shadow, no matter how small or how temporary that shadow may be. Things that could cast a shadow include:
- tall trees and bushes,
- roof antennae and satellite dishes,
- whirlybirds,
- 2-storey neighbours,
- electricity poles, and even
- air conditioning units.
If some partial shading is unavoidable you might want to ask your installer about microinverters. Microinverters can reduce the impact of shading by 20-30%, although they will also increase the price of your system by up to 20% as well. If the possibility of Microinverters peaks your interest, check out Micro-inverters and give our team at Solar Power Australia a call on 02 4954 3310.
What Is A Realistic Payback Period for a Solar PV System?
Payback periods for solar systems vary widely from customer to customer.
The most common elements for payback calculations include:
- Size of system,
- Cost of system,
- FiT (Feed-in-Tariff),
- Amount of solar expected to be used in the home
The most common system size we are currently asked about is a 5kW, so we’ll use this size to demonstrate how Payback times differ depending on energy usage. For a decent quality 5kW system you can expect to pay anywhere from $6,500 to $9,500. Prices will vary due to the quality of components and the difficulty of install.
Below is a table of generic consumption figures and estimated annual savings.
Let’s say I purchase a 5kW solar system for $8,000. The system is split across 2 roof spaces, and my family and I go on holidays for the life of the system. This would mean I have 0% consumption, and all of my solar would be exported to the grid for 11.1c/kWh.
The PV Watts Solar Calculator suggests my north facing solar system should generate around 7,300kWh/year. I would see a credit on my bill for ~$810 for the year, which would mean my payback period is around 10 years. However, this would be a very uncommon scenario as my home has a fridge and freezer, and a few other appliances running on standby.
Daytime energy consumption changes from household to household. If you have a home office, or are a stay-at-home parent, your energy usage would be very different to a couple who work away from home 9am-5pm, 5 days a week - even in houses of similar sizes.
Let’s use the above 2 scenarios to demonstrate how differences in energy consumption affect the time it takes for a solar system to pay for itself. The home office or stay-at-home parent runs computers, lights, printers, TVs, and the washing machine and dishwasher all during the day. Since they are offsetting their daytime consumption with solar power, they could save between $1,300 and $1,800 per year.
The couple who work away from home generally put one load of washing on before they leave for work. Their daytime usage is reasonably low as it’s mainly covering the fridge and freezer and appliances on standby. It would be fair to say this couple could save between $1,100 and $1,400 per year. They save less money than the couple using their solar system during the day because they have to use most of their energy when the solar system isn’t operating (ie. at night).
The difference in Payback Periods of these 2 scenarios is between 4 and 7 years. The home office or stay-at-home parents will save the equivalent of the cost of their system in approximately 4 years. Meanwhile, it will take the couple who work away from home closer to 7 years to save the same amount as the cost of their system. Quite a difference!
Each family has the opportunity to save even more than this by load shifting, which we will cover in another article. As every family’s energy consumption is different, it would be best to contact Solar Power Australia with your electricity bills, so we can complete an energy assessment and recommend a solar system to suit your needs.
Why is there such a big difference in the price of solar power systems?
It’s all about Quality and peace-of-mind for the Customer.
If you want a solar power system that:
- contains quality products,
- is installed using excellent workmanship,
- won’t require any maintenance,
- you don’t have to keep checking to make sure it’s working,
- includes after-sales service if required,
- is installed by a company that has extensive experience in the industry,
- is robust and reliable,
- will save you money on your power bills for many years to come.
Then you would expect to pay more for your system, right?
All solar power systems are not created equal. There are plenty of low-quality products on the market which will bring the price of a system down. But these won’t perform as well, or last as long as the higher quality products.
You also want to avoid the situation where you are buying from an importer of products only. This importer doesn’t have their own Electrical Licence and isn’t CEC Accredited so they subcontract the install of systems out to a bunch of different electrical companies. Who’s responsible if something goes wrong or the equipment fails? I should imagine both parties would be pointing the finger at each other. You need to buy a system from a fully integrated company where they have all of their own licences and take responsibility for the work from start to finish.
A solar system is quite an investment and you want to be able to have it installed and then forget about it. You just want to enjoy having lower electricity bills and some independence over the price rises from the power companies. In order to achieve this result, you may need to pay a bit extra for quality, service, and peace of mind.
Trust the team that's been powering Australian homes with solar energy since 2000
I had my first solar panels installed by Solar Power Australia in 2015 and had no hesitation in returning to them recently when I decided to enlarge my system. Being able to use an established local business was a big factor in my decision. I’m really happy with the results from both an environmental and financial perspective.
Kevin
I would absolutely recommend Solar Power Australia as they have delivered on their promise of a quality product at a competitive price, excellent workmanship and follow up after-sales service.
Alan Nisbet
The team are very professional and provide excellent technical advice so we know exactly what to expect. It is also good to know that they have over 18 years experience in this field and I can rely on them to be here when I’m ready to upgrade to Energy Storage.
Brad Downes
We found it hard to find anyone who had an in-depth knowledge of solar power components and design and could meet the strict regulations required by the mining industry until we contacted Solar Power Australia. Their technical expertise, use of high quality, high-efficiency products and attention to detail make them our supplier of choice for solar products.
Andrew Watkinson
Solar Power Australia installed nine solar panels on our large 5-bedroom house. I was absolutely surprised to get a credit on my first electricity account. I’d give Solar Power Australia 11 out of 10 for their service and would certainly recommend them to other people.
Geoff Boaler
Solar Power Australia were so professional, from their initial information and briefing, then onto the actual installation. They excelled in terms of the whole process, from consultation through to the completed project. I could not question their professionalism and have no hesitation in recommending them.
Malcolm Patterson
Brett and the team were so interested in what I needed and made sure I had the best available. I can't recommend this company high enough. Good professional advice and they really know what they are talking about.
Tony Chodyko
Jake was able to tailor a system for us after we told him what we were intending on running through the day. They were on time, friendly and professional. Their work was very neat and I am extremely happy with the finished product. We are very happy with the service provided by Solar Power Australia.