Everyone loves a bargain. Especially me! But are those solar systems advertised at jaw droppingly low prices a great deal or a future headache?
I feel quite strongly about this – so I decided to make a video. Here it is.
And here’s the transcript if you prefer to read rather than watch: [Read more...]
Tony seems to be struggling with the reality of affordable solar
After a week which saw Opposition Leader Tony Abbott perform more gaffes, backflips and nonsensical quotes than the average Barnum and Bailey circus, your columnist thought it high time to check out The Man’s policy on clean energy. This was a bit more difficult than first expected due to the fact that Big Tony, and his front bench colleagues….er… don’t seem to have a properly functioning clean energy policy to present to the Australian people. [Read more...]
Our neighbour Tokalau is going 100% solar!
As news arrives of solar energy’s gains into our neighbouring South Pacific nations, many movers and shakers in the Australian solar sector are calling on our country to take advantage of this excellent opportunity. Specifically many analysts are saying Australia should position itself as a regional power in solar energy, presumably churning out solar knowledge and PV technology to the Asia Pacific region.
Is that such a bad idea solar fans? [Read more...]
I got a great email the other day:
“One solar installer has told me that it is best for the inverter to be as close as possible to the panels and NOT to the meter box as your checklist indicates. Is he crazy?”
Short answer. Yes – he’s crazy.
Longer answer:
As close as possible to the panels? Whatcha gonna do put it on the roof? That would be insane!
I get a lot of stick for this advice in one of my solar installation videos:
Sometimes I get heat for recommending that you put your solar inverter as close to your fusebox as possible.
One of the key sub-themes that tends to elbow its way through these SolarQuotes weekly columns is the understating, or inability to recognise, of the potential of solar energy in Australia. Time after time we at SolarQuotes HQ are forced to report on cuts in support from slow-moving and slow-thinking state governments. The bad news is not restricted to the states either with influential Canberra pollies such as Martin “Fossil Fuel” Ferguson bemoaning the alleged lack of growth in the solar sector.
This wouldn’t be so bad except that old Fossil Fuel is Minister for Energy and Natural Resources! [Read more...]
The powers that be are starting to agree with the protestors…
The Australian solar energy sector received a huge morale boost this week with the release of the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics’ Australian Energy Technology Assessment (AETA) Report. Putting the report’s findings in a nutshell, which is always dangerous, it seems previous reports and energy assessments were, to put it bluntly, dead wrong and renewable sources of energy such as solar and onshore wind are set to have the “lowest levelised cost” of all the energy technologies in the country by around 2035. [Read more...]
Photon Magazine July 2012 Awarded good marks to the Growatt 5000MTL
The latest issue of industry bible: Photon International has an in depth review of the popular Growatt 5000MTL 5kW solar inverter from China.
It performs well in the efficiency tests, scoring an A grade at high irradiation (i.e. strong sun) and a B grade at medium irradiation. It ranked in the top third of all devices tested by the magazine over the past few years.
So to cut a long story short – Growatts are one of the better Chinese inverters out there. And they are certainly a lot cheaper than the European inverters on the market.
But there is a question mark over the quality control in the Growatt factory. [Read more...]
Is the next solar trade war between China and Europe?
News on the international solar front is not good this week solar fans, with rumblings of a trade war between China and the EU.
The dispute revolves around German company SolarWorld AG which has asked the European Union to investigate allegations of dumping by Chinese-based solar firms. Instead of keeping their heads down and riding out the quarrel, Chinese firms Yingli Green Energy, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Trina Solar and Canadian Solar (which operates in the country) have come charging out of their corner, swinging punches like a drunken flyweight. [Read more...]
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