Solar Choice

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WA

Battery Storage Price Index – June 2018

June 6, 2018

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Even with substantial changes to the database used to compile this month’s index, average battery storage system prices have moved only slightly from May. This seems to be an indication of the fixed hardware costs of battery storage systems (mainly the batteries themselves). Even as competition increases and more players come into the space offering […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for June 2018

June 6, 2018

Changes in the composition of Solar Choice’s commercial solar installer network, combined with price updates from several companies have resulted in a slight upwards shift in average dollar per watt ($/W) prices for commercial solar systems – up about 3c/W from May 2018 to $1.19/W. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the tables […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – June 2018

June 6, 2018

Average residential solar system prices have dipped down to $1.32 per watt ($/W) this month on the back of several factors, including changes to the composition of the Solar Choice installer network and updated pricing from installers that we work with. While not a historic low (we’ve seen $1.30/W in December 2017), it is the […]

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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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Residential solar PPA in Perth property development a ‘game changer’

May 14, 2018

A residential property development in Perth’s northern suburbs is offering home buyers a rooftop solar deal that promises to cut their daytime power costs by 40 per cent. The solar power purchase agreement, a first of its kind for Western Australia, is being trialled at Yolk Property Group’s Amble Estate in Girrawheen – a mix […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – May 2018

May 4, 2018

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This month saw the most significant changes to battery installation prices since we started keeping track last November, thanks in part to an influx of data from companies in the Solar Choice network as they update their details for our price comparisons. While April saw an average increase in prices due to the addition of […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for May 2018

May 3, 2018

Commercial solar system prices continue their (very) gradual decline, according to pricing data from Solar Choice’s network of installers. The average indexed price continues to sit at around $1.16/W – down from about $1.23/W a year ago. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the tables below include incentives available through the federal Renewable […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – May 2018

May 3, 2018

Average residential solar system prices continue to sit at about $1.35 per watt ($/W) for the second month in a row, despite a number of pricing updates from installers in the network across the country. A basic 5kW solar system – one of the most popular sizes – costs just under $5,700 on average, while ‘premium’ and […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for April 2018

April 23, 2018

Average commercial solar system prices continue to sit at about $1.17/W for the second month in a row, according to data from the Solar Choice installer network database. 100kW and 70kW system prices come in at around $1.10/W nationally, while 10kW & 30kW are between $1.20-$1.30/W. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – April 2018

April 23, 2018

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This month’s data saw changes only in the larger two size categories that we track (i.e. 11-15kWh and 16-20kWh), where average prices actually increased slightly, due partially to the addition of high-end products from sonnen. For the time being our ‘Are We There Yet?’ Meter continues to track only battery prices in the best case scenarios […]

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The biggest barrier to microgrids

April 13, 2018

The establishment of viable business cases for different applications is the main barrier to the continued uptake of microgrids in Australia, according to Greg Allen, Executive General Manager, Carnegie Clean Energy. Mr Allen has 20 years experience in engineering, specifically in business development and operational experience in the industrial plant and equipment, and solar industries. At Carnegie Clean Energy […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – April 2018

April 12, 2018

Average solar system prices again fell slightly between March and April, down to about $1.35 per watt, the lowest we’ve seen since the beginning of the year, but not as low as the record of $1.30/W set in December of 2017. For April 2018, 5kW systems are coming in at about $5,700 out-of-pocket on average for […]

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Over 20,000 battery storage systems installed in Aus in 2017: SunWiz

March 29, 2018

Battery market 2017

After an extended period of research, SunWiz has released its much-anticipated Australian Battery Market Report for 2018. As Australia’s leading provider of solar market research, SunWiz’s position of a trusted independent market analyst means top companies trust us and have shared their information and unique insights. This report provides unprecedented transparency into what is otherwise an […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – March 2018

March 26, 2018

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With another month of minimal changes to battery pricing in our database, we’ve used the opportunity to again alter the presentation of our ‘Our We There Yet’ Meter to focus on the situations where batteries are looking most attractive, as most of the figures for other situations are still out of the ballpark. In particular, […]

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15kW solar systems: A great size for homes & businesses (if you can fit one on your roof)

March 20, 2018

15kW solar systems are a great system size for homes with high levels of energy consumption or businesses with small to middling energy needs – provided that they have sufficient roof space to install one. This article takes you through (almost) everything you might want to know about 15kW solar systems, including how much space […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for March 2018

March 19, 2018

Average prices for commercial-scale solar systems continue to hang around $1.17 per watt, down from about $1.21/W this time last year, and down from about $1.30/W in 2016. 100kW systems are averaging about $1.10/W, while 10kW systems come in at around $1.28/W. Commercial solar system prices (10kW-100kW) All prices in the tables below include incentives […]

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Why doesn’t my electricity retailer give me a 25c solar feed-in tariff?

March 19, 2018

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Why don’t retailers offer higher solar feed-in rates? Does it matter if feed-in tariff rates are low? What are some of the alternative approaches to conventional feed-in tariffs that are beginning to appear in the Australian market? These are important questions to ask when considering going solar in Australia these days. We take a look at […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – March 2018

March 14, 2018

Average solar system prices dipped slightly between February and March 2018 – coming in at about $1.38 per watt as opposed to $1.40/W last month – according to the most recent data from Solar Choice’s installer network database. While average prices decreased for most capital cities, Sydney and Canberra saw slight increases, due in part to changes […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – February 2018

February 26, 2018

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This month we’ve changed up the style of the graphs that we use for our ‘Are We There Yet?’ Meter, and altered them to focus only on the ‘low’ end of the price spectrum. We’ve done this mainly for clarity’s sake but also because average payback periods for batteries are still very long for system […]

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6kW solar systems: Pricing, output, and returns

February 24, 2018

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6kW solar systems are becoming increasingly popular amongst Australian homes thanks to a number of factors, including their affordability and ample size. This article provides an overview of (almost) everything you need to know if you’re considering a 6kW solar system for your household, including pricing, energy yields and their attractiveness as an investment. How […]

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Payback periods for commercial-scale solar PV systems: State by state

February 20, 2018

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There has never been a better time for Australian businesses to invest in commercial solar power. Last year Solar Choice analysed electricity bills & meter data to generate free indicative solar business cases for nearly 300 businesses, ranging from schools to farms to shopping centres to car dealerships to strata units to doctors’ surgeries (to […]

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10kW solar power systems: Price, output & returns

February 20, 2018

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10kW solar systems are a great investment for Australian homes with high levels of electricity consumption or businesses with relatively small electricity needs. This article takes a look at 10kW solar system pricing, energy production and returns in Australia. How many panels & how much roof space for a 10kW solar system? A modern-day 10kW solar […]

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Commercial Solar PV Price Index for February 2018

February 19, 2018

Average commercial solar system prices continue to hover at around $1.17 per watt ($1.17/W) for systems between 10kW and 100kW that we track in our monthly index. Please note that we will soon be publishing general information about pricing for systems above this threshold (i.e. LGC projects greater than 100kW) in the near future. Commercial […]

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Tips for going solar with a fiddly, inner city rooftop

February 15, 2018

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If you take a look at the APVI’s Solar Status Map, a curious thing you’ll notice is that the penetration rates for rooftop solar in Australia’s most densely populated capital cities (primarily Sydney & Melbourne) are not as high as you’d expect. While the national average is over 15%, solar PV penetration in these inner city […]

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Residential Solar PV Price Index – February 2018

February 14, 2018

Average solar system prices (on ‘primary’ offerings) have slipped slightly upwards since the beginning of the year, coming in at around $1.40/W – as opposed to about $1.30/W in December – due primarily to increased prices in Hobart & Melbourne. Average pricing for ‘premium’ and ‘microinverter’ systems, meanwhile, has dropped to $1.49/W and $1.80/W, respectively. Average solar […]

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We’ve updated our ‘capital city’ pages!

February 12, 2018

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We’ve just spent a bit of time going through some of our most popular pages and making sure that the information they contain is up to date for 2018. Which pages are those? The ones dedicated to explaining the case for going solar in Australia’s capital cities. These pages need updating from year to year […]

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Solar power in Perth, WA: Compare prices & installers

February 12, 2018

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Perth, WA is one of the best places in the country to install a solar power system. Like most of Australia, in Perth retail electricity rates are rising, and solar installation prices have fallen significantly over the past few years, thanks in part to the financial incentives available through the federal government. This article covers 5 […]

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Battery Storage Price Index – January 2018

January 29, 2018

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After some significant additions to our battery pricing database (including some ‘recommended retail price’ (RRP) data from manufacturers), average ‘full’ battery system prices (i.e. including inverter) fell to about $1,580 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), with lows sticking around at $870/kWh. Average ‘battery only’ prices came in at just under $1,000/kWh, while lows were around $700. This […]

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What are the best cities for home solar battery storage? (January 2018 update)

January 24, 2018

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Having just published an article on the state of Australia’s battery storage market at the beginning of 2018 (recently updated), we decided we would endeavour to shed a bit more light on payback period differences between each capital city. Which cities have the best conditions for home solar battery storage? We’ve ranked them below (with an […]

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Is home solar battery storage worth it? (Jan 2018 update)

January 18, 2018

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Since 2015 Australians have been talking about home battery storage being on the cusp of financial viability. Are home batteries worth the investment in 2018? We’ve crunched the number for all of Australia’s capital cities to find out. This article was originally published in February 2017. We then had an August 2017 update, followed by […]

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Is home solar power still worth it in Australia in 2018?

January 11, 2018

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Rooftop solar on its own is already affordable enough to be a smart choice for virtually any Australian home with an unshaded roof and some daytime electricity usage. This is true even in the absence of generous, state-backed solar feed-in tariffs and the (slight) reduction of the up-front incentive for solar available through the federal Renewable […]

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