Solar PV

Roof top solar is a great investment against the adverse investment impacts of Climate Change.  AMP Capital says Rooftop solar is a low cost investment and it saves about 25 % of your energy bill annually.  Climate change will cost Australian close to 20 per cent of their retirement savings, according to estimates in an Actuaries Institute paper.  Deloitte Access Economics estimated the tangible cost of natural disasters in Australia was $9 billion in 2015, rising to $23 billion a year in 2050. Read more here. 

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Guidelines for purchasing solar PV systems and batteries can be found at these sites:

Clean Energy Council, Solar Citizens, Solar Quotes, Queensland Government and Australian Government. 

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One of the main reasons for installing Solar PV is to reduce your electricity costs.  Of course the best way to do this is to reduce your energy use.  This can be achieved by adopting energy efficient appliances from light to refrigerators.  Everyone can acquire or borrow a watt meter to ascertain just how much energy is used by existing appliances, especially when in standby.  Leaving appliances on that use power when not being used is just wasting electricity.   Farmers will benefit by participating in this program, https://www.qff.org.au/projects/energy-savers/.    Another way is to select the best retail provider plan for your needs.  These can be compared at:

https://wattever.com.au/comprehensive-electricity-comparison-2/

https://www.solarchoice.net.au/blog/solar-friendly-retail-electricity-plan-comparison-tool

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The file PV systems.pdf is a good explanation of solar PV systems and will download when clicked.

 

The key to having a good installation is to select an accredited solar installer.  You can find a list of them at at the Clean Energy Council web site.  A list of locals, current at 2 May 2019,  is in the adjacent PDF file for you to download.

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A solar PV system diagram is shown to the left.  It consists of

the following essential elements:

• Solar cells that are combined into a solar panel. This converts sunlight in to direct current (DC) electricity. These are linked in series or parallel to suit the system design.

• Regulator that manages the energy flow from the solar panels to meet the capacity requirements of the rest of the system. This is built into the inverter with roof top systems.

• Inverter to change the solar generated electricity into alternating current that is compatible with power from the grid. Some are also battery compatible, so the solar energy is left as DC and managed to charge your battery system.

• Batteries are used to store the solar electricity for use later in the day when there is demand for electricity and the sun is not shining. This reduces the grid in feed of electricity from the solar generator and increases the local consumption of the solar energy. Batteries may also be used to help reduce overall grid power requirements.  There are many different battery types.  It is critical to ensure the battery is compatible with the rest of your system.

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Going off grid when already connected to the grid leads to a lower environmental benefit of the solar PV system as surplus energy generated cannot be used by others to reduce their fossil fuel consumption. If not already connected to the grid, this is often the lowest cost option for powering your household due to the high grid connection fees. 

Gympie Community Solar Assn aims to help you get Solar installed by providing free and independent advice. Talk to us and we will help you realise how much you can save by installing Solar PV and hot water systems.