How to install solar panels on a metal roof – without leaks.

May 2, 2014 2019-03-12T14:29:22 by 20 Comments

This post comes courtesy of Trevor Berrill. Trevor is Principal of  Solaris Sustainable Homes and is a 30 year veteran of  both renewable energy  and energy efficiency. It is a honour to have him contribute to this humble blog. Here Trevor describes how a good solar installer should install solar panels to a metal roof and how bad installers, in a hurry can do the wrong thing and leave you with a leaky roof!

Over to you Trevor.

Holier than thou? How to avoid leaks in the roof! [Read more…]

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How to unlock a great solar payback (even with crappy rebates).

October 23, 2013 2014-01-05T18:05:00 by 30 Comments
solar panels and a key

The key to good solar payback is system sizing.

Occasionally I venture out of my straw-bale, solar passive eco-cave and meet real people, in person instead of over the interwebs. When they inevitably ask me the standard icebreaker “what do you do?” and hear that I’m in “solar power”, the usual response is: “Oh – that must be a tough industry, now that the rebates / buy back rates have all ended?”.

The reality seems to be that most people who don’t work in the solar industry seem to use the words “rebate” and “feed in tariff” interchangeably. And who can blame them? Both are essentially government cash handouts.

Of course the truth is that the “Solar Rebate“, is actually still available through the Federal government. The government frowns upon anyone who calls it a rebate, preferring the term “Financial Incentive”. But all that really matters is that you can get about $700 off the upfront cost of every kW of solar you buy. For a typical 3kW, that’s a $2100 subsidy. [Read more…]

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The Truth About Your Roof And Solar Power: 3 Questions You Must Ask.

October 11, 2013 2023-09-13T13:57:27 by 3 Comments
roof with panels

Is your roof good for solar?

Imagine you walk in a shoe store and the shop assistant immediately starts measuring your head with a tape measure. You’d think she was mad, wouldn’t you? And you’d be right, of course. Sometimes the basics are just self-evident.

If you need shoes, all the information you need is right there at the bottom of your legs. Same with solar power.  No reason to start anywhere but right up there on your roof.

And there are 3 questions about your roof that you have to answer right away before we move on to anything more advanced. And you’ll soon see why…

[Read more…]

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Revealed: The Top (and Bottom) Rated Solar Companies across Australia

September 2, 2013 2023-07-05T17:13:50 by 122 Comments
Customer ratings from over 11,000 reviews revealed!

Customer ratings from over 11,000 reviews revealed!

Since I started this humble website back in 2009 (when solar panels cost $1000 each!), over 11,000 solar powered Aussies have kindly left reviews of their solar installation experience online for all to see.

At the time of writing SolarQuotes.com.au has 11,341 reviews of 875 different solar companies online.

So I thought it was about time we had some fun, and do some analysis to discover the top-rated solar companies (as rated by their customers).

 

[Read more…]

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Can Solar and Mining be Best Of Frenemies?

August 26, 2013 2017-10-25T10:12:34 by 2 Comments
A happy compromise or supping with the devil?

A happy compromise or supping with the devil?

Whenever we hear of the future of the battle for the future of Australian energy, the picture we get in our press and from Canberra and the state capitals is one of conflict. One of subsidies for renewables such as solar power systems — whether utility scale solar or domestic PV — versus continued monetary support for fossil fuel-powered industries such as mining.

But is there a middle path readers? One that sees a future for sectors such as mining to use solar power systems to help offset rising energy costs? An absorbing article in Australian Mining this week appears to point in this direction. [Read more…]

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Think solar is expensive? Be glad you’re not American!

July 5, 2013 2017-04-25T10:41:43 by 1 Comment

Our American friends may get dirt cheap Nike runners, Levis jeans and iTunes downloads compared to us Aussies, but at least we can get some comfort from the fact that our solar systems are a helluva lot cheaper than theirs!

This infographic from those nice people at US site lineshapespace.com does a great job of spruiking the benefits of solar power, but also gives an insight into just how cheap Aussie solar is.

A big part of the price discrepancy is that the permit system for solar power is a bureaucratic nightmare in America. If you buy a 3kW solar system in the US you could pay $12,000 for it, of which $3,000 is permit paperwork! Compare that to about $5,000 in Australia of which about $0 is permit paperwork. In most states in Oz your installer simply fills in a 2 minute form online and gets ‘permission to connect’ within a day or so.

Here;’s the lovely infographic in all its glory – just be aware that the prices only apply to the US! [Read more…]

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South Australia Feed In Tariff Ends In September. What you need to know.

July 3, 2013 2024-01-30T19:59:44 by 59 Comments

If you’ve opened any South Australian newspapers recently you’ve probably seen adverts from solar power installers screaming about the “IMMINENT REDUCTION IN THE SOUTH AUSTRALIA FEED IN TARIFF!!!”.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m not one to bombard you with pushy sales spiel, or use impending rebate cuts to pressure anyone into buying solar.

But what I will do is calmly go through the facts about the looming SA Feed In tariff reduction, and crunch a few numbers, so you can decide if you want to get in on the SA solar action before the 30 September 2013 deadline that a lot of solar companies are getting all worked up about.

[Read more…]

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The Shocking Truth About Commercial Solar

June 5, 2013 2014-01-05T18:17:38 by 175 Comments
solar install

Why don’t more SMEs have solar on their roof?

OK, I admit it –  that was a headline designed to get your attention if you own or operate a small or medium sized business (I’m also a sucker for bad puns).

But it’s just that I feel the need to shout from the rooftops about the insane returns that SMEs can get from commercial solar right now due to the combination of:

  • plummeting solar panel prices,
  • rocketing commercial electricity tariffs
  • and the typical electricity use profile of most SMEs.

[Read more…]

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Grand Designs + Solar Panels = Epic Fail

March 27, 2013 2024-06-04T15:35:06 by 197 Comments
Grand Designs Logo with FAIL stamp

Note to Grand Designs: “Do your bloody homework!”

Today’s top solar tip:

Please don’t look to Kevin McCloud or Grand Designs for advice on solar power!

Now don’t get me wrong, I love Kevin McCloud, he seems like a top bloke. And Grand Designs is one of the few things I actually watch occasionally on the gogglebox.

But they really need to do their research when it comes to solar.

The UK episode on ABC1 last week showed that they don’t have a freaking clue about solar power. [Read more…]

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Like a Virgin: chance to install solar power at Sir Richard’s island home

February 25, 2013 2017-10-25T10:18:09 by Leave a Comment
Richard Branson and Finn

Richard Branson wants some solar quotes. (cue gratuitous celebrity stalker shot)

Note for our solar installer readers: Like to bid for the chance to deck out Sir Richard Branson’s pad in a solar power system? Be part of the Great Innovator’s strategy on solar energy? Great, but before we go further let’s make sure you know what you’re in for.

[Read more…]

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