From the category archives:

Saving energy

Solar power & water heating: Everything you need to know (almost)

May 30, 2018
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Everyone who has solar panels on their roof wants to make the most of the electricity they produce, and one of the biggest energy consumers for most households is their water heater. Using solar energy to heat water is in fact a better option (financially) than an investment in battery storage – and as such […]

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Achieving grid stability with smart technologies

May 16, 2018

The problems currently facing the efficiency and stability of the gird are multilayered, and grid-scale energy storage technologies are helping to deliver solutions, according to Gianpaolo Giuliani, Global Sales Director, Energy Storage for GE Energy. Gianpaolo Giuliani has been with General Electric Company (GE) for almost 19 years and at the end of 2013 he […]

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Sanjeev Gupta talks energy storage

May 14, 2018

As solar and energy storage technologies become more competitive, they will revolutionise how energy is consumed globally, especially in Australia, says businessman Sanjeev Gupta, who has cemented his place as a champion of renewables in Australia following recent investments in the energy sector. Sanjeev Gupta is the Executive Chairman of the GFG Alliance, majority shareholder of SIMEC ZEN […]

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Major free showcase of energy storage technologies

May 8, 2018

More than 60 leading companies in the Australian and global energy storage industry will come together at the Australian Energy Storage Conference and Exhibition (AES 2018) on 23-24 May to explore the innovative energy storage technologies currently in the market and look at what’s next for the sector. The exhibition will be held at the […]

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How home heating affects your solar PV setup

July 26, 2017
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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: […]

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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 […]

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How home cooling affects your solar PV setup

May 11, 2017
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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. […]

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How your hot water system affects your solar PV setup

March 15, 2017
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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 […]

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Adapting your home’s solar energy usage for autumn

April 27, 2016
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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 […]

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Solar solution for apartment owners

April 15, 2014
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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 […]

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Solar’s rise to dominance closer than we think

April 15, 2014
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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 […]

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Prediction: Some utilities will adapt, many will perish

March 21, 2014
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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 […]

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

December 12, 2012
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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 […]

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

October 30, 2012
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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 […]

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

April 15, 2011
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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 PostsThe impressive numbers behind the Tesla ‘big battery’ […]

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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. […]

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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. Recommend […]

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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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Australia’s Feed-in-Tariff debate

April 14, 2010
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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 […]

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What is Environmental Performance Disclosure?

March 25, 2010
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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 […]

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

January 28, 2010
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    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 […]

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How to save energy in your home

January 28, 2010
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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 […]

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