Solar PV Systems

Rooftop solar

 

1000 Solar Roofs in 1000 Days – can we do it?

 Imagine being the first town in Australia to have 10% of its rooftops go solar!

On Sunday 5 December, 2010 it was 1000 days since Alice Springs became a Solar City.  Alice Solar City issued a challenge to the Alice Springs community to have 1000 roofs go solar in 1000 days. If the town can achieve this, just over 10% of all Alice Springs home or business premises will be running on solar – a first in Australia, for a town of our size!
As of April 2011, there have been around 400 rooftop solar systems installed since Alice Solar City was launched, so we are well on the way. With the price of solar power sytems dropping by around 40% over the last few years, rooftop solar power systems are now more affordable than ever before.
Read further to find all the information you need about how solar power systems, if your house or business is suitable, indicative costs, connecting to the grid and getting paid for the generation, how to find an installer and questions to ask any potential installer.  For more information, you can also download our new Alice Solar City Solar PV fact sheet or give us a call if you have any specific enquiries.

What is solar PV?

A solar photovoltaic (PV) power system is a technology that converts light into electrical energy.

In a typical system, a set of photovoltaic modules, or 'solar panels', are installed on the roof of your home, and the energy generated by these panels is passed through an inverter which creates electricity to match that coming in from Power and Water Corporation.

A PV system can meet some or all of a household's power, depending on the size of the system and the household's needs.

In remote areas PV power systems rely on batteries to store energy so it can be used later; in urban settings like Alice Springs systems don't use batteries and are instead connected to the electricity grid. By installing a grid connected solar PV system, households become, in effect, mini power stations selling all of the electricity generated to Power and Water Corporation (see Power and Water Corporation website for feed-in tariff rates).  PV systems should not be confused with solar hot water systems, which are sometimes also referred to as 'solar panels'. In a solar hot water system, panels on your roof use the sun's energy to heat a fluid which then heats your hot water.

Why install a solar PV system?

 There are many reasons to have a PV system installed.

  • You will be generating clean, renewable energy.
  • You will save on your power costs as the PV system will meet some - or all - of your power needs.
  • The electricity generated by your PV system can be sold to Power and Water Corporation (subject to entering into the necessary standard Agreements with PWC).  Under current arrangements, all the electricity generated is sold to PWC at 19.77 cents/kWh (this is equivalent to the standard tariff rate for consumption). 
  • Because solar power is generated during the day when the community's power demands are typically at their highest your investment will help delay the need for expensive upgrades to our energy infrastructure.
  • The value of your home may be increased as demand for sustainability features in homes increases.

What financial incentives are available?

Australia wide funding programs are available to Alice Springs residents and with the continued reduction in the price of solar panels and increase competition, householders can access very competitive solar power systems, starting from around $6,000.

For details on PV system incentives available to Alice Springs businesses, click here.

The following information is for households who have participated in the Alice Solar City PV incentive program:

As of 1 July 2011, the elevated buy-back tariff is 52.08 cents / kWh.

The elevated buy-back is capped at $5 per day.

Do I need a Building Permit?

No.  In April 2011, the NT Government released a policy that exempted solar PV systems from requiring a Building Permit in non-cyclonic areas.  However, an inspection of your roof is required to be undertaken before the solar PV system is installed (by a structural engineer, building certifier or building contractor) - in most cases, the costs for this inspection should be only a few hundred dollars.  The exception is if a building permit for the house was issued within 5 years of the proposed installation, in which case no further inspections are required.

Can I supply all of my electricity needs from a solar PV system?

The answer to this question will depend on how much electricity you use and what size solar PV system you install.

As a rough rule of thumb, a 1kW solar power system, on roof with the optimal orientation, pitch and minimal shading, could produce around 1,600kWh/year.

The average Alice Springs household uses about 8,500 kWh/year. When installing a solar PV system, it is vital to also look for opportunities to improve your energy efficiency. Using solar water heating and ens

uring that your home's air-conditioning needs are low are key ways to reduce your energy load, and are typically more cost effective than buying a larger solar power system.

The home energy survey provided by Alice Solar City will help identify large and small measures you can take to reduce your energy consumption and make the most of your PV installation.

Finding an installer

There are several accredited installers operating in or servicing Alice Springs.  Click here to see a list including contact details.  NB Alice Solar City does not specifically recommend, warrant or endorse any of these companies, and encourages householders and businesses to ask the following questions of any proposective installation company.

Questions to ask your solar PV installer  

Purchasing a solar power system is a major investment for your home - Alice Solar City encourages householders to undertake an appropriate amount of research to ensure that they choose a quality system, at a cost effective price.  

 Questions householders considering installing a solar power system should ask any proposed installer are: 

  ·         What brand of solar panels and inverter will be used (are these guaranteed, or will the supplier substitute according to availability of supply);

 ·         If product substitution does take place, will the householder be informed in advance or given the option to withdrawn?

·         What is the length and type of warranty (5 year warranty on inverter; 5 product warranty and 25 year 80% output warranty is recommended as minimum)
 
·         What is the track record of use AND servicing in Australia of the major components;
 
·         What is the track record of the company itself (ask for references) and who will they use to do the install (are they local or fly in);
 
·         Does the installer come to site to do a formal inspection first ie before asking for a deposit (Alice Solar City highly recommends site inspections prior to quoting / paying deposits);
 
·         How does the installer propose to provide local support for warranty and service claims;
 
·         Does the installer undertake a formal assessment of expected performance of the proposed system and provide a written quote to the householder which includes information on warranty, performance etc;
 
·         Where companies advertise package prices, are there any 'other' hidden costs involved ie for meter installation, grid connection costs (in these situations a final price may only be determined AFTER the proposed installer has actually been to your house) etc.
 
·         Does the company manage the process of connecting to the electricity grid;
 
·         Does the installer require a deposit and what is the timeframe between paying a deposit and installation;
 
·         Does the company provide a point of sale discount through purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) under the Solar Credits scheme and if so, what price is paid for each REC.  
 

Cleaning and  maintaining your solar pv system

A rooftop solar power system is a low maintenance and long lived asset for your home or business. It's not entirely set-and-forget though. Here are some tips for ensuring you get the best out of your renewable energy investment.

1. Keeping your panels clean

A build up of dust, dirt (including ash), gum resin and bird droppings on your solar panels can affect the efficiency and energy output of your system by up to 15%. Rain will wash some of this residue away in time, and your system will continue to operate without being cleaned, but to keep your system operating at its full potential a periodic clean can be worthwhile. Hopping up on your roof is a hazardous activity though, so if do you want to maximise the energy you are generating we recommend instead seeking the assistance of a contractor accredited for working at heights.

2. Periodic inspection and maintenance

The connection of your solar power system to Power and Water's electricity grid requires that you ensure the system is periodically maintained, and that a maintenance log book is kept.  Stay tuned for a downloadable log book.

Periodic inspection will help pick up any minor or potential faults, and ensure that your investment is performing as it should.

The periodic maintenance must be carried out by the original installer or another accredited PV contractor, who will carry out a range of system checks in line with the Australian Standards.  Contact us for further information on what should be covered in a PV maintenance visit by your selected contractor

Here are some simple checks you can do yourself:

Daily:

Check that your system has been operational, either by reading your in-house display, or by reading numbers from the inverter screen. If it has been a sunny day you should expect around 4kWh per kW of capacity of your system. On cloudy days your system will produce a good deal less than this.

Quarterly:

Visual inspection of the panels from a safe location. Are your panels being shaded by nearby trees or other objects? Can you see a significant buildup of debris on the panels?

Annually:

Consider arranging a professional maintenance inspection and panel cleaning.

  Downloadable fact sheet

You can download our solar pv fact sheet here