{"id":234,"date":"2013-11-02T20:25:26","date_gmt":"2013-11-02T10:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=234"},"modified":"2019-02-12T10:55:25","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T00:25:25","slug":"10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/","title":{"rendered":"8 things to look out for when buying cheap solar panels"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are a hell of a lot of companies offering cheap solar panels<\/a> right now, and as with all free markets, that is driving down the prices and the margins of solar power installers and suppliers.<\/p>\n

The question I get asked the most is this:<\/p>\n

“How do I tell if this deal from XYZ solar (which is heaps cheaper than anyone who quoted through your site) is too good to be true?”<\/p>\n

So here’s your answer:<\/p>\n

Imagine you see an advert for a 1.5kW system, (six cheap solar panels plus inverter)\u00a0installed for an incredibly low price compared to everyone else. (I’ve seen a few)<\/p>\n

Everyone loves the idea of getting a bargain. So is this a great deal or not?<\/p>\n

Your first port of call should be to see what experiences previous customers have had. I’ve collected thousands of reviews of almost every solar installation company in Australia<\/a>. Check out the link to see them in all their uncensored glory.<\/p>\n

But back to the super cheap offer, let’s analyse it:<\/p>\n

1)<\/strong> They typically claim that you will get a “Fully Installed” system. But a close examination of the fine print may reveal that you must arrange and pay to connect it to the grid yourself with an import export meter from your local electricity distributor…<\/p>\n

Now – in many jurusdictions the installers are not legally allowed to do the final grid hookup.<\/p>\n

But the good guys will:<\/p>\n

a) make this clear to you when they quote, and give you an indication of the extra cost to you and<\/p>\n

b) arrange the grid connection for you so that it gets done soon after the install and you don’t have to navigate the bureaucracy of your local energy network.<\/p>\n

So beware firms who don’t even mention the grid connection of your solar system!<\/p>\n

2)<\/strong> Beware of companies that won’t tell you what brand of cheap solar panels you are getting! One way to keep your prices down is by buying panels on the “spot market” in China – getting the absolute cheapest panels they can. (Don’t get me wrong, some great solar panels come out of China, just make sure you Google the brand and also use this solar panel comparison tool<\/a> to make sure it is a reputable one. Finally you can see customer reviews of solar panels here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3)<\/strong> Ditto – inverters, it is a warning sign if they won’t tell you the brand.<\/p>\n

4)<\/strong> There may be an extra charge for a pre install inspection.<\/p>\n

5)<\/strong> Additional charges may apply for “non-standard” installations…<\/p>\n

The full terms and conditions may reveal some or all of the following “extra charges”:<\/p>\n

“Additional charges may include:<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Houses more than XXkm from the CBD may incur an additional charge.<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. If your roof does not have a sufficient slope there may be an additional charge per panel. <\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Your fusebox may need upgrading.<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. If you require additional wiring, a surcharge may apply at the discretion of our installers.<\/em><\/li>\n
  5. If you have a two storey home, this may incur a cost.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So you could have to pay a lot more that the headline price if: you live more than 50kms from the CBD, if your roof is not between 20 and 45 degrees, you have fuses instead of circuit breakers, you require “additional wiring” whatever that means, you have 2 storeys without “easy access”.<\/p>\n

    Now most companies will charge extra for more difficult installs. Look for companies that are completely transparent about any extra charges and explicitly identify them before any deal is done.<\/p>\n

    6)<\/strong> Let’s have a look at some other terms that may exist while we are here:<\/p>\n

    They may insist that your system is “serviced” every 2 years or the warranty is voided.<\/p>\n

    So if you don’t get your system “serviced” every 2 years (whatever that means) you are potentially only getting a 2 year warranty, not the heavily advertised “25 Year Warranty” that you see every man and his dog promising.<\/p>\n

    7)<\/strong> Now let’s talk about what kind of install you could be at risk of getting with super cheap deals. The chances are that they are going to be sub contracting the install. Every installer I’ve asked tells me that the going rate to do this well<\/strong> is about $1000. Ask the solar power company if they subcontract the install, and if they do, how much they pay the installer for the install (If they think that you don’t have the right to know this then move on to another, more transparent company!).<\/p>\n

    If they are paying closer to $500, then corners may be cut to make that price. What kind of things? Possibly the mounting frame\/technique, the wire may not be put in conduit (in which case it will only last a few years in the Aussie sun), the little components that make a big difference to the longevity of the installation may be the cheapest that can be sourced. And when they rock up to your house they probably won’t have a whole lot of time to make sure all the panels are in the optimum position to maximise output.<\/p>\n

    8 )<\/strong> You get what you pay for in this world. It is very rare that this rule is broken!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    There are a hell of a lot of companies offering cheap solar panels right now, and as with all free markets, that is driving down the prices and the margins of solar power installers and suppliers. The question I get asked the most is this: “How do I tell if this deal from XYZ solar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[112,129,58],"class_list":["post-234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-solar-panels-2","tag-buyers-guide","tag-cheap-solar","tag-solar-cowboys","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n8 things to look out for with Ultra Cheap Solar Panels.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are those cheap solar panels a great deal, or cheap junk? Discover how to tell a genuine good solar deal from a complete rip off.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 things to look out for when buying cheap solar panels\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are those cheap solar panels a great deal, or cheap junk? Discover how to tell a genuine good solar deal from a complete rip off.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SolarQuotes Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-11-02T10:55:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-02-12T00:25:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Finn Peacock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@FinnPeacock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@solar_quotes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Finn Peacock\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/495c35fb3086e6ef93220dcf2472b178\"},\"headline\":\"8 things to look out for when buying cheap solar panels\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-11-02T10:55:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-12T00:25:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/\"},\"wordCount\":879,\"commentCount\":61,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"buyers guide\",\"cheap solar\",\"Solar Cowboys\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Solar Panels\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/\",\"name\":\"8 things to look out for with Ultra Cheap Solar Panels.\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2013-11-02T10:55:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-02-12T00:25:25+00:00\",\"description\":\"Are those cheap solar panels a great deal, or cheap junk? Discover how to tell a genuine good solar deal from a complete rip off.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Solar Panels\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"8 things to look out for when buying cheap solar panels\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SolarQuotes Blog\",\"description\":\"An independent reckoning of the Aussie solar scene\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SolarQuotes\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/solarquotes-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/solarquotes-logo.png\",\"width\":592,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"SolarQuotes\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/solar_quotes\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/solarquotes\/\",\"https:\/\/au.linkedin.com\/company\/solarquotes\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SolarQuotesAustralia\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/495c35fb3086e6ef93220dcf2472b178\",\"name\":\"Finn Peacock\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6416cde752d8e0b695acfadb239ba7b7026ae219306ca29f9eb28780087cbcbf?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6416cde752d8e0b695acfadb239ba7b7026ae219306ca29f9eb28780087cbcbf?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6416cde752d8e0b695acfadb239ba7b7026ae219306ca29f9eb28780087cbcbf?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r\",\"caption\":\"Finn Peacock\"},\"description\":\"I'm a Chartered Electrical Engineer, Solar and Energy Efficiency nut, dad, and the founder of SolarQuotes.com.au. I started SolarQuotes in 2009 and the SolarQuotes blog in 2013 with the belief that it\u2019s more important to be truthful and objective than popular. My last \\\"real job\\\" was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009, I\u2019ve helped over 800,000 Aussies get quotes for solar from installers I trust. Read my full bio.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/FinnPeacock\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"8 things to look out for with Ultra Cheap Solar Panels.","description":"Are those cheap solar panels a great deal, or cheap junk? Discover how to tell a genuine good solar deal from a complete rip off.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"8 things to look out for when buying cheap solar panels","og_description":"Are those cheap solar panels a great deal, or cheap junk? Discover how to tell a genuine good solar deal from a complete rip off.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/","og_site_name":"SolarQuotes Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/","article_published_time":"2013-11-02T10:55:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-02-12T00:25:25+00:00","author":"Finn Peacock","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@FinnPeacock","twitter_site":"@solar_quotes","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/"},"author":{"name":"Finn Peacock","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/495c35fb3086e6ef93220dcf2472b178"},"headline":"8 things to look out for when buying cheap solar panels","datePublished":"2013-11-02T10:55:26+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-12T00:25:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/"},"wordCount":879,"commentCount":61,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["buyers guide","cheap solar","Solar Cowboys"],"articleSection":["Solar Panels"],"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/","name":"8 things to look out for with Ultra Cheap Solar Panels.","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2013-11-02T10:55:26+00:00","dateModified":"2019-02-12T00:25:25+00:00","description":"Are those cheap solar panels a great deal, or cheap junk? Discover how to tell a genuine good solar deal from a complete rip off.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/10-traps-to-look-out-for-with-ultra-cheap-solar-systems\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Solar Panels","item":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"8 things to look out for when buying cheap solar panels"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/","name":"SolarQuotes Blog","description":"An independent reckoning of the Aussie solar scene","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#organization","name":"SolarQuotes","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/solarquotes-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/solarquotes-logo.png","width":592,"height":600,"caption":"SolarQuotes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SolarQuotes\/","https:\/\/x.com\/solar_quotes","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/solarquotes\/","https:\/\/au.linkedin.com\/company\/solarquotes","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/SolarQuotesAustralia"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/495c35fb3086e6ef93220dcf2472b178","name":"Finn Peacock","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6416cde752d8e0b695acfadb239ba7b7026ae219306ca29f9eb28780087cbcbf?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6416cde752d8e0b695acfadb239ba7b7026ae219306ca29f9eb28780087cbcbf?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6416cde752d8e0b695acfadb239ba7b7026ae219306ca29f9eb28780087cbcbf?s=96&d=monsterid&r=r","caption":"Finn Peacock"},"description":"I'm a Chartered Electrical Engineer, Solar and Energy Efficiency nut, dad, and the founder of SolarQuotes.com.au. I started SolarQuotes in 2009 and the SolarQuotes blog in 2013 with the belief that it\u2019s more important to be truthful and objective than popular. My last \"real job\" was working for the CSIRO in their renewable energy division. Since 2009, I\u2019ve helped over 800,000 Aussies get quotes for solar from installers I trust. Read my full bio.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/","https:\/\/x.com\/FinnPeacock"],"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2FF2s-3M","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5138,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/this-high-cost-of-cheap-solar-systems\/","url_meta":{"origin":234,"position":0},"title":"The High Cost Of Very Cheap Solar","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"October 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The best deal is very rarely the cheapest deal. This is something we all understand intuitively. So why do we get so easily get\u00a0seduced by unbelievably cheap solar deals that appear so totally believable? Let me be totally up front with you. I did not set up SolarQuotes as a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"warning tape","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/caution-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/caution-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/caution-solar.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2027,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/are-your-green-solar-panels-killing-chinese-villagers\/","url_meta":{"origin":234,"position":1},"title":"Are your “Green” Solar Panels killing Chinese villagers?","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"October 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"If you are looking to invest in solar panels for environmental reasons, you\u2019ll be pleased to know that, the solar electricity you will get from those panels will be 40 to 50 times less carbon intensive than electricity generated from coal. But before you buy those solar panels and start\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"toxic waste outflow","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/toxic-waste.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15519,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/stc-solar-panels-mb0230\/","url_meta":{"origin":234,"position":2},"title":"No More STCs For Solar Panel Replacements","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"September 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It will soon be more difficult for shonky solar companies to take advantage of Australia's small-scale technology certificates (STC) system. It's currently the case that if a solar panel or a number of modules in a system need replacing, STC's (which form the basis of solar subsidies in Australia) could\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"STC changes - solar panels in Australia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/solar-modules-stc-changes.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/solar-modules-stc-changes.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/solar-modules-stc-changes.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/solar-modules-stc-changes.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1903,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/should-you-buy-the-cheapest-solar-system-on-the-market\/","url_meta":{"origin":234,"position":3},"title":"Should you buy the cheapest solar system on the market?","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"August 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"(This post was written in 2012 - but the principles still hold true!) Everyone loves a bargain. Especially me! But are those solar systems advertised at jaw droppingly low prices a great deal or a future headache? I feel quite strongly about this - so I decided to make a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Installation"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Installation","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-installation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"cheap install","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/crap-install.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1650,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/will-the-u-ss-solar-panel-tariff-wall-on-china-cause-a-trade-war\/","url_meta":{"origin":234,"position":4},"title":"Will the U.S’s solar panel tariff wall on China cause a trade war?","author":"Staff Writer","date":"May 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"It may be a little while before the dust settles on the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s decision to slap a massive 31 percent tariff on China\u2019s top makers of solar panels (more for those about to enter the market) but already big questions are being asked. One of these is:\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Economics Of Solar"","block_context":{"text":"Economics Of Solar","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/economics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"US and Chinese fisticuffs","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/trade-war.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3999,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-power-old-car-batteries-revs-recycling-clean-energy\/","url_meta":{"origin":234,"position":5},"title":"MIT discovers how to make cheap solar panels from old car batteries","author":"Staff Writer","date":"September 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Cheap solar panels made\u00a0from old car batteries? Yup! That is the latest clean energy recycling breakthrough from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). And the verdict at SQHQ is \"GENIUS!\". A co-authored paper published in respected journal Energy and Environmental Science describes diverting toxic waste lead material from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Panels"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Panels","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-panels-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"What do we do with gazillions of old, toxic car batteries? Simple. Turn them into cheap solar panels!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/battery-to-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/battery-to-solar.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/battery-to-solar.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27897,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234\/revisions\/27897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}