1. I’m not sure what I should do first to improve the energy efficiency of my home. Is a solar PV the first step,

2. How can I be sure I’m getting good quality solar panels and inverter, and a safe system installation?

3. How can I estimate how much solar energy can be generated from my roof?

4. Can I expect to meet my power needs with renewable energy?

5. How long will it take to recoup my investment in a solar power system?

6. Solar power seems complicated. What will I need to do to look after this system?

7. How will I know how much power my solar system is producing?

1. I’m not sure what I should do first to improve the energy efficiency of my home. Is a solar PV the first step?

Our answer is in the form of a simple Home Sustainability Guide

Installing solar power is just one of the actions you might be able to take to minimise your carbon footprint. See whether solar should be your first priority.

1. Consider solar hot water. An electric hot water system can consume up to 40% of your total electricity use.

2. Avoid electric heating where possible. Electric heaters are a big power bill item.

3. A well insulated house requires far less heating and cooling. Check that your house has appropriate insulation and minimise drafts.

4. Fridges and freezers can consume a lot of power. A low cost plug-in energy meters is a good way to check the power consumption of appliances. If replacing, look for appliances with a high energy rating.

If you feel you’ve covered these bases well, solar power is likely to be your top priority in your path to an energy efficient home. Every home solar system is one step further away from high polluting coal fired electricity generation and a step towards a clean energy future for Australia.

2. How can I be sure I’m getting good quality solar panels and inverter, and a safe system installation?

Australia is fortunate to have an industry standards committee working to ensure the safety and confidence of consumers. Our principal, Glen Morris, is a member of the EL-042 committee, helping to promote world’s best practice in the renewable energy sector and safeguards for people like you.

Despite this degree of protection, customers must ensure their installer is applying these standards to be sure of meeting the criteria for government rebates.

Solarquip uses only solar panels that meet international standards, classified as Class A modules meeting safety standard IEC61730. Inverters used in grid connect systems have a Certificate of Suitability and comply with Australian Standard 4777.

SolarQuip is accredited to design and install stand-alone (remote, also known as SPS) and grid connect (GC) photovoltaic power systems. 

Please visit our ‘About us’ page to see our company profile, track record, and customer reviews.

3. How can I estimate how much solar energy can be generated from my roof?

We highly recommend a SolarQuip site visit to assess the likely output of a PV solar system. 

The maximum rooftop potential can be roughly estimated using a web based tool such as ‘Roofray - http://www.roofray.com/calculator’ (as this is designed for northern hemisphere change orientation by 180o to get PV output wattage). 

Ideally the panels will be on a north facing roof surface, angled to maximise exposure to the sun – although the optimal tilt angle can be quite different depending on whether the installation is grid connect or remote, along with other factors.

Shading from hills, trees or nearby buildings can severely affect your solar potential but this issue can be mitigated with certain photovoltaic panels.

4. Can I expect to meet my power needs with renewable energy?

SolarQuip aims to help you meet all of your household needs as well as ultimately generating power to put back into the grid when your usage is low, thereby making you money. However, there are a few things to consider in this.

An average Australian home uses approx. 18kW per day, the equivalent of seven tomes of greenhouse gas emissions. In colder climates, this figure tends to be higher. 

‘Space heating and cooling and water heating account for nearly 63 per cent of household energy use.’

Click here to view a government fact sheet on energy use in the home.

Visit our calculators page to study your energy use and solar energy pricing.

5. How long will it take to recoup my investment in a solar power system?

In Victoria, a net feed-in tariff means that it is difficult to accurately estimate how much the financial return on your system will be. You may use little electricity during the day while the PV panels are producing most and therefore put most of your daytime energy into the grid at a tariff of around 60c per kilowatt.

We have tried to provide an approximation of costs and returns on our calculators page to help you see what is an suitable system for your situation.

6. Solar power seems complicated. What will I need to do to look after this system?

In general, a solar photovoltaic system that is on the grid is very low maintenance and most components are designed to operate without service for their operational lifetime.

In general, solar panels have a warranty of 20-25 years, while inverters vary more, often under warranty for 5-10 years. You may need to replace your inverter once during the lifetime of your system.Solarquip offers a 24 month guarantee of workmanship for your peace of mind.

7. How will I know how much power my solar system is producing?

Various options exist for monitoring of renewable energy production. A remote power monitoring unit operates wirelessly, allowing you to see from the comfort of your lounge just how your system is performing and to view records of the systems performance over time.