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The best solar feed-in tariff in Victoria at the time of writing (May 2022) is 20 cents per kilowatt hour – and it’s from Origin.

It’s a great headline rate, however there are a few catches. To get this rate you must purchase a new solar panel system from Origin and the system must be less than 10kW in size (or in my case for where I live, it must be under 7kW).

What’s more, this rate is only available to eligible Victorians living in Melbourne or 150km from Melbourne and it’s only available for 24 months.  Plus, getting your hands on the full offer details (i.e., the energy fact sheet) takes more persistence than I have.  It is not easy to find on the Origin website which makes me wonder why!  (That’s why I can’t comment on the daily supply charge for this deal, or the energy usage rate).

Want a good solar feed-in tariff – without any catches?

So, if you’re like me, you want a solar feed-in tariff with no-strings attached.  One that offers a great feed-in tariff rate and helps you get the lowest possible electricity bills.

It’s bit of a minefield out there with electricity retailers.  Finding the best electricity deal for your home if you’ve got solar should be easy. But some retailers entice you with a high feed-in tariff and charge you through the nose for energy usage and the daily supply charge.

No-one wants that.  It’s a short-term strategy for electricity retailers as they’re hoping that most customers won’t read the fine print.

Don’t fall into that trap!

This blog looks at the best solar feed-in tariffs in Victoria – and whether they are worth signing up to.

• Best solar feed-in tariffs Victoria
• Is it worth signing up for the best feed-in tariffs?
• How to beat the looming feed-in tariff cut with Solar Run

Best solar feed-in tariffs Victoria

The best solar feed-in tariffs in Victoria, as of May 2022, that don’t require you to buy a solar panel system include:

• SolarRun Rewards Energy Plan – 11.7 cents/kWh
• 1^st Energy – 11.7 cents/kWh
• Elysian Energy – 10 cents/kWh
• Momentum Energy – 10 cents/kWh

Is it worth signing up for the best feed-in tariffs?

We all want a fair deal for the valuable solar electricity we produce.  After all, we get charged a lot to buy electricity.  Why shouldn’t we get paid a similar amount when we sell it back to the grid?

At SolarRun, we agree. That’s why we welcome initiatives like Virtual Power Plants that are springing up across Australia which offer a much better rate for surplus electricity you send to the grid.  Thing is, you need a battery to participate.  (The good news is there are boosted battery rebates that reduce the upfront cost for Victorian homeowners).

Regardless of whether you have a battery and join a Virtual Power Plant, the main point about solar feed-in tariffs is that they are only one component of your electricity pricing plan.

Going for a great rate for your solar feed-in might be a good strategy if you are exporting a lot of solar electricity during the daytime.  However, if this is your situation, you may be better off investing in solar battery storage or an energy efficient electric hot water heat pump which is powered by your solar system.

If you store your solar energy in a battery or as hot water, you get the benefits later in the day when you get home.  That way, when you run a hot shower or start cooking the evening meal, you’re using your own free solar electricity.  That’s a whole lot better than paying 20-28 cents per kilowatt hour to buy it from the grid!

Beat the looming feed-in tariff cut with Solar Run

The Victorian mandated minimum solar feed-in tariff (flat rate) will drop from 6.7 cents/kWh to 5.2 cents/kWh from the 1^st of July 2022.

At SolarRun, we reckon that’s a bit on the low side.  That’s why through the SolarRun Rewards Energy Plan we’re offering (as of May 2022) a rate of 11.7 cents/kWh.  We will continue to keep our feed-in tariff at double the rate of the mandated government solar feed-in when it drops to 5.2 cents/kWh from 1 July (our rate will go down slightly to 10.4c/kWh).

Want a fair deal for your surplus solar electricity?  Get in touch

There are four main types of solar inverter used in residential grid-connect solar power systems: string inverters, microinverters, power optimizers with string inverter, and hybrid inverters.

Each type of inverters has its pluses and minuses.  Choosing the right solar inverter for your home will depend on several factors including:

• Whether your roof is partially shaded
• Whether the roof layout is straightforward or complex (i.e., gabled, multiple orientations)
• Whether you plan to add a battery
• Whether panel-level monitoring is important for you
• Safety factors
• Your budget

On this blog:

• What is the purpose of a solar inverter?
• Why it’s important to choose the right type of solar inverter for your property
• String inverters: pros and cons
• Microinverters: pros and cons
• Power optimizers and string inverters: pros and cons
• Hybrid solar inverters: pros and cons

What is the purpose of a solar inverter?

The purpose of a solar inverter is to convert DC (direct current) electricity from solar panels into usable AC (alternating current) electricity for your home or the grid.

Why it’s important to choose the right type of solar inverter for your property

It may be surprising to learn that the solar inverter you choose has the biggest impact on the overall power output of your solar system – not the solar panels.  That’s because the solar inverter is essentially the brains of your solar power system and choosing the right type of inverter for your property can significantly increase overall power output.

And when it comes to adding a battery to your solar system, the choice of inverter becomes even more critical.  That’s because different types of batteries work in different ways, depending on the type of inverter you choose.  Some are a lot more efficient than others.  Knowing this information in advance will help you choose the type of inverter that’s going to produce the most power for your home – which is the end goal after all!

String inverters: pros and cons

With a string inverter system, DC electricity from the solar panels travels via DC wiring across your roof to a string inverter which converts the DC electricity to AC for use in the home.

The reason why it’s called a string inverter is because the solar panels are connected in a string – and each string connects into the inverter.

With a string inverter solar system, there’s normally two strings of solar panels (i.e., two rows), with an equal number of panels on each row.

String inverters are the most common type of solar inverter in Australia.  They are tried and tested technology and a good choice for homes with straightforward sunny roofs.

Pros

• Proven technology
• More cost effective than other inverter types
• Widespread availability; many excellent quality brands
• A great choice if you have a sunny roof with a straightforward layout

Cons

• If one solar panel on a string is under performing (because of dirt, shading etc.), it will bring down the performance of all panels on that string.
• Potential safety issue: high DC voltage on your roof. That’s why choosing a quality solar installer who doesn’t take shortcuts with the DC wiring is super important!
• Power generation can only be monitored at overall system level (not panel-level).
• Not possible to proactively identify faults with individual panels. (This makes it harder to make a warranty claim for a panel.)
• Works best with AC-coupled batteries (that have their own built-in battery inverter but are less efficient than DC-coupled batteries)

Microinverters: pros and cons

Microinverters are small inverters that are about the size of a paperback book.  They are attached to the back of each solar panel and convert DC power to AC power at panel-level.

With a microinverter system there’s no need for a central string inverter on your wall; the inverters are all hidden away under your solar panels.

One of the biggest benefits of microinverters is that they optimize the power at panel-level.  This means that if there’s any shading or dirt on a panel, none of the other panels will be affected.

Pros

• Proven technology; 20+ years
• Ideal for roofs with partial shading
• Suitable for complex roof layouts
• Even if one solar is dirty or shaded, the other panels will continue to work at maximum efficiency
• Monitoring will show the power output for each individual solar panel. This means you can easily spot any underperforming panels and get them fixed.
• Improved safety; no DC wiring across your roof

Cons

• Price (most expensive type of inverter)
• Costly to repair (as inverters are located on the roof)
• Prone to overheating, particularly on black roofs in the middle of summer (this can reduce power output and shorten the life of the microinverters)
• Works best with AC-coupled batteries (that have their own built-in battery inverter but are less efficient than DC-coupled batteries)

Power optimizers and string inverters: pros and cons

Power optimizers are little black boxes that are fitted to the back of each solar panel.  They condition DC power from each panel (by fixing the voltage) and send it to the string inverter which converts it to AC power.

Like microinverters, power optimizers enable the output of individual solar panels to remain unaffected if another panel is underperforming.  But because they still include a string inverter, less parts are involved which makes power optimizers a more cost-effective solution than microinverters.

Pros

• Well suited to partially shaded roofs
• Good for roofs with complex layouts
• Lower price than microinverters
• Power generation is optimized at panel-level = more power for your home
• Extremely safe – built-in DC safety features
• Greater choice of batteries (both AC and DC-coupled)

Cons

• More expensive than conventional string inverters
• Warranty mismatch – power optimizers typically have a 25-year warranty; string inverters have 10-15 years but this can be extended to 25 years

Hybrid solar inverters: pros and cons

Hybrid solar inverters are an all-in-one inverter that carry out the job of both a solar inverter and a battery inverter.  If you’re thinking about going solar plus battery storage, a hybrid inverter may well be the best choice for your home.

What a hybrid inverter does is impressive. It converts DC power from the panels to AC power for the home and the grid. It also manages the flow of DC power to and from the battery.

A hybrid solar inverter is the simplest system for converting DC power to AC power for your home – and it’s the most efficient when combined with battery storage.

Pros

• Extremely efficient, particularly when combined with battery storage
• Lower overall system cost (for solar + battery storage) as there is only one inverter
• Lower maintenance costs – only one inverter to maintain
• Compatible with DC-coupled batteries which offer higher levels of efficiency than AC-coupled batteries
• Great for future-proofing – add up to 200 per cent more solar panels than the capacity of the hybrid inverter

Cons

• Less choice (compared to string inverters)
• Only compatible with DC-coupled batteries (but this is a positive point as DC-coupled batteries are more efficient)

Request a quote

With solar inverters there’s no definite ‘right and wrong’ type of inverter.  It all depends on your property, your roof, the amount of sunlight, whether you want battery storage and your budget.

That’s why at SolarRun we take the time to find out exactly what you want from solar, assess your property thoroughly and provide a fully customized solution that meets your needs.

Get in touch with us for expert advice and a quote!

If you’re shopping around for a new solar panel system, chances are you’ll come across SolarEdge and Enphase.  Both are excellent solar inverter systems; arguably two of the best solar systems money can buy.

The reason why Enphase and SolarEdge are such good solar systems is that they are based on technologies that are quite different from conventional string inverter solar systems.  It’s these technological differences that give SolarEdge and Enphase a competitive edge over other solar power systems.

In this blog, we’ll explain the different technologies behind SolarEdge and Enphase vs. standard solar panels systems. Then, we’ll run through the pros and cons of SolarEdge and Enphase to give you a better idea of which system may be better suited for your home.

On this blog:

Different types of solar systems

• Conventional string inverters
• Microinverters
• Power Optimisers

Pros and cons of SolarEdge vs Enphase

• Efficiency
• Payback
• Battery storage
• Future proofing
• Reliability
• Safety
• Cost
• Warranties

Different types of solar systems

The differences between SolarEdge, Enphase and other conventional solar power systems comes down to the type of solar inverter used in each system.

Whilst lots of people think that getting a high-quality solar panel system is all about choosing the right solar panels; that’s not the case!  The brains of any solar system – and the part that’s most likely to fail (if it’s poor quality) – is the solar inverter.

The solar inverter is the part of a solar system that converts DC (direct current) electricity from solar panels into AC (alternating current) electricity that can be used in the home or sent to the grid.

So, the main difference between the three inverter technologies boils down to how they handle the DC to AC conversion process.

Let’s look at each type of inverter in turn:

Conventional string inverters

Conventional string inverter solar systems – using inverters from brands like Fronius and SMA – have a single, central inverter which converts high voltage DC power to lower voltage AC power.

Solar panels are connected in a series (for example 8 panels on one array) and the DC power from each series is sent to the inverter which converts it into AC power.

The problem with string inverters is that if one panel in the series is partially shaded or dirty (or deteriorating slightly), it will bring down the power output of all panels in that series.  Without getting on the roof, it’s impossible to tell which panel is causing the problem.  That’s because you can only see the output of the solar system for the whole array of panels – not at individual panel-level.

Because of these limitations, two new types of technologies were invented in the early 2000’s: microinverters and power optimizers.

Microinverters

Enphase solar systems are based on microinverter technology.

A microinverter takes the functionality of a standard inverter and miniaturises it. This means you get a fully-fledged mini inverter underneath each panel which converts DC power to AC.

The AC 240V power from each microinverter is connected in parallel to other microinverters and sent to the switchboard. From there it can be sent to your home or to the grid.

Power Optimisers

SolarEdge systems are based on power optimisers technology.

Power optimizers are little black boxes fixed to the underside of each panel (just like Enphase microinverters).

But there the similarity ends.

Power Optimisers optimise DC power at panel-level and condition it before sending it – as DC electricity – to a SolarEdge inverter. The SolarEdge inverter then converts the DC to AC power which can be used in your home or sent to the grid.

Because power is optimised at panel-level, you get the same benefits as Enphase including individual-panel level monitoring and maximised power output.

Pros and cons of SolarEdge vs Enphase

1. Efficiency

When comparing solar power systems, one of the most important things to check is the efficiency rating. Efficiency is about how much of the sunlight hitting the solar panels converts to electricity you can use in your home.  The more the better!

SolarEdge solar panel systems have two components: power optimisers and an inverter.  Power optimisers have an efficiency of 99.5 per cent and the inverter has an efficiency of 99 per cent.  This makes the overall efficiency of SolarEdge systems 98.75 per cent.

In comparison, Enphase microinverters have an efficiency of 97 per cent.

2. Payback

Both Enphase and SolarEdge allow for more solar panels to be added later.  That’s a tick for both systems.

But SolarEdge has the advantage when it comes to providing a faster payback.  That’s thanks to the way SolarEdge handles oversizing of solar panels in relation to inverter size.

Why would you want to oversize your solar panels?

One reason is because a smaller inverter is generally cheaper, and the federal government solar rebate (STCs) is based on panel capacity – not solar inverter capacity.  So, by keeping your inverter at a smaller size (say 10kW) and oversizing your solar panels by up to 133 per cent (which is allowed by network distributors), you keep your inverter cost low whilst maxxing out the rebates you can get for the solar panels.  This not only gives you a quicker payback, but also provides you with more power!

With Enphase, you can also oversize your panels in relation to the size of the microinverters.  But the downside with Enphase is that every solar panel requires its own microinverter – and because microinverters are fully fledged inverters (just made small) they are relatively expensive.  So, whilst adding more solar panels to an Enphase system isn’t an issue, the payback isn’t as good as SolarEdge.

3. Battery storage

With an Enphase solar and battery system, AC electricity from microinverters must first be converted to DC power before it can be stored in a battery. With an Enphase solar and battery system there are 3 power conversion processes involved, i.e.

1. DC power from panels converted to AC power by microinverters
2. Battery inverter converts AC power to DC power for storage in the battery
3. When power from the battery is required for the home or to send to the grid, it must be converted back to AC power by the battery inverter

This is a major drawback with microinverter-based solar systems. That’s because whenever power is converted from DC to AC, or vice versa, there is a loss of power in the conversion process.  (The same is true for conventional string inverter systems).

When it comes to battery storage, SolarEdge has the edge over Enphase because it has a hybrid inverter – called the SolarEdge Home Hub Inverter – which does both the job of a solar inverter and a battery inverter. The SolarEdge Home Hub inverter cuts out the need for all those wasteful AC to DC conversion processes, making the SolarEdge solar and battery storage system more efficient than the Enphase equivalent.

4. Future proofing

Right now, you may only be in the market for a solar panel system.  But down the track, you may want to add electric vehicle charging, a battery, more smart electrical appliances – even make your home all-electric!

What you need to know is that the money you’re spending on a solar panel system isn’t going to be wasted should you decide to add to your system down the track.

You want to know that you can add more solar panels and a battery without ripping off your system and starting again.

With SolarEdge – using the SolarEdge Home Battery with the SolarEdge Home Hub Inverter – you can add up to 300 per cent more solar panels whenever you want. That’s because it’s a DC-coupled solar and battery storage solution with an all-in-one hybrid inverter (which lets you sidestep most network distributor size limitation rules).

For instance, you could start with a 10kW SolarEdge Home Hub Inverter with 13kW of solar panels.  Then, in a few years, you can add a SolarEdge Home Battery with more panels (up to 20kW) without having to buy another inverter or changing anything with your existing system.

With Enphase, you don’t get this level of future proofing.  You could start with a 10kW Enphase microinverter system.  Then, if you wanted to add a battery and more solar panels, you would need to add more microinverters and choose an AC-coupled battery with its own built-in battery inverter.  In many network distributor areas, this will take you over size limit for solar on a single-phase property (as you’re adding to the inverter capacity) – and you won’t be allowed to do it.

So, the bottom line is this: if you want the option to future proof your home, SolarEdge is the best choice.

5. Reliability

It’s a fact that the part of a solar system that’s most likely to go wrong is the inverter.  That’s regardless of whether you choose a conventional string inverter, a microinverter or a power optimised system.

Another fact is that inverters hate the heat. The biggest cause of inverter failure is due to overheating.

The design drawback with Enphase microinverters is that they are installed on the roof, underneath solar panels.  On hot summer days, the temperature on an Aussie roof underneath the solar panels can easily get up to 70⁰C or more.  Enphase aren’t stupid and they have got their microinverters rated to perform in temperatures up to 65⁰C.  But this doesn’t quite cut it for most Australian homes in the middle of summer.  If you live in a cool climate part of Australia you might get away with it, but for anywhere else you will be risking a higher level of inverter failure simply because your Enphase microinverter is on the roof.

With SolarEdge, on the other hand, the inverter is located either on an outside wall (which should either be south facing or have shade covering) or in your garage or similar enclosed space.  This means your inverter isn’t going to have to put up with such hot conditions and should therefore last longer.

6. Safety

Both SolarEdge and Enphase often superior levels of safety when compared with conventional string inverter systems.

Enphase systems are safe because high voltage DC power is converted to AC at panel-level and there isn’t any high voltage DC cabling running the roof.

SolarEdge system are also very safe even though they are DC based.  That’s because they have a Safe DC feature which automatically detects any fault and immediately shutdowns the whole system.  When shutdown, each solar panel only has 1 volt of electricity running through it which is touch safe.

7. Cost

SolarEdge power optimisers are lower cost than Enphase microinverters – that’s because they are simpler technology with fewer parts.  What’s more, the SolarEdge inverter is a simplified inverter (as it just handles DC to AC power conversion) making it lower cost than many conventional string inverters.  The combination of lower cost power optimisers and a simplified inverter makes SolarEdge a lot more cost effective overall when compared with the Enphase microinverter solution.

8. Warranties

SolarEdge provides a 25-year product warranty for its Power Optimisers and a 12-year warranty for its inverter.

Enphase provides a 10 year product warranty for its microinverters.

Want to know more?

If you’ve got questions about SolarEdge vs Enphase for your property, get in touch.  We can assess which type of solar inverter technology is right for your home and provide you with a customised quote for either a solar panel system, or solar + battery storage system.

Every home is different, and every household uses electricity differently.  What’s right for your home – and your budget – is quite likely to be different from what’s right for your neighbour.

We can help explain the pros and cons of different technologies for your property, as well as any limitations imposed by your network distributor. The result will be a solar system that generates maximum bill savings for your solar dollar!

If you buy a solar panel system for your home or business, it will be subsidised through a federal government solar rebate scheme which reduces the upfront cost of your solar system by around 30 per cent.

This government scheme works by issuing Small-scale Technology Certificates, or STCs.  In effect, STCs work as a point-of-sale discount on your solar panel system.  Strictly speaking they aren’t a solar rebate, but to all intents and purposes they act in much the same way.

The main thing to know is – when it comes to government solar rebates and incentives – STCs are where it’s at. They are best solar rebates that homeowners and small businesses can get for installing solar panels; that’s because they’re worth the most!

On this blog:

• Am I eligible for STCs?
• How do I apply for STCs?
• How much are STCs worth?
• How are STCs calculated?
• Is there any chance STCs will reduce in value?
• How can I get the highest value for STCs for my solar system?
• What other solar rebates and incentives are there?

Am I eligible for STCs?

The great thing about STCs is they aren’t means tested.  The only criteria for claiming STCs are:

• Your solar panels system must be connected to the main electricity grid
• Your system is less than 100kW in size
• It is installed by a Clean Energy Council accredited solar installer
• It uses a solar inverter and solar panels that have been accredited by the Clean Energy Council

Another great thing about STCs is that you can get them on more than one property. So, if you own a couple of properties and want to get solar panels installed on both with the STC rebate, that’s not a problem.  Also, proof of property ownership is NOT required to get STCs which is another bonus, for example if you are a commercial tenant looking to install solar.

How do I apply for STCs?

Here’s more good news!  You don’t need to fill in any complicated paperwork to claim STCs. All you need to do is sign a form on day of installation – which your installer will give you – which assigns the STCs for your solar system to your Solar Retailer.

Your Solar Retailer will provide you with a quote which clearly shows the number of STCs your solar system qualifies for, and the price per STC.  This amount is deducted from your upfront purchase price.

Once you’ve signed the form assigning the STCs to your Solar Retailer, they will batch them up with other STCs and then trade them on the STC market (which is like a share market for renewable energy certificates). This saves you the time and hassle of trading STCs yourself.

How much are STCs worth?

At the time of writing (April 2022), STCs are worth approximately $447 per kilowatt of solar panels installed.

For example, if you installed 6.6kW of solar panels, you’d get around $2,950 off the purchase price of your solar power system.  And if you installed 10kW of solar panels, you’d get around $4,470 off the purchase price.

These are just averages.  If you live in Queensland or NSW, for example, you’d get a bigger STC rebate – up to $3,450 for a 6.6kW solar system.  And if you lived in Tassie, you’d get a bit less.

One of the main points to be aware of is that the more solar panels you install, the bigger the STC rebate!

The bigger your solar system, the more STCs you get

How are STCs calculated?

There are four main factors that impact on how the value of STCs are calculated:

1. Kilowatts of solar panels installed
2. Market value
3. Date of installation
4. Your location

Let’s look at each in turn.

Kilowatts of solar panels

The first thing to understand is that STCs are calculated based on the kilowatts of solar panels installed, not the capacity of the solar inverter.  For example, if you installed a 10kW solar inverter with 13.3kW of solar panels, the STCs would be calculated on the 13.3kW of solar panels – not the 10kW solar inverter.

This is one of (the many) advantages of oversizing your solar panels in relation to the solar inverter size – and it is allowed by network distributors who set the rules for these things!

Market price

As previously mentioned, STCs are a tradeable commodity.  As such, their value is subject to supply and demand. The greater the supply of STCs, the lower the price. The fewer STCs, the higher the price.

The federal government has set the rule that the value per STCs cannot be lower than $0 and no higher than $40.  Currently (as of April 2022), the value is $36. However, several years ago the value dropped to $17 when the market was flooded with STCs.

As with any market, there’s no guarantee what prices will do.  Right now, STC prices are strong, but this could change at any time.  That’s why acting now and getting a solar panel system installed is a good idea as a drop in the market value of STCs could reduce the value of this solar rebate significantly.

Date of installation

Another factor affecting the value of STCs, is the date your solar system is installed.

Every year on the 1^st of January, the value of the STC discount drops; that’s because of something called a ‘deeming period’.

The deeming period is the number of years left for the STC scheme to run.  STCs will be phased out completely by 2030.  The reduction in the deeming period effectively reduces the value of the STC rebate you can get for your system.  This reduction is typically around 5 per cent a year.

This is another reason why it’s worth acting now to get your solar panel system installed.

Your location

The number of STCs you get also depends on where your property is in Australia.

The federal government has divided Australia into four zones based on the amount of sunshine each region gets (the sunnier parts of Australia generate more renewable energy from solar panels, so that’s why they get more STCs).

Zone 1 gets the most STCs (and the highest STC rebate), and Zone 4 gets the least STCs.

Australian map STCs

Is there any chance that STCs will reduce in value?

Yes, there is every chance that the value of STCs will drop in value.

We know for a fact that on the 1^st of January each year, there will be a reduction in the value of STCs based on the reduction in the deeming period (that’s because the STC scheme is slowly being phased out).

Another factor that cannot be predicted with any certainty is whether the tradeable value of STCs will change.  This all depends on whether the number of solar installations under 100kW stays steady, reduces, or booms!

Predicting the market value of STCs is pretty much impossible.  That’s because solar uptake can be enormously impacted by changes in government policy, both at federal and state-level.

How can I get the highest value for STCs for my solar system?

The best way to lock in the highest value for STCs for your solar panels system is to request a quote today.  That way, you stand the best possible chance of getting the best discount off your solar panel system whilst STCs are at their current high value.

What other solar rebates and incentives are there?

Other solar rebates and incentives for installing solar panels include:

• State government solar rebates
• State government interest-free loans
• Tax incentives (e.g., for landlords installing solar on rental properties, business tax incentives)
• Industry-specific solar rebates for business
• Solar feed-in tariff (which isn’t a rebate but provides ongoing revenue over the life of the system)

These rebates and incentives are in addition to the federal government’s STC program.

Get in touch

If you’d like to know what solar rebates you could get, contact us today.

As one of Australia’s top Solar Retailers, we’re fully across all the state and federal rebates that are available for solar power systems of any size.

Regardless of whether you want solar for your home or business, we can let you know which rebates you can apply for– and help you with the application process if required.

Exciting technologies are being developed that will make our homes – and our cars – smarter, greener, more comfortable, and cheaper to run.  Almost without exception, these new technologies are based on the concept of the all-electric home.

This blog looks at:

• What’s driving the change to the all-electric home?
• What are the biggest energy guzzlers in the typical Aussie home?
• What new technologies are coming on-stream that will change our homes?

What’s driving the change to the all-electric home?

A powerful combination of converging trends is making the shift to full electrification of our homes and transport virtually inevitable.

These trends include:

• The imperative to act on climate change
• Technological developments including:
  • Internet of Things
  • Internet of Energy
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Battery storage
• Rising costs of fossil fuels
• Falling costs of renewable energy
• Increasingly time-poor society

When taken separately, each of these trends has the potential to transform the way we live, the homes we live in, and how we get around.  But when combined, these trends take on a new force which will have a profound impact on our homes of the future.

We’ll look at three of these mega trends in more detail: climate change, the Internet of Things and energy costs.

Climate change

Here in Australia, we love big homes.  We also love big cars, utes, pick-ups – you name it.  Because of our history as a resource-rich country, much of the infrastructure to support our way of life is based on fossil fuels.  As a result, we’ve become the world’s worse CO2 emitter on a per capita basis, at 5.34 tonnes every year.  That’s more CO2 emissions than the USA which comes in at 3.08 tonnes and China with 2.71 tonnes.  And taken on a household basis, the average Aussie home produces a massive 18 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

But now, the imperative to act on climate change is coming home to roost due to international pressure as well as climate emergency events like the flooding in northern NSW and Queensland. The Morrison Government has set a target of net zero emissions by 2050 and state governments are setting ambitious net zero targets of their own.

This is a good start, but still not enough.  Fortunately, there are other unstoppable trends will help speed up the rate of change and use of electricity of our homes.

Internet of Things

One of the biggest of these trends is the Internet of Things and Internet of Energy (which is a subset of the Internet of Things). The Internet of Things is based on the idea of connecting devices to the internet. This could be anything from a smart phone and a fridge to TVs, electric cars, batteries, and solar panel systems. Connecting these objects using sensors and smart software adds a level of digital intelligence to these devices, enabling them to communicate real-time data without human intervention.  The idea is to reduce waste in the system through digital automation.

The Internet of Energy refers to making electricity grids smarter at managing supply and demand by using cloud-based software to connect millions of residential and business solar rooftop systems using the main electricity grid as an ‘electricity super-highway’.  The Internet of Energy also works at household level using smart meters and smart appliances to optimise the use of electricity in the home and eliminate waste.

Energy costs

Solar is now the cheapest source of electricity, and cheaper than coal and gas according to the International Energy Agency. The performance of the best solar power plants in the world shows the cost of electricity from these plants is lower than from any other power source including fossil fuels.

The IEA says: “For projects with low-cost financing that tap high-quality resources, solar PV is now the cheapest source of electricity in history.”

For Australia, with our abundant sunshine and lots of space, this presents an incredible opportunity to become a world leader in renewable energy production, not just for the domestic market but also as an exportable resource to neighbouring countries.

This is already happening:

• Large-scale: SunCable’s venture in the Northern Territory to build a massive intercontinental power grid connecting Australia to Singapore to supply 24/7 renewable power.
• Domestic-scale: over 3 million Australian households now with rooftop solar

What are the biggest energy guzzlers in the typical Australia home?

A massive 79 per cent of household CO2 emissions are from energy; this includes the energy we used in our homes as well as fuel to run our cars.  Surprising, our emissions from agriculture (the food we eat) is just 17 per cent and waste is even less.

So, from an environmental perspective, it’s clear that the major thing we need to focus on is the decarbonisation of our electricity generation (phasing out coal-fired power stations), our cars (switching to electric), and our gas appliances.

Breaking down the total energy use in the home, fuelling our cars is the biggest energy guzzler at about 69 per cent of the energy in the average home. Space heating is the second largest user of energy with 11 per cent of total energy use.  Water heating comes in next at 8 per cent and cooking at 2 per cent.

When presented with these statistics, it becomes blindingly obvious which parts of our home we need to decarbonise.  And the good news is that doing this won’t mean you’ll be less comfortable or spending more money in the longer term.  Quite the opposite in fact: decarbonising your home and your car should result in a more comfortable lifestyle that costs you less!

What new technologies are coming on-stream that will change our homes?

Here’s a list of some of the new technologies that will electrify your home, making it smarter, more comfortable, cheaper to run and carbon neutral.

The best thing about all these technologies is that they will run off free electricity from your solar power system – and many of them are already available today!

Control systems

• One big operating system – to run your entire home
• One app – to control everything electric in your home
• House-wide sensors – totally automate your home

Transport

• Electric vehicles – charged for free using your own solar power

Solar energy

• Smart, future-proof solar panel systems [link to SolarEdge post]
• Battery storage – free solar electricity when the sun isn’t shining; backup power
• Electricity trading [link to post on energy trading] with your neighbours – based on Internet of Energy

Space heating and cooling

• Reverse-cycle air conditioning [link to post about Haier] – running on your free solar; controllable from anywhere
• Smart thermostat – WiFi enabled; integrates with Google Home, Amazon Alexa etc so you can control your home’s temperature even when you’re not there; learns your schedule to program itself to save energy

Hot water

• Electric heat pump hot water system[link to pop about hot water systems] – powered by your solar system
• Electric hot water pool pump [link to pool pump post] – powered for free by solar

Lighting

• WiFi light bulbs – control your home lighting using a smart phone

Appliances

• Smart fridges – tells you when food items are running out; re-orders for you
• Robot vacuum cleaner – switch between mop and vacuum mode when reaching different floor surfaces; links to your smart device via an app to tell it which rooms to clean
• Turn your wall into a mega TV – project photos, videos, office documents, stream movies
• Smart mini projector in your pocket – great for looking at anything digital on a larger display
• Robot chef – have your own professional chef in a robot form ready to cook whatever you want
• Wireless charging built into your furniture – no more lost or trailing cables
• Smart oven – let you preheat your oven from anywhere
• Smart security cameras – anticipate if someone is about to break into your house, sends them a verbal warning before triggering an alarm

Conclusion

Looking at the above list, it’s clear that the future is already here – at least with some of the items.

What’s also clear is that a solar panel + battery system is the fundamental building block for the all-electric home of the future.

Solar provides the power infrastructure you need if you are to capitalise on new technologies as they become available.

The good news is that there are new solar panel and battery storage systems [link to SolarEdge post] that are getting smarter with built-in future proofing with the all-electric home in mind.

What’s even better is that the cost of these future-proof solar power systems is less than you might think.

Get in touch

If you’d like to find out how SolarRun can design a future-proof solar energy system for your home, get in touch.  We are experts in solar panel technology, battery storage, electric hot water systems, electric space heating and cooling and more besides.  [put in all the links for each product type]

If you’re looking for the right advice to help transform energy use in your home to all-electric, we’re the people to talk to!

Most leading solar inverter manufacturers make three-phase inverters for commercial solar installations. These range in size from 10kW to 100kW plus.

This blog reviews six of the leading solar inverters in the 20kW to 40kW category.  This size solar panel system is suitable for commercial premises using 80-140kWh a day.

Each of the six solar inverters are rated on the following criteria:

1. Efficiency
2. Number of MPP trackers
3. Start-up voltage
4. Price
5. Warranty

On this blog:

• What each selection criterion means
• Summary table: how each inverter rates
• Conclusion

What each selection criteria means

Efficiency

Solar inverter efficiency is a critical rating that directly impacts the performance of your solar power system.

Solar inverter efficiency measures how much DC electricity (produced by the solar panels) is converted to usable AC electricity for your business or grid export.

Every extra percentage point in solar inverter efficiency helps maximize power output and payback. A difference of a couple of percentage points in solar inverter efficiency for a large commercial system can easily translate into hundreds, or even thousands, of kilowatt hours more power over a year.

And, of course, more power means lower electricity costs – which is what every business wants!

Number of MPP trackers

MPP trackers, or MPPTs, stands for maximum power point trackers.  An MPP tracker is an efficient DC to DC converter which maximizes the power output from connected solar arrays.

The reason why MPPTs are needed is because solar panels all produce slightly different levels of voltage and current. These differences are caused by the condition of the panel, the amount of sunlight hitting it, the temperature on the roof etc.

The problem is that a series circuit can only have one value of current, which will always be based on the worst performing solar panel.

What the MPPT does is vary the resistance in the circuit to adjust the voltage and current.  This evens out the current in the circuit, resulting in more power from each circuit with a MPPT.

So, if you had a 60-panel solar power system with just one MPPT, if one of the panels dropped in output to 60%, all 60 panels would drop to 60%.  If, however you had 60 panels with 3 MPPTs, with 20 panels on each MPPT – then if one of the panels dropped to 60% output that would only impact 19 panels, the other 40 panels would continue to generate maximum power.

Essentially, the more MPPTs your solar inverter has, the more solar power you get.  So, the more MPPTs the better!

Start-up voltage

When the sun wakes up, you want your solar power system to wake up too.  But some systems are early birds, and some aren’t!

The way to make sure you get a solar panel system that gets to work early is by checking the start-up voltage on the datasheet.

What you want is a solar inverter with the lowest possible start-up voltage – that way when the sun rises and sunlight hits your panels, they start generating power immediately.

Price

When it comes to price, you’ll find that the world’s largest PV inverter manufacturers – such as GoodWe and Sungrow – have the edge due to their economies of scale and massive investment in R&D.  Smaller, more niche European inverter manufacturers produce good products, but their cost base is higher resulting in premium prices.

In our opinion, some of the lower priced solar PV inverters from China’s largest inverter manufacturers are amongst the best commercial inverters on the market – the fact they’re cheaper is a bonus!

Warranty

Most commercial solar inverters sold in Australia come with a manufacturer’s product warranty of 10 years including parts and labour.

What’s surprising, is that two of the premium-priced European commercial inverters – SMA and Fronius – only have a 5+5 year warranty.  This means you get the first 5 years covered for parts and labour, but the second 5 years is only covered for parts.

Given that labour is always the most expensive aspect of any inverter replacement, a 5+5 year warranty isn’t very attractive – particularly when you can get a full 10-year product warranty on quality commercial solar inverters from other manufacturers.

Summary table: how each inverter rates

The six top commercial solar inverters are ranked in the table below based on the selection criteria.

Best commercial 3-phase solar inverters 2022: 20kW to 40kW

Conclusion

The GoodWe SMT Series of commercial inverters outperforms the other five inverters based on its combined ranking against the five section criteria: efficiency, MPPTs, start-up voltage, price and warranties.

Coming in a close second is SolarEdge.  Because SolarEdge works differently from other solar inverters using Power Optimizers, the overall system efficiency for a SolarEdge commercial solar system can exceed that of all its competitors in many circumstances.

The reason why SolarEdge is so efficient is because each Power Optimizer is a MPP tracker – so with a 60-panel system you have 60 MPP trackers.  That’s a multiple of 20X more MMP trackers than most other commercial solar inverters.

Even though the inverter efficiency for SolarEdge is fractionally lower than GoodWe, SolarEdge will produce more power over the lifetime of the system because each panel is optimized to produce maximum power and will not be affected by underperformance of other panels.

Another plus point for SolarEdge is that their optimizers have a 25 year warranty and their inverter is the only one to have a 12 year warranty – all the rest have 10 years or less.

When it comes to start-up voltage, GoodWe is a winner.  With a start-up voltage of 180V, the only other inverter to rival it is the SMA Tripower X.

Looking at price, GoodWe is a top performer coming in with an affordable price point for commercial solar inverters in the 20kW to 40kW size category.  It also has a good warranty – 10 years parts and labour.  However, when it comes to warranties you can’t beat SolarEdge!

All up, GoodWe is a high performance commercial solar inverter at an affordable price point backed by a solid 10-year product warranty.  However SolarEdge is a very close second and offers superior power generation performance over the system lifetime due to its unique Power Optimizer technology, plus an unbeatable warranty.

Get in touch

If you’re interested in a commercial solar PV system for your business or organization, get in touch.

We have extensive expertise in commercial solar system design, installation, and maintenance for systems sized from 15kW to 100kW-plus.  Plus, we also have the commercial kudos in solar financing to get you the best ROI and quickest payback on your investment.

Act now! Every day without solar means another day that you’re paying more than you need for electricity.

With thousands of solar companies in Australia, how do you choose the right solar company to install your solar power system?

This post provides a 15-point checklist of what to look for in a solar company.  Keep this list to hand when you’re shopping around for solar. It will help you choose the best solar company for your home or business.

What to look for:

1. Are they a CEC Approved Solar Retailer?
2. Do they use CEC Approved Solar Designers & Installers?
3. Do they have use CEC battery accredited installers?
4. Have they been operating for more than five years?
5. Are they financially solid?
6. Are they a big company, with local support?
7. Is their pricing competitive?
8. Do they supply leading brands that are CEC-approved?
9. Do they provide a five-year full system warranty?
10. Will they visit your home before providing a quote?
11. Do they provide a detailed professional quote?
12. Do they document all the warranty terms in the quote?
13. Do they provide an estimated timeframe for installing your system?
14. Do they provide good after-sales service?
15. What do their customers say about them?

Are they a CEC Approved Solar Retailer?

The Clean Energy Council (CEC) sets the standards for how solar companies operate in Australia. A CEC Approved Solar Retailer means the solar company is committed to industry best practice and responsible sales and marketing.

Benefits:

• No pushy sales tactics
• Professional quotation
• 5-year full system warranty
• Required in Victoria for solar panel & battery rebates

Do they use CEC Approved Solar Designers & Installers?

The solar company should provide you with evidence that your solar system will be designed and installed by a CEC Accredited Solar Designer and a CEC Accredited Solar Installer. These are two different accreditations; make sure that the team working on your solar project have both accreditations.

Benefits:

• Customised design
• Electrically safe
• Compliant with Australian standards
• Required for Federal Government solar rebate (STCs)
• Required for any applicable state government rebates

Do they use CEC battery installers? 

Even if you aren’t getting battery storage now, it pays to choose a solar company that employs CEC accredited battery specialists.  That way, you know that your solar panel system is battery-ready and won’t require major rework or unnecessary cost.  It also means that your battery installation meets the criteria for any battery rebates.

Have they been operating for more than five years?

Half of Australian solar companies operating in 2012 no longer exist today.  You should be looking for a CEC Solar Retailer that has been in business for at least five years in case you need to claim on a warranty.

Are they financially solid?

It’s easy for smaller solar companies to close quickly if they don’t have much of a business infrastructure.  Given that the solar company is responsible for important warranties on your solar system, this is the last thing you want.  Look for a solar company that is financially strong, with a good track record and operates at scale.  That way you can have confidence they won’t be shutting up shop at a moment’s notice.

Are they a big company, with local support?

Having a local solar installer is important. That way you know that if there are any issues with the system, support is not far away. Who wants to deal with a national solar company that hasn’t got local representatives?  You want a big solar company with local installers. That way, any issues get sorted fast. And you know there’s a big company providing all the back-up support.

Is their pricing competitive?

By choosing a big solar company, you’re more likely to benefit from competitive prices because of their strong buying power. Look for a solar company that buys direct from manufacturer, as opposed to buying from wholesalers.  By cutting the middlemen, you’ll find that their prices mean a better deal for you.

Do they supply leading brands that are CEC-approved?

Watch out for solar companies that have fine print in their quote which allows them to switch solar panels and inverters on day of installation.  You want to be sure you’re getting Tier 1 solar panels and quality branded solar inverters.  Make sure the brand and model number of the solar panels and inverter is shown on the quote.

Do they provide a five-year full system warranty?

SolarRun is one of the few Solar Retailers who provide a full system warranty to every customer no matter where they are in Australia.  The full system warranty covers the operation and performance of the whole solar power system, including workmanship and products.  It provides solar owners with complete peace of mind that their solar panels system will generate the power it is supposed to for the duration of the warranty period.  If it doesn’t, the full system warranty should state that the system will be rectified at the solar company’s cost. A full system warranty should be for 5 years from date of installation.

Will they visit your home before providing a quote?

Check that the solar company will visit your home to assess the technical aspects of your installation and review your energy usage profile with you.  Sometimes just viewing your home online isn’t enough.  It’s important that a qualified solar consultant visits your home to review your electrical set-up, and discusses with you the best location for the inverter and solar panels.  That way, nothing is left to chance.

Do they provide a detailed professional quote?

Make sure the quote is computer-generated; never accept a hand-written quote.  All components (the inverter, solar panels, battery, mounting system etc.) should be specified by quantity, brand, and model number.  Make sure STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates) are included on the quote – both the number of STCs and their value.  Make sure there is no clause that lets the solar company switch products last minute.  The quote should also include estimated system yield, so you know the expected power generation in kilowatt hours for the first year.

Do they document all the warranty terms clearly in the quote? 

Ensure that the warranty for each system component (i.e., inverter, solar panels, mounting equipment) is specified and links to the warranty documents are provided. Also ask for their full system warranty and workmanship warranty.

Do they provide an estimated timeframe for installing your system?

The solar company should state how many weeks it will take from the date you approve the quote to installation.  They should also specify any assumptions within that timescale that are out of their control (e.g., network distributor approval).  They should also let you know how long the actual installation will take and when you must be there.

Do they provide good after-sales service?

Ask the solar company what after-sales services they provide to ensure your system operates at maximum performance.  They should provide a maintenance schedule that includes a system check and solar panel cleaning if required.  If you have any questions about solar monitoring, you want to be sure that they have experts on their team who can help you.  Find out who you should call.

What do their customers say about them?

Check out their online reviews.  This is a good starting point but there’s nothing like talking to people who’ve had a system installed by the solar company you are considering.  Ask for a few customer references you can call.  Ask the solar owners about their experience of the solar company including their customer service, installation quality, and communications.  If there were any issues, find out if and how they were resolved.

Request a quote

If you’re thinking solar panels or battery storage, get in touch for a quote.

SolarRun is a CEC Accredited Solar Retailer with CEC Accredited Solar and Battery Designers and Installers.  As one of Australia’s top 4 Solar Retailers, we have the scale to purchase quality solar panels and inverters at excellent prices.  We pass these savings onto you; that’s why our systems are such good value.  Plus, we operate one of Australia’s largest solar franchises with local installers across Australia. So, chances are there’s a SolarRun installer near you!

If your business operates 9-5, installing solar is a great way to reduce your electricity costs and improve your bottom line.

It’s also a terrific way to demonstrate your business’s green credentials; something that will win you brownie points with many customers.

And, because of the fast payback on commercial solar, the financial case for solar is generally strong for both tenants and owner/occupiers.

On this blog, the 10 reasons why you should consider installing solar on your commercial premises:

1. Be cashflow positive from day 1
2. Achieve a fast payback
3. Reduce electricity bills
4. Improve cost control
5. Achieve a more secure energy supply
6. Benefit from low maintenance / high reliability
7. Access government incentives
8. Reduce carbon emissions
9. Boost your green credentials
10. Add commercial value to your property

1. Be cashflow positive from day 1

Whilst some businesses prefer to pay outright for solar, lease financing can be a great alternative.

If your business has high daytime electricity usage, we guarantee that we can design a solar panel system for you on lease finance that will be cashflow positive from day 1.

That means that the lease repayments will be less than the electricity bill savings from solar.

Typically, most commercial clients take out lease finance over a 4-to-5-year period.  After that, the full value of the electricity bill savings goes straight to the bottom line for the next 20-25 years.

Lease finance is also off-balance sheet, and therefore does not have a negative impact on your business’s borrowing capacity.

2. Achieve a fast payback

Thanks to a combination of falling prices for solar panels and generous government incentives, the payback on commercial solar systems can be as quick as 2-3 years – and around five years for 100kW plus system.

Every business is different in terms of the financial viability for solar and this is something we accurately model for your business as part of our commercial solar proposal and quotation service.

The table below shows the typical prices, solar generation, annual savings, and payback for different size commercial solar power systems offered through SolarRun.

Prices, bill savings and payback for different size commercial solar systems

Note: All figures are approximates. Prices are subject to change without notice.

3. Reduce electricity bills

Solar panels generate electricity when most businesses are at their busiest – which is also when they’re using the most electricity. That’s why installing solar is a great way to reduce your business’s electricity bills.

By utilizing the free electricity from your solar system, your business reduces its requirement for grid power.  Given that the amount most businesses pay for grid power is more than what they can make by selling their power back to the grid, utilizing self-generated power in the business is where the greatest bill savings are to be made.

4. Improve cost control

Every business wants predictability when it comes to costs.  By installing solar, your business takes control over a major portion of its electricity bill.  This reduces your business’s exposure to electricity price inflation.

What’s more, if your business wants to increase the use of electricity throughout its operations – through greater mechanization or by converting from gas to electric – the solar infrastructure will be in place to make this possible.

5. Achieve a more secure energy supply

Without electricity, most businesses would come to a grinding halt. Even short power outages can be detrimental to most businesses.  And, for some businesses, the financial consequences can be devastating.

Fortunately, solar is now a mature technology that can provide complete energy security even in emergency situations where there’s a power outage lasting days or weeks.

Whether your business requires a solar panel system with the highest levels of reliability, battery storage with full back-up, or even an off-grid system, the team at SolarRun can design a solar solution that will provide your business with a reliable source of electricity, 24/7.

6. Benefit from low maintenance / high reliability

High quality solar panels are designed to handled climatic extremes and should operate effectively for 25 years or more.  Some of the best solar panels come with 25-year product warranties, in addition to a 25-year performance warranty.

Solar inverters are also becoming more robust with many of the leading inverter manufacturers increasing their product warranties to 12 or 15 years.

And if you buy a solar panel system from SolarRun, no matter where you are in Australia, you’ll always get a whole-of-system warranty [link to post on Difference between workmanship warranty and full system warranty] for five years.  That’s a no-quibbles guarantee that we’ll fix your system at no cost to your business should anything go wrong in the first five years.

7. Access government incentives

The Australian Federal Government provides environmental certificates for businesses installing solar panels which significantly reduces the cost of solar.

If the solar panel installation is under 100kW, it should qualify for Small-scale Technology Certificates or STCs which effectively work as a point-of-sale discount on the purchase price of a solar system.

As shown in the table below, the value of STCs depends on where in Australia your business is located.

Value of STC discount for 40kW and 100kW commercial solar systems

If your solar system is larger than 100kW, it should quality for Large-scale Generation Certificates, or LGCs. LGCs work differently from STCs in that LGCs are paid out every 6 months based on the solar generation of your solar system.  One LGC is created for every megawatt hour of electricity your system generates.

Both STCs and LGCs are gradually reducing in value each year and will be phased out completely by 31 December 2030.  By acting now, you’ll be able to get the maximum value from this government solar incentive before the value drops.

It’s also worth noting that some Australian states and territories also provide incentives for businesses to install solar power.

In all cases, your business will only qualify for these incentives if the solar panel system is purchased through a Clean Energy Council (CEC) Accredited Solar and comprises of solar panels and inverters that are on the CEC approved product list

These incentives change from time to time, so get in touch if you’d like to know what solar incentives and rebates your business may be eligible for.

8. Reduce carbon emissions

With climate change now a mainstream issue, many businesses want to reduce their carbon footprint.  Because grid electricity is still predominantly generated from fossil fuels, using solar electricity instead of grid power is a far cleaner, greener way to power your business.

According to the Australian Government report, National Greenhouse Accounts Factors, for each kilowatt hour of solar electricity produced, there’s a saving of around 1.08kg of CO2 emissions

That means a 100kW commercial solar system in Victoria will save approximately 142 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and 3,550 tonnes over 25 years.  That’s the equivalent of just over 700 less cars on our roads over the typical lifetime of a solar system.

9. Boost your green credentials

Solar panels on your commercial premises are a clear message that your business cares about the environment.  If you want to go further, installing a TV screen in your foyer or workplace showing the real-time status of your solar power system also visibility demonstrates that your organization cares enough to invest in renewable energy.

This is backed up by research. In 2019, an Australian survey found that consumers want businesses to use renewable energy in their operations.  The research found that that 65.7 per cent of people would be more likely to buy a product or service from a company that used renewables and that 78.9 per cent of those polled agreed Australian companies should be using more solar and wind to power their operations.

This shows that investing in solar can also be good for sales!

10. Add commercial value to your property

A well-designed solar power system on a suitable roof is an asset that will increase the value of your commercial property. Potential purchasers will view solar panels on your property as an advantage because it reduces the overheads of any business operating from those premises. Using the solar monitoring system that’s part of your system, you’ll be able to demonstrate to interested buyers exactly how much power is generated by the system and how this would reduce their electricity bills.

The question of exactly how much value a solar power system will add to your commercial property will depend on various factors including system size, percentage of grid electricity offset by solar, age of system and warranty duration.   This highlights the importance of ensuring you choose the right solar company [link to blog about how to choose the right solar company] for your solar project.

Request a commercial solar quote

Get in touch if you’d like advice and a quotation for installing solar on your commercial premises.

Solar Run is a Clean Energy Council Accredited Solar Retailer and one of Australia’s top four solar installers by volume.  We have the skills and expertise in commercial solar to ensure you get the best solar power system for your business.  No matter whether you’re looking for a 20kW system or a 100kW-plus solar installation, we can help.

And when it comes to financing, we’ve got the solutions ready-to-go as well.  No matter whether it’s low-cost lease financing, a loan, or a Power Purchase Agreement, we can arrange the best financing to meet your business requirements.

We understand you need numbers to base your decision on.  That’s why in our proposal, we’ll clearly itemize:

• system cost
• projected year 1 bill savings
• solar generation by month (in kWh or mWh)
• return on investment
• payback period

We leave nothing to chance when it comes to solar.  And we back up every solar system we install with a whole-of-system 5-year warranty which means you’re covered for every eventuality.

Take control of your electricity costs and contact us today.

Yes, you can install a single-phase inverter on a three-phase home.  It is a good solution because you get the full value of your solar generation across all three phases, and you don’t have to pay for a more expensive three-phase inverter.

The reason why a single-phase inverter works on a three-phase home is because of net metering.

In this post we answer these questions:

• What is net metering?
• How does net metering work with a single-phase inverter on a three-phase home?
• How can you tell if your home is three-phase?
• When should I get a three-phase inverter?

What is net metering? 

It is correct that a single-phase inverter will only send electricity to one of your home’s three phases.  But from your point of view, this doesn’t matter.  Because of net metering, you will still receive the full value of your solar generation across all three phases regardless of whether you have a single-phase inverter or a three-phase inverter.

With net metering, your grid imports and grid exports are recorded and calculated across all three-phases – they are not calculated separately.

For example, if your system is exporting 4kWh on one phase, but importing 1kWh on each of the other two phases do you have to pay for the 2kWh of grid imports?  (This is an important question because the price of grid imports is much higher than what you are paid for grid exports).

The answer is no, you don’t pay for the 2kWh of grid imports.  That’s because the net meter calculates the sum of your grid imports (i.e. 2kWh) and subtracts that from the 4kWh of grid exports as follows:

Grid exports: 4kWh – Grid imports: 2kWh = Net result: 2kWh of grid exports

In the above example you are actually paid for 2kWh of grid exports.  That’s the beauty of net metering with a single-phase inverter on a three-phase property!

This is shown diagrammatically so you can see exactly how net metering works with a single-phase inverter on a three-phase property.

How can you tell if your home is three-phase?

The easiest way to tell whether your home is three-phase is to go to the switchboard and to count the circuit breakers.  A circuit breaker is an electrical safety device designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by an overcurrent or short circuit.

There will be a circuit break labelled as the “Main Switch.”  Looking at this you can tell how many phases of power you have to your property based on the width.  A single-phase switch will be the width of one ‘pole’, and a three-phase switch is the width of three ‘poles’.

Installing a single-phase inverter on a three-phase property is a good solution when you are installing a solar panel system up to 10kW.  It’s cost effective, you get the full benefit of your solar across all three-phases which you’ll see as credits on your electricity bill.

If, however you are thinking of installing a bigger solar power system because your power needs are increasing (i.e. EV charging, large air conditioning system, pool pump etc.), installing a three-phase solar inverter may be worthwhile.

Three Phase Power

Single phase

Get in touch 

Keen to get some price comparisons? Contact us for a quote and further information about the pros and cons of installing single-phase or three-phase inverters on your three-phase property.  We’re one of Australia’s largest Clean Energy Council Accredited Solar Retailers and have the expertise to design a solar system that meets your home’s energy needs today, and into the future.

Hot water heating accounts for 20 per cent of the total energy bill of most Australian homes. The best way to lower your hot water heating bills is to install a heat pump hot water system and power it with electricity from your solar panel system.

Even without solar, heat pumps are the most efficient way to heat hot water for Australian homes. They generate around three to four times more energy than they consume. That’s because they concentrate heat, rather than create it. The heat pump extracts ambient heat from the surrounding air and pumps it into a storage tank ready for use.

On this blog, we explain the top 10 reasons why your next hot water system should be a heat pump.

Cheapest to run

Because of their high efficiency, hot water heat pumps are four and a half times cheaper to run than a conventional electrical hot water system and around half the cost of gas hot water.  Even without solar, heat pumps are incredibly cost effective with average annual running costs of approximately $185 for the typical Australian home. If you install a solar panel system and use it to power the heat pump, you can cut the cost of hot water heating to virtually zero.

Source: Sustainability Victoria’s Hot Water Running Costs

Excellent lifetime savings

A quality heat pump should last for at least 15 years.  Assuming you have typical hot water requirements, your heat pump will cost you around $185 a year to heat your hot water.  That’s a cost of $2,775 over 15 years (and that’s without solar).

A conventional electric hot water system will cost around $12,300 to heat your household’s hot water over a 15-year period (assuming it lasts that long – generally they wear out within 8-10 years).

Gas instantaneous hot water systems are cheaper to run than gas storage systems.  Even if you have a gas instantaneous hot water system, it will cost you around $180 more a year to run than a heat pump hot water system.  And of course, you don’t have the opportunity to power a gas system for free with solar!

Ideal for Australian Climate

Heat pump hot water systems will work effectively in all temperature zones across Australia.  The refrigerant in heat pump systems can absorb heat even in temperatures as low as -20 °C.  That’s why even in the middle of winter in the middle of the Australian alps, a good quality heat pump will continue to generate all the hot water that a typical family home will need.

Most efficient

A hot water heat pump is at least 300% efficient at converting electricity to hot water. Electric-resistive hot water systems have an efficiency of less than 100%.  Heat pumps are also more efficient than gas hot water systems particularly if powered by solar electricity.

Never run out of hot water

Check out the specs for the hot water heat pump system you are interested in.  The models vary but you should be able to get a quality heat pump that heats 50 litres within 15 minutes. A 10 minute shower requires around 100 litres of water depending on the type of showerhead and how much water pressure is used. If you get a heat pump hot water system with a capacity of 300L, that should be enough to cover three ten minute showers in immediate succession.  Chances are this isn’t going to happen – but if it did it would take around 90 minutes to reheat all the water in the tank.

Safe

If poorly maintained, gas hot water systems can emit dangerous fumes and can even be a fire hazard.  Because electric water heaters have heating elements inside the tank, if the element fails this can be dangerous.

Hot water heat pumps don’t have any electricity inside the water tank.  They only use electricity to power the heat pump.  That’s why heat pump hot water systems are the safest form of hot water heating for your home.

Quiet

Good modern heat pumps can be extremely quiet.  Choose a quality heat pump, and you’ll find that the noise level from the pump is no louder than a modern electric fan, i.e., around 37-40 decibels.

Federal government STCs

Approved hot water heat pumps quality for federal government rebates – called Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). STCs can cut the upfront cost of a heat pump by $800-$1,040 depending on where you live in Australia.

Conventional electric hot water systems don’t qualify for STCs; neither do gas hot water systems.

State government rebates

Some state governments and territories such as the Victorian Government provide additional financial incentives for households to install an energy efficient heat pump hot water system.  These additional rebates work as a point-of-sale discount further reducing the out-of-pocket cost of a heat pump by as much as $1,000 or more.  These rebates are in addition to the federal government STCs.

Best for environment

Heat pumps are better for the environment than both conventional electric hot water systems and gas hot water systems.

Conventional electric hot water systems produce 4.75 tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, making them the worst CO2 polluter out of all hot water systems.

Greenhouse gas emissions from gas hot water systems and heat pumps are similar at around 1.6 tonnes per year. However, gas is more environmentally damaging, given that in Australia it is mostly extracted by hydraulic fracturing which can poison groundwater and threaten wildlife.

Connect a heat pump with your solar panel system, you can power your pump with renewable energy. This makes heat pumps the best environmental choice for carbon-conscious households.

Get a heat pump quote

Get in touch if you’d like a quote for a heat pump hot water system from SolarRun.  We stock high quality heat pumps with good warranties, which will save you hundreds of dollars a year on power. We can also set up your heat pump correctly to work with your solar panel system, if you have one.  If not, why not get a quote from us for solar as well?