Solar

Solar Choice

From the category archives:

FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions!

August 5, 2010
Thumbnail image for Frequently Asked Questions!

We get asked a lot of questions and sometimes the answers just remain on the page of the article and it is hard for others to keep track of them, so we have decided to summarize some of the key questions we have faced here is a summary of answers to frequently asked questions.

Read the full article →

Solar Panel System Design and Reliability for non-grid-connected systems

April 28, 2010
Thumbnail image for Solar Panel System Design and Reliability for non-grid-connected systems

One of the biggest decisions for any engineer when designing a system is reliability. However, you don’t have to be an engineer to design your own Solar Energy Panel system. Well, not after you read about these system design tips!

Read the full article →

Australian Solar Cities & Communities Growing!

April 26, 2010
Thumbnail image for Australian Solar Cities & Communities Growing!

Adelaide, Townsville, Blacktown, Alice Springs, Central Victoria, Perth and Coburg are getting $75 Million dollars over 5 years to demonstrate high penetration uptake of solar technologies, energy efficiency and smart metering. So what have they done so far?

Read the full article →

Emerging Solar Energy Panel Trends

April 21, 2010
Thumbnail image for Emerging Solar Energy Panel Trends

The University of New South Wales holds the record for producing the highest efficiency solar energy cells and has had the privilege of holding this record for approximately 20 years, from the likes of Stanford University (USA). So when Stuart Wenham, the director of the UNSW program, recently gave his predictions on the future trends [...]

Read the full article →

How does my Solar Energy Panel perform over time?

April 19, 2010
Thumbnail image for How does my Solar Energy Panel perform over time?

Last week in “The Manufacturing and Science behind Solar Energy Panels” we talked about the different types of solar panels you could purchase and what all those complicated names meant. This week we shall focus on all the reasons why your cells might not be performing up to specification and whether its a temporary problem [...]

Read the full article →

Australia’s Feed-in-Tariff debate

April 14, 2010
Thumbnail image for Australia’s Feed-in-Tariff debate

To Feed-in or not to Feed-in: Encouraging renewable energy electricity production
The concept of a feed-in-tariff (FiT) has been around since the 70’s but it was only in the last decade we saw Germany pioneer its usage to dramatically increase electricity generation from solar PV.

Read the full article →

The Manufacturing and Science behind Solar Energy Panels

April 6, 2010
Thumbnail image for The Manufacturing and Science behind Solar Energy Panels

An introduction to the manufacturing and science about the solar energy panels that are on your roof already, and the panels that you are considering to put on your roof, and how they could impact your return on investment.

Read the full article →

What is Environmental Performance Disclosure?

March 25, 2010
Thumbnail image for What is Environmental Performance Disclosure?

Yet another reason to go solar!
In the second half of this year mandatory disclosure will be introduced for commercial office buildings with a leasable space over 2000 square metres. Environmental Performance Disclosure will then be phased in for all residential premises across all Australian states and territories by May 2011. So………

Read the full article →

Can We Trust Solar Energy Panels From China?

March 22, 2010
Thumbnail image for Can We Trust Solar Energy Panels From China?

With China being in the news for toy’s being coated with lead paint and other controversial issues with quality control it is quite normal to have concerns with their products and whether their solar panels will work for as long as they say it will or will there be any unexpected defects? So how do [...]

Read the full article →

REC prices to be guaranteed at $40 from 01 Jan 2011

March 2, 2010
Thumbnail image for REC prices to be guaranteed at $40 from 01 Jan 2011

On Friday the 27th of February the Minister for Climate Change announced some very positive changes to the prices of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The changes will simplify and gaurantee the Solar Credits rebate which significantly lowers the cost of installing solar PV cells.

Read the full article →

Home energy consumption versus solar PV generation

February 16, 2010
Thumbnail image for Home energy consumption versus solar PV generation

You may be wondering, if I install a 1.5kW solar PV system, how much energy will I be feeding back to the grid? This is an important question, especially if your state has a net feed-in tariff. The answer depends on two things – how much energy you produce, and how much you consume.

Read the full article →

Gross Metering Details for Energy Australia New South Wales

February 9, 2010
Thumbnail image for Gross Metering Details for Energy Australia New South Wales

There is a lot of discussion in the industry regarding exactly how the New South Wales Solar Bonus Scheme will affect properties meter boxes and connections with the grid. Solar Choice has done the preliminary research, and has an update for all NSW solar energy customers, especially those with Energy Australia.

Read the full article →

How do I use electricity throughout the day – the load curve

January 28, 2010
Thumbnail image for How do I use electricity throughout the day – the load curve

The previous article, how to save energy in your home, told you how on aggregate you use electricity in the home – that is, what percentage of your power is used by certain appliances. But how do you use electricity during the day, hour by hour? What appliances are on and when, and how does your consumption look in the morning, evening, [...]

Read the full article →

How to save energy in your home

January 28, 2010
Thumbnail image for How to save energy in your home

Every quarter that electricity bill rolls in, and you may be left wondering – how is it so high, and how am I using that much energy? Here is a summary of how the typical home in NSW uses energy, and where it all goes.

Read the full article →

Get a discount by buying in bulk – set up a Solar Community

January 27, 2010
Thumbnail image for Get a discount by buying in bulk – set up a Solar Community

Setting up a solar community is a great way to do a big thing for the environment. If you’re a local council, it’s a great way to reduce the carbon footprint of your municipality and provide a helpful service and discount to your residents who would like to go solar. Here is a description of what they are, [...]

Read the full article →

Solar trackers

January 21, 2010
Thumbnail image for Solar trackers

A good way to maximise the output of your solar PV system is to have it mounted on a solar tracker. Solar trackers can boost the electrical output of your PV system significantly, allowing you to earn more income from the feed-in tariff. However, as discussed in this article, the economics of solar trackers are [...]

Read the full article →

How much energy will my solar cells produce?

Thumbnail image for How much energy will my solar cells produce? January 19, 2010

The electrical energy output of solar cells is obviously one of the crucial things that you need to know when looking to install a solar system. Some solar energy companies are giving a wide variety of unreferenced numbers, so we have done our research and provide you with fully referenced and reliable information for you to consider.

Read the full article →

Physics 101 – what is the difference between power and energy?

January 19, 2010
Thumbnail image for Physics 101 – what is the difference between power and energy?

For the non-scientifically inclined, all this talk about power and energy can get confusing. It gets worse when people start saying kilowatt and kilowatt hour, and then using the letters k, W and h everywhere. What does it all mean? 

Read the full article →

Putting solar cells on your holiday home – a nice little earner

Thumbnail image for Putting solar cells on your holiday home – a nice little earner January 15, 2010

For those of you luck enough to own a holiday home you no doubt already know that renting it out to friends and the public is a great way to earn some extra money.
Now there’s another way to earn some extra money from your lovely little holiday shack – putting solar cells on it.

Read the full article →

The Green Loans program

January 12, 2010

A solar PV system is a great way to green your home, reduce your energy bills and shrink your carbon footprint. The various solar feed in tariffs offered, which pay you a special premium for the energy your solar cells generate, also provide financial incentives to going solar. However, the upfront cost of a solar system can be an issue. 

Read the full article →

Solar Panel Tilt and Orientation in Australia

Thumbnail image for Solar Panel Tilt and Orientation in Australia January 7, 2010

Solar panels are installed differently based on their geographic locations throughout the world. The premise behind this is simple; the sun is in a different place in the sky, so panels need to be directed according to this positioning.

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries