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Most solar panel systems are perfectly safe and cause no harm to property or people.  However, poorly installed solar systems using low quality products can be risky.

The risk can arise with solar panel systems that use a string inverter.  With string inverter systems, high direct current (DC) voltage from the panels runs across the roof to the inverter where it is converted to safer alternating current (AC) power.

In fact, the maximum DC voltage for Australian residential solar panel systems has recently been increased from 600V to 1,000V making the issue of solar system safety even more critical.  This compares with 240V AC power that’s used in the home.

Unless all components of the string inverter solar system have been installed to the highest safety standards using high quality panels and cabling, there is a (slight) risk of solar fire.  Clearly this is the last thing anyone wants.

On this blog:

• Solar safety risks
• Why SolarEdge = safe solar
• SolarEdge versus Enphase
• SolarEdge: first for safety and value

Solar Safety Risks

1. DC Isolators

The main cause of solar fires are faulty DC isolators according to Fire and Rescue NSW.  A DC isolator is a switch installed next to a solar panel array which can be manually turned off to shut down the DC power between the solar panels and solar inverter.

Poor quality DC isolators increase the risk of solar fire

Due to hundreds of emergencies caused by poor quality DC isolators, Australian Standards for solar systems have changed. As from December 2021, new solar panel systems no longer require DC isolators; they are now optional.

Many of the problems with DC isolators come down to the poor quality of the DC isolator and the workmanship. That’s why choosing the right solar company that doesn’t cut corners is so important. It’s also why alarm bells should ring if you are quoted a super-cheap price for solar.

2. Poor quality DC components

Other causes of solar fires include:

• • • poor quality DC cables
    • poor quality DC connections at the inverter
    • ageing DC connections which may corrode
    • rats and possums chewing through solar wiring

If any of these faults occurs, it can produce an electrical arc which can melt steel and glass and set most building materials on fire. It is therefore vital that there is a reliable safety mechanism built into your solar system to prevent an electrical arc occurring.

Mark sure a solar fire doesn’t happen to your home

3. Poor quality mounting system

   Another lesser known risk with solar can occur if the mounting system is not strong enough to withstand high winds or if it doesn’t have sufficient corrosion protection.  A cheap, low-grade mounting system may damage your roof and may not stay on in high winds.

   As the mounting system is the base of your solar system, it must be fully weather resistant and provide adequate protection for the system’s cables.

   If you live by the sea, the desert or anywhere that gets very windy, question your solar company closely about the quality and strength of the mounting system they are proposing for your solar installation.

4. Minimising risks

With any solar system, it is highly recommended that you have it regularly maintained to ensure safety of the DC isolator, panels, inverter and mounting system.

Advanced solar monitoring can also provide early warning of any system malfunction caused by DC-related faults, hot spots and microcracks.  This can be an excellent form of ‘solar insurance’ and can be retrofitted to most solar power systems, regardless of inverter brand.

Talk to SolarRun if you would like your solar system checked to ensure it meets safety standards or if you are interested in advanced solar monitoring.

Why SolarEdge = Safe Solar

SolarEdge uses Power Optimizer technology which overcomes the inherent safety issues with conventional string inverter systems.  A power optimizer is a small device that is attached to the back of each solar panel

Power Optimizers use Module-Level Power Electronics (MLPEs) to individually control and condition the quality of DC power generated by the solar panels.  This conditioned power is sent to a simplified string inverter which converts the conditioned DC power to AC power for use in the home or business.

With traditional inverters, even when the inverter is shutdown there is still high voltage in the wiring making it unsafe to touch.  SolarEdge systems have a built-in SafeDC™ feature which ensures that the output voltage of each module is reduced to a touch-safe 1V whenever AC power is turned off.

This SafeDC™ feature replaces the requirement for a DC isolator or an alternative plug and socket arrangement.

In addition, the latest version of SolarEdge includes a sensor on each power optimizer – called SolarEdge Sense Connect* – which automatically monitors each panel and detects faulty wiring that could result in electrical arcs. If this happens, an automatic alert is sent to the installer (and the solar owner) pinpointing the panel(s) that are compromised.  Where overheating occurs, the sensor immediately detects this and automatically shuts down the entire system.

Safety issues addressed by SolarEdge power optimizers

SolarEdge vs. Enphase

Besides SolarEdge, the other main alternative to a string inverter system is the Enphase microinverter system.

Like SolarEdge power optimizers, Enphase microinverters are little black devices that sit on the back of each solar panel to individually optimise each panel.  Both Enphase and SolarEdge enables panel-level optimization, they can overcome partial shading, provide panel-level monitoring, and cater to complex multi-directional roof layouts.

Where Enphase microinverters differ is that they convert the DC power from the panel to AC power at panel level. This means there is no high voltage DC power running across your roof which makes the Enphase system inherently safer than a conventional string inverter solar system.

Does this make Enphase safer than SolarEdge?

In our opinion, the answer is no.  SolarEdge power optimizer systems are just as safe as Enphase microinverter systems thanks to the proactive panel-level fault detection and ability to reduce panel voltage to just 1V.

So, what are the advantages of SolarEdge over Enphase?

This table summarises the plus-points of a SolarEdge power optimizer system over Enphase.

SolarEdge: first for safety and value 

SolarEdge power optimizer systems lead the market for solar safety and value.  With smart built-in safety features, SolarEdge systems are just as safe as Enphase microinverter systems but offer additional value with a longer warranty, greater heat tolerance, higher efficiency, and lower price.

SolarEdge systems can handle complex roof layouts and mismatched panels.  So, if you install a SolarEdge system today you can add more solar panels down the track, even if the panel brand and wattage is different.

There are a host of other advantages that the SolarEdge system has over Enphase when it comes to solar battery storage, EV charging and future-proofing your home.

Get in touch if you would like to learn more or request a quote.

*Updated via firmware later in 2022

Getting the right solar set-up to charge your electric car at home is important. The good news is that most solar households can produce enough free solar electricity to charge an electric car to cover the typical daily commute. Better still, it is highly cost-effective. This blog explains the key facts you need to know to drive your electric car for free on solar.

1. Think “partial charging”

Partially charging your electric vehicle, or EV, with your own solar electricity is realistic. Fully charging your EV every day with your solar is not realistic, in most cases.  That’s because the size solar panel system you’d need is way too big.

Here’s why:

• To fully charge a Tesla Model X (100kWh battery) – you need a 25kW solar panel system (approx. 64 panels)
• To fully charge a Nissan Leaf (40kWh battery) – you need a 10kW solar panel system (approx. 26 panels)

In each case, this wouldn’t leave any extra solar to cover your household’s electricity requirements.

Whilst a 15kW system may be just enough tofully charge a Nissan Leaf and cover your household electricity needs, it’s probably still not quite big enough.  And it certainly wouldn’t provide enough power to charge a battery for overnight EV charging.

Rather than try to install enough solar to fully charge your EV – or even two EVs – every day, it’s more viable to focus on partial daily charging.

That way you don’t need a mega mansion with masses of roof space for all those solar panels!

2. How much extra solar will I need?

This depends on the battery capacity of your EV, its range, and your daily commute.  The maths formulae you need to calculate the size solar panel system is explained on this post.

To cut to the chase, the amount of solar you need to cover a 100km daily commute is approximately:

• 2kWh – for a Nissan Leaf
• 6kW – for a Tesla Model X

Adding an extra 2kW or even 6kW to the size solar panel system you get installed is feasible. It is also much more cost-effective than attempting to install enough solar to fully charge your EV every day.

3. How quickly can I charge my EV at home?

This depends on the power source, the charging connector, and the car.  The key metric is the number of kilometers of driving range you can add in an hour. (Kilometers of range refers to far you can drive using the charge in your battery).

With Tesla EVs using the Tesla Wall Connector Charger, you can add between 11km and 80km of range with one hour of home charging depending on the EV model and your power source.

You’ll get more range per hour if you have a three-phase power connection to your property.

You can use a normal 230V outlet to charge your EV, with a suitable connector, but it will only provide around 10km of range per hour.

4. How much can I save?

This depends on the power source, the charging connector, and the car.  The key metric is the number of kilometers of driving range you can add in an hour. (Kilometers of range refers to far you can drive using the charge in your battery).

With Tesla EVs using the Tesla Wall Connector Charger, you can add between 11km and 80km of range with one hour of home charging depending on the EV model and your power source.

You’ll get more range per hour if you have a three-phase power connection to your property.

You can use a normal 230V outlet to charge your EV, with a suitable connector, but it will only provide around 10km of range per hour.

Get ready for EV charging

If you’ve got questions on the best size solar system to charge your EV and meet your household energy needs, get in touch.  We can crunch the numbers for you, for your EV and your home energy usage.  We will then recommend the best size solar system to meet your needs and fit your budget.

Why pay for solar with cash? You finance your car and your phone – why not solar as well?

Solar pays for itself. A well-designed solar panel system, paid for on finance, should be cashflow positive from day one.

Your electricity bill savings should be higher than your loan repayments from the start. Then when your loan is repaid you get the full benefit of all the electricity savings.

And you achieve this without using your own cash.

Check out the deals on our website to see how little you need to invest upfront to go solar.  For example, a 6.6kW solar system for $99 out-of-pocket and a 10kW system for $900 out-of-pocket.

On this blog, we explain the advantages of buying solar on finance and provide examples of the savings you can make.

• Advantages of buying solar on finance
• Example: 10kW solar system
• About Plenti, our finance partner

Advantages of buying solar on finance

1. Better off from day 1

Even with monthly repayments, with solar you should be financially ahead from the start.  Because electricity prices are so high, a solar panel system can significantly cut your electricity bills.  The savings can be hundreds, or even thousands of dollars a year, depending on how much electricity you use.

This means your electricity bill savings should be higher than your monthly finance repayments. That’s even with a repayment period of 4 to 5 years.  And, of course, after that you get the full savings on your electricity bill for another 20+ years (i.e., the life of your solar system).

2. Reduce electricity bills

The longer you wait to install solar, the longer you keep paying more than you need to for electricity.  With solar finance, you don’t need to wait.  You can get solar panels installed now and enjoy lower electricity bills immediately.

3. Keep your cash

Unexpected expenses can crop up at a moment’s notice. That’s why it’s good to have cash in your kitty for ‘just in case’.  There’s nothing like knowing you’ve got enough to cover you in case your car breaks down, you have an unexpected medical cost or something big needs fixing around your home.  With solar paying for itself right from the start – even with loan finance – there’s no need to dig into your own savings.

4. Protection from rising electricity prices

No-one likes bill shock. Least of all a mega power bill that comes out of the blue. The best way to protect you and your family from escalating energy costs is to install solar. With solar, you have the infrastructure in place to de-risk your home from rising gas prices as well.  You can think about a gradual transition to an all-electric home that’s 100 per cent powered by free electricity from your solar panels system.  With new solar technology available that makes it easy to add more panels and a battery later, you can start with what you need – and extend it later without worrying about your investment going to waste.  Get in touch if you would like to know more.

5. Get solar rebates before they drop

The Federal Government’s solar rebate – called Small-scale Technology Certificates (STC) – cuts the cost of solar by around 30 per cent.  However, this rebate is being phased out, with an annual reduction in value through to 2030.  Buying solar today means you’ll get the STC solar rebate at its current high value.  Wait a year, and the value of that rebate will be lower – around several hundred dollars depending on your size system.

The same goes for state government solar rebates such as the Victorian Government’s solar panels rebate available through the Solar Homes Program. Currently worth up to $1,400 this rebate gradually being scaled back through to 2030.

6. Cheap finance

Interest rates are at an all-time low in Australia.  Loan finance is as cheap as it has ever been.  And with solar paying for itself immediately, you won’t need to take out finance for a long period.  Most of our customers find the ‘sweet spot’ to be a repayment period of between four to five years.

Example: 10kW solar system

Here’s an example of the costs and savings (as of 03/2022) for a typical high quality 10kW solar panel system in Melbourne installed by SolarRun. This is an ideal size system for larger homes.

• Pre Solar Vic rebate price: $8,100
• Solar Vic rebate: $1,400
• Interest-free loan: $5,800
• Out-of-pocket cost: $900
• Monthly electricity bill savings: $220 (approx.)
• Monthly repayments on interest-free loan*: $114 – Approx savings per month $178, Cash flow positive $63 per month, Cash flow per year for $763
• Loan period: 48 months

The monthly electricity bill savings are based on:

• Grid electricity: 27 cents per kilowatt hour
• Solar exports: 7 cents per kilowatt hour
• Consumption of solar electricity in the home: 50 per cent

These are realistic assumptions for most larger family homes in Victoria.  The most important thing for you to know about solar is this:

The more solar power you can use in your home, the greater your bill savings. 

To get the lowest electricity bills, you need to minimise the amount you export to the grid – and use as much of your solar power as possible in your home.  That saves you from having to buy expensive grid electricity.  And that’s where solar really saves you money!  It’s called maximising your solar self-consumption.

As you can see from the above example, right from the start this family home would be $63 ahead every month with a 10kW solar system purchased through SolarRun with interest-free finance.  Then after 5 years when the finance is paid off, the family benefits from the full electricity bill savings of around $220 a month.

About Plenti, our finance partner

At SolarRun, we offer interest-free finance through Australia’s #1 rated consumer lender Plenti.  We’ve partnered with Plenti because:

• They offer amongst the best rates in the market
• They’ve got more 5-star reviews than any other personal lender
• They’re keen on green: having helped over 17,000 households with $120m+ in solar and home battery loans
• They have a fast, simple loan application process

Get in touch

If you’re interested in buying solar on finance, get in touch.  We can provide a quote showing the finance costs and savings for your property. With that information, you’ll be able to see exactly how solar on finance stacks up for your home and budget.

Risen Energy announced last week that it has increased its product warranty from 15 to 25 years on selected solar panels in Australia.

This is a big deal for Australian solar customers.

Why?

It’s because most solar panels come with a product warranty of 10 to 15 years.  Until now, there’s only been a handful of premium solar panel brands that have a longer product warranty.  In fact, the number of premium panels with a 25-year product warranty can be counted pretty much on one hand!

What’s not to love? Good looks, great price, unbeatable warranty

So now there’s an affordable solar panel brand – that offers good looks and great performance – with an unbeatable 25-year product warranty.  That’s great news for Australian households and businesses wanting the best value from their solar dollar!

But don’t all solar panels come with a 25-year warranty?

The answer to this is YES – all solar panels come with a 25-year performance warranty.  But this is different from the product warranty.

Product warranty: why it’s the most important warranty

The most important warranty for solar panels is NOT the performance warranty but the product warranty. The product warranty is the warranty that you are most likely to claim on if there’s a fault with your panels.

The 25-year performance warranty sounds great but it’s not worth much.  It simply tells you what level of power output your panels should produce at the end of 25 years, compared to their day 1 efficiency.

Has anyone been able to claim on the 25-year performance warranty?

No doubt a few people have tried to claim on the performance warranty. Chances are they didn’t get very far with their claim. That’s because it’s notoriously hard to prove.  It’s more an indication of panel degradation rather than a rock-solid warranty that you can rely on.

That’s why the product warranty for solar panels is so important.  Because if a panel has a fault or there’s problem with the panel wiring or a crack appears, you can claim on the panel product warranty.  The solar panels performance is pretty much useless in these situations.

Risen solar panels with a 25-year product warranty

The new 25-year product warranty applies to selected Risen solar panel brands installed from February 1, 2022.

Risen solar panels with a 25-year product warranty are:

• Titan S RSM40-8-xxxMB
• Titan S RSM40-8-xxxM with black frame
• RSM130-8-xxxMB
• RSM130-8-xxxM with black frame

This 10-year extension to the product warranty speaks volumes about the confidence Risen has in the quality of its panels.

In fact, according to Risen Group’s Head of Product Development, Danny Song, improvements in material and module processes, as well as the company’s 20+ years in manufacturing enabled the extension.

This is good news for anyone thinking of putting Risen solar panels on their roof!

Are Risen solar panels any good?

Risen solar panels are excellent panels with an efficiency rating of up to 21.3 per cent, wattage per panel of up to 390 watts, and excellent anti-corrosive properties.

These stats compared favorably with premium panel brands that typically have an efficiency rating of 21-22 per cent, a similar wattage panel and equivalent climate-resistant qualities.

When it comes to toughness and reliability, Risen panels lead the pack.  Their modules are designed to withstand the harshest climatic conditions like severe salt mist and blown sand resistance, making them ideal for properties in coastal and desert regions.

What about Risen as a company?

Risen Energy is a Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer based in China.  Founded in 1986, it is one of the longest established solar panel companies in the world.

Risen established its presence in Australia in 2008, supplying solar panels and energy storage systems to the residential market, commercial market, and utility developers.

Today, Risen is one of the top five panel suppliers in the Australian rooftop sector.  It is also successful in the solar farm sector with 100MW-plus solar farms in Queensland and Western Australia. Risen won the best preforming solar farm in Australian in 2021.

Risen has two customer service offices in Australia: one in Melbourne, the other in Brisbane.

Risen solar panels: the verdict

Risen solar panels have always been a stand-out choice for performance, durability, and quality.

Now, with the new 25-year product warranty, Risen solar panels provide a huge leap in additional value that’s hard to beat.

That’s why at SolarRun we recommend Risen solar panels when performance, reliability and value are top considerations.

Request a quote

If you’d like a quote for a solar system using Risen solar panels, get in touch.  If you’re interested in a comparison of Risen solar panels with other leading brands, we’re happy to provide that too.

If you’re thinking of installing solar panels, there are two important warranties to watch out for: the workmanship warranty and the full system warranty. A workmanship warranty should come as standard with any solar panel system purchased in Australia. However, a full system warranty is over and above Australian industry standards – and lots of solar companies don’t provide one.

The workmanship warranty only goes so far.  If you’re wanting complete peace of mind that your solar power system will deliver the goods, you need a full system warranty as well as the workmanship warranty. Plus, you need a solar company that’s big enough to still be in business down the track in case you need to make a claim.

On this blog:

• Workmanship warranty: what’s covered
• Full system warranty: what’s covered
• Difference between workmanship and full system warranty
• How to check out the solar company behind the warranties

1. Workmanship warranty: what’s covered

Provided by your Solar Retailer, this warranty covers you if there’s a problem resulting from the workmanship of the installers.

A good workmanship warranty should cover you for:

• any defects in the system caused by workmanship during installation
• rectification of any damage to your property or leaks caused by the system or the installers.

The workmanship warranty should be for a full five years from date of installation.

Where the workmanship warranty applies, the solar company should either:

• re-do or repair the installation; or
• replace any faulty part with a comparable new or refurbished part so that the installation is no longer defective.

This should be done at the cost of the Solar Retailer.

A word of warning: watch out for workmanship warranties that only go half the way.  For example, solar companies that charge you a call-out fee or don’t cover the full cost of replacing parts.  With a good workmanship warranty, you won’t be landed with an invoice for shipping or labour.

2. Full system warranty: what’s covered

Only a few Australia-wide solar companies provide a full system warranty on a solar panel system. That’s a shame for their customers, as this warranty is worth having!

SolarRun is one of the few Solar Retailers who provide a full system warranty to every customer no matter where they are in Australia.

Solar Retailers who provide a full system warranty are demonstrating a commitment to providing their customers with a level of warranty support that goes above and beyond industry standards.

The full system warranty covers the operation and performance of the whole solar power system, including workmanship and products.

Performance of a solar power system means power generation.

So, this warranty 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.  And 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.

You can see why this is a valuable warranty!

3. Difference between workmanship and full system warranty

Here’s a summary of the difference between a workmanship warranty and a full system warranty.

As you can see, the workmanship warranty is good as far as it goes. When you’ve got a proper full system warranty as well, you’re sorted!

4. How to check out the solar company behind the warranties

Any solar warranty is only as good as the solar company behind it.  There’s no point getting a great looking system warranty if the company backing it goes out of business.

Here we give you the inside information to know what to check in the solar company you’re thinking of selecting for your solar panel installation.

Here’s the checklist:

• Make sure they are a Clean Energy Council Accredited Solar Retailer (this demonstrates commitment to the highest solar industry standards).
• Get a copy of their workmanship warranty and full system warranty before you place your order. Read it carefully and check it covers the points mentioned in this post.
• Make sure the company has been in business for at least 5 years.
• Check out their online customer reviews.
• Ask for customer reference sites you can speak to, in particular those who have made a claim on the workmanship and full system warranties.
• Look for a company that operates at scale. Smaller solar companies can close-up shop more easily and re-emerge elsewhere under a different name. It’s much harder for a big business with lots of staff to do this.

Get the best

Get in touch if you are looking for the peace of mind that comes with a full system warranty for your new solar panel system.  At SolarRun, we provide industry leading warranties so your solar keeps working for you, year after year.

Great solar, with zero hassle.  That’s what we do!

For many landlords, the idea of spending several thousand dollars to install solar panels on their rental property seems ludicrous. Why would you do that if you don’t pay the electricity bills? Of course, there’s the feel good factor from reducing the carbon footprint of your rental.  But that’s a lot of money to spend to help the environment.  Most landlords would love to do it if they could afford to but, at the end of the day, the numbers have to stack up.

In this article we’ll dispel the common perception that solar on rental properties doesn’t generate a good return. In fact, the opposite is true.

Done right, installing solar on a rental property should mean that both the landlord and the tenant are better off.

On this post we delve into the benefits of solar to both landlords and tenants.

Landlord benefits

1. Increased rent

It’s now proven that tenants are willing to pay extra rent for properties with solar as their electricity bills will be lower.

In fact, two thirds of renters would be willing to pay at least $5 more a week for a property with solar panels, while 55 per cent would pay at least $10 more according to a survey commissioned by Origin Energy in 2018.

That was four years ago.  In 2022, you’d expect that figure to be bit higher.  If we assume a 10 per cent increase on 2018 figures, that works out as an annual rental increase of between $570 and $600 because of installing solar.

And these are just averages.  If your rental property is larger than average, it’s a fair bet that your tenants would pay even more in rent in return for solar panels that helped cut their bills.

2. Property value

How much exactly could solar add to the value of your property?

The clever people at Origin have looked into this as well.  They found that solar panels can add at least $10,000 to the resale value of your property – and that was back in 2018.

According to their survey, 57% of people said they’d pay up to $10,000 more for a home with solar energy installed.

They also found that 77% of Australians think that solar panels add value to a property.

What’s clear from this research is that homes with solar panels command higher prices.

With a typical 6.6kW from SolarRun costing $4000-$6,000, it’s clear that solar makes sense on property value alone.  You’re pretty much doubling your money when it comes time to sell your property.

3. Solar Victoria rebate

If you have a rental property in Victoria, you may qualify for an upfront reduction in the purchase price of a solar system of up to $2,800.  That amount comprises of a solar panels rebate of $1,400 and an interest-free loan of the same amount.

Landlords can claim this rebate for up to two rental properties a year in Victoria through the state government’s Solar Homes program.

The landlord receives the full value of the solar panels rebate against the purchase price of the solar panels system.  As the landlord, you can then choose whether to take out the government’s interest-free loan which is repayable over 4 years.

There are two options for loan repayments:

• A landlord can make the full monthly loan repayment of $29.16; or
• The landlord and renter can agree to split the loan repayments where the renter contributes up to 50 per cent of the monthly repayment.

Getting the rebate is reasonably straightforward given that it has been designed to include as many rental properties as possible.  The main criteria are:

• renters have a combined household income of under $180,000 per year
• the rental property is valued at less than $3 million and does not have solar panels
• there has been no prior participation in the Solar Homes program for that address
• a Solar Homes Rental provider-Renter Agreement is signed by the rental provider and all renters
• the property is currently tenanted with a rental agreement in place.

To be eligible for an interest-free loan, the landlord needs to provide a satisfactory credit report that is less than 12 months old.

Get in touch if you have questions about this rebate or would like help applying for it.

4. Increased renter retention

With solar panels on their home, tenants will save hundreds of dollars each year off their energy bills.  This means they will be more likely to stay in the property if they can heat and cool their home at an affordable price. Ultimately, this results in lower vacancy rates and a better return for the landlord.

For landlords, solar is a great way to attract higher value tenants who stay for longer.

It also means happier, more comfortable tenants!

5. Tax deduction

With solar you should be able increase the rent.  But isn’t that just going to increase the tax you have to pay on your rental income?

Thanks to the ATO’s rules regarding solar, that’s not the case.

Under ATO rules, solar panels are a capital expenditure item which you can write off as depreciation over 20 years (that’s the period which the ATO deems is the useful life of your system).

The ATO allows you to claim a 10 per cent decline in system value each year using the ‘diminishing value’ method.

For a $6,200 system, this means you could claim $620 in the first year, $558 in the second year, $502.20 in the third year and so on. This equates to more than $4,000 worth of deductions over 10 years, offsetting the tax payable on most of the extra income from raising the rent.

Tenants Benefits

1. Reduced electricity bills

With a typical 6.6kW solar system, tenants can save around $120 a month on energy costs. That’s assuming they use around 50% of the free electricity from the solar panels in their home.

With lots of energy smart tools available – like in-home energy monitors [link], advanced solar monitoring  and Wi-Fi enabled appliances  – achieving these savings should be easy for most people, even if they are out most of the day.

An extra $120 a month makes a big difference to most household budgets.

So, if you decide to increase the monthly rent by around $40-$50 to contribute towards the cost of the system, your tenant will still be better off.

2. Reduced carbon footprint

With climate change constantly in the news, most people want to take positive action to reduce their carbon footprint.

Renters, like most people, are becoming increasingly well-informed about the importance of switching away from fossil fuels and using renewable energy to power their home.

However, renters have been left on the sidelines for a long time when it comes to solar.  Just over 30 per cent of all Australian homes are rented – and most of these don’t have solar.  In contrast, around one in three owner-occupied dwellings have solar panels on the roof.

Most renters want solar panels for financial and environmental reasons.  With better information about the benefits of solar for both landlords and tenants, it can only be hoped that more rental properties will get solar.

Fortunately, the tide is changing in favour of rental solar. The numbers look good for both renters and landlords. Both parties stand to benefit.

And that can only spell good news for the environment.

Get in touch

For a quote for solar on your rental property, get in touch.  We can size the solar system correctly to maximise the financial benefits to you and your tenants. Plus, we can help with cost-effective energy-saving systems that will increase use of solar power in the home.

You’re keen to get solar panels on your home.  You’ve got a quote.  But then you find out that you aren’t allowed to export your surplus solar to the grid.

That doesn’t seem fair, right?  You won’t be able to get the feed-in tariff.  And the extra solar your system produces will just go to waste.

You wonder, is it even worth getting solar?

Good question.

This blog explains why solar is still worth getting for most households, even if you are export limited.

We cover:

• What export limiting is
• Why solar is still financially worth it, even if you’re export limited

What is export limiting?

Before you can get a new solar panels system installed on your home or business, it must first be approved for grid connection by your local network distributor (that’s the company who owns the poles and lines in your area.)

These network distributors are big; and they each have their own rules.  They are also a monopoly in the area they service, so you’ve got no choice but to go with them – or go off-grid!

The formal application to connect your proposed solar system to the grid is generally handled by your Solar Retailer.  Normally the network distributor approves the request if it complies with their rules for how much solar you can install per phase.  (Most homes are single phase and can have between 6.6kW to 10kW of solar installed, depending on the network distributor’s rules).

But sometimes they come back with a ‘no’.  This could either be:

• You can’t export any surplus solar power to the grid (i.e., zero exports); or
• You can export some or your surplus solar power, but not all of it (i.e., export limiting.)

Understandably you may feel disappointed.  But the good news is they aren’t stopping you from getting solar panels installed.  You can still get a decent size solar system on your roof and power your home for free during the daytime.  And if you decide to add battery storage , you can power your home for free at night as well!

Why is solar is still worth it, even if you are export limited?

The answer to this question is simple.  It’s because the feed-in tariff is low – and going even lower in the next 6-12 months.  And because electricity prices are so high.

Combine these two factors with the extremely competitive pricing you can get on quality solar panels systems from SolarRun (!) and the financial justification for solar – even with export limiting – is a no-brainer.

Let’s unpack this by looking at two facts:

• Fact 1: The feed-in tariff has dropped in value and is now worth an average 6-7 cents per kilowatt hour.  And the downward spiral is expected to continue with a scheduled drop of another 1-2 cents in the middle of 2022 in Victoria and possibly other states. So, it’s not worth much at all.  Pretty much peanuts in fact!
• Fact 2: Grid electricity is pricey.  The average Australian home is paying around 26-30 cents per kilowatt hour for grid electricity. Avoiding this cost by using your free solar power saves money right away.

Let’s take the example of an Australian family who uses 20 kilowatt hours of electricity a day (the Aussie household average) and pays 30 cents per kilowatt hour for grid electricity.  This table shows the more they ‘self-consume’  of their own solar electricity, the bigger the bill savings.

Savings with solar: Use more of your own solar power for the greatest savings

*Note: Assumes 30 cents per kilowatt hour for grid power

What’s clear is that the biggest savings with solar are when you use your own free solar electricity to power your home.  The more you can use of your own self-generated solar power, the less you need to buy from the grid.

So how can you do this?

The main ways you can get your solar self-consumption percentage to 50% or greater are:

• Use timers on appliances to run them in the middle of day
• Invest in a Wi-Fi enabled reverse-cycle air conditioning system [link to post] to heat and cool your home using your solar.
• Switch from gas hot water heating to an electric heat pump hot water system [link to post], running off solar
• Use the advanced monitoring capabilities [link to Solar Analytics post] in modern solar inverters to get real-time information on how electricity is being used in the home (both solar and grid power)
• Get battery storage [link] installed and run your home on solar 24/7
• Join a Virtual Power Plant program  and export stored battery power for a lot more than the feed-in tariff
• Install an EV charging system  to charge an electric car  for free with solar.

As you can see, there are lots of ways to maximise the value from your solar panels system.  The more you can switch your home to all-electric appliances [link to all electric post], the more you can power for free from your solar.

If you haven’t got reverse-cycle air conditioning or an electric hot water heat pump yet, consider getting these installed.  Heating and cooling, as well as hot water, account for the lion’s share of energy use in most homes.

Get off gas and onto electric – and power it with solar.

Start taking these steps and you’ll be amazed at the savings.  And you’ll also realise why the export limit is nothing to worry about at all.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about export limitations, or would like a quote for a solar system, get in touch .  As a Clean Energy Council Accredited Solar Retailer and Installer, we can advise and quote on solar panels systems, solar batteries and solar monitoring systems.  Plus, we sell and install reverse-cycle air conditioners and electric heat pump hot water systems.  We stock leading brands and – thanks to our scale and buying power – our prices will impress!

If you can’t measure it, you can’t monitor it.  This saying holds true for your home electricity usage, as much as anything else.

If you know how much electricity you and your family are using – and what it’s costing – you can do something about it.  Otherwise, you’re in the dark, literally!

And let’s face it, none of us like bill shock.  Those unexpectedly high electricity bills that leaves us wondering ‘what happened there?’ are not a lot of fun.

That’s why at SolarRun we are offering a free in-home energy monitor to all Victorian households who request an in-home sales consultation.  We install it on your switchboard in about 10 minutes during the visit, set up the app and it’s yours to go – no catches.

Even if you decide not to purchase solar, you keep it.  There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain!

What is the energy monitor? 

The energy monitor is a personal energy manager for your home that helps you track and control your electricity usage.

It works using a small device that connects with your electricity meter and, using Bluetooth, provides real-time energy data to your phone in the form of easy-to-read graphics and stats.

The energy monitor includes a fully customizable energy budgeting tool which is perfect for keeping your electricity bills under control.  All you do is input your electricity tariff details (if you like, our sales consultant can do that for you) and you’ll see exactly what you’re spending every day on electricity.  Spot those power-hungry appliances and weed them out!

Why get it installed?

Have you ever wondered whether it’s worth installing solar?  What about a battery – does your night-time usage justify the expense?

And just how much power is that old electric hot water system using?  What about the kids gaming machine? How can you convince them to power it down at night?

You’ll get answers to all these questions – and more besides – when you install the in-home energy monitor.  You’ll be able to see exactly how much more electricity your home is drawing from the grid when the kids switch on the TV, or when your air con kicks in.  Plus, you’ll see what it’s costing you.  No more nasty electricity bill surprises.

You can even set a monthly household electricity budget in the app and see how you’re going against that.  Conversations around the dinner table can take a whole new angle!

Why is it free?

Through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, the cost of the energy monitor as well as the cost of installing it is covered by the Victorian Government.  They’re doing this to help households cut power bills and reduce CO2 emissions.

At SolarRun, we’re proud to be a partner in the Victorian Energy Upgrade program providing this useful tool that helps you save money and become more energy aware.

Features and benefits

The energy monitor packs a lot into a little device.  Here’s a quick overview of the main features and benefits:

• In-home portable display monitor and smart phone app
• Monitors electricity usage every 30 seconds
• Tracks how much electricity you’re using and what it’s costing
• View data in hours, days, and months
• Easy-to-read graphs and stats
• Set up your specific tariff details
• Track actual electricity costs v. budget
• Weekly reports, high usage alerts
• 45 days stored data within the device. Lifetime data can be accessed via the app
• Rated to withstand extreme weather conditions
• All data is secured. No privacy data is shared with third parties.  Data can be erased from device and cloud.
• 7 years battery lifetime
• 5 years product warranty

Claim your free energy monitor

Contact us today if you’d like a free in-home energy monitor.  It’s a great tool for getting a handle on your electricity usage and costs.  It’s also useful if you’re thinking of installing solar or a battery.

Even if you don’t get solar, this little device will help you save money for years to come.

Get solar, and you can continue to use it to track and reduce your grid electricity usage.

In-home energy monitoring: it’s a win/win whichever way you look at it!

Petrol prices are skyrocketing and, as a result, interest in electric cars is going through the roof.  Driving around, it’s amazing to see the number of new electric vehicles on the roads.

Whilst powering your EV with grid electricity is cheaper than fueling at the pump, using your home-produced solar power is best because it’s completely free!  But how much solar do you need to charge your EV?  And what size battery is required for overnight charging?

On this blog:

• Fully charge your EV with your solar. Is it possible?
• How much solar do I need to charge my EV?
• What about a battery for charging my EV?
• How much can I save?

Fully charge your EV with your solar.  Is it possible?

Pure electric vehicles – like the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model X – have batteries ranging in size from 40 kilowatt hours to 100+ kilowatt hours.

Kilowatt hours, or kWh, are a measure of electricity. You can think of kilowatt hours of electricity for an EV as the equivalent of litres of petrol for conventional petrol-based cars.

Before getting started it’s important to know that on average in Australia, each kilowatt of solar panels installed generates 4 kilowatt hours of electricity every day.  (This varies depending on where you live – with Melbourne at around 3.7 kWh and Queensland around 5kWh).

This means that a 5kW solar panel system will produce around 20 kilowatt hours of electricity a day.  The table below provides more examples of the power output and number of panels for different size solar systems.

Solar system sizes and electricity production (average)

To fully charge a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery using power from your solar panels, you’d need a dedicated 10kW solar system and around 26 panels (however this wouldn’t need any solar power for your home).

Fully charging the 100kWh battery of a Tesla Model X using solar power would require a 25kW solar panels system.  That’s a whole lot of panels so you’d need a massive roof, not to mention deep pockets!

The take-away message is: Don’t expect to fully charge your electric vehicle with your solar power system every day.  You don’t fill up your car with petrol every day, so why do that with your EV?

Realistic goal

The more realistic goal for most homeowners is to produce enough solar power to charge your electric vehicle(s) so the daily commute is covered.

Given that most car owners travel between 10km and 60km every day, it is entirely feasible to charge your EV for free with your solar to cover this commute.

Think: partial charging of your electric vehicle every day with your solar – rather than full charging – and you’re on the way to mega savings!

Plus: consider going bigger with your solar panels.  10kW or more is a sensible choice if you are planning on purchasing an EV now, or down the track.

How much solar do I need to charge my EV?

To work this out, you first need to know:

• Range of EV
• Battery capacity of EV
• Daily commute distance
• Hours of ideal sunlight

Here are some examples which we’ll use in the calculations that follow:

Now, we’ll do some simple maths to calculate the amount of solar power you’d need to cover the daily commute in your EV.

There are three steps:

• Step 1: Work out the number of kWh of electricity to travel one kilometer
• Step 2: Work out total kWh per day to cover your daily commute
• Step 3: Work out solar system size to cover your daily commute
• Step 4: Size up to compensate for conversion losses

Step 1: Number of kWh of electricity to travel one kilometer

Calculation: Battery capacity ÷ range

This shows it takes 0.187 kilowatt hours of electricity to travel one kilometre in a Tesla Model X.

Step 2: Total kWh per day to cover your daily commute

Calculation: Kilometres/day x kWh/km

This shows it takes approximately 18.7 kilowatt hours of electricity to travel 100 kilometres in a Tesla Model X.

Step 3: Solar system size to cover your daily commute

Calculation: kWh/day ÷ sunlight hours/day

This shows you’d need an extra 4.7kW of solar panels installed to cover a daily commute of 100km in a Tesla Model X.

Step 4: Size up to compensate for conversion losses

The above numbers assume a 100% efficient system, but there are always losses in power conversion process (from DC to AC and vice-versa) and also the tilt/orientation of your roof may not be 100% ideal.

That’s why we recommend increasing your solar system size by 20% to allow for these typical conversion losses.

This shows you’d need an extra 5.6kW of solar panels installed to cover a daily commute of 100km in a Tesla Model X.   If you have two Tesla EVs, you’d need to double this.

What about a battery for charging my EV?

A battery is a great way to charge your EV overnight using your stored solar energy.  However, most batteries are around 10kWh or 13kWh in storage capacity.  So, if you have an EV with a 100kWh battery and you’re travelling around 100km a day, even a 13kWh battery won’t be big enough to cover you.  However, if you have a Nissan Leaf, this is entirely do-able.

Battery storage is a great way of charging your EV overnight.  But you may need to supplement it with grid power depending on the size of your EV’s battery and how much charge you need.

How much can I save with solar charging my EV?

With pump prices at a record $2.00/litre in Melbourne in early March 2022, the economic rationale for switching to an EV is stronger than ever.

The average petrol car uses 10.6 litres of fuel per 100km. If fuel is $2.00 per litre (current price in Melbourne March 2022), it costs $21.20 to travel 100km. This is more than 4x the cost of the Tesla Model X and more than 13x the cost of the Nissan Leaf.

Costs of powering an EV versus petrol car for a daily commute of 100km

With the average kilometres travelled in Australia for private vehicles at around 13,250/yr, car owners switching from petrol to electric could save up to $7,154 (with the Nissan Leaf).  This is based on using grid electricity 100% to charge the car.

However, if the EV owner charges their car 100% for their daily commute using their own solar power, they’ll save an additional $580 to $1,800 a year depending on the model EV they own.  (The higher savings figure of $1,800 is for EVs with 100kWh batteries such as the Tesla Model X).

Whichever way you look at it, the financial benefits of upgrading an EV and using your solar to charge it are excellent.

It’s also startlingly clear that the value of your solar electricity is so much greater if you use it to reduce your motoring costs rather than exporting it to the grid which pays peanuts (around 6-7 cents per kilowatt hour).

One thing for sure, we’re all going to get a lot more savvy calculating the value we can get from every precious kilowatt hour of electricity produced by our solar panels systems!

Getting the right solar to power your EV

Get in touch if you’d like the best solar power system to charge your EV.  We have a range of solar panels systems and batteries that can meet the needs of all homeowners, no matter whether you want to:

• Increase the number of solar panels on your roof
• Install a 10kW + solar panels system
• Install a battery that’s big enough to charge your EV and home overnight
• Get three-phase power installed and go big!

You’re planning a new build.  Or maybe you want to cut the energy costs in your existing home.  What’s best?  Gas or electric?

This post explains why ditching gas and going all-electric is the way to go.  Installing efficient electric heating and cooling, hot water and cooking appliances will save you thousands of dollars every year.  Power them with free electricity from your solar panels and you could be getting close to near-zero power bills.

On this post:

• Gas: Why it’s getting more expensive and dirtier
• Top 3 reasons to make your home all-electric
• How gas can be harmful to your family

Gas. Why it’s getting more expensive and dirtier

In the past, gas was seen as the cheapest option for home heating, hot water, and cooking. But now it is one of the most expensive ways to power your home – and the dirtiest.

What’s going on?

Firstly, most of the gas we produce in Australia is now being exported.  A massive 80% of all Australian natural gas production is going overseas, leading to escalating gas wholesale prices at home.  For example, in the last 6 months wholesale gas prices in Victoria rose a massive 77 percent.  And that’s not going to change.  According to Parliament of Australia gas prices will continue their upward trajectory and “increase significantly in eastern Australia, as the development of new gas export terminals leads to a tightening of supply.”

Secondly, gas used to be seen as a cleaner alternative to coal.  But now that’s not necessarily the case.  Most of the easily extracted gas has been sourced, and environmentally damaging techniques like hydraulic fracturing are now being used.  “Fracking” leaks large amounts of greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere, which more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide.

So, gas is on the way out.  It’s expensive – and getting more so.  Plus, it’s bad for the environment and that won’t change.

Electricity from the grid isn’t perfect.  It’s still mostly from dirty sources and it’s expensive. Fortunately, this is changing as federal and state governments invest more into transforming the grid into one predominantly based on renewables.

But Aussie homeowners aren’t waiting around for changes to happen.  Over 3 million Australian households have taken matters into their own hands and installed solar.  We’re the biggest solar nation on a per capita basis and that’s because it’s the best way to cut power bills – and it’s good for the environment too.

For homeowners, the messages are:

• New builds: Forget about gas. Invest in an all-electric solar-powered home with at least 6kW or 10kW of solar panels and battery storage if budget allows.
• Existing homes: If you’re got a dual-fuel home, upgrade old gas appliances over time with efficient electric appliances. Invest in a 6kW or 10kW solar panels system if you haven’t already. Or add more panels to make your system bigger (this is now possible thanks to some exciting new solar technology so get in touch if this is of interest).

Top 3 reasons to make your home all-electric

In this section, we’ll delve into the top 3 reasons why you should consider an all-electric home.

Save money 

Heating, hot water and cooking are the three main gas users in the home.  Replacing these with efficient electric versions on the market will save you money from the get-go.  And the great thing is that you can then use solar power to run them for free.

Here are some facts:

“Using a reverse-cycle air conditioner over an efficient gas heater reduces energy costs by 45 per cent.” – Renew

“Turning on your reverse-cycle air con can be the cheapest way to heat your home over winter.” – Australian Energy Foundation

“Victorian homes can cut their energy bills by up to 80% by ditching gas, adding solar and switching to electric for heating, cooking, and hot water.”  Environment Victoria.

“Fully electric homes power by solar save owners between $9,000 and $18,000 over 10 years compared to home with both gas and electric, without solar.” – Climate Council report

The advice from the experts is clear – gas is expensive. Switching to electric appliances will save you hundreds of dollars every year, even without solar.  Add solar, and the savings are even greater, reducing your annual household energy costs to 20 per cent or less.

Safer and healthier

Whilst any energy system has some level of risk, modern electric appliances are generally safer than gas equivalents.  Electric appliances have fuses, circuit breakers, surge protectors etc., and Australian standards for solar panels systems have significantly improved in recent years with new automated, intuitive safety features to protect your home.

Gas systems, whilst having many safety features, are inherently riskier.  Gas stove tops have a naked flame and are the number one cause of kitchen fires.  Induction cooktops, on the other hand, don’t even get hot unless there is a pan placed on them, greatly reducing the possibility of kitchen burns.

The fumes from gas cooktops can also be bad for us.  A new study reported by the ABC found that leaking methane from natural gas-burning stove tops is posing a risk to health.  Worryingly, researchers said that “Our biggest surprise was that most of the methane we measured leaked to the air while the stoves were off.” There is evidence to suggest that 12% of childhood asthma is due to being exposed to the gas from stoves and cooktops.

Maintaining your gas systems properly will of course help, the same goes for electrical systems.  But the risks of poorly maintained gas heating systems are enormous including carbon monoxide poisoning or gas leaks and explosion.

The cheapest alternative to gas heating is also better for your health. Reverse-cycle air conditioners  purify the air and improve the comfort of your home. With advanced filters and humidifiers, modern air conditioning units can maintain humidity in the air at around 50% which is the optimal level for comfort and helps who suffer from allergies.

Weighing up the pros and cons of gas v. electric, modern electric appliances beat gas hands-down on safety and health criteria. The major risk facing all-electric homes is blackouts and this can be addressed with solar panels and battery storage.

Better for the environment

With the climate crisis, many people are looking to cut their carbon footprint.  Installing a 10kW solar panels system gets most Australian homes well on the road to net zero carbon emissions.  It’s the fastest way to reduce your household’s environmental impact.

With a solar system of this size (or a bit bigger), you should be able to run your all-electric home in the daytime mostly on clean solar energy.  Add battery storage, and you can power your home through the night without drawing on power from the grid.

Plus, with solar you can make an even bigger environmental contribution if you decide to get an electric car and charge it from home.  The financial benefits of powering your EV with solar are nothing short of remarkable.

A solar-powered all-electric home.  It’s a smart way to future-proof your home from rising power prices, cut your energy costs and help the environment.

Get in touch

If you want to make the move to an all-electric home powered by solar, get in touch.  We have the expertise in electrical systems, solar and battery storage to cut your power bills and help you make the move to all-electric.  We supply and install: