The Age: Cash from a hot tin roof  

The Age have published an article outlining the advantage of installing solar, weighing up the pros and cons of the investment, advising a “big picture” viewing of energy efficiency and warning about some of the trappings in the industry.

Feed-in tariffs

Over the last five years or so, potential solar customers would have noticed some massive changes across the industry. The government used to offer very generous incentives for generating solar power and feeding it in to the grid – around 60c per kilowatt hour. This has since fallen to around 6c-8c, making contributing to the grid a less appealing option.

By utilising as much power during daylight hours (running air-conditioners, clothes dryers, refridgerators, etc.) produces the greatest savings. This can dampen the spirits of those who are at work or are not able to mobilise their energy usage – however the upside is the cheaper price of entry in to the solar community. Where systems used to cost up to $15,000 an average 3KW system can be purchase for $4,500 – $5,000.

Below is a table of expected system generation across Australia’s major cities. Daily kilowatt usage can be determined by examining your electricity bill.

Typically solar investors can expect their payback time to sit around five years, after which time the solar savings start flowing in to profit.

System variables

There are a number of variables to consider when designing a solar system, we frequently consult with customers about the feasibility of system sizing, placement, expected generation and system payback as part of our energy audits and onsite inspections.

Areas of shade passing over rooftops can affect the performance of a solar power system, and sometimes special technologies such as micro-inverters can be employed that maximise solar panel production.

The big picture

While solar panels are rated to last for over 25 years, inverters occasionally need replacing between the 12-15 year mark – still making solar a very attractive prospect.

Damien Moyse, policy manager at the Alternative Technology Association, advises a balanced approach to energy efficiency if savings are the main objective. Spreading a $10,000 investment across a range of measures including solar panels, efficient LED lighting, insulation and energy efficient appliances will yield a much greater saving than a more expensive solar power system alone. ”If you spent the full amount on a 5kW solar system, for most homes 90 per cent of it will go into the grid. It will take 15 years at least to get your money back on this investment,” Moyse says.

Problem solving

The dreaded issue of problems arising should be at the forefront of any potential solar customer. A solar company’s reputation is a good indicator of their professionalism, service and commitment to their clients. Solar Sunwerx recently achieved platinum status with industry website Solar Quotes due to the volume of positive responses from customers.

By contrast, a precursory search for solar companies with poor reputations turns up complaints against the usual suspects. The Age article highlights some particularly unhappy clients who entrusted True Value Solar for their system and ended up underperforming. One customer who entrusted them with two solar systems, however, “both systems have lingering issues which they [True Value Solar] simply refuse to attend to and all attempts to contact them fall on deaf ears,” he says.

With rising energy costs it’s understandable that individuals would consider alternatives drawing power from the grid.

Read the full article here.