In the latest episode of SQTV, Finn looks at some innovations that have changed or will change how we buy and use solar power for the better – and one that won’t.
The Innovation That Sparked Australia’s Solar Boom
00:41 – Finn recounts the history of the innovation responsible for home solar power in Australia moving from the fringe to mainstream – the solar rebate. It may surprise some to discover the person responsible for this step-change that enabled so many Australian households to install panels.
String Vs. Microinverters And Shading
03:17 – It’s been a long-held view across much of the industry that microinverters are better than string inverters in relation to panel shading issues. This month’s field test sees that claim fact-checked in a showdown between Enphase microinverters and the Fronius Gen 24 string inverter. The results are astonishing.
You can view more from NRG’s testing here; their blog post here and also check out MC Electrical’s Mark Cavanagh’s take on the string vs. microinverter situation here.
SA Solar + Battery Smart Home
08:46 – This home in Gawler, South Australia has some interesting gadgets to make the most of its solar and battery installation. It’s such an efficient set-up that the owners of this home sometimes get paid for charging their electric car – find out how.
Finn And Tesla
12:01 – Finn is sometimes accused of being a Tesla fanboy/shill and at other times of being too critical of the company, Elon Musk and Tesla products. But the relationship between Finn and Tesla isn’t complicated – it’s pretty clear-cut. From Finn’s side of things anyway.
Pollinate Energy – Solar Company Doing A Bunch Of Good
14:21 – SolarQuotes is a proud supporter of Pollinate Energy; a social enterprise getting solar panels and other clean energy products onto and inside the homes of some of the poorest people in the world, and supporting female entrepreneurs in doing so. Discover more about Pollinate Energy’s work in India, how SQ helps and what a positive change this venture is making in people’s lives.
Solar For Apartments : Solshare
17:12 -Innovative Australian company Allume Energy has developed a very clever device enabling solar to be installed on shared rooftops such as apartment buildings and having the clean electricity generated equitably distributed to residents – Solshare. It’s exciting stuff!
Customer Review Of Longi Solar Panels
21:21 – Longi is a giant among solar panel manufacturers, offering good quality products at very competitive prices. Here’s what a happy Australian Longi owner had to say about the panels – and you can read a bunch more Longi Solar panel reviews here. You can also see how Longi panels stack up against others on SQ’s solar panel comparison table.
What Is This Blockchain For Energy You Speak Of?
21:21 – Blockchain this and blockchain that – it’s been one of those buzzwords floating around for a while that companies use to get attention (and funding). But does it have a place in the buying and selling of solar energy produced by rooftop systems? Ronald and Finn think not and explain why a non-blockchain device already widely used does the job pretty well.
SolarQuotes Good Installer Guarantee Unveiled
26:17 – This innovation solves the problem of crap solar in Australia. Finn has launched the SolarQuotes Good Installer Guarantee, which ensures Australians using SQ’s quoting service who choose one of its referred installers through that process are, well, guaranteed a good installation.
For a bunch of videos on everything solar power related and other SQTV episodes, check out and subscribe to the SolarQuotes Youtube channel.
About Michael Bloch
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This comparison of the effect of shade is not relevant to my shade problem! In my situation there is a long shadow covering all the panels of one string. Even if it’s just a few inches of shade at the top of these panels they all shut down. The system of by-pass diodes is completely foiled particularly when every panel gets the strip of shade along its top edge. I sometimes think of rotating the panels 90 degrees from Portrait to landscape mode. I think there are 3 long narrow zones on these panels so the shadow would start by reducing the power by 1/3rd then 2/3rds and finally zero power.
I installed Solar Panels at the end of 2019. Since then I have been receiving .12cents per kwh from my supplier – Network Energy, for any feed in tarriff.
This week I received a letter from them advising that with effect from my next invoice, my payment will reduce to 6.7 cents/Kwh, reflecting the market value of solar energy.
This has certainly hit the general public who have been encouraged to install solar energy. Have you any comments?
Hi Bev
Wholesale electricity prices have fallen over the short term due to the pandemic and are falling over the longer term thanks to increasing renewable generation. This is putting downward pressure on solar feed-in tariffs. If the economy picks up over the next year or so I’d expect them to increase, but the general trend is downwards. However, solar feed-in tariffs should never actually disappear. While lower feed-in tariffs are a concern, because rooftop solar can pay for itself very rapidly and offsets grid electricity consumption, it’s is something to keep in mind when getting solar but almost never a reason not to get solar.
Hopefully, you can find an electricity retailer plan that is a better deal for you. Our electricity retailer comparison page may help:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/energy/
As a home roof top, solar generator in South Australia, we are being told that we are to be charged for the privilege of feeding renewable, green energy into the grid. As Bev states above the network lessee’s of public infrastructure, pick and choose how low they can go with feed in tariffs, which always seem to go down – never up. This proposal has blindsided many whom have made an investment decision based on a business model.
What do you think of a establishing consortium of say (Private Solar Generators of SA) who say to the SA Gov and the Power companies, “we choose to switch off our exports until such time as we get a standardised price per Kwh and a guarantee that such gouging practices are outlawed” ?
I understand that you don’t know and understand the block chain and irrefutable ledger it produces. I won’t try to change your ill-informed views, however I do suggest you do your research and make a more informed video.
You can start here: https://energyweb.org/technology/token/
I read that page. What are they doing?
They compensate validators via transaction fees and block awards, and can be used to pay for services that streamline and enhance dApps.
Thanks for clearing that up. And here I was, worried that they were just stringing buzz words together. Boy, is my face red!