Whenever we want to buy something new, we like to do a little research online first to determine the best quality product and the best price. Buying solar panels is an investment, so we only want to have to do it once and end up with the best quality product, without burning a hole in our wallets- right?
Researching a product you might not know a great deal about, can be stressful and tiresome. So many websites will give different ideas and information when all you really want are your questions answered in black and white, plain and simple. Read on for all the information you need on how much solar panels are actually going to cost you.
There are four major cost factors when purchasing a Solar Powered System:
Roof type/Type of installation
The cost for your system will depend on your style of roof and the size of your roof. Most solar panels in Australia for residential properties are placed on the roof of the house. Tin and tiled roofs are more common and are easier roofs to accommodate solar panels. Flat roofs however are a little bit more tricky. If you have a flat roof, your installers will need to include a tilt frame for your panels, therefore increasing the cost. The length and thickness of your cable run will also be a small factor in cost. Your wires need to run back to your sub-board and the longer the cables need to be, the larger the job in the eyes of the installers. This isn’t usually a significant factor in residential installations, but more so in commercial systems where bigger systems require longer and thicker cables.
Size of Desired System
Obviously larger systems will cost more and smaller systems will cost less. Your energy experts will be able to tell you what size system you need to fulfill your current energy requirements. The experts will analyse your current electricity bill and consider how many people live in your home, to advise what size system you will require. For example, a house with 2-3 people will typically require a 3kW-4kW system and a 3kW system in Victoria will produce a yearly average of 12kWh per day. Take a look at our solar savings calculator to calculate what size system you require- everyone’s needs are different.
Type of Desired System
There are three main types of Solar Powered Systems: Grid-Connected System, Hybrid System and Off-Grid System. A Grid-Connected System will generate electricity from the sun’s rays during the day and provide you with power. At night, when the sun goes down, you will rely on electricity from the grid to power your house. Any excess electricity you generate from your solar panels will be fed back into the grid and your utility company will credit you for the electricity you are supplying the grid- this is known as a feed-in tariff. 50% of your daily energy usage is used during the day when the sun is shining. By having a solar power system, you are making huge savings on the electricity usage during the day which your solar panels are now generating. With a Hybrid System however, your system comes with battery storage and all the energy you produce but do not consume, is stored in your battery- therefore you are not as likely to rely on the grid. This renders a significant price difference between the two systems; the Hybrid system is more efficient and therefore costs more in price. Grid- Connected Systems work brilliantly for companies and businesses that operate during the day, mostly requiring their electricity for during average working hours- sunshine hours! An Off- Grid System allows for operation using batteries for energy storage and is best suited to situations where power is needed during blackouts or premises not connected to the mains electricity grid. They run on 100% solar power. An Off-Grid System consists of only 4 core components: solar panels, battery bank, energy management system (includes the inverter charger) and an optional backup generator. Like the Hybrid system, the Off-Grid will also be more expensive than a Grid- Connected system, due to the cost of the battery bank and the much more complex installation.
Quality of Desired System
The quality of a Solar Power System can be identified by looking at the manufacturer of the actual product. In today’s times, people tend to get caught up on things like where the product is made. However, it is so much more important to look at who made the product. When looking at a quality manufacturer, one must ensure that the manufacturer is a big, multinational company with publicly listed status, tier 1 brand product and a local office here in Australia, to provide warranty and support. Larger manufactures will hopefully be around for the duration of the warranty and larger manufacturers tend to have better R&D structures in place and hence deliver better products. Unfortunately, too many people want an outstanding and efficient system, but don’t want to pay the appropriate price. Solar Power Systems should be something you buy once and only once. Buying a low quality product to get a cheap price is going to cause you a real inconvenience in the future when the system breaks down and you need to replace parts.
So as you can see, there are lots of different factors to consider when securing a price for your system. Call Energis today on 1300 782 217 to get a free quote, or even book a consultation where one of our experts can come and meet you and recommend the best product for your property.
We look forward to hearing from you!
