Tips on How to Make the Right Solar Panel Decision

Switching from dirty fossil fuels to solar power can boost your savings and will fulfill your social responsibility in carbon reduction and environmental protection. Making the switch is not a sacrifice, & if you make a smart buying decision then in fact you will benefit from every single dollar that you invest.

·         Before consulting a Solar PV specialist be sure to conduct your own research first, otherwise you risk buying something that is not going to be best for your situation as you won’t know if you are getting the correct advice. A quick internet search will aid you with finding out the basics.

·         Know the different types of solar panels and the other components of the system. Each type of panels has their advantages and disadvantages, and knowing these will assist you correctly decide which best suits your environment and needs. The same applies with various components of the system like the inverter and the smart meter.

·         Choosing the right company to deal with is as important as the solar panels themselves. It is impossible to give an accurate quote over the phone without them doing an on-site assessment of your property. They should also assess your energy usage and advise on the system that will be able to eliminate your electricity bill. So the most reputable companies will take the time to do all of this for you. You can also check online and do background research of the company to see how well regarded they are. Knowing their suppliers, and that they are well established and market leaders in solar technology is also very important.

·         Checking that the company and their manufacturers and installers are registered with the Clean Energy Council of Australia will assure you of your purchase’s quality and eligibility for all the rebates and bonuses. The council has published a listing of certified retailers, installers and manufacturers that is available to the public.

·         After that the next thing that you need to be aware off are the solar schemes’ and rebates for your state. Australia has no national plan yet, and each individual state has different eligibility factors and what you are entitled for. The majority of the states have set a maximum MW output cap rather than a deadline to be eligible for Premium feed in tariffs, sothey are still available in your area be sure to clarify when your application is likely to be received to prevent confusion and possible disappointment. Being knowledgeable about the feed in tariff scheme and how to read your smart meters will help you keep track how much savings you can gain and if your electricity retailer is correctly abiding by the policy.

·         Before the actual installation, make sure that it will be done by experienced and certified installers or otherwise you will not be eligible for any rebates. At the beginning of the installation make sure that they are planning to put the panels are in the best position where they can harness the most hours of sunlight. Also check the job at the end that everything looks tidy and correctly finished off.

·         Once all this has been done correctly, your solar PV system will basically require no maintenance besides keeping them clean and in their best condition, to assure you of the maximum financial benefits by producing your own clean energy.

Why Solar Power is the Best Option to Offset Carbon for Aussies

While there are a few renewable energy options on offer to Australian home owners and businesses, solar power is considered by the experts to offer the most cost effective and viable option. This is why it has received extensive funding support from the government for several years already, and the pricing structure has continued to become more favourable each year as manufacturing costs of solar panels fall.

If you are wanting to free yourself from rising electricity costs as well as do your fair share in carbon reduction then here are several reasons why you should choose solar photovoltaic panels;

Cost and Rebates

Prices of solar PV modules have fallen rapidly the last couple of years, and will soon reach the state of grid parity in many regions of Australia. A typical 1.5 KW solar PV system cost about $3000 (national average) at the moment if you are eligible for the government rebates. This figure is almost half of what it was five years ago and experts in the industry believe that solar panels will become even cheaper.

Waiting for further price reductions before making the decision to buy is false economy though; the existing government rebates are reducing each year, and will finish by 2014, so your out of pocket price will likely remain quite stable over the next couple of years. And your power bill will continue to go up in the meantime!

Although the premium feed in tariff (PFiT) scheme for solar panels is nearing its end or already ended in many states (Queensland is the notable exception), previously qualified systems will benefit greatly from the financial return the premium rate offers for 15 years. And even with only a standard FiT contract, which should continue to be available indefinitely to new applicants, an average system can pay for itself within about 8 years.

Solar hot water rebates have remained consistent in most parts of the country though, and qualified system owners can receive financial assistance up to $1000 depending on which state you live in.

Efficiency and Maintenance

Currently the highest efficiency rating that a solar panel system has is around 18%, which is relatively high for a rooftop system, and greatly increased from what was available even 2 years ago. Although the panels’ efficiency gradually decreases through the years it is still expected to offset significant amounts of carbon and reduce electric bills for 25 years.

Once the system is installed your responsibility almost completely ends there, solar panels are durable and tough in nature so it won’t require any expensive maintenance. Just a regular cleaning will suffice to keep the panels absorbing their maximum amount of sunlight.

Size and Space flexibility

A typical Australian home has enough roof space to accommodate an effectively sized solar PV system but not enough open spaces for residential wind turbines to be installed. Solar is also quiet and won’t upset your neighbours! This fact is one of the primary reasons why solar is favored as the most viable residential renewable energy option in the country.

Continued Funding for Solar Investments, Research and Development

Australia is home to some of the finest researchers and scientists in the solar power field, and thanks to the continued financial support being made available from the government and private investorsfor research and development, there are important breakthroughs taking place in both the technology of solar panels themselves and the manufacturing process.

This will continue to make it cheaper and more viable for commercial and residential applications to use solar and other renewable energy options to produce their electricity rather than coal sources. Experts believe that with continued research and development the country will reach national grid parity between the cost of solar and fossil fuel produced electricity within a few years, and in some areas this has already occurred.

Why Invest in Solar Hot Water

Aside from solar panels and solar arrays, there is another way to reduce your carbon footprint. Solar Hot water systems have become really popular in the last few years for a variety of reasons and are now becoming a primary source hot water in Australian homes…

Investing on the said system is wise money spent and invested as you can save gabs of cash in time. A typical family of 4 consumes an average of 70 gallons of hot water in a day for bathing, washing, doing the laundry and the dishes. And guess what? How do you heat the water? By using your electricity!

Electricity does not come out of your home outlet as heat energy, and so your water heaters will have to convert them to heat 1st. And any electrical appliance that is intended to produce heat is a monster in electrical consumption! And so the chain reaction starts; increased electricity needs….. Increased  bills, more fossil fuels burned and a much bigger carbon footprint for you…..

Another problem with these traditional heating systems is not all of them have a storage medium. So every time you use any hot water it has to be turn on and start heating again….. Statistic shows that Solar Hot Water Systems can reduce your heating costs by at least 70% (the newest technology of evacuated tube hot water systems are the most efficient)….. Why 70% and not a hundred? Well of course there are days that the sun doesn’t shine enough& they don’t heat water at night, so at times, especially in winter, an auxiliary ”boosting” source of heat must be used, (Electrical heaters or gas heaters)……but the savings are still significant if you install the best system to suit your family’s  hot water usage pattern.

So how does Solar Hot Water work? Well the system has two major parts; the tank for storage and the heat collector, which is more like a solar panel, but you must understand that this collector does not produce any electricity, but rather they amplify and collect heat from the sun.

The key to the system process is a phenomenon called thermo siphon. The system is completely independent and does not use any auxiliary form of energy to function. The collectors are lined with water tubes and then transfer the heat directly to the water or by way a liquid medium which focuses and amplifies the sun energy. When the water in the tubes are heated it automatically goes up to the tank and will be replaced by cooler water. The tank acts like a thermos and keeps the water nice and warm and ready for use.

Solar Hot Water Systems are capable of supplying an average size family with their daily needs. Especially in the morning when those nice hot showers are mostly needed!

The Green Building Council of Australia

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is a national organisation supported by the federal government, which aims to develop and encourage Australia’s adoption of green building practices through market based solutions and engineering advances.

The GBCA also aims to improve “green building” solar technology and practices, while promoting green building initiatives that will contribute to Australia’s overall efforts in carbon reduction.

As a tangible measure for achieving these goals, the GBCA released the Green Star rating tools in 2003. These have since guided buildings and infrastructures on how they can cut down energy consumption, improve water systems and set high standards for what it means to be a green building in Australia.

The Green Star rating of a building is determined by the environmental impacts of the building and the innovation that it provides in the following categories;

• Management
• Indoor Environment Quality
• Energy
• Transport
• Water
• Materials
• Land Use & Ecology
• Emissions
• Innovation

The Green Star rating tools use 'stars' to rate performance;

• 4 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 45-59) signifies 'Best Practice'
• 5 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 60-74) signifies 'Australian Excellence'
• 6 Star Green Star Certified Rating (score 75-100) signifies 'World Leadership'

Currently Australia has 4 million square meters of Green star certified space across the country and another 8 million square meters or registered space.

The green star rating has been very important to set the uniform standards of environmental protection across all parts of Australia, and has been very successful.

Now the rating system has become a universal blueprint for all future buildings and had made significant impacts for the adoption of solar power in Australia and other renewable energy sources and environmental friendly measures.

The Real Reason Why Electricity Prices In Australia Will Keep Rising

It’s no wonder Australian consumers are becoming depressed every time they see their electricity bills, prices have increased out of sight in the last few years to the point where utility costs are becoming an unreasonable burden on our cost of living, and big price hikes are certain to continue indefinitely……..  

In New South Wales for instance an increase of 64% is expected within the next three years!

A number of reasons are responsible for these ongoing price hikes which have seen the price of electricity increase by an average of 11% every year for the last 5 years, and first and foremost you may think that fossil fuel prices and more demand than supply is the reason. In actual fact though, this is only responsible for a fraction of the total price hike.

A major factor is that Australia’s vast electricity grid network requires significant and constant improvements to meet the demands of increased consumption due to a growing population, ageing infrastructures, commercialisation and industrialisation of the country. The cost of these upgrades ultimately falls to consumers, as the charges incurred are simply passed along from their energy retailers.

The second part is that aside from these continuous upgrades, which are much neglected in many parts of the country at the moment, the main bulk of electricity costs come from the ongoing maintenance required for the grids. All state electricity grids have to be maintained extensively for safety reasons and to retain its effectiveness of supply. Economist and engineers says that these maintenance costs alone are a substantial amount of money, even excluding isolated maintenance, storm damage and repairs on transmission lines and city generators, and again these costs are ultimately passed down to the consumers in the form of extra charges and regular electricity price hikes.

This trend is set to continue as long as we depend on these grids for the bulk of our electricity. That is where solar power technology becomes even more advantageous…… Solar panels are completely independent and require little or no maintenance at all. Producing your own electricity minimises the stress on the grid thus reducing the huge maintenance costs. Having more individual homes and businesses with solar panels installed will also lessen the need for constant upgrades on the grids, which will further reduce electricity prices.

Another significant way solar technology can help is that our electricity girds must be capable of providing for peak demand, say on a very hot or very cold day, even though this amount of power is rarely required. What having a large enough percentage of solar power following back into the grid does is to help even out the peaks and dips every day between highest and lowest demand. Thus making it much easier for your local provider to be able to manage and predict their requirements more efficiently.

So there are a lot of good reasons why having many more householders and businesses in your area with solar PV systems installed is likely to save your whole community money, and protect against power surges and blackouts, as well as making a big difference to your carbon footprint and reducing our overall carbon emissions. Have you made the switch to solar power yet?

Solar Power Misconceptions

Along with the boom of the solar industry in the country are some wrong notions and hearsays about the technology. A few are saying that it is not the best way to offset carbon, and that installing one on your roof is a bad idea. However the federal government of Australia had supported solar power more than any other renewable energy sources for a reason and has done extensive research to come up with that policy.

The government’s support and ongoing funding would not be given without the great potential of solar technology, and just recently PM Gillard announced further funding which will be managed by newly established bodies for the clean energy affairs of the country.

It is another proof about how the technology of solar panel can change the face of the country and improve our quality of life.

Financial Misconceptions

There are misconceptions that solar power in the country is not accessible for all due to its initial costs. The truth is Australia has some of cheapest solar panel systems in the world because of the comprehensive bonuses and schemes that the country is implementing. The upfront rebates together with STC schemes will cut upfront payment by almost half and many solar companies offer easy qualify interest free finance up to as much a $15,000.

The great thing about solar panels is that they start paying for themselves immediately, and the reduction in your electricity bill will generally be close to what you are paying a week to own one.

The recent uncertainty in the feed in tariff scheme caused hesitation by some households. However the individual state tariffs are very stable, it is only a question of whether your state is still offering the much more lucrative premium feed in tariffs or only the standard one, which pays about as much for your solar power as you pay for grid produced electricity.

The government is expecting to soon be implementing a national tariff as part of the renewable energy framework.

Safety Concerns

There are reports that a solar PV system is responsible for at least two house fires in the country. However upon further investigation, the house fires were caused by the home’s circuit breakers.

The Clean Energy Council of Australia puts safety first and has released a list of qualified installers and manufacturers not only for the sake of the schemes and bonuses but also for the safety of every household in the country. The listed manufacturers and installers had passed and even exceeded international safety standards.

The government will also be conducting regular audits to inspect rooftop solar panels to further keep households away from any hazards.

Efficiency Issues

There are also reports claiming that the system’s efficiency is not enough to offset carbon in the country and to reduce electric bills. The highest recorded efficiency rating today is about 18%, which may not seem much but at that rate a typical home with a small system can save about 50% off their electricity bill annually and a larger system can eliminate it all together.

Either way you be offsetting enough carbon to be doing your part to reserve a better future for the next generations. The efficiency figures are expected to increase soon as Australian researchers recently discovered a new manufacturing process that will increase the panels’ efficiency to 19.4%.

Australian Business Expenditure in Sustainability Increases

A study conducted by a leading British research firm shows data on how the carbon tax will affect Australian businesses from various sectors of the economy. The research utilised a total of 139 known firms in every sector to conclude the study.

The data showed that Australian businesses are expected to have an annual increase in total expenditure of 13%, from driving business sustainabilityand investing in better manufacturing processes and business models to shielding themselves from ongoing cost related to the carbon tax and energy price rises.

The research also demonstrates how businesses will prioritise sustainability spend and innovations; figures show that in 2011 alone an average 16% of sustainability spending was directed towards energy efficiency, renewable energy like solar power and water saving mechanisms.

Under the carbon tax the study revealed that low and or no carbon technology investments will also increase up to $319 million, with a large proportion of that expected to be in renewable energy like solar PV systems. In total the new price on carbon is projected to grow the Australian sustainability market by more than $3 billion by 2014.Generally speaking the carbon tax will incentivize sustainability investments from the top 500 biggest polluters as soon as it is implemented on July 1, 2012.

The study also forecast 5 major initiatives that spending will significantly increase on;

1.       Smart grid development and implementation

2.       Electric  vehicles and infrastructure

3.       Regulatory affairs and lobbying

4.       On-site renewable energy and Energy

5.       Carbon data management

All of which will have a compound annual growth rate of 21% or more from 2009 levels up to 2014.

The research shows that the purpose of the carbon tax will be fulfilled; key sustainability aspects of the economy will continue to grow, and the carbon price will pave way for a low carbon economy and economic growth.