The total cost of your solar PV system is affected by many factors.

Generally, most people will have their upfront costs influenced by:

• The Government/state incentive obtained.
• Cash vs Finance options.
• Installation costs – including labour costs.
• The solar panel brand, type and number of panels installed.
• Inverter brand, type, size and number of inverters installed.
• The Racking and Frame system and their components.
• Roof height, pitch and the material of the roof.
• After Sales arrangements – such as yearly maintenance agreements or monitoring.

However, there might be some extra expenses depending on your situation, such as:

• Meter upgrade or reconfigurations.
• Switchboard upgrades.
• Cabling upgrades.
• Site preparation costs – such as roof or floor restructuring
• Shade removal – such as trees.
• Grid application fee (subjected to system size, mostly effects larger commercial systems)

This is a difficult question that we get asked a lot. The truth of the matter is… it depends.

There are many factors which could affect how much you pay on your power bill once going solar.

Some factors could be:

– Your consumption patterns and behaviours regarding energy consumption.

Depending on the number of appliances you own, your appliance’s energy needs, when you use electricity, your behaviours regarding energy use – will ultimately determine how much you will save.

Without knowing these details and actively changing your behaviours, most households will never save as much as they could be saving.

– Feed-In Tariff

A Feed-In tariff is an amount your electricity retailer will pay you for exporting your green energy into the grid.

Households who are approved for export will be the ones who save the most on their electricity bills, as well as gain the most benefit from having solar panels installed.

It is important to note that some households might not be able to receive a feed-in tariff as there are various requirements or reasons that prohibit a full export of power.

– Where you live

Where you live will affect how much electricity you could be generating.

For example, if you live in Tasmania, your sunlight hours differ when compared to someone living in North Queensland.

Because of these differences between sunlight, received, some people will naturally produce more electricity for longer. Minimising your chances of dipping back into the grid for power.

Some other location factors could affect how much you save, such as shading. This could be from trees, or how much dust you receive. If you live next to a busy road, construction site or train tracks, the constant movement could blow dust onto your solar panels, affecting their performance.

– Size of your system

The size of your solar PV system will dictate how much electricity you will generate.

Therefore, it is essential to install a system large enough to cover your needs and electricity bill.

If you want to maximise your gains, consider oversizing your panels for added electricity generation.

The ‘best’ Solar Panels are efficient, having a broad temperature range, and a long warranty.

There are countless blogs, survey results and opinion pieces that list different brands online.

With each promoting a new brand and panel model every year. We try to take away the confusion behind your decision-making process by only selling Clean Energy Council approved products. So, you can rest assured that each brand and model we sell is compliant to Australian standards.

Inverters are the most sophisticated component of your solar PV system. It is also the component that is most likely to break first. Because of this, you want your inverter to have a low failure rate, a long warranty and a well-established presence in Australia.

Just like the panels we sell; we only sell Clean Energy Council approved inverters. It is important to remember that you can get a good inverter despite your price range by making sure that the inverter you purchase is CEC approved.

To secure your system, make sure to choose an inverter brand that has a strong presence in the area that you live in. This is important, as it decreases the shipment time of a new replacement inverter to a few days, rather than having to wait for a month.

Grid connection is one of the most critical steps in your solar journey.

To connect to the grid, you need to ask permission from your electricity distributor. This is because the generated Solar energy’s impacts on the performance of the electricity grid.
A ‘Network Connection Agreement’ must be lodged to your distributor prior to installation.

This form is lodged by us on your behalf to your electricity distributor. This form will also dictate if you will be able to export your unused solar power to receive a Feed-In-Tariff.

If you’re not sure who your distributor is, you can check by looking at your power bill or by calling your retailer.

What if there is a problem with my system If you believe your system is not working, here are some things you can do to find out:

• Check your inverter – What lights are flashing? What is your output? Try to check it the next day to make sure there is no solar generation.
• Check the solar circuit breaker – Has it tripped? If it has wait until nightfall and to turn it back on. If it trips the next day, then please call us, as this could indicate a potential serious fault.
• Shut your solar PV system down and then restart it.
• If you have a problem that can’t be fixed by doing the above suggestions, please call us and we can come out to check the system (there can be a call out fee if your fault is not based on a warranty claim).
• Find your original paperwork as you might wish to make a warranty claim.

For every installation we do, we also email out a solar user manual which includes instructions on how to check the performance of your system, as well as instructions in what to do when there is a system failure.

Additionally, if you are one of our clients, feel free to call our helpful team on 1300 359 894 and we will help you fix any issues.

If your number one reason to install solar panels is to save yourself the grief of ever experiencing another blackout, then we want to be frank and tell you, that is a common misconception within the solar industry.

Having solar will not automatically save you from blackouts, as it is a matter of public safety. If you want to use power during a blackout, then you will need to install extra system fail-safes.

To understand why this is needed, we need to get technical.

The flow of power coming from your solar panels changes regularly, according to the amount of sunlight reaching the panels. Inverters convert the DC power from the solar panels into AC power which matches the frequency and voltage of the grid in order to synchronise the phases of the feed into the grid.

Of course, your demand for power changes regularly, as appliances are switched on or off. As the grid can provide much more power than your solar system, it is also the back-up power source which allows the flow of power into a property to be stabilised. Together with the grid, your solar system can create a stable flow of power to meet your needs.
Without grid connection (or other specific fail-safes), your solar panel’s electricity production will not be stable, causing harm to you and your appliances.

When a blackout occurs, and the grid can’t stabilise that power, then the same thing would happen if you were not connected to the grid. The supply of power from the solar system into your premises would vary, damaging or causing harm to your equipment, appliances, and even yourself. In order to stop that from happening, the inverter has a failsafe called anti-islanding.

Anti-islanding is an electrical protection measure that is inside anything that generates energy. Anti-islanding protects us, our properties, and maintenance workers from injury by stopping the production of electricity as well as disconnecting the solar unit from the grid.

Without this protection, the solar system will continue to generate electricity – becoming an island, surrounded by a sea of unpowered powerlines, allowing your generated power to travel freely along the gridlines.

Anti-islanding is a safety precaution to protect you, your neighbours, and the utility employees from any live wires that may be touched.

If you want to use your solar energy during a blackout, speak to our solar energy team on 1300 359 894.

This depends on the system’s components.

Most of our solar panels come with a an extended 25 years performance warranty and depending on the product you buy; our panels may have 10 years or 25 years manufacturing warranty.

For our inverters, we can provide a minimum of 5 years warranty on select inverter brands. Additionally, if installed through us, you may be able to register your inverter online (select inverters only) and receive an additional 5 years Parts and Labour warranty on your inverter.

As part of our solar commitments under the Clean Energy Council, we also provide our clients an additional 5 years workmanship warranty on the whole life of the system.

Want to know the warranties for a specific inverter brand, solar panel brand, or battery system, email our sales team and we will send through all relevant details.

Most insurance companies now consider your solar PV system part of your home, and therefore your solar system will be covered under your current home and contents insurance policy.

However, for added protection, you will need to:

• Confirm with your insurance provider that your solar system is covered by your current plan or can be covered in writing.
• Update your home and contents insurance to include your solar system once you have installed the solar system.