{"id":63693,"date":"2022-09-05T14:49:07","date_gmt":"2022-09-05T04:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=63693"},"modified":"2023-12-07T20:51:12","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T11:21:12","slug":"next-top-7-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/next-top-7-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"The (Next) Top 7 Mistakes People Make When Buying Solar Systems: A Sequel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

A few years ago, SolarQuotes founder Finn wrote about the top 7 mistakes made when buying solar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here it is<\/a>. You should read it. 835,658 people already have1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d go as far as saying that this information is priceless, but that would be a lie. It does have a price with a very real dollar value. If you don\u2019t read the article, you may be outlaying good money without getting the returns you expected.<\/p>\n

Today I\u2019m going to take Finn\u2019s article a step further and give you the sequel, written from the perspective of a crusty, ex-solar installer:<\/p>\n

Strap yourself in. Here goes\u2026<\/p>\n

Mistake #1 Not giving yourself a basic education about solar<\/h2>\n

Whatever your motivation is for thinking about getting solar power, it won\u2019t hurt to do a bit of research. I know it can be overwhelming and difficult to know where to start. The internet is full of information about every subject known to man.<\/p>\n

Most people start with a scattergun approach and then give up with information overload. The problem with this approach is the lack of structure. No meaningful way of getting from A to B.<\/p>\n

What you need is a \u2018solar for beginners\u2019 tutorial of sorts. Luckily, here is one I prepared earlier. Well actually, Finn did. Solar 101, Part 1: Understanding Solar<\/a> is hands down the best place to start your solar energy education.<\/p>\n

Maybe you don\u2019t have time to get through it in one sitting. That\u2019s understandable. It\u2019s very thorough. Take your time before you move on to the next one<\/a>. In the words of a once famous Prime Minister we\u2019d all rather forget about – \u201cIt\u2019s not a race\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mistake #2 Not understanding your energy consumption<\/h2>\n

This is where it can get tricky. There are some great online tools for estimating likely savings from a solar power system. In fact, there\u2019s a solar calculator right here<\/a> that I thoroughly recommend.<\/p>\n

Put your own figures in, then compare the results against any numbers you\u2019ve been given for a solar quote. Bear in mind it\u2019s only an estimate. It will only ever be an estimate, because there\u2019s no way of knowing 100% due to the multitude of variables that feed into the equation. But don\u2019t let that get you down.<\/p>\n

All I\u2019m asking is you try to get your head around your own energy consumption habits. You\u2019re probably aware that if you have solar power, it makes sense to use high-powered appliances when the sun is shining, so you draw from the solar panels and not the grid.<\/p>\n

But what does that mean in real terms? How do we quantify high power or power usage in general? It\u2019s hard to measure unless you spend thousands of dollars on data loggers and consumption meters for every circuit in your house. It\u2019s not going to happen.<\/p>\n

A simplified explanation of power usage<\/h3>\n

You\u2019re trying to do the right thing by using what you think are high-powered appliances in the middle of the day when the sun is shining brightly on your solar panels. Your solar panels are now producing, say, 4 kW of power.<\/p>\n

You put a chicken in the oven to roast. Your oven is now drawing 3kW of power. Great. Your new solar power system is providing 100% power to the oven (3kW) and exporting 1kW to the grid. Pity about the crappy feed-in tariff you\u2019re getting.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been working pretty hard, so you put on the kettle for a coffee. The kettle draws 2kW of power. The 1kW that was going from the solar to the grid is now diverted to your kettle instead; and it needs another 1kW, so imports it from the grid to make up the shortfall.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like an accounting balance sheet.<\/p>\n

Load:
\nOven (3kW) + kettle (2kW) = 5kW.<\/p>\n

Generator:
\nSolar (4kW) + grid (1kW) = 5kW<\/p>\n

So is switching on the kettle to be avoided? No! You deserve that cup of coffee, and although the kettle will cause 1 kW of imports from the grid, it will only be for a couple of minutes. That means your coffee-related grid energy usage will be about one-thirtieth of a kilowatt hour (2 minutes is 1\/30th of an hour, so 1\/30 x 1kW = 1\/30th of a kWh). About 1 cent’s worth.<\/p>\n

This is important to understand if you\u2019re hoping to install solar panels to save money. Your energy consumption habits will help you to achieve the financial returns you expect from your solar power system and also put into perspective\u00a0 where to focus your efforts (tip – it’s not the kettle).<\/p>\n