From the category archives:

Free Solar PV system installation advice and quote comparisons

Solar Panels and trees: both share an affinity for the sun…

April 30, 2011
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The Solar Choice blog is full of good advice. We have written about how to orient your solar panels, how to determine what size system you’ll need, how much you might expect to earn or save through government solar power incentives (feed-in tariffs and RECs) with a solar PV system, and how to troubleshoot electricity production [...]

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East or West orientation for solar panels

April 19, 2011
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Determining the orientation and tilt angle of your solar power generation system is one of the most important considerations in designing your solar power system. As we have mentioned before, in the southern hemisphere, due North is the optimum orientation for panels. But not everyone has a perfectly oriented roof. When your two best options [...]

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Flexible Thin-film Solar photovoltaics

April 13, 2011

In a previous Solar Choice blog entry, Prateek Chourdia wrote about some emerging trends in the future of photovoltaic solar technology, including thin-film solar power. This entry will summarise some of the salient points regarding thin-film technologies, otherwise known as flexible photovoltaics, and discuss their possible future direction. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on [...]

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How to install a solar panel mounting system on your roof

April 12, 2011
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For most people who decide to mount solar panels on their roof, a mounting system is necessary. This short entry explains the basics of what needs to be taken into consideration when putting a solar array on your roof. -Read about Solar Panel Tilt and Orientation in Australia- (Get a free comparison of solar quotes of the [...]

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Solar-powered carports

April 7, 2011
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The number of small, simple ways to put solar power to use in daily life seems virtually endless, and opportunities present themselves at every corner. Solar carports are one innovative way to turn an ordinarily passive, mundane, everyday item into an electricity generation system that works for you. It’s the sort of thing that, when [...]

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BIPV: Building-integrated Photovoltaics, the future of PV

April 1, 2011
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Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) is exactly what the name indicates: solar power generation modules that are integrated directly into a building in the place of ordinary building materials. BIPV differs in a number of ways from the PV arrays that most of us are familiar with: the roof-mounted or rack-mounted PV arrays that are retrofitted onto [...]

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Troubleshooting your grid-connected solar power system

March 18, 2011
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On our blog we often receive comments from people who have installed solar power systems but, for some reason or other, are not seeing the optimal or anticipated performance from their system. Although the best approach in such a case is usually to contact your installer and ask for advice (especially if your system is [...]

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Ground-screws for ground-mounted solar power systems

February 25, 2011
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Ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are ideal for those who have space to spare on their property. The are becoming increasingly common. In fact, there is a movement to recruit solar farmers, who, taking advantage of generous feed-in tariffs and solar rebate incentives, would be able to turn a profit from otherwise unproductive land. This [...]

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Asbestos in my roof! Can I install solar panels?

February 24, 2011
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You are now mentally and financially prepared and willing to go ahead with a solar panel (photovoltaic) installation on the roof of your home. The only problem is, after having your potential installer come out and have a look at it, you’ve found out that your roof has got asbestos in it and your installer [...]

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Own and Run a Solar Farm

February 4, 2011
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The image of a rural plot with a wind turbine producing electricity to be fed into the electricity grid with cattle milling about underneath grazing the grass has become a familiar one, but more and more rural Australian landholders are also making the choice to own and run solar farms. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend [...]

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Frequently Asked Questions!

August 5, 2010
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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. Blog [...]

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Solar Panels on your roof and where else? (part two)

July 9, 2010
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Earlier in the week we looked at Solar Panels in the Transportation Industry, this time around we will take a look at other commercial scale concepts/ideas that take into consideration the advantages offered by the different types of solar cells (mono/multi/amorphous silicon). Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with [...]

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Solar Panels on your roof and where else?

July 5, 2010
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This week we’ll take a brief look at the versatility of solar power and what people are doing with their photovoltaic panels. This first segment will take a look at public transportation and personal rapid transportation with respect to what’s being done in Australia! Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin [...]

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How does my Solar Energy Panel perform over time?

April 19, 2010
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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 [...]

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Solar trackers

January 21, 2010
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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 [...]

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Ground mounted solar PV systems

January 13, 2010
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The majority of home solar installations are rooftop mounted panels. Roofs offer a practical and ready location to install solar cells on most occasions. But on some occasions the rooftop is just not suitable, or optimal. In this situation the alternative is to have your solar PV system mounted on the ground. This article will outline [...]

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Solar Panel Tilt and Orientation in Australia

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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. Blog this! Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Share with Stumblers Tweet about [...]

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