When it comes to how much you can save with solar, this will vary between households. Below are some thoughts around this:
- System production – The more kWh of energy your solar PV system produces, the more you are likely to save. However, system production is not just determined by the system’s size. It also comes down to other factors such as the location of the installation, site conditions (eg. pitch, orientation, direction), and the quality of the components used in the solar installation etc.
- Self-consumption – When your system produces energy, you can either use it yourself first and/or store this excess energy for later consumption during non-production times, however once your storage is at maximum certain areas may allow you to sell back to your energy retailer or the grid. The savings generated from self-consumption are usually greater than selling back to the grid, which is why many homeowners try to maximise their savings by using this method.
- Determining what your consumption rate is during day and night times and during peaks is crucial in determining what kind/size of system you need to be looking at and how this will impact your current electricity bill with regards to savings.
What a basic solar energy production system will consist of:
A basic system will contain an inverter, batteries for energy storage and solar panels for energy production.
These will vary in size, capacity and ability and will depend on each individuals requirements. Additional components may be required to ensure safety and to connect to existing electrical circuits.
Am I off grid when I get solar installed ?
The optimization and effectiveness of the system comes down to your consumption behavior. The installer will discuss your system requirements with you during the needs analysis phase of the process. One of the main advantages of solar is that it is built in a modular fashion. Meaning that you are able to add both panels and storage (batteries) to your system in order to fit your requirements. In most cases people begin with a backup system and migrate towards an off-grid system due to costs.
What system do I need?
Ensuring that the inverter is capable of future expansion must be in mind. Installing a system that just meets your needs today might hamper or prevent you from expanding or attract extra unwanted costs in the near future. Always ensure that the inverter caters for this type of expansion. Assessing the need will involve finding out what your current power consumption rate is on a daily/hourly basis and also to determine peak usage before a system is designed.
What is a Tier 1 Solar Panel?
Tier 1 solar panels are built with higher standards (to last longer and produce abundant solar power) using a higher grade/purer silicon and have a highly regarded reputation within the solar industry for quality and service so one can expect Tier 1 manufacturers to honor their product warranty compared to Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturers.
What is a Class A, B, C Solar Panel?
Grade A cells are simply without any visible defects, and the electrical data are in spec. The specifications of the cells can be measured with cell testing equipment. The perfect grade A cell may still have a slight bend of tiny color deviation is permitted.
Grade B cells have visible but tiny defects, and the electrical data are in spec.
The following visible defects are common:
- Slight bend of 2.0mm – 2.5mm
- Color deviation, Visible yellow area takes more than 1/4 area of total on the Surface
- Missing prints
- Part of front Busbar missing, missing area ≤ W:0.5mm×L: 5mm
- Paste leakage, for a single area: 0.3mm – ≤2.0mm2
- Scratch, length 15-50mm
- Water marks
Grade C solar cell has visible defects, and the electrical data are off-spec.
All solar cells with defects worse than Grade B can be classified as Grade C Or A solar cell can be graded as C when the partly broken cell which could be cut into smaller pieces and re-used.