Return Solar Guide

SOLAR MADE SIMPLE

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING SOLAR FOR YOUR HOME

CREATED BY ALEX DUNCAN

GET THE RIGHT IDEA ON SOALR

The following information highlights all of the key areas you need to know about, and get right, when you start thinking about having solar installed on your roof

Before we get into the nitty gritty, I would like to share a little bit behind why this information was put together in the first place The catalyst for putting my time into creating this was due the confusion and stress I get told about every day when talking to people at the beginning of their solar journey, and unless you ’ ve spent time in the industry, it’s very hard to know what’s legit and what’s part of a sales pitch You have an overwhelming amount of choice these days - with thousands of products to choose from, and the hundreds of providers all doing the “ same thing”- with some pushing to send “specialists” to your house for the hard sell, before providing you any real information besides promises of the sun and the stars it’s hard to know who you can trust and what’s actually real.

I like to be honest and upfront about most things. So, my view on solar is that it wont work or make sense for everyone If thats you, I'm sorry. You'll be stuck paying unreasonable money just to stay warm When the economics of solar makes sense, what are you held up on? I'm not here to push anything - so have a read through (google any thing you'd like to cross reference, nothing else will be this simple and upfront) and ensure you are in a strong position of knowledge to make a good call on whether solar will working for you or not If you chose to look around on your own - go for goldyou are well equipped. If you would like me to help you, please feel free to get in touch

Thats enough waffle... Let’s get started with a little overview of the big picture stuff, and from there we can take a deeper dive into the nuts and bolts of solar.

Key Areas

Introduction

PAGE 01

Government Incentives

PAGE 02

Payment Options

PAGE 03

Choosing the right Installer

PAGE 04

What happens after install PAGE 05

Product Essentials

PAGE 06

How to design a system

PAGE 07

The Government Gives Me What?

No doubt you ’ ve already heard about the “Government solar incentives” probably more times that you can count with all the facebook ads plastered everywhere What’s actually going on ? And do you actually get $7,000 back..?

The short answer is; maybe Let’s take a look at how they actually work and what you can get

First things first, this type of incentive operates on something called STCs (Small-scale Technology Certificates) A residential solar system under 100Kw (KiloWatts) is eligible, provided you purchase a full new system Simply replacing an old inverter, for example, means you are not eligible.

There are 3 factors that are used to calculate the value of an STC

1) The size of your system: Bigger means you get more, but the system also costs more (it scales with the system size).

2) Your climate zone: QLD access this slightly differently than we do in NSW

3) The deeming period: Every calendar year the value of any given STC drops slightly (it will continue this trend every year until 2033, when it finally drops to $0).

There are a few ways companies will tell you they use the “incentive” A lot will tell you they use it to cover the upfront cost (deposit) if you chose to go down the finance route Others will increase the overall cost of the system to include the incentive so they can keep the extra cream

In reality, a 6 6kW system will get you around $2,600 from the government and the remaining cost, depending on the type of gear you choose, will be between $5,500 to $9,500 at the top end.

STC's are issued to you when your new solar system is commissioned. The installer will submit paperwork detailing every panel and inverter barcode plus photos proving the installation meets standards. This ensures you are getting a brand new solar system.

You'll be asked to sign the SCT's over to the installing company. Why? What you're issued are literally certificates, and to get their value in cash, you need to sell them on the STC marketplace. Your installer will always take the STC value off the price they give you because of this.

You Want How Much?

Typically, you will get two options when it comes time to talk dollars and cents One; pay for the system outright Two; finance the system through the installer.

“Interest free”, “0% interest”, " no upfront cost" - sounds pretty good right? Well, more often than not, interest free means instead of adding interest annually - like your home loanthere is a lump-sum added onto the total cost of your solar system! Sometimes this additional cost can be as high as 22% had you opted to just pay for it upfront

Occasionally (and area dependant) we sometimes see true interest-free loans offered through the government. If you work with a trustworthy solar company, they will be able to provide the relevant information

At the end of the day, if your home can accommodate a solar system that is properly sized to knock your bills down a significant amount, the money you spend either upfront or through financing is better off in solar compared to throwing more and more into infinite (and of recent times) rapidly increasing electricity bills.

Simply put, if you pay $500 per quarter, that’s $2000 a year a top line $10,000 solar system will pay itself back in just 5 years! The expected, and warrantied, life-span of the panels is 30 years

Now bear in mind that quick calculation doesn’t factor any increases in electricity rates do you remember seeing on the news a projected rise in the next 12 months of another 50%+?

Do the math yourself with your bills However do me one favour please If you decide to look at how much money you ’ ve spent on electricity since you owned the home, please be seated

KEEP IN MIND... YOU DON’T NEED TO LIMIT YOUR FINANCING OPTIONS ONLY TO WHAT THE SOLAR COMPANY'S OFFER YOU. YOUR HOME LOAN COULD BE THE MOST COSTEFFECTIVE OPTION IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE CASH ON HAND RIGHT AWAY.

Who Are You Guys Again?

Solar has been booming in the Australian residential sector for the last 20 years, and in recent times, it has gone into overdrive… There are now so many companies, more than ever, to choose from. The local installer, the national company, the door knockers, the phone calls Oh God the phone calls! It makes it hard to know who to go with, especially hearing all the horror stories on the news and reading about them in the papers.

The issue comes down to two different types of incompetence Firstly, and most commonly, solar companies go bust or choose to shut up shop constantly… Either they've made their cash and bounced, or had so many warranty claims, and not enough new business, they end up bankrupt Either way, it leaves their customers hoping nothing goes wrong with their system, because no one is there to support them. We call people like this “solar orphans”, and unfortunately about 1 in 3 Aussies with solar are in this situation right now. The other, and more sinister, operating method is when a company gets too many warranty claims, or too much negative attention and they phoenix themselves (shutting down one company, taking all the cash and opening up another to do the same thing) The end result is the same, but in a much more sleazy way.

Due to all the issues that have come about from fly-by-nighters and cash grabbers, we have two industry bodies: the CEC (Clean Energy Council) and the CER (Clean Energy Regulator). The main organisation we need to worry about is the CEC, as they set the standards installers must adhere to, as well as a set of standards sales organisations must stick to when selling to consumers They issue licenses to installers and larger sales organisations, plus set the list of products that are entitled to receive the government incentives upon installation

The best way to avoid getting into a situation like this is to do some research and go with someone that’s upfront and honest with you BS might get someone in the door, but you’ll inevitably catch a whiff as you start applying and referencing the knowledge you learn in this guide

I am open to helping you get started with solar - if you think it’s something that will work for your family and your home I only ever take on a small number of clients as my prioritise are focused on quality and helping my current customers adapt for the future, so I limit my numbers to ensure you get the best service. If I can’t help you right away, I would be more than happy to recommend some stellar alternative options for you

It's On My Roof... Now What?

There is often confusion about what exactly to expect after the installation is complete, and you ' re left alone for the first time with your new solar system Remember the feeling of taking your first child home... Well this is nothing like that - but you ' re welcome to think of it as your new electricity bill-destroying baby!

So, let’s chat about how it all goes after the installers leave The day the solar is installed and turned on, you'll start saving immediately. One caveat to this is that sometimes we need to wait for AusGrid or the network provider to change your meters before the solar can be switched on - once this occurs, saving commences!

I outline usage habits in detail in the next pages, but essentially whatever appliances you run during the day are powered by your new system and the cost will come off your bill If you have a $500 quarterly bill right now, after you get solar it’s reasonable to expect it to come down to $200 with okay usage habits The better you use the system, the more it’ll save you. I’ve designed systems that have brought $500 quarterly bills into the doubledigit range It's possible - and you might be surprised at how easy it is

In a perfect world, once your solar is on the roof, you won’t need to think or worry about it again But just in case something happens, your solar company will be there to get you back on track The more the years go on, the more reliable and consistent solar products get, so these days you should expect a headachefree solar experience for 30 plus years

From here, the next thing that will happen is electric vehicles that can be charged from your solar, and be used as a battery for your home overnight. Alternatively, a lot of people are already looking into dedicated batteries to cover the night-time period completely It is important to factor this future planning into the system you have installed today

I have put together a document dedicated to helping you optimise your energy usage with solar, and another to help you problemsolve on your own before calling someone for help If you would like either sent to you please email me so I can get them to you

Did You Know...

Any new systems installed today will come with a monitoring system that connects your inverter to your phone. Pretty cool right? You'll have live production data, as well as a historic log, so you can keep up with exactly how well your system is performing.

The Nuts and Bolts of Solar

As of December 2022, more than 3.36 million Australians have solar installed on their roofs This is huge social proof that solar works But, you still need to understand the concept behind solar, and how it’s going to reduce the cost of your electricity bills. For better understanding, let’s take a dive into the equipment and how they all work together to power your home

BASIC COMPONENTS OF SOLAR

1.Panels

You may know this already, but the big black rectangles that go on your roof are responsible for capturing the suns photons (energy carrying light particles) to produce electricity. This process is called Photovoltaics (or PV).

Did you know the power that comes directly from the panels isn’t quite ready to be used in the home?

Here is a list of the components that make up your solar panel and a little diagram to help you out.

1 Solar photovoltaic cells

2. Toughened Glass - 3 to 3.5mm thick

3 Extruded Aluminium frame

4 Encapsulation - EVA film layers

5. Polymer rear back-sheet

6 Junction box - diodes and connectors

To save you a long-winded spiel… All top-tier panels are very similar these days, so provided you work with a reputable installer, this is something you don’t need to worry about too much A quick tip for easy comparison is to look at the duration of the warranties, the type of materials, and how long the manufacturer has been operating

Keep an eye out for these terms: Mono-crystalline and Poly-crystalline. They refer to the different methods used when forming the silicone to make the Solar Cells in your panels These differences greatly vary the performance and life-span of your panels You want to ensure the panels you get are MONO-crystalline, as they are the best options for longevity and peakperformance

Solar Nuts and Bolts Continued

2. Inverters

The brains of the system As I mentioned above, the feed you get from the rooftop panels isn’t quite ready to power your home Panels produce DC (direct current) but our homes and the grid use AC (alternating current) Your inverter "inverts" the solar DC into the AC that we need to run our homes, or sell back to the grid

There are 2 different styles of inverter… One is called a string inverter, the other is called a micro-inverter. The simple explanation as to their differences is: String inverters have all the roof-top panels feeding together into one central inverter. Whereas micro-inverters are located behind each panel, and do the inverting (DC to AC) immediately at the panel String systems are better for a simple roof with no shading Micro-inverters are better suited for roofs with lots of shading and tricky angles/directions of the roof-faces

Again, the top tier inverters are all fairly similar in quality, however the thing to keep an eye out for are the warranties and what option will best suit your roof. Some manufactures will offer 5-years plus 5-years coverage… The first 5-years includes parts and labour, but the second 5 only covers parts. Others will offer an option to extend the warranty to 20 years of full coverage for an extra cost

Incorrect placement can make a huge impact to the life-span of this essential unit In most cases a string inverter will go near your switchboard One important thing to keep in mind is the amount of direct sunlight it may get there Inverters don’t like baking in the sun day after day, this is a sure-fire way to kill them prematurely! The ideal location is the south or southeast wall of your home If this isn’t possible, inside the garage is a decent alternative, or a simple shade structure to keep the direct light and heat off the inverter. Micro-inverters are a little easier, as they sit safely underneath the panels on the roof.

3 Racking and Railing

These are the components that mount the panels to your roof The CEC (Clean Energy Council) sets standards to ensure all the materials used are high quality.

There are two steps to installing these components on your roof:

1) The footings attach to the substructure of the roof (battens/ purlins) and are the anchor points for the entire system.

2) Rails fix to the footings to support and provide secure anchor points for the solar panels

Mounting the roof-top components in this way ensures nothing short of a foundation-cracking earthquake or roofrelocating cyclone will affect your solar system.

4 Cabling and Conduit

Connecting your roof-top panels to the inverter and switchboard will be a cable run In most cases, this runs through the roof cavity, and then through the eve down into the inverter

This is a great example of why it’s better to spend a few extra bucks to ensure you get installers who have the skills and care to leave you with a watertight and fireproof install

All installers accredited with the CEC will provide a minimum 5-year workmanship warranty, so you need not fret about leaks. The top-tier companies will put their warranties where their mouths are and can offer up to 20 years on the workmanship warranty

5 Batteries

The way these work is straightforward: When the sun shines on your panels, the solar system is supplying the power to your home… So any appliances you run will be powered for free directly off your roof. Now, if no appliances are running, what happens to your solar electricity? It gets fed back to the street- or "grid" - along the same wires you ’ re currently buying power through You will get paid a small amount for the excess that gets fed back into the grid (in the industry we call it "feed-in")

So - where does the battery fit in? Instead of selling excess electricity back to the grid, your battery will store it, ready to power your home after the sun goes down As the price of electricity continues to climb at an extreme rate, batteries are filling in the missing gap for most Aussies who have solar already Solar panels dont work in the moon-light just yet!

-GIOTRGET IT ON THE ROOF

Tin: You can see the screw lines from the ground These fix your roof to the purlins underneath All we do here is remove the necessary screws to mount the rails, then replace the old screw with a larger one to ensure there is no water ingress, and that it gets a good bite in the purlin

Tiles: The same substructure exists on a tile roof All we do here is lift the tile to access the purlin underneath, so we can bolt on the footings These protrude down towards the bottom of the tile, then loop back around This lifts the tile a little, and to stop any leaks, we simply trim a small grove into the underside of the tile to allow it to sit flush.

Shading: This is something you will have a far better idea of than anyone advising you If you have trees that shade your roof, get out there during different times of the day and take some notes or pictures At the end of the day, the more shading you have covering panels, the less your system will produce IT’S NOT A DEAL BREAKER! There are plenty of great options to combat shading Unless you live under a literal rock, its always worth looking at

KEEPING THE FUTURE IN MIND

If you get a good run with solar (going with a great company will make sure your experience is close to this, if not exactly this) you’ll never need a call out, you won’t have a worry, you might even forget about it until those teeny tiny bills come in and put a smile on your face Because of this potential with solar, it’s important to design today’s system with the future in mind

The 30+ year expected life span of solar will see most people living very different lives in their current home So, it makes sense to plan for this right? Cast your mind to the future and make sure you allow for the extra capacity needed to support your battery and/or electric vehicle. My philosophy is do it once and do it right That way, you can focus on adding extra products to help you become ever more self-sufficient instead of having to re-do or upgrade the basic solar components you already spent time and money on

What to expect during your assessment?

The consultant, or “sales person ” , who comes to see you should be there to help you with anything you ’ re unsure about, walk you through exactly how the system will be installed on your home, explain the products and warranties, plus provide a run through of their after-care program and honestly explain the economics and financing options available to you

The process should follow along something like this

Get to know you and where you ’ re at with solar

Check your bills and discuss your usage habits

Introduce you to their company

Explanation of government incentives

Inspect meter board and asses roof

Digital roof design

System sizing and pricing

Wrap up and explanation of installation process and time line

You always have the option of booking in for installation on the day with the consultant If it feels right and fits your budget, I encourage you to take the plunge and book a date But, if you have any reservations or doubts about the company - do your research! Warning bells for me would be very cheap or very expensive if they're offering you the exact same thing as everyone else. Also, any high-pressure closing tactics would piss me off, this is an important long-term decision to make Think about who you want to be dealing with over the lifetime the system is on your roof! Plus, if you get in with a truly great company, they will help you moving forwards with batteries and any other cool stuff that comes up in the future

Also, a quick word for the quote shoppers please understand your impact on others, by not doing your research and due diligence before seeking a quote, you ' re take up time from other people who have already educated themselves, and are short changing yourself in the long run I guess if you ’ re reading this, then I should commend you! So well done Mr/Mrs Shopper : )

Don'tForget...

Yourcurrentenergyretailer(theonebillingyou)maynotofferthebestratesonceyouhave solar.Askthepeopleyouaregettingtoinstallforyouwhattheirrecommendationsare. A goodsignyou'vegotagreatcompanyistheywillofferthisserviceaspartofthestandard aftercareprogram.

One thing to keep in mind... changing providers before the system is commissioned and switchedonmaydelaythisprocessifyouneedtohaveyourmetersupdated.