Installing Solar panels on your roof to harness the Sun’s energy to generate your own power has become increasingly affordable and accessible over the recent years due to government incentives and advancements made in the solar industry. Although solar power is capital intensive, the main cost of owning a solar power system comes upfront when buying and installing the solar equipment. The solar PV system once installed and begins generating solar power for your home is sure to yield an impressive return on your investment.
Apart from Solar panels, the equipment necessary for installing a solar power system includes an inverter (to convert the Direct Current produced by the solar panels into the Alternating Current which can then be used to power household appliances), metering equipment (if it is necessary to see how much power is produced), and various other components like brackets, cables and wiring gear.
As more advancements are made in the field of solar technology and developments are made for equipment like solar battery storage solutions, a larger population have also begun considering solar battery storage. Solar batteries are however a very new technology and are still priced extremely high making it not easily accessible to everyone.
It is important to note that solar installations also include additional costs like those associated with operating and maintaining a PV solar panel array. The mountainous of solar panels includes cleaning the panels regularly while the inverters and solar batteries generally need to be replaced after several years of use.
Benefits of installing solar panels on your roof
The reduced electricity bills offered by the installation of a solar power system depends largely on the conditions available for the panels to function in. Factors like the direction of the roof and the weather conditions of the area where the panels are installed determine the yield you can expect from the solar power system installed on your roof.
There are some important things to keep in mind to maximise your solar production. One of the first considerations should be the solar irradiation levels available in the home’s or commercial property’s geographical location. Generally speaking, using solar panels in locations closer to the equator is considered ideal but there are other factors which must also be considered. To make sure you are able to maximise on the benefits of installing a solar power system, it is important to consider the home’s orientation. For rooftop solar panel arrays, a north-facing roof without trees or other objects obstructing sunlight maximizes the use of available solar energy. If this is not available, panels can be mounted on external supports and installed away from the house, however this would incur additional costs for the extra hardware and cables required for installing the solar panels in this way. Softwares like NearMaps help to give highly accurate information regarding the best way to place the solar panels on your roof.
The next thing to keep in mind is the timing of the solar power production and how the local electricity retailer charges for electricity. Solar power generation occurs primarily during the afternoon and is higher during summer, thus corresponding relatively well to overall electricity demand in warm climates because it is at these times that air conditioners consume the most energy. Consequently, solar power systems are valuable because the alternative methods of energy production often through non-renewable resources like coal power plants that are generally used to meet peak energy demand tend to be expensive and also harmful to the environment.
By installing solar panels on your roof, you are free to generate your own electricity from the abundant supply of energy that can be derived from the sun. Most electricity retailers have pricing schemes that vary over different times of the year due to regular seasonal demand fluctuations. Those locations with higher rates during the summer make installing solar panels and relying on solar power more valuable.
Some utilities have tiered pricing plans in which the marginal price of electricity changes as consumption rises. Under this type of plan, the benefit from a solar system can depend on the electricity use of the home; in certain areas subject to rates that increase dramatically as consumption increases, large homes (with large energy needs) may benefit most from solar arrays that offset high-cost marginal consumption.
A very unique benefit that solar power systems offer is that even homeowners can sell solar-generated electricity that they do not end up using for their own consumption back to their retailers. In Australia, this is done through “net metering” plans, in which residential consumers use the power that they put back into the grid (when the electricity generated by the solar panel array is greater than the rate of electricity consumed by the homeowner) to offset the power consumed at other times, for instance at night when the solar panels are not generating any power. It is important to observe that the specific net metering regulations and policies vary across different locations. It is recommended to get accurate information about the rate your retailer is willing to pay you as credit for the power you supply to them.
It is clear then that installing a solar power system has tremendous tangible benefits. Get a free quote from Austra Solar today and start reaping these benefits for your own home!
