While interest in buying solar dropped off in March, it started bouncing back in early April – here’s what Australians were looking for in a solar power system last month when using the SolarQuotes service.
The initial of shock and implications of COVID-19 saw some Australians put the idea of going solar on the backburner during March, but we started to see signs of a rebound at the end of the month. That continued in April as more Australians realised now is a really good time to have solar panels installed.
System Size Selection
In April, 80% of Australians who had a system size in mind wanted details on a 6kW solar system or larger; so that figure has started creeping up again (March/February 79% and 78% in January). Interest in 3kW systems was a tiny 2%.
PV Purchasing Timeframe
Interest in buying solar immediately also increased from 22% in March to 23% in April. Again last month, 98% submitting for quotes were considering a purchase any time from right away and within 3 months.
Cost And Quality
A tad under 13% were wanting a “top quality” (most expensive) solar power system, down a little on the last few months (14% in March). Also down a smidge was the proportion after a system offering a balance between quality and cost (~78%), while just over 9% wanted pricing on a good quality budget system.
Consumption Monitoring Interest
When it came to the option of advanced solar monitoring, 67% expressed an interest in April, up from 65% in March, February and January.
Microinverters
Interest in microinverters dropped again to 15% (16% in March and 18% in February). The reason for the drop isn’t clear – perhaps a bit of price sensitivity given microinverters will add to the cost of a system. But they have their benefits and you can learn more about microinverters here.
Battery Ready Solar
Interest in battery ready solar power systems jumped back up – from 9% to 12%; but still well down on February (19%) and January (24%). Just about every solar power system is “battery ready” to some degree, but we ask this question on the quote request form to assist potential installers with system design.
Solar + Battery System
A fraction over 8% indicated a desire to have a battery system installed at the same time as their solar panels – around the same as March. So, there’s still some elevation in interest compared to months prior (~6%) and our solar and battery calculator is still seeing a good workout. One of its great features is in addition to providing full system payback details, it also shows you how savings are affected by a battery and solar panels separately.
Battery Size Preference
For those who wanted a battery installation at the same time as their PV system and had a kWh capacity in mind, close to 13% were interested in 1-5kWh (March: 15%, February: 16%), 48% in 5-10kWh (March: 45%, February: 41%) and around 39% in 10kWh+ (March: 40%, February: 43%). Just under 51% were wanting advice on battery system sizing.
Energy Storage Application
In April, just 3% of requests including batteries indicated backup as the primary application (6% in March and 4% in February), close to 36% in minimising grid use (March: 33% and February 44%), while a whisker over 61% were wanting it for both applications (61% March, 52% in February).
Quarterly Electricity Costs
Where electricity costs were known, 46% said their quarterly bills were between $500 and $1,000 on average (same as March and February) and just under 12% were paying more $1,000 a quarter (same as March). As mentioned last month, the figures could change significantly in the time ahead due to millions of Australians staying at home under COVID-19 related restrictions.
About The auSSII
This report draws on the submissions of thousands of Australians who our service every month to request solar quotes. We match their requirements with up to three trusted and pre-vetted solar providers .
About Our Solar Sales Leads
SolarQuotes has been providing solar sales leads to Australian installers who care about providing quality for close to 11 years. Find out what makes our lead service different.
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About Michael Bloch
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