Guide to Going Solar – Further Information | Gecko – Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council

Guide to Going Solar Further Information

GUIDE TO GOING SOLAR DOWNLOAD
Gecko’s Guide to Going Solar is a community service initiative designed to help you make an informed and confident decision about going solar. See Gecko’s Guide to Going Solar for a list of questions to ask solar providers when getting a quote.

1. Reduce your energy consumption and learn to read your bill - see the ENERGY SAVING IDEAS page.
When you buy electricity you buy it in units called kilowatt hours (kWh). Look at your electricity bill to see how much power you use in kWh, and the rate (or tariff) you paid for that power per kWh.

2. Check if your roof is suitable.
What is the roof made from? Tiles and metal are suitable. Installers refuse to install on asbestos because of health concerns, and Decramastic roofs are problematic.
Do you have enough room on the roof? See table below.
Does the roof area for the system receive at least 6 hours of sun every day?
What is the pitch of your roof? If it is less than 12 degrees you will need a tilt bracket to correct the angle. Depending on circumstances, you may need a tilt bracket if the angle is less than 20 degrees.
What is the orientation? A north facing roof is ideal. West or east facing roofs may be suitable, however loss of efficiency will be experienced. South facing roofs are not suitable.

3. Decide how much electricity you want to save and what your expectations are.
The reasons for installing solar power vary. Some people want to invest in their property. Others want to reduce exposure to rising electricity prices. Work out what you want out of your system. Do you want it to last for 25 years, do you want to be able to call the company you are purchasing from for support and to have problems fixed for free? Are you happy to take on the risk of a shorter or back-to-manufacturer warranty or would you prefer the solar company take on this risk by offering a longer warranty and taking on the responsibility of the warranties themselves? Call your insurers to increase your home and contents policy value to the complete value of the system (including RECs and rebates). See what your insurer can offer in coverage of the system.

4. Find out about different systems – call a number of suppliers to get quotes.
See the back of the Guide to Going Solar for a list of components involved in a solar system and considerations for each component.

Panels
Check the panel warranties, to see who you need to contact should something go wrong. Will they be replaced for free?
There are four common panel types on the market today:
• Monocrystalline panels
• Polycrystalline panels
• Thin film (amorphous silicon) panels
• Hybrid panels (which are monocrystalline with an embedded layer of thin film)

Monocrystalline silicon solar cells are made from a silicon wafer cut from a single crystal or ‘boule’ of silicon. Silicon is grown in a laboratory to achieve a high degree of purity and is then sliced very thinly to make wafers. Their benefits include the highest efficiency of any cells on the market under standard operating conditions and the smallest footprint for their output so you can maximize power output when roof space is limited. Drawbacks are that they are more expensive than other cells, don’t perform as well as polycrystalline cells or thin film under higher temperatures (e.g. 25°C +). Polycrystalline silicon cells are cut from an ingot of melted and recrystallised silicon. Polycrystalline cells (also known as multicrystalline) are cheaper to produce than monocrystalline due to the simpler manufacturing process, however, they tend to be slightly less efficient for the same size cell. The benefits include a lower cost per watt of power produced, a better temperature de-rating co-efficient compared to monocrystalline, meaning they produce more power in hotter weather, which usually more than offsets their slightly lower cell efficiency. The drawbacks include that they are slightly less efficient than monocrystalline cells so need more roof space to produce the same output capacity. (PV) Thin film silicon or amorphous silicon cells are made up of silicon atoms in a thin layer rather than a crystal structure. Amorphous silicon can absorb light more readily than crystalline silicon, so the cells can be thinner. For this reason, amorphous silicon is also known as ‘thin film’ photovoltaic (PV) technology. Benefits include the best shade tolerance of any solar technology and better performance under hotter temperatures. Drawbacks include the lowest conversion efficiency of all the panel types, the need for about twice the roof space to achieve the same power output as a similar crystalline panel.

Inverter
An inverter changes the current from DC to AC. The type of current produced by a solar panel is called direct current (DC). Before it can be used as electricity in the home it is converted to alternating current (AC) by an electronic inverter. The quality of the inverter is as important as the quality of the panels to gain maximum efficiency from your solar system. Some inverters are supplied with “maximum power point tracking”, or MPPT, which optimises the way the inverter processes the energy from the panels, providing power even on cloudy days. Check the inverter’s warranty to see who you need to contact should something go wrong. Will it be fixed for free?

Racking
The system racking (mounting) needs to comply with Australian Standard 1170.2 and must be approved for use in your area’s weather conditions – ie, cyclone proof. Check the racking warranty, to see who you need to contact should something go wrong. Will it be fixed for free?

Installation
The installer must be a qualified electrician who is accredited with the Clean Energy Council. Check that there is a warranty on workmanship and who holds this warranty – so you know who you need to contact should something go wrong. Will it be fixed for free?

Grid Connection / Feed-in Tariff
Ensure your grid connection is included in your quote, and check to see if the feed-in tariff is negotiated by the solar company on your behalf. A Feed-in Tariff is the rate that your electricity provider pays you for the kWh your solar system feeds into the grid. In Queensland there is a net feed-in tariff – which means that after powering your house the excess solar power is fed into the grid, and you are credited for it on your electricity bill. Any power you use at night is taken from the grid, and you pay your electricity provider for this. In Queensland you get paid a minimum of 44 cents a kWh for power fed into the grid – some electricity companies offer up to 52 cents. Currently in Queensland you pay 19 cents a kWh for electricity you buy. If you are in credit at the end of a full year you will get paid a refund by your electricity provider – either in the form of credit on your bill, or money. In NSW a gross feed-in tariff is in operation – which means all of the power generated by the your solar system is sold into the grid. The NSW solar feed-in tariff was slashed to 20c per kW at the end of October 2010. For those who signed up prior to this date to feed-in tariff remains at 60c per kW. It is worth noting that the feed-in tariffs, at their current rates, may not be availble forever – so to make your decision to go solar more profitable it is worth getting on board ASAP. And remember, the longer you leave it, the less you are saving!

Renewable Energy Certificates
RECs are a way that the government subsidises the cost of a solar system. Each system is allocated a number of RECs, and these RECs are then valued by each solar company. REC values vary between solar companies. Check the number and the value of the RECs being offered, and whether the solar company buys the RECs from you directly and looks after the paperwork.

Rebates
Ask about other rebates which may be available to you. Compare answers to see which companies are giving you all of your entitlements.

5. Compare your quotes.
Look at the quality of the individual components in the quote and the warranties on each component. You can google the brands or go to the Clean Energy Council’s web site to see what they have to say about the brand. Ensure there are no hidden extras by getting your quotes in writing confirming answers given to the list of questions to ask when getting a quote. Read the fine print and wait until you have a range of quotes before signing anything.