As our economy moves forward to ever greater use of renewable energy, what of our homes? What choices can we make to ensure our homes are greener and cheaper to run? Solar is a great starting point. A quality rooftop solar panel system provides the infrastructure to get your home running on clean renewable energy. […]
Category: analysis
Reverse-cycle air conditioning: the cheapest, greenest way to heat and cool your home
Is heating and cooling your home costing you a small fortune? Did you know that inefficient heating and cooling systems can account for up to 40 per cent of your annual power bill? The cheapest way to heat and cool your home these days is with an efficient reverse-cycle air conditioning system, also known as […]
Victorians can now get rebates for solar panels and hot water heat pumps
The Victorian Government has announced an expansion of the Solar Homes Program enabling homeowners to access rebates for both solar panels and solar hot water or high-efficiency electric heat pumps. Previously, homeowners could only access either the solar panels rebate or the solar hot water rebate. Now, households can apply for both – and it […]
Future proof your new solar system
If you’re buying a solar panels system, you want to know it’s future-proof. It’s always hard to predict the future, particularly when it comes to energy. All you can do is look at technology trends and consider how relevant they may be to your situation. In the future, it’s likely that more and more homes […]
What size solar panel system do I need to charge my EV?
On this post, we show you how to work out the size solar panel system you’ll need to charge your electric vehicle, or EV, from home. The good news is that working this out is simple. Once you’ve got a handle on how the method works, you’ll find it a quick and useful way to […]
What size solar panel system should I get for my home?
Ten years ago, the average size residential solar system was around 2.6kW (approx. 13 panels at 200 watts per panel). Today it’s around 6.6kW (approx. 17 panels at 390 watts per panel). Industry projections are for the average size to increase to 10kW or more. In fact, that’s happening already. Look around and you’ll see […]
GST: A ticking time bomb for the Australian solar industry
There’s a right way and a wrong way to calculate GST on residential solar power (PV) systems. For various reasons, some solar companies are calculating GST in the wrong way. This is resulting in a massive underpayment of GST by Australian solar companies worth millions in unpaid taxes. This is a ticking time bomb for […]
Will I be charged for my solar exports anytime soon?
You may have heard about a proposed “Sun Tax” on solar exports. Maybe you’ve seen recent media coverage about curtailment of rooftop solar. Clearly, there are challenges in the national electricity market. But does that mean you’re going to be charged for exporting your surplus solar to the grid? The short answer is ‘probably not’. […]
Bigger rebates for Victorian households who join a new Virtual Power Plant Pilot
Victorian homeowners who purchase battery storage now have the option to join a new Virtual Power Plant Pilot (VPP) through the Victorian Government’s Solar Homes Program. If eligible, homeowners will receive a boosted battery rebate of $4,174 as well as financial incentives from their VPP provider. Each VPP plan is different. Most provide ongoing electricity […]
What are distributor inverter limits?
When you’re looking into getting solar panels on your home or business, you may hear the term, ‘distributor inverter limits’. You may even be told that you can’t have the size system you want because of these limits. For anyone new to solar, it’s fair enough to query these limits. Why put a limit on […]
