From the category archives:

Saving energy

How home heating affects your solar PV setup

July 26, 2017
Thumbnail image for How home heating affects your solar PV setup

The relationship between home heating and solar PV is significantly different to that between home cooling and solar PV. There are two key differences: Time of day: we need heating the most when the sun goes down. This is the opposite to cooling, which we need most when the sun is out. Time of year: […]

Read the full article →

Tips for maximising your solar savings

May 30, 2017
Solar and coins

When you go solar, you’ll need to adjust the way you use your appliances to ensure you make the most of the energy coming from your solar panels. Here are a few simple things you can do to reduce maximise your solar energy usage – and your energy bill savings. Make sure you understand your bill […]

Read the full article →

How home cooling affects your solar PV setup

May 11, 2017
Thumbnail image for How home cooling affects your solar PV setup

Home cooling and solar PV are inextricably linked in two ways: Time of day: our need for cooling is strongest when temperatures peak during the daytime – the time when solar electricity production is also at its strongest. Time of year: summer is the time of year when our solar panels produce the most electricity. […]

Read the full article →

How your hot water system affects your solar PV setup

March 15, 2017
Thumbnail image for How your hot water system affects your solar PV setup

The hot water system you use in your home has a big impact on how you size your solar panels, and on how you position them on your rooftop. That’s because hot water systems come in gas, electric and solar forms. The system you’ve chosen will impact your demand for electricity, and if you’ve chosen […]

Read the full article →

Adapting your home’s solar energy usage for autumn

April 27, 2016
Thumbnail image for Adapting your home’s solar energy usage for autumn

If you’re looking to be more energy efficient this autumn, a good place to start is adding solar panels to your home. It’s been suggested that autumn is the best season for solar energy generation. The summer heat can actually have an adverse effect on your solar panel causing solar cells to work inefficiently at times […]

Read the full article →

Solar solution for apartment owners

April 15, 2014
Thumbnail image for Solar solution for apartment owners

Australia has one of the highest per capita and rooftop penetration rates of solar power in the world.  Our position at the top of the rankings is largely because we have historically had strong support programs and more recently, dramatic increases in electricity rates which make solar a fantastic financial proposition. However, so far the […]

Read the full article →

Solar’s rise to dominance closer than we think

April 15, 2014
Thumbnail image for Solar’s rise to dominance closer than we think

The use of solar power is increasing at a prodigious rate around the world and Australia is no exception. In fact solar’s growth may be have already reached an unforeseen tipping point, according to American inventor and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil. Kurzweil formulated what he called the ‘law of accelerating returns’ after having studied numerous technology […]

Read the full article →

Prediction: Some utilities will adapt, many will perish

March 21, 2014
Thumbnail image for Prediction: Some utilities will adapt, many will perish

We have a lot to thank the electricity industry for, let’s be clear about that. Energy has transformed our life and brought wealth and health to billions of people. But as time has passed we have learned (well many of us have) that the way things were done in the past aren’t necessarily the way […]

Read the full article →

SolarEdge: Module-level DC-DC optimisers for solar PV systems

December 12, 2012
Thumbnail image for SolarEdge: Module-level DC-DC optimisers for solar PV systems

One of the trickiest parts of maximising efficiency in a solar installation is dealing with variations in power output among panels and strings of panels in the same system. SolarEdge is a company that has developed a unique solution to the problem of irregularity in solar panel array output. It uses a solar system architecture that utilises per-module maximum […]

Read the full article →

Solar power in NSW – the benefits for customers thinking of going solar

October 30, 2012
Thumbnail image for Solar power in NSW – the benefits for customers thinking of going solar

Since the NSW State Government removed the mandatory feed-in tariff in early 2012 there has been ongoing discussion about the value of solar power in NSW. With energy prices skyrocketing as a result of increasing distribution costs and, to a lesser extent the Carbon Price, a solar PV system can offer customers in NSW a means […]

Read the full article →

NSW electricity prices to rise by up to 18.1% by July 2011–IPART

April 15, 2011
Thumbnail image for NSW electricity prices to rise by up to 18.1% by July 2011–IPART

The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has recommended that the price of electricity in NSW increase by between 16.4% and 18.1%. Changes will come into effect from 1 July, 2011. Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Tweet about it Print for later Tell a friend Related PostsGraph of the Day: Tesla battery popular on […]

Read the full article →

Making an informed decision-Questions to ask yourself when considering solar power

Thumbnail image for Making an informed decision-Questions to ask yourself when considering solar power February 2, 2011

We here at Solar Choice are regularly asked about not only technical issues related to solar power, but also about which Installers are the most reputable and dependable. Even before considering these very critical points, there is the important issue of deciding if Solar Electricity is the right investment for your home and energy security. […]

Read the full article →

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. Recommend […]

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. Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Tweet about it Print […]

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……… Recommend on Facebook […]

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 […]

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. Recommend on Facebook Share on Linkedin Tweet about it Print for […]

Read the full article →