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Over the past year, Choice magazine and the CSIRO have partnered up to test and review some of the most commonly sold solar panels in Australia. This is excellent for consumers, as it highlights the most popular panels and quantifies their features. Now, the results are in. After a full year of exposure to all sorts of Australian weather conditions, the JinkoSolar panel came second overall and was one of only two modules to score over 90%. It was also one of two modules to receive an “excellent” performance rating. It comfortably outperformed all other modules in its price range, with the

If you’ve recently noticed water dribbling from your hot water system, don’t panic, it may not be a leak you need to worry about. In the heat of summer, the valves in your hot water system can drip. In fact, hot water systems are designed to release a small amount of water (particularly on hot days) to regulate pressure in the water tank, ensuring it doesn’t over pressurise. However, if the amount of water that your system releases is more than the occasional drip, you may have a serious leak on your hands. In this case, you’ll be paying to heat water, only for it to go to waste. How will I

Do you want your solar PV system to produce as much energy as possible? Increasing the array-to-inverter ratio, using a technique known as ‘maximising’, can help ensure you’re getting the most out of your system. What is maximising? Maximising is when you install a solar array that has the ability to generate more electricity than your inverter’s maximum output capacity. For example, you can pair a 6kW solar panel array with a 5kW inverter (assuming it is operating safely within the inverter's voltage parameters). How does maximising work? Firstly, it is important to understand how solar

Cell optimisers vs panel optimisers vs micro-inverters Once upon a time, if you were installing solar panels on a home with an unusual roofline or shaded areas, you’d use micro-inverters to ensure your system was delivering as much energy as possible. Micro-inverters allow for panel level optimisation, which enables panels to be managed individually - ideal for these challenging installations. Even on roofs ideal for solar, the panel level optimisation in micro-inverters provide about 5% extra yield. However, now there are new and alternative technologies on the market that also enable panel

Want to add more panels to your solar PV system? Here’s what you need to know. On 9 October 2016, changes to AS4777.2:2015 (the Australian Standard for ‘Grid connection of energy systems via inverters - Inverter requirements’) took effect which are likely to influence your plans to upgrade your existing solar PV system. What has changed? Legislation regulating solar power installations (which is guided by AS4777.2:2015) now states that you will only be entitled to receive STC (small-scale technology certificate) discounts for new solar panels if you meet the following requirements: Your system

Are you still undecided about investing in solar PV panels for your home? If you’re put off by the cost involved, it’s time you had another look because solar panel prices are lower than ever before, meaning now is an excellent time to buy. The reason for this lies in China. Background In the first six months of 2016, China experienced a massive surge in the uptake of solar PV systems. In fact, the Chinese installed a whopping 20GW of new solar panels in that time. That’s triple the amount they installed in the first half of 2015. What does 20GW of solar capacity equate to? To put it into

Overloading your system makes financial sense As the cost of solar panels continues to decrease, so too has the cost of adding capacity to your solar PV system. By adding extra panels to your system when it is first installed, you are benefiting from increased production straight away and lower installation costs compared with adding the extra panels at a later date. With panels facing multiple orientations, you can achieve even greater savings as your system is capable of producing more electricity over a longer period of time each day, pumping out power earlier in the morning or later in the

When was the last time you thought about your solar hot water system? It’s one of those things we take for granted when it’s working properly. However, we recommend you start researching a replacement well before your current system stops working. Otherwise you’ll be left with no hot water, no idea what to buy and no time to research your options. Yet, with a little forward planning, you’ll know exactly what to do when your solar hot water system finally bites the dust. How will I know when my solar hot water system needs replacing? The age of your system and the symptoms it’s displaying can

You’ve already invested in a solar PV system for your home (or are thinking about doing so) and, now, you’re wondering how you can maximise your savings by adding battery storage into the mix. Read on to discover just how easy it is to retrofit batteries to your solar power system. Battery storage is the way of the future According to the Climate Council, Australia is expected to be one of the largest markets for battery storage due to: the high cost of electricity the large number of households with solar panels Australia’s excellent solar resources As feed-in tariffs are phased out (meaning

There are so many solar myths out there and, here, at Solargain, we hear them all the time. From misleading web pages to misinformed uncles (we all have one), the truth is that the wrong information leads to poor choices which can cost you big bucks. Today, we set the record straight – separating solar facts from fiction! Here are the most common ‘solar stories’ along with the facts which are usually forgotten. Myth #1: “Solar PV panels are really expensive and unaffordable for most working Australians.” Okay, let’s start by making it clear that, in Australia, working class families living in

Are you experiencing issues with your solar system? This may be due to faulty panels, wiring, inverter or even grid issues. Determining the cause of an underperforming solar system can be tricky, which is why you should always get CEC Accredited Installers and Designers to check your equipment. Our solar technicians are fully licensed professionals who will help you get the most out of your solar power equipment, whether it was installed with us or not. They’ll check your installation thoroughly, detect and correct any existing issues, and determine their origin in order to prevent them from

Have you ever thought about how much energy your household uses each day and what that actually means? When you look at your power bill you might see your electricity usage recorded in kilowatt hours (kWh) or in some cases it’s referred to as one ‘Unit’ of electricity (which is the same as 1kWh). But what does 1kWh actually look like? The average Australian household uses about 16kWh of electricity every single day. While this doesn’t sound like much, the following examples give you an idea of just how much energy that actually equates to. You use this everyday Despite being small enough to