Outer suburbs wake up to benefits of solar
The Herald-Sun reports that solar installations in the Melbourne suburb of Brimbank have doubled from 6,943 to 13,081 in just three years. With mostly new developments the houses in the outer suburb have sizable rooftops suitable for installing solar panels and are often occupied by new home-owners setting themselves up financially rather than coming to solar panels as an afterthought.
Not all rooftops are created equal, and availability is a major consideration when designing a suitable solar power system. Systems require four panels per kilowatt of generation and not all home owners have the space to install any size system they choose. Even if there’s a large rooftop on your dwelling at least half of it will be unusable, keeping in mind that solar panels are best positioned on a north or north-west facing roof.
New homes require a six-star energy rating with either an accompanying water tank or solar hot water system. A large number of people opt for solar hot water as a means of reducing their energy bills and having the greatest impact on their monthly budgets.
A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has dispelled some of the untruths around solar being an unreliable energy source in the grand scheme of things – energy stability is after all their forte. Despite having a reputation for supplying a steady base load, current means of energy generation have always suffered from varying supply and failing infrastructure during peak consumption periods.
While integrating solar and wind generated power into the grid does incur some additional cost, these are far outweighed by the benefits. As we realised earlier this year during the heatwaves it was the contribution of solar power that saved Victoria from setting new electricity consumption records.
The role of renewables in the energy network should not be underestimated. It is far more affordable to have a grid that functions very well most of the time, rather than a grid that operates perfectly all of the time. It’s clear that the contribution of renewable energy benefits all electricity consumers, by either reducing their wholesale electricity costs or alleviating the stress on the grid.
