Tamworth, NSW is a great place to install a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, thanks in great part to the falling price of solar panels globally and across Australia. Solar panels have become one of the most popular options in NSW for saving money on electricity bills–which have skyrocketed in the past few years.
Why go solar in Tamworth, NSW?
Save money by using the sun
Finding the best deal on solar PV in Tamworth, or anywhere in NSW, depends first on understanding how a solar system can benefit your home or business. Solar panels produce power only when the sun shines, and the duration of this sunshine will depend on the climate & latitude of the region in which the system is located, as well as site-specific factors such as the shadows cast by nearby objects and buildings.
A north-facing solar system installed in Tamworth can be expected to produce approximately 3.9 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per day for every 1 kilowatt (kW) of solar capacity installed, averaged throughout the year. This figure will of course be greater in the summer and lower in the winter. As a rule of thumb, the average 3-person household uses approximately 20kWh of electricity per day.
This means that if you install a 1kW solar system, it will produce an average of about 3.9kWh of power per day. 1kW systems are not very common however. The most popular sizes of small-scale solar systems and their estimated daily power outputs are listed below.
1.5kW solar system: 5.85kWh
2kW solar system: 7.8kWh
3kW solar system: 11.7kWh
4kW solar system: 15.6kWh
5kW solar system: 19.5kWh
10kW solar system: 39kWh
Using solar power to offset electricity bills in Tamworth
Since there is no mandatory solar feed-in tariff on offer in NSW, going solar offers the greatest potential benefit to those homes and businesses that are occupied during the day–when the sun is shining. The absence of a feed-in tariff does mean that going solar is not worthwhile, but it does mean that those who install a system will need to 1) ensure that they use as much of the power from the system as it is being produced, 2) ensure that the system they install does not produce more power than necessary–i.e. that the system is sized to just about match day time electricity demand, and 3) try to find the best deal possible on a feed-in tariff rate from their electricity retailer.
Finding the best solar feed-in tariff rate in NSW
NSW solar homes and businesses are encouraged by the NSW government to ‘shop around’ for the best deal on a solar feed-in tariff rate on the MyEnergyOffers website. Some electricity retailers will offer up to 8 or 10c/kWh for solar power that you export to the grid, while other will offer nothing. A rate of, for example, 8c/kWh, would act mainly as ‘insurance’ for when you are unable to use all of the power your system produces yourself, keeping in mind that using the power yourself could save you up to 28c/kWh in avoided costs for energy purchased from the grid.
(Read more about the economics of 1-to-1 Solar Buybacks vs Solar Feed-in Tariffs and who should consider going solar in NSW.)
Compare solar system prices in Tamworth, NSW
Good return on investment and short payback periods on solar PV systems depend first on finding a good price on a system. A reasonable price for reasonable quality components is what anyone interested in going solar should look for. Solar Choice, with a network of over 120 installers Australia-wide, makes it easy for those considering going solar to compare prices for solar system installations.
Although we are based in Manly, NSW, Solar Choice operates nationally as Australia’s leading solar system brokering service. We offer impartial advice and instant Solar Quote Comparisons to our customers–at absolutely no charge to them. To date, we have assisted over 105,000 Australians make an informed choice about going solar. Get in touch with us today by filling out the form to the right of this page, or call us on 1300 78 72 73.
© 2013 Solar Choice Pty Ltd
(Top image by Wade Homewood, via Wikipedia)
I live at Manilla and am looking at the most cost effective solar panel installation