Buying Solar In Australia In 2024: Everything You Need To Know

[@philbuckle]

After fitting my Tesla 13 kWh battery recently something dawned on me that no one told me about and that I never bothered to work out for myself. Let's say my electricity usage cost is 30c per kWh at peak times. That means that when my solar panels fill my 13 kWh Tesla Battery to 100% I will have exactly $3.90 worth of power in it. So that massive hi tech Battery that I paid over $13,000 for will save me $3.90 a day. Whoopee!! That means it will take 10 years to pay for itself. That's if the sun shines every day of the year. So it's more likely to take 14 years to pay for itself in reality. You can only charge and discharge once a day.....at least in my household.

[@lostprophet86]

Yeah batteries arent worth it yet in 99% of cases. They basically need to half is costs.

[@millychase]

What do you mean when you say you can only charge and discharge once a day?

[@philbuckle]

@@millychase Let's say it's a sunny day at 9.00am and the battery has 20% left. (I always leave 20% because of a potential power outage). At 9.00AM the battery will start to charge. Its rate of charge is determined by how much power the house is using and how much is coming in ,off the solar panels. If the house is using 1kh or 2kh and the roof is producing 4kh then the battery will charge on what is left over. The highest I've seen my roof charge is 4kwh. On a normal day the battery will be charged 100% by around 2.00. But it's not going to get used because the solar panels are supplying what the house needs. At this point I am essentially off grid. So the sun goes down around 6.00 and the battery starts supplying the house and will do so until midnight until we go to bed. By that stage it will be back down to where I have set it to stop...20%. So on a sunny day it's perfect and I am off grid but you can see that there is only time enough to charge it once. Of course when the sun doesn't shine then I am still paying for electricity. I bought the battery because most of the power in my house is used when the sun goes down. The oven and stove and washing machine/Dryer and dishwasher. Before I had the battery all the power coming off the roof would simply go back to the grid at 5cents a kwh. We just don't need that power during the day. I don't like selling the power back to the company who will happily sell it back to me for 30c per kWh

[@Crepes1626]

It is still worth it if you like the idea of backing up your house during power outage. I also like seeing the green lights glow 😂

[@sarcasmo57]

If it was the year 1999 you could use that $3.90 to buy 13 x 30c cones from McDonald. These days you can only get 3.9 cones per day.

[@sun-man]

One of your recommended installers talked me out of a 10kW system and now I have a 5kW system and a Fronius hybrid inverter but no battery. I got the strong impression that getting me to install a smaller system was good for their bottom line because they needed a limited supply of solar panels for all the different clients queued up. It's more profitable to install lots of small systems rather than fewer big systems. Buyer beware, even of the "recommended" installers!

[@SolarQuotes]

who was the installer? we'll look into it

[@momouppa]

Solar quotes is such a good resource, the website and videos are great. Just started looking into solar and your videos help give me the confidence to make the right choice. Appreciate all you do.

[@SolarQuotes]

You're welcome

[@VK4VO]

Dont waste your money,,, do some real research

[@mikebazil1]

This dude is a legend

[@supherbman4258]

Love it, thoroughly detailed though. I really wanna thank you for having all the content set up at a place, went through your guides for like 2 months and got it installed by a company called Speedy Solar as you suggested, smooth like a feather. Thank god I didn’t sound newbie and was confident enough haha! Once again, Many Thanks!

[@geoffmastus6136]

Great video…thanks I recently tried to make a claim for panels under a performance warranty. I quickly realized after the experience that the 25 year performance warranty offered by some wholesalers and installers is complete rubbish. Don’t even factor them into your decision to buy Solar because the hurdles that you are required to get over just don’t make it worth your while.

[@cyclemoto8744]

What was the issue with your panels? Cheers

[@geoffmastus6136]

@@cyclemoto8744 they are 9 year old panels and producing around 30% less than their peak when installed. I paid the installer to check if any problems were causing the reduction in production and was told everything is fine and if I have a problem to take it up with the wholesaler. Let me know if you want to know the response from the wholesaler.

[@cyclemoto8744]

@@geoffmastus6136 Panels as is the case with batteries degrade over time however 30% over 9 years seems excessive. Do you have the specs for the panels to determine the acceptable degradation rate? Cheers

[@YMA7284]

Actually, and here I speak from professional experience, you are totally covered under the Australian Consumer Law for degredation that exceeds the amount advertised. You should look to getting some legal advice, after which make an application for redress through your state's civil and administrative tribunal.

[@geoffmastus6136]

@@YMA7284 I'm sure you are correct. The issue wasn't if it was covered, but if I was to pursue the claim it would be at my expense and the wholesaler admitted it is within their legal obligation to simply supply a couple more panels to bring the total output back within the required parameters. Which at the end of the day I could do far cheaper by adding a couple of similar used panels to the string.

[@lvisva-7]

Could you please advise, on EV (Nissan Leaf) instead of Home Batteries, for energy storage ?

[@joelm1246]

Thanks for the wealth of information on Solar. We’ve gone with one of your recommended installers. Hopefully they are as good as the reviews say in your website.

[@SolarQuotes]

let us know how you go!

[@xyrus29]

Great video, was wondering when your next video was coming.

[@peva3722]

At last, a straight forward vid without the BS or tech talk. .

[@ADVBrett]

We got totally screwed by Arise Solar, thousands of dollars down the drain. Installers couldn't even put the system in properly and the company's response was "how is that my problem?"

[@saifmansoorgiki]

You should go to ACCC , it LL be there problem then.

[@ADVBrett]

@@saifmansoorgiki I wish, they knocked me back as they said the company "apparently" sorted the issue

[@gilmo-frog]

Do you still suggest solar edge since it's in financial difficulties.

[@jamessutherland3016]

We went with one of your recommendations, and after a few hiccups entirely of our own making, we finally got 23 Trinia panels, micro inverters, and Enphase at the side for 10kw with a goal of an E.V at some stage. Thanks for the advice Finn and thanks to Lightning energy for an efficient install.

[@marksymes2274]

Great Video. I have a question about the home battery price anomaly. I can buy a 1.5KWH LIFePO battery for $400 from a popular camping/off-road store, which equates to $266/KWH. A home battery is still around $1000/KWH. An 82.5 KWH BYD seal EV is around $70k, which is cheaper than a home battery in terms of $/KWH, and that comes with a free car! What’s going on? It seems like a “coz we can” pricing policy, because we are getting so ripped off by the ratio of peak power price / feed in tariff. If I spent $10k on camping batteries, i could afford 37.5KwH of batteries, and this (along with my 19.8kW solar panels) would enable me to go off grid, a further saving of around $400 per year in daily service charge. I’ve worked out that backup power from a small diesel gen set is cheaper than my current rate for peak power. The only thing I’m missing in the above analysis is the inverter for the batteries. Your thoughts ?

[@theairstig9164]

My comment: this is all by design. The battery price will always be juuuuust a tiny bit more than the payback period available before the batteries are trashed. The harder the batteries are run the shorter the life span. Therefore as cheaper or longer lasting batteries come on to the market, feed in tarrifs will go up (not down), connection fees will go up and kWh charges will go down. This is all designed to make the battery installation not economically feasible for the retail customer. The pole and wire owners (DNSPs) do not want retail customers to own batteries ever. This is the one big threat to their existence. The retailers (Origin, Actew, Energy Australia, Red Energy etc) will do whatever it takes to ensure the contracts they have with the poles and wires owners are protected. It was never about the customers. If I can run 48 hours without a street connection why not a week or a year. Now multiply that by 1M homes

[@PotatoesRnice]

You also have to consider the quality of the battery cells. The camping battery cells could have a lower cycle life. But I am very convinced that we are getting screwed.

[@VK4VO]

@@theairstig9164 FIT will go to zero,,,, the enrgy retailers don't work in cahoots with battery makers, they couldn't give a crap. Within the coming years, home solar folks will be charged to feed into the grid, economics is a bitch.

[@Tpry]

REC or solahart solar panels String inverter ( next to switchboard) or hybrid Inverter ( $1000 more)- SMA, Fronius, enphase, solar edge, mil-solar. Your own smart meter to monitor - Installers - read1 star reviews and read 3 reviews sites.

[@robertfonovic3551]

j have you recovered from your stroke? seems like you were having one judging by your post.

[@gregandtarynsplace]

I was going to make my own video for family and friends - and now I don't have to! Nicely made - well done 👏

[@PeteMackay]

Great channel. What is your view on water cooled solar panels that apparently are more thermally efficient and also heat the pool water while simultaneously powering a heat pump? Love to see a video on this.

[@SolarQuotes]

Great Question. There have been a couple of attempts that I know of to bring PV Thermal "PVT" panels to the market in Australia. Both failed. I think the problem was that they were just so much more expensive to buy and install, compared to extra PV and a heat pump.

[@graemedd]

What about government rebates / incentive packages? Do they still exist? How much ....etc? (WA)

[@viazero]

Yea for VIC there is Outta that jus federal rebates depends on the size you installing.

[@AnthonyHortin]

Some excellent tips here. Thanks! 👍

[@bazza2540]

plenty of bad advice as well

[@AnthonyHortin]

@@bazza2540 Such a useful comment Bazza 🤡

[@bazza2540]

@@AnthonyHortin Oh yours is fantastic too 🙄another solar salesman

[@jmccoymusic]

Great Finn, just bought a house and will be looking to do a full setup later this year/early next. Planning on going with a 10kw system and a Powerwall 3, am I right in thinking I won't need a seperate inverter with one of these? Looking forward to seeing more details come out this year.

[@SolarQuotes]

Correct. Powerwall 3 has built in solar inverter. It will likely be a 10kW inverter in Australia.

[@tba3900]

My system is 33x 420w maxeon5 panels with enphase micro inverters with 3 powerwall2 . I am more than happy with its performance., but mine is reconfigured to charge with grid outage.

[@hectorgustavocruz8946]

Great job mate

[@SomeRandomPerson]

What if filling your roof goes over 13kW? On single phase, in Tas. Have the roof space for more than 13kW, but that involves council structural engineering certificates and approval and going to a 3 phase supply. Worth it to try for more?

[@shaynegadsden]

No unless you have a need for 3 phase, your going to spend very big money on the upgrade to then be able to spend more on the solar system and chances are you'll never earn that extra expense back

[@Maheshwara]

Your channel and website is a terrific place for new residential rooftop solar installations. Question - how can i identify solar installers who use advanced software such as Pylon or Nearmap or HelioScope to gain detailed insights into my roof’s topology and sunlight exposure and then design a custom solar solution? Understand, the generic advice is to orient the panels to North, but I'd prefer if installers used year-round sunlight data to generate accurate solar shading projections for my roof.

[@viazero]

Aye mate i just started working for this solar retailer though m jus learning but i think one of our senior solar expert can help you answer all ur questions .

[@LawlessRaafay]

I have saved this video for future use :) When I can finally have my house here in Melbourne, I would definitely going to use your website and ur recommended installers.

[@newzealander6232]

Great video.. I'm looking at off the grid completely. Be good to have info on this too

[@SolarQuotes]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHirpKaQfbZjntk and a recent blog post: www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/tiny-houses-off-grid/

[@yeanswers]

Nicely explained - Thanks guys 👌

[@MarksElectricLife]

Maxing out your roof may create a future risk. I have a 10kW system, which generates 3 times my average usage, plus a Powerwall. I tried Amber and quickly found I was being charged for exports in the middle of the day (when wholesale market price goes negative). So I switched back to Origin and just get a flat 13 cents for each kW exported. For 6 months I’ve been seeing negative energy bills from Origin. All good right? Well companies like Origin can’t make money from customers like me because I never buy energy, only export it. And my exports are worth less than zero to Origin since they occur when the market is over-supplied. How long do you think it will be till they refuse to renew my contract? I guess curtailment might be a solution but that sort of defeats the purpose of a large array, doesn’t it? 🤔

[@hamishholmes3213]

…same with us …with Origin on a FIT of 12 cents uncapped …i suspect it’s a “honeymoon plan” & after 12-months, it will be capped

[@Ash82Melb]

Impeccable video. You are perfect for this. Thanks.

[@terryrodbourn2793]

How about building your own ground mount system too!

[@samonaro65]

Thanks champ. Great info. Subscribed and now keen to buy a house in brisbane just to take advantage of all of this. Can't do this in the UAE

[@AbdulDsouza]

Perhaps utilise complete rooftop potential?

[@bobparker6381]

We had 54 good quality panels and inverter etc installed just over 12 months ago and recently had a "dark start" battery and hybrid inverter installed with one of your recommended installers and to be frank it's been a nightmare, and yes I sent you an email outlining my concerns and currently woking through a number of persistant issues. I now realise that when you do your due diligence and part of this was using information from Finn Peacock's site, you need to consult widely to be informed, don't just listen to the glossy brochure spiel or recommended installers.

[@tomcat3070]

Any issue with Victron equipment ???

[@karl7796]

What about panel damage from a hail storm and lightning protection for your inverter? If you buy a mid range system how long will it take to recover the cost? And what about your home insurance covering your system?

[@SolarQuotes]

You need to speak to your insurer to make sure they cover your solar system and damage from natural events.

[@kadmow]

- lol, one installation visit- fill it up (available area).... lol... - even if you only have simple needs now, additional daytime generation - and on those cloudy days... Those needs will expand over time - and availability. Run the storage hot water or heatpump heating/cooling all day every day for no additional billing.. - yep zigzag tilts help maximise average generation.

[@David-xh2yt]

Just paid for another 6.6kW system today to add to my existing 6.6kW system. Hopefully now I can get enough credit to zero out my energy bills. Charging an EV during the day was killing my feed in tariff but will no for sure in the next few weeks when I hit the 13.2kW.

[@wtfman1217]

Lmao 😂

[@UmarFarooq-cu3gw]

Can you make a video about straw bale walls? I'm from Pakistan and it's really hot here. This concept seems interesting as it can reduce temp by a lot

[@ozzy1280]

Thanks so much the info! 😃 I've been watching your previous annual buyers guides for solar and batteries in anticipation for our home (finally!) being completed earlier this year. I had a question regarding the Tesla Powerwall 3. The recent US release notes show that it has an integrated solar inverter. Does that mean I would only need to get the Powerwall 3 and panels installed and I'm done? Would I need the Tesla Gateway? or still need a hybrid inverter? And do you think the solar inverter on the Powerwall 3 would be large enough for 13kW of panels? Thanks again!

[@alduffield5361]

Thanks for making this video, How do you get over the 10Kwh limit? is the only answer to install 3 phase or can you use some form of inverter that will limit your feed out to the grid to the 5kwh per phase?

[@Drakkanna69]

If you get a full offgrid capable system installed in Australia is it true you have to pay a fee to the Australian government each year for the privilege? Also what is the process and need for cycling your battery system? Much appreciated to any good responses.

[@MiniLuv-1984]

I thought there was a limit to the maximum power one can have on their roof. I'm in Victoria and thinking of adding more solar panel to my existing 5.5kw system with a new inverter with battery input.

[@SolarQuotes]

A good installer will show you how to get around the rules via smart system design.

[@MiniLuv-1984]

@@SolarQuotes I will try again using the SolarQuotes site - thanks for getting back.

[@dalefmurphy]

I have a question that could be the basis of a futute video for you! Suppose I want a 15kW system based on my known/projected use. So I buy a 15kW inverter. My question is how many panels should I install? Let's say each panel has a max 400W generation capability. Most installers would say that I need 15000/400 ~ 38 panels. BUT, these panels are only going to generate the 400W during the summer months (assuming they are appropriately angled, and this is only during mid-day). So why not go for a lot more panels that can generate the required 15kW during the morning and late afternooon, even during the winter months? Sure, during summer they would generarete far more than power that the 15kW inverter can handle, but who cares? I might care if this damages the inverter - could it? Also could the excess power be diverted elsewhere, like to a EV charger directly or some other form of battery? Thanks for considering and love your videos!

[@SolarQuotes]

In Australia, you can (and should!) oversize inverters by 33%. So a 15kW inverter can handle ~20kW of panels.

[@dalefmurphy]

@@SolarQuotes I understand that this 33% is a recommendation from the Clean Energy Council, but I can't find a reference to it. It is based on the fact that inverters can produce more power than they are rated for and also that a solar array will only produce peak power for a small percentage of the year. Can one oversize by more than this 33%? Since the maximum possible power output during winter is less than half that of the peak of summer, could one oversize by 100%?

[@redboylfc1]

Im just looking into solar now. I live in WA and would like to direct Solarquotes to the start of the video where you say to buy as many panels as you can and not a bog standard 6.6 kw system. Well that's all well and good but after speaking to solar companies apparently I'm only allowed to have a 6.6kw system and not anymore. wtf?????

[@marcust5546]

Hey Finn, I have a generous feed-in-tariff that I dont want to lose. I also want battery backup in case of power outages. I have a Solar Edge 3 phase system installed by one of the awesome installers you recommended here in SA. Would an electric vehicle with V2H be a good option for me?

[@SolarQuotes]

The only compliant V2H option I know of at the moment is Nissan Leaf. Is that a car you are considering?

[@icecrushertv5538]

Thanks for that great video. Can you also please make a video about how people who live in apartments can have solar and/or batteries. Appreciate that not all apartments are the same, but I hope you would cover the most common setups. Thank you!

[@SolarQuotes]

Great suggestion!

[@SMG043]

Great video, you covered it all, and gave good advice

[@SolarQuotes]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pgale]

So do you have to arrange your own installers ? I thought the company your buy the system off supplies the installers.

[@SolarQuotes]

Sorry for the confusion! Yes, the company you buy the battery from should arrange everything - don't buy the hardware and then look for an installer! In this case, I paid DQ Electrical for the battery+installation. I say I'm paying for their time because the longer DQ know the installation will take, the more they will quote for the whole job initially.

[@cyclemoto8744]

If only my roof lay out was not optimised for 2kw on North/East/West combined and 12kw on south side. :(

[@kasmstamps1897]

Use a solar calculator. In Australia it could still be worth it. If people in USA pay U$50k for a system that generates 18MWh surely it be worth paying $10kAUD for system that generates 10-14MWh? Really, we in lucky country.

[@cyclemoto8744]

@@kasmstamps1897 $10k outlay will take 10 years to recoup The ROI doesn't add up just yet. Cheers.

[@BernardLee-jy2ib]

Nice video! I have a query about my solar system. My system is a 12.85kw system with 2 5kw inverters (1 hybrid and 1 string), hybrid inverter is attached to a sungrow 12kw battery. I export about 60kw per day (sunny day) but i was expecting more due to the app showing much more. For example, hybrid inverter is exporting 60kw and the string inverter is exporting 30-40kw but it doesn’t have a smart meter on it. Upon contacting my installer, they claimed that energy cant just go missing (due to the discrepancies from agl and the app) and they have closed one of my plan and said its been merged into one single plant. Now im exporting 50-60kw but im not sure if they have done anything without me knowing

[@davidwarren4569]

Is your system export restricted by your electricity provider. Mine is.

[@oldcynic6964]

2:11 "I've got 20KW powering an all electric house and two electric cars" Fair enough, but but I have no intention of buying an electric car (70 years old and in indifferent health) My electricity costs are $4 per day. A bit over a dollar for the connection charge, a bit under a dollar for controlled load, and a couple of dollars for all the electricity that comes out of the wall sockets. The electricity supplier pays 4 cents per KWhr of power exported If I pay $7,500 (for round figures) for a solar system, then that costs me about a dollar a day for the interest foregone on that money (currently on deposit @4.7% pa) So I need to export 25KWhr of power _every_ day just to cover the cost of using the money. Then I need to reduce the two dollars a day that I'm spending on the power that comes out of the wall sockets. Otherwise, why am I bothering ?? So. For an old couple, with low power use, solar panels make no sense. This is an extreme case, but the point I'm making is that you need to think about the cost of finance when wondering if solar/batteries are viable for you.

[@JonBOY26]

I'm in the early stages of considering solar. I've heard that 6.6 kW is the largest you can go without upgrading beyond single phase wiring/electricity. Do I need to upgrade beyond single phase to fill my roof, as you suggest, which would mean a 10+ kW system?

[@SolarQuotes]

It depends on your local rules - let me know your postcode for confirmation - but most people on single phase can install a 10kW inverter export limited to 5kW with 13.3 kW of panels.

[@JonBOY26]

@@SolarQuotes thanks, but I think you might need to make a video explaining that! Postcode is 2285.

[@SolarQuotes]

@@JonBOY26 You are in the Ausgrid network Single phase: 10 kW inverter limit, 10 kW export limit. 13.3kW of solar panels allowed without a battery

[@JonBOY26]

⁠awesome! Thank you so much. Great channel by the way!

[@Ziggaty3690]

Have you done a review with combining wind with solar?

[@SolarQuotes]

No - it can make sense if you live in the sticks and have a large field and a big pole to mount the wind turbine on. But I've never seen urban wind work. It's the turbulence. Happy to be proven wrong!

[@Ziggaty3690]

@@SolarQuotes KZbin seems to be posting new designs all the time for units for wind generators that can be roof-mounted. I saw one that NASA recently designed that looks very promising with little or no vibration. I can not help but think duel systems are the ultimate system that allows for fewer solar panels with wind being able to charge 24hrs a day. Wind generators seem to be a lot cheaper than solar and also take over from days when solar is not that effective.

[@behindthebuild8016]

You need a video on just inverters as you mention buying a hybrid inverter to then face not being able to use it with say a Tesla battery

[@SolarQuotes]

You can use a hybrid inverter with a Tesla Powerwall 2 battery if you want to, you'd just not use the hybrid part of the inverter and instead use the Powerwall's built-in battery inverter. But if you are planning on getting a PW2 in the future, no need for a hybrid inverter, you can save ~$1000 and get a good regular solar inverter instead. Only buy a hybrid inverter without batteries if you are confident you'll buy compatible batteries in the next 48 months or so.

[@maxmackinlay618]

How long will it take to pay off a $10 000 solar package with a 4.9 cent feed in tariff? Probably 10 to 15 years.

[@SolarQuotes]

Happily, I can tell you a $10,000 solar system can pay for itself in well under 10 years, even with only a 4.9 cent solar feed-in tariff. This is thanks to a large portion of the savings coming from usually no longer having to pay for grid electricity during the day. Exactly how fast a system will pay for itself depends on where you are and how large it is. In Sydney - Australia's largest city - $10,000 can get you a good quality 13kW solar system and it can pay for itself in 7 years. Here's a link to the results from our Solar & Battery Calculator: bit.ly/4bAL6JD. If you make an effort to shift electricity consumption to the daytime the payback period can be even shorter. Eg. put appliances, hot water systems, pool pumps, etc. on timers. This includes electric vehicles. While most people don't have one yet, they are growing in popularity.

[@djamalsaou2376]

Why didn’t you say anything about if possible to add battery backup to micro inverter system

[@SolarQuotes]

It's straightforward using an AC-coupled battery - I have microinverters backed up with Powerwall 2 on my house.

[@PraneethAkkaraju]

What is your take on perovskite tandem solar panels?

[@SolarQuotes]

The may be great in the future when they get put into production.

[@AsangaDeSilva]

If we're interested in the Enphase micro inverter we still need a smart meter?

[@SolarQuotes]

no - these days all Enphase systems come with an Envoy communications box that has the smart meter built in

[@AsangaDeSilva]

@@SolarQuotes thanks Mate.we learn lot from you

[@BrendanAus]

Heard good things about you from the industry. If I use your site, what's in it for you? And what's my downside for contributing to that?

[@SolarQuotes]

Good question. We are 100% transparent about how we make money and potential downsides as explained here: support.solarquotes.com.au/hc/en-us/articles/115000931934-How-does-SolarQuotes-make-money-Will-I-pay-more-for-my-system-by-using-SolarQuotes

[@JTech_._]

what are your opinions on solplanet invertor and sunpro solar panels 415?

[@SolarQuotes]

Not well enough supported in Australia to recommend as far as I know.

[@MadMatty72]

How can one get batteries for a system with micro inverters?

[@SolarQuotes]

Get an ac coupled system. For example on my home I’ve got Enphase Microinverters and a Powerwall 2.

[@HeatherNathan-u6o]

Has anyone used clima solar ?

[@MatteHatt]

Do you have any effectiveness data and placement recommendations for solar panels installed in places north of the Tropic of Capricorn, where the sun "rotates" clockwise in summer (sun in the south at midday) ? Ie. locations north of Rockhampton - Port Douglas in my case. I'm sitting on a proposal for a 13.3 kW system, 22 panels facing NE and 10 NW on a 30° roof, which seems OK for the winter half of the year ... but what about Sep-Mar ?

[@SolarQuotes]

Being north of the Tropic of Capricorn definitely has an effect on your solar output, but in Port Douglas the overall effect of the wet and dry seasons will be greater. After putting the details of your system into our solar and battery calculator, it showed that it would generate around 21,300 kilowatt-hours annually and its output would be very consistent through the year. You can see the results here: bit.ly/42V0JYB February will be the worst month and this is mainly due to it being the cloudiest month, but also because it's a short month. If your panels were instead placed facing southwest and southeast then total output would be around 20% lower. It would also be considerably lower in winter than summer.

[@MatteHatt]

@@SolarQuotes Thanks mate 👍🏼

[@kasmstamps1897]

​@@MatteHatt seems like it would be a goer to. We live at 33degrees south and expect to get about 16MWh. Also looking at getting a AC generator port.

[@MatteHatt]

@@kasmstamps1897 AC generator port ? For a battery setup I assume ?

[@kasmstamps1897]

@@MatteHatt a way to use EV V2L , added expense but way less than V2G from what I can work out. A tricky to find sparky to do it in regional area.

[@XxBloggs]

You completely missed the best thing about the Tesla warranty. It covers parts and labour which is a huge bonus compared to everyone else's parts only warranties.

[@Mr.Zen_73]

love your little skits! well done 🤣

[@kerbalette156]

Arn't you limited to certain kw on your roof depending on state?

[@SolarQuotes]

yes - you can see the rules here, but there are often smart ways to maximise solar array size with export limiting and oversizing: www.solarquotes.com.au/grid-connection/

[@Alan-bi7dm]

This guy knows what he’s talking about

[@Matlockization]

What do you do when snow falls ?

[@SolarQuotes]

Go snowboarding. What do you do?

[@Matlockization]

I clean the one foot of snow collected on the solar panels and fingers crossed that it doesn't break like they have with others ☹.

[@doogiemoster]

Lol... wtf is snow??

[@rio20d]

having solar panels helps just a little now without batteries, due to very low Solar FIT...

[@paolocardinali3951]

I agree... MY solar panels are working for the power company 🤬

[@toby9999]

How much is "just a little"? I've been considering roof solar for years but I'm not convinced the payoff is worth the hassle. My last monthly bill was only $110, and that includes the fixed charges.

[@SolarQuotes]

Ever since Premium FiTs ended, Feed in tariff earnings have been a small part of the financial return from solar. Self consumption is where most of your savings come from.

[@davidwarren4569]

⁠where do you live!

[@rio20d]

@@davidwarren4569 QLD

[@sproket168]

Ok, heres the question. Who's built their own battery And how did you get it past.

[@paradiselost9946]

having it properly installed helps. my friends system does nothing. bills have only increased. upon checking it all out... its feeding into the cable that supplies the granny flat its mounted to. in other words, rather than detecting the voltage right at the meter where it comes in off the road, its detecting the voltage after approx 75M of cable. loaded cable with one (or two) phases consuming power at varying rates. thats what happens when cowboys install. ensure its 6mm^2 cable minimum feeding DIRECTLY to the point where the mains feeds in off the road... me? i slapped 14 secondhand panels to the roof, hooked them up to a water heater, and dont care as long as i have free hot water.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

Rooftop solar PV is cheaper than windows $/m2. Most homes have 32m2 of glass windows. 150$/m2 vs 500$/m2.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

@@xoxoops don't be silly. 20 years still functioning at 85%. So just add 2 more new panels and go for another 20 years. Some things are ezi pezi

[@fattlane1866]

​@@stephenbrickwood1602 add two more panels and the rest are magically brand new again and ready for another 20 years? 😂

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

@@fattlane1866 yes happy days.

[@odeean]

If you are paying an installer and buying a huge battery you will never break even before the system fails.

[@SolarQuotes]

Big call. It depends on a whole bunch of variables.

[@antehorvat487]

Excellent video

[@theairstig9164]

Why are origin replacing my meter after only three years?

[@SolarQuotes]

No idea.

[@duanebonney]

Rusty Balls. That’s gold 🤣. Cheers Finn.

[@SolarQuotes]

My favourite bit too!

[@vk3fbab]

All panels are low voltage LV whether they be micro inverter or string. LV in Australia is less than 1000AC or 1500DC. Yes I know everyone calls mains electricity 240V High Voltage but it's not defined as that. You also skipped the major benefit of micro inverter tech which is that it handles partial shading better and maybe gets you a few percent better performance but yet again is not really worth the extra cost.

[@gilmo-frog]

You can go with the big guys just ask who the instaler is and vet them your self Had arise twice now and has been mint and 9k cheaper .

[@braveworld2707]

Put 6.6kWh on the roof in 2020 and a battery the following year. We self generate 56% of our electricity over a 12 month period Jan to Dec and our power bills are higher than they were in 2019. I hate to think what they would have been without the panels and battery. Our panel installer went out of business during COVID and I now have no warranty on the 25 year panel warranty and *three* of the twenty panels are faulty so choose your installer carefully. Knowing what I know now I would have put as many panels on the roof as I could and gotten two PowerWalls instead of the 9.8kWh battery.

[@SolarQuotes]

What brand of panels do you have?

[@braveworld2707]

@@SolarQuotes Canadian and the last time I tried contacting then I started getting marketing spam from their sales department.

[@nhand42]

Filled the roof and got 25kW. I wish I had more roof.

[@hmmmandsmile6569]

I got a quote from one of your recommendation, the other two didn't bother providing any quote. however the one I got, compare to two others which i got from two other different companies, the price difference was 100% for the same system.. I did not go with the one you recommended, because they were charging double for the same system.. So i think you need to you re-assess who you recommended, it seems like the one you recommend are butchering families with extraordinary cost... anyway keep up the good work.

[@SolarQuotes]

send through the quotes you got and we'll have a look: [e-mail]

[@mikef888au1]

Thank you for such an informative video. I had solar installed about 12 years ago, now I'm thinking of adding solar panels, and at some stage, a battery....You've helped me heaps!

[@davidcanessa2109]

thankyou very much for the information, it is a mine field out there and i agree you are a solar snob : )

[@gregnicholl9011]

Great video mate, well done! Rusty balls! 😂

[@chopinmack5418]

Why that Dutton is still making his 7 Nuclear Power Plants proposal , which will take 10-15 years to build ??? Australia has more than enough Sunshine to supply the whole country ! Please ensure to buy the Storage Batteries as well !

[@wzk921109]

QCell is out of Aus now.

[@vladnurk4710]

Disagree with u on panel tilt compared with roof pitch What is not explained is hot days in summer Only 17% of the incident sunlight is converted to electricity The rest is heat trapped between the panel & the roof Say on 38 deg day what is the temperature of a solar cell this can be close 100 degC, Example leave a large chrome shifter in the back of a station wagon exposed to sunlight. Yes it's very heavy to pick up because its temperature is above 80 degC. The same is the same with solar cells Now panels are rate in watts @ 25 degC and the efficiency falls 0.5% /degC So doing the simple math on the back of an envelope The 100w on a hot day falls by in the order of 38% which results in the panel only producing 62w I had my panels tilted to 30 degC and my loss due to heat is only 12% because on natural cooling convection, On some large solar farms water is used to reduce efficiency loss due heating

[@paulsouth4794]

I want a smart box that will turn on the heater in the house when its cold, turn on the aircon when its hot . Heat hot water , then back charge the grid . Is there such a thing .

[@VighyOz]

Finn the dodgy cricketer looks like Asterix who fell in a crate of solar panels when he was a child 😂

[@chuckmaddison2924]

A thought, if you have an OFF grid solar system NOT connected to the mains, you should not need an Electrical licence to work on the system.

[@paolocardinali3951]

the price of batteries is ridiculous! It's impossible to repay them before they need to be replaced...

[@mattwarner8273]

Agree, I figure either the price of batteries will come down all Govt will subsidise them. Gotta be cheaper than building a whole new Power plant

[@SolarQuotes]

It depends... here are the numbers so you can decide for yourself: www.solarquotes.com.au/battery-storage/payback/

[@paolocardinali3951]

@@SolarQuotes thanks for that. Those numbers confirm my statement. Not worth it at the moment, probably never...

[@Handleyman]

What a great video. Very clear and easy to understand. Thanks!

[@guringai]

It's largely depends which retailer you use. Amber Electric offers excellent opportunities for arbitrage. Extremely low tariffs for charging, and very high export FiTs.

[@djsolstice8964]

What about a system for renters, I've seem nothing. They're completely cut out of this system. The rich get richer, the renters get poorer.

[@leedaq7767]

people needs to educate themself how to save power bill by turning heating off when its not needed. this is main reason for most of houses

[@engrdada8162]

I'm from Pakistan Any job vacancy in your Company

[@mixalis6168]

Maze, and all the scams.. Whos good in Canberra ?

[@SolarQuotes]

ECG electrical and Stag Electrical are both excellent in Canberra

[@adambanks3841]

Always wanted solar/battery but just can't be bothered. It's overly complicated, too many horror stories and too many dodgy installers. Even if you do get past all that, then you have to deal with dodgy energy retailers.

[@EdwardLoffeld]

I just had advice that my daily supply charge is increasing 25% 5.3.24 and that my feed in is halving. So, unless the sun shines each day, I'm going to take nearly 8 years to pay the system off at the new rates and feed in. So much for this government getting us to dig into our own pockets for an array. But wait, haven't wholesale prices dropped like a stone ? That's to pay for the infrastructure the power companies never invested in with all their profits over the years. Sigh... And they want me to get an EV. Never happen.

[@stevenlane729]

"Rusty balls" lol

[@StevenSiew2]

The biggest problem with solar power in Australia (apart from price $$$) is Battery. All the solar panels in the world is worth SHIT if you cannot use the electricity WHILE it is being generated because YOU ARE NOT HOME!!! No battery means you can selling GOLD for the price of LEAD to your local Electricity Provider.

[@einfelder8262]

My problem is at 73 years of age a 25 year system is not useful. We use 12kwh on average per day, at a just renegotiated rate of 19.75C or $2.36 per day, plus 90.8C per day supply charge. I don't see how solar roof system would be financially sensible for us. As for EV charging at home in the future - yeah, nah. Not a lemming.

[@SolarQuotes]

You do you.

[@semsolar9273]

don't call Alan Border *Ah you said it before I finished typing it