Solar Power
There are two types of solar power systems available on the market today:
1. The most common system is a DC system, where your inverter is accessible on the ground. All of your panels are connected to each other and the energy is transferred to your inverter. The fact that the panels are joined to one another means they can affect each others performance and reduce the efficiency of your system if one or more panels are faulty or become damaged. The DC system is, however, simple to monitor and cheaper to install.
TIP: If you have a DC system, or are thinking about installing one, ask your installer to explain how to monitor your system. If you notice a decline in your system’s efficiency, get it checked out while your panels are still under warranty. Often the panels themselves are completely covered by warranty - meaning you’ll be sent replacement panel/s completely free of charge – and sometimes even the labour costs are covered as well. It is a great idea to look into the warranty policy of each product before making a decision on which system to go with, as that can save you money down the track.
2. The most efficient system is an AC system, where each panel has its own micro-inverter. This means each panel is independent and so your efficiency is optimal. The monitoring system is connected to each micro-inverter and is accessible online, or via an app on your smartphone. This means you can monitor your system from wherever you are in the world, and you can easily see what every individual panel is producing, at all times.
An AC system is ideal for utilizing your power source to its maximum capacity, and can also help you to discover if you have any issues, and if so, in which panel. This will ultimately mean you have the potential to discover the problem immediately, and will require less time for a technician to isolate and resolve the issue.
Batteries for Solar or full Stand Alone
With the availability of battery systems becoming available to the public, this emerging technology can now:
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Store your power for when you need it: Instead of selling power to the grid at 6c/kW and buying it back at 31c/kW, you can now store your energy to be used at all times of the day and night, while enjoying the convenience of staying connected to the grid, should your household require more power than what has been stored by your batteries that day.
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Go Stand alone: Disconnect your property from the grid and stop being affected by the rising price of electricity. Save the daily supply/connection charge (currently at $1.16+gst/day which works out at $466/year in 2016 in connection fee alone).
Note: If you are worried about not having enough power all the time (eg. when you are having a big party or when you need to run multiple heavy-duty tools/appliances all at the same time) there is the option to have a back up generator.
Talk to us today about the option of adding batteries to an existing solar system (please note: this may require changing your inverter), or about installing solar with battery back-up. What you will spend today, you will save tomorrow!