With electricity prices on the rise and home solar systems cheaper than ever, it’s no surprise that rooftop solar panels are being installed in record numbers.
With advancements in technology, solar energy has become a tangible alternative for many Australians. Switching to solar not only helps with the electricity bills, but is a great way to cut carbon emissions.
If you’re curious about installing rooftop solar panels in your home, then we’ve put together this short article to help explain the process and answer any questions you may have.
Why make the change in the first place?
The sun provides us with 10,000 times the energy we need on a daily basis. To put it another way, if we could harness just 0.0001% of the sun’s energy, we could power all the cities on Earth.
That’s a staggering thought – and it’s not impossible!
The world is undoubtedly heading towards a renewable energy turning point, with the Australian Government spending billions this year alone on several solar farms across the country.
This change in direction is cumulative; the more that is spent on solar investment, the cheaper and more efficient solar technology becomes.
Renewable energy is the future of Australia, and solar power is the future of the family home.
How do rooftop solar panels work?
Okay, so we know sunlight gets converted into electricity, but how exactly?
Basically, sunlight is made up of little energy packets called photons, and when these photons hit the solar panel, their energy jumps to electrons and makes them move, creating electricity. For a more detailed explanation, check out our previous article here.
We now have electricity, but it’s in Direct Current (DC) form, and everything in our home runs on Alternating Current (AC). This is why we need an inverter, such as Enphase, SMA or Fronius.
Inverters are the heart of any good home solar system installation.
It doesn’t matter how efficient your solar panels are, or how sunny it is, if you can’t convert the electricity created into something useful, then it’s all for nothing.
Once the inverter changes the Direct Current into 240V Alternating Current, then it can be used in your home to power everything from the lights to the dishwasher.
If you’re producing a surplus of electricity, then one of two things can happen; it’s either sent back into the grid, or it’s stored in a battery for use later.
What can switching to solar save me?
A lot of money.
The Clean Energy Council estimates that the average Australian household will save $1,034 per year on their electricity bill by converting to a 3 KW solar system.
Being conservative, that’s over twenty thousand dollars saved on electricity bills – not a bad return for the initial investment.
The main worry people have about installing rooftop solar panels is what happens when the sun isn’t shining? Again, developments in technology are answering that question.
Earlier this year Tesla launched their new Powerwall battery into the Australian market.
The Powerwall a rechargeable lithium battery, small enough to be wall mounted in your home, but powerful enough to run an average house for a day.
When hooked up to a solar panel system, the Powerwall can store the energy, allowing you to use it during blackouts or at night, or run your home during the day instead of using the national power grid.
As technology progresses, batteries like this will become more and more common, allowing the average household to rely on their own power rather than the grid.
Why call us
The advantages of installing rooftop solar panels are becoming more and more obvious to the Australian public. Solar electricity is cheaper to create, cheaper to run, and it doesn’t harm the planet.
Bright Earth Electrical are the experts in Adelaide when it comes to all things solar powered.
If you would like to install a solar power system, or have any questions about how they work or the options available, then contact Bright Earth Electrical today on 0422 195 636.
Solar power is quickly taking over the country, and with electricity prices rising year-on-year, it makes sense to convert to solar energy today rather than tomorrow.
Remember, the sooner you change, the sooner you start saving.
Bright Earth Solar offers a range of exceptional solar products, helping you save money while doing your bit to save the planet. We keep you up to date with new technology, innovation and trends in renewable energy.