If you want Australian made solar panels, I recommend Tindo Solar.  They have a track record of quality panel production nearly a decade long.  But you’ll pay a premium for Australian made.  

If you’re happy to pay extra, this isn’t a problem.  But if you choose cheaper, imported panels are you harming our economy by not buying an Australian-made product? [Read more…]

The best way to heat your home is with a reverse cycle air conditioner.  This is true whether your goal is to save money or save the planet.  In this article, I’ll explain no matter how crap your air conditioner is, you’re likely to be financially better off using it for heat instead of gas. [Read more…]

Ninety-eight percent of the world’s solar cells are made from silicon.  This is thanks to its suitability as a PV material and its low cost compared to alternatives.  While the price of solar silicon has its ups and downs, the overall trend has been downwards.  It reached a record low in June 2020.  After taking inflation into account, it was around one-thirteenth of its 2007 price. 

But the record low didn’t last, and over the past 12 months it has gone from under $7 US per kilogram to over $28 US.  In relative terms, this has been the largest solar silicon price increase in history.    [Read more…]

Winter is coming.   The cold month of June is almost upon us.  In Adelaide where I dwell, winter brings grey skies and decreased solar output.  The cold, dark of the evening arrives early and brings a time for family, fellowship, and food.

Now is the perfect time for me to write about slow cookers and how useful they are for solar households. [Read more…]

A power station control room. Starting up one of these things is not trivial or cheap.

Coal power is gradually being driven out of business by renewables.  It simply can’t compete on price.  Most people know coal and gas power stations have to pay for fuel while sunshine and wind are free, but not many know how much it costs to start and stop fossil fuel generators. [Read more…]

If you have a small, old system, replacing it with a bigger, more efficient modern system is worth serious consideration. Even if it means losing that premium feed-in-tariff you’ve enjoyed for all these years.

Do you have a faithful, old, 1.5 kilowatt solar system installed?

Has it sat on your roof churning photons into electrical energy for 10 years or more?

Has it earned you a heap of money because it gets an old, premium feed-in tariff far higher than anything available now? [Read more…]

South Australia’s gone from embarrassingly expensive to the cheapest wholesale electricity in just 10 years.

Over the past 12 months wholesale electricity prices have tumbled across Australia.  For the nation overall, they’re the lowest they’ve been for nine years.  But one state did particularly well and a large part of its success was because it now generates over 60% of its electricity from wind and solar. [Read more…]

Short Answer: Yes. While the payback of solar in Perth is now longer, you can still own your Perth home faster with solar power than without — despite WA’s miserable feed-in tariff.

Longer answer: Read on… [Read more…]

Hydrogen won’t be $2-3 per kilogram by 2030. It’ll be much cheaper!

Hydrogen is the car fuel of the future.  Just not our future. 

[Read more…]

Solar feed-in tariffs are what you get paid when your rooftop solar power system sends energy into the grid. Their value will decrease in the future.  This is inevitable. As more solar capacity is built it will drive down the price of daytime electricity. [Read more…]