Top to bottom, 70mm² 25mm² 16mm² 10mm² (3 phase) 6mm² sheathed, 2.5mm² sheathed, 4mm² Solar DC, 3 x 2.5mm² flexible plus a dangerously cracked and brittle 16mm² main service from a 1960s house.

Some weeks ago, I explained why the voltage in a long cable will drop over its length, and how this affects solar installations that are a long way from the switchboard. [Read more…]

Having recently completed a road trip through SA, VIC and NSW, I have come to two conclusions…

• there are still some workers out there installing less than first-rate solar power systems,
• you never take as many photos as you should.

In any case, I have a few pictures which should make more than a passing interest, even if it’s only the solar nerds who appreciate the finer details. [Read more…]

Image Credit: “a rat with wings smashing a solar panel, in the style of Banksy” DALL-E & Finn Peacock

Protecting Your Solar From Sky Rats and Other Feral Disasters

I recall the days installing solar panels on a petrol station roof and the distinct feeling we were being watched. [Read more…]

You may have read Finn’s original ‘7-mistakes’ article, followed by ex WA-installer Kim’s take and SA Installer Chris’s version. Now here are the biggest mistakes I’ve seen people make buying solar during my years on and off the roofs of South Australia: [Read more…]

Image: StarryAI “Big Shed With Solar Panels”

Top tips for installing solar on your man-cave. Or lady-lair.

So there’s a shed at your place that seems ideal for solar panels, but it’s well down the back of the block. Can you install solar panels on it, and if so, how much? [Read more…]

When buying solar or batteries, or both, it is easy for a technical nuance to be overlooked. Sub-optimal decisions at the design stage affect the performance and savings for the life of the system – typically 25 years or more. [Read more…]

A few years ago, SolarQuotes founder Finn wrote about the top 7 mistakes made when buying solar.  [Read more…]

Do you own a strata property and want solar power?

Then you’ve probably hit a giant roadblock: although you own the property, you probably don’t own the roof. And that’s a problem if you want to put panels on some of that roof.

Well, I have some good news for strata property owners. Installing solar on that shared roof could be easier than you think. [Read more…]

(trigger warning for solar nerds – this story has a very sad ending)

Finn asked me to write a post on the worst solar installation I ever had to do. The worst? Ah, let me count the ways I could interpret that… this could become a series. [Read more…]

When it comes to installing solar arrays on buildings, one particularly edgy subject is exclusion zones. [Read more…]