What is solar power?

Solar panels, also known as Photovoltaic Arrays (“PV”), are made up of PV modules, which are environmentally sealed collections of PV cells – the cells that convert sunlight to electricity. The sun shines on the solar panels generating Direct Current (“DC”) electricity. The DC electricity is fed into an inverter which converts it to 240v 50hz Alternating Current (“AC”) electricity and then this powers the appliances in your home, office, business premises, factory etc. Any surplus electricity is fed back into the main electricity grid.

Why go Solar?

The advantage of solar energy is that the fuel is free and unlimited. The total amount of energy irradiated from the sun to the earth’s surface far outweighs energy consumption. Yet these benefits remain largely untapped. Solar power is a prime choice in developing an affordable, feasible, global power source that is able to substitute fossil fuels.

A solid international consensus now clearly states that business-as-usual is no longer an option if we are to prevent dangerous climate change and the world must move into a clean energy economy. Solar power is a prime choice in developing an affordable, feasible, global power source.

What is a Feed in Tariff?

A feed in tariff is the rate at which you are paid for the electricity you produce. Please ask your electricity retailer for details.

What is the difference between the net and gross feed in tariff?

A gross feed in tariff will pay you for all the electricity produced by your solar system.

A simple example of a net feed in tariff would be if you are out during the day, any surplus electricity produced by your system will build credits against your electricity bill. Most electricity retailers are required by law to pay you for your credit. You will need to check with your electricity retailer.

How much electricity will my solar system produce?

Typically in a year a 1 kw solar system will produce approximately 1,200 Kilowatt hours (KwH) in the southern regions and 1,500+ KwH in the northern regions. See the Clean Energy Council web site for specific details of expected output in your local area. You can quickly understand the % of your total electricity the system will generate by dividing the expected production/annual consumption (refer to your bill).

Is Grid Connect solar power the same as solar hot water?

No. Solar hot water uses heat from the sun to heat water, a basic principle. In a Grid Connect System the Photovoltaic (solar) panels convert sunlight into DC power. The DC power produced is converted into AC by the inverter and the energy is available as standard 240 volt power in the home.