Seven Important Solar Facts

Twenty years ago South Australia had little in the way of renewable energy as part of its electricity grid. Now more than one in three houses has some form of solar power generation helping renewable energy power around 60 per cent of the grid. As well South Australia has led the world in achieving periods where 100 per cent of the grid has been powered by renewable energy.

This huge uptake in renewables is encouraging more and more people to either install solar or upgrade older systems.

Sharpe Energy Hub is a South Australian pioneer in engineering and installing complete green energy systems.

Our experts will Analyse, Engineer and help you Invest in a greener, more affordable future.

Here are seven major points to consider when thinking about solar panels.

1. Ignore pushy sales people

The rush to solar energy that started over 10 years ago brought a lot of “cowboys” into the marketplace. Selling cheap, no-name solar panels that lacked warranty backup these “fly-by-nighters” compounded their crimes with shoddy, sometimes dangerous installations.

In recent years industry standards and compliance have been improved and enforced. Sharpe Energy Hub is frequently called in to fix the problems of these early systems and advise and supply suitable replacements.

2. Size does matter

The first step for anyone thinking about solar panels is to get a professional assessment of your household’s exact needs. Sharpe Energy Hub has always had a process whereby your current power consumption is analysed to determine when you use electricity, what it powers and how much you consume.

This information is the only way you can make informed and wise decisions on how big a system you need. Many of the early systems installed are tiny by today’s standards because there was no analysis of present and future needs.

3. Orientation

South Australia’s sunny climate makes it ideal for solar power generation. But to get the full benefit the panels need to be facing north and mounted at the correct angle to get maximum light.

Not all houses face north so to achieve this you may need to have a system split across two roof angles. The impact of shade is another consideration. This can come from trees as the sun’s angle changes with the seasons. Even the shade from a plumbing vent pipe can affect panel performance. Sharpe Energy Hub has strategies to overcome these issues, including the option of micro-inverters so the output of all panels isn’t dragged down when one gets affected by shade.

4. Quality

As the technology has progressed the unit cost has decreased. This means there is no excuse for not selecting from the best brands, which Sharpe Energy Hub can supply and install. The current-generation solar panels are often smaller in size but produce much more energy. More recently specialist panels have become available for low-light situations or for highly corrosive coastal locations. Another key consideration is the quality of both the panel mounting system and the professionalism of the actual installation.

5. Warranties

Leading manufacturers offer two warranties: one covers the product’s quality and the other guarantees the panel’s production performance over its nominated lifespan. The systems Sharpe Energy Hub supplies and installs come with the best warranties in the marketplace. All the panels we supply come from proven international companies with a track record in Australia.

6. Plan to add battery storage

The big future for household solar is battery storage. This means power can be stored for use at night with excess energy sold to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) to generate income and help quickly offset the original cost of installation. Talk to Sharpe Energy Hub’s expert engineers about the feasibility of “future proofing” your system by making it compatible for battery storage.

7. Advise and support after installation

Sharpe Energy Hub isn’t one of those solar companies only interested in a quick sale. We are here for the long run and that is why we have a Scheduled Service program to keep your solar system operating at peak efficiency. We are also available to advise you on Wi-Fi monitoring and system data production collection.