The 5 Key Ingredients for a Quality Solar System
Researching and enquiring about solar shouldn’t be hard, but it can be here in Australia. Government incentives, rising energy costs and Australia’s climate has led to a booming solar industry, with an average of 25,000 to 30,000 systems installed each and every month (Source: Clean Energy Regulator: https://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/RET/Forms-and-resources/Postcode-data-for-small-scale-installations#Smallscale-installations-by-installation-year).
As a result, there is strong competition for your business and a huge variety of products to choose from. Unfortunately, many people are dismayed, confused, and feel pressured when dealing with solar companies and salespeople. Furthermore, many are left disappointed, angry, and upset with their installation due to underperforming systems, broken promises, unreliable performance, rubbish systems, property damage, and the inability to seek support from their installation company. If you are thinking about installing a solar system, there is more to consider than who has the best price, and you need to consider more than just the panels and inverter.
Investing in solar should not carry a high risk, but it can be very risky if you do not consider the 5 essential ingredients. Just like baking a cake, if you get one ingredient wrong, the cake will be a flop.
The 5 keys to a successful outcome:
1. The Design
When designing a solar system for your property, we need to acknowledge that your home’s structure, design, orientation, slope and location can, and will be very different to other properties. You may have shade that will affect some areas of your roof more than others, and that shade will vary from season to season. You may have obstructions on your roof that may inhibit where panels can be placed such as air-conditioning units, solar hot water, tv aerial etc. Your roof may not have enough space for the system you require. If you live in Victoria compared to Queensland, your performance will differ greatly throughout the year. If you live near salt water, the panel model and racking needs to be considered if they are exposed to salt mist.
Along with considering all the above, we then need to understand your electricity demands to size the system correctly; how much electricity are you consuming now and when? And importantly, how much will you need in the future? This is so often overlooked. Is your family growing? Will you add a pool, spa or electric vehicle? Should battery storage be considered? Every property is different physically and every occupant consumes their power differently, so we must consider this when designing a system for your needs. If you get the design and system sizing wrong, you sacrifice efficiency costing you money in lost production and savings.
2. Panels
Solar panels are the collectors of UV light that convert the energy from the sun into the DC power sent to the inverter, then into our homes. There are so many panels to choose from in this country with wide variations of quality. Low quality panels will degrade quickly. They will suffer from the harsh conditions on our roof tops including UV degradation of the materials, severe heat leading to decreases in performance (that’s right; they perform worse in the heat!), hail damage, hot spots may develop leading to panel failure, and corrosion if going for a cheap panel. We consider the efficiency, annual degradation, Pmax (efficiency due to heat loss) and cell types such as P-type vs N-type, shingled cell, TopCon etc are just some of the technologies available.
As panels age, the performance gap between a cheap panel vs a higher quality panel will widen and your bills will continue to rise due to lost solar production.
The warranty needs to be enforceable. We recommend panel manufacturers that have offices here in Australia with longevity in the market. This provides the confidence that if something were to go wrong, you have the support you need to have it rectified in a timely fashion.
3. Inverter
An inverter converts the DC power from the panels to AC power that we consume in our homes or businesses and distributes the excess solar we don’t use back into the gird, or into battery storage. There are 2 types of inverters; string or micro.
The inverter is key to a quality solar system delivering power throughout the day. It needs to be efficient, reliable, have longevity and be backed up with prompt manufacturer support should you need it. If you buy a cheap inverter, it may be off getting repaired more than it is in operation. As they age, they will become less efficient, so investing in a quality inverter is recommended.
4. Workmanship & Installation
Cheap solar is cheap for a reason. Low quality panels and inverters are just part of it. High quality workmanship by skilled electricians and Clean Energy Council Accredited installers is key to a successful outcome. A recent audit by the Australian Energy Market Operator found that only 28% of inverters installed had the correct settings. And we hear all the horror stories of the damage done to people’s properties by dodgy installers. As the old saying goes, "You get what you pay for". Other common issues with a poor installation:
· Water damage –panels installed incorrectly can increase the risk of water ingress and corrosion, which could lead to system failure in a matter of years rather than decades.
· Improper wiring – low grade cabling can lead to efficiency loss and reliability issues
· Electrical hazards – Improperly installed panels can cause a variety of electrical dangers that range from fires to electrocution.
· Panels installed on the wrong part of the roof leading to production losses.
· Property damage – broken tiles, damaged gutters, roof leaks are just some of the issues caused by poor workmanship
5. The Solar Company
How do you know if you are choosing a trusted and reliable solar company that will be around in the future to support your system? In the last 10 years there have been over 1,000 solar companies close in this country due to intense competition, mismanagement, and a race to the bottom by selling cheap solar systems, leading to high numbers of service calls and warranty claims, with no margin to service their customers. On average, a solar company has been in business for just over 2 years.
In a lot of cases, when you have a system failure and performance issue (which you will if you go with cheap products and installation), the seller will refer you back to the installer who is highly unlikely to provide a great deal of assistance after the fact.
At Your Solar Broker, we are here to make it as simple as possible for you to install a quality solar system that is right for you. Our service is here to support you through the whole process so you receive a quality solar system installed by industry professionals, at the right price. Our service to you is Free.
Let us help you find quality solar through vetted solar companies saving you time, hassle, and money. Contact Your Solar Broker today.
