Energy is measured in kWh, and as a reference point, the average home uses approximately 16-20 kWh per day. The best way to check your current energy consumption is to check your previous bills. It may vary throughout the year, so make sure you consider the peak times as well as the low-use times of the year. This will help you to understand what size solar package you need.
Knowing when you use the most power is a key part of working out whether solar energy is for you. While the feed-in tariff (the amount your energy company pays you for unused solar energy) can range anywhere from 7c – 20c per kWh, it’s far more beneficial to use the power you’re producing.
If the energy retailer charges you around 30c per kWh to use their energy, but only gives you 7-20c per kWh for the energy you export to the grid, it makes sense to use what you generate. We call this ‘self-consumption’.
If you’re at home during the day, or you have appliances running through the day, your self-consumption is higher than say, a 9-5 worker who is home more in the evening. For example, if you had a self-consumption of around 65% of the energy you produce, your system is effectively paying for itself more quickly than someone who only uses around 30% of the energy their system produces.
Research well. Research early.
There are many options available nowadays when it comes to getting solar power installed at home, but the most important action that people can take is to do in-depth research and begin early. In this post, there will be many tips to going about this research to make sure that people tick all the boxes for their circumstances and find the best option for them.
Think of this as the ultimate buyer’s guide to solar.
But, where does one start? Continue below for what are some aspects of buying solar that you should consider.
The warranty
Solar providers all offer a vast array of different products. Some of these products vary in cost and quality, but the primary aspect that people need to consider is the warranty that the manufacturer offers.
Most solar energy products come with long life manufacturer warranties – often over fifteen years and a lot of them offer twenty-five years and more. Manufacturer warranties reflect the quality of the product and therefore it would be safe to think that a solar system, including solar panels and inverters, would naturally last a considerable amount of time.
A lot of people overlook their warranty, but it’s important for a reason. Solar energy products need to be reliable and made from quality materials so that they last long enough to pay themselves off and make significant savings on energy costs. The warranty needs to reflect this.
So, the best thing to do when considering solar energy products would be to look at the brand of the products and see if they are reputable and have a fantastic track record. If they do, it would be safe to invest in that brand. If there isn’t much information available, it probably helps to explain why they are cheaper to being with in the first place.
Pricing and your expectations
Related to the warranty, price, and how much a person is willing to spend on a solar panel system is the next most important aspect to look at.
In the consumer market, the rule of thumb has always been “you get what you pay for.” It is no different with solar products. If people are paying well below for a system in comparison to other similar-sized systems, they often find they are purchasing equipment that is of poorer quality or the service they receive from their solar provider is lackluster.
Making sure that the equipment is quality and the installation is professional and up to standard would seem like common sense, but many people overlook these factors when the price is lower.
Instead, it would be wise to compare the warranty periods, reviews of service they provide, and compare the solar products available to ensure that you are not buying sub-par products that may have problems later, or engaging with a service provider who may cut corners.
Furthermore, if you are looking into options to get the best value for money and reduce the overhead costs for your solar panel installation, check out our article “How Solar Can Reduce Your Electricity Costs” for more information.
Government certifications
One of the ways you can reduce the cost of getting solar installed is by accessing a rebate from the government (different states in Australia have different criteria). It is important to understand that solar energy products have different certifications based on the type of testing they have gone through in a laboratory independent of the manufacturer. This is to ensure they meet their specifications as advertised.
To qualify for a rebate – which can often mean a substantial saving – the products must have these certifications to prove their reliability, efficiency, and safety for installing at a residence or place of work.
Beware of manufacturers that have their own types of certifications. Self-assessments will be rejected and those products will be disqualified from the rebate scheme, meaning cheaper products often end up being more expensive because they cannot take advantage of a range of government incentives.
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