‘ELECTRIFTING BRADFIELD INC.’ –‘ GORDON ROOFTOP SOLAR PROJECT ‘–March/May,2024. 

‘WHY INSTALL A ROOFTOP SOLAR ENERGY   SYSTEM?’

  • Save money! – cheaper electricity bills! YOU Generate the energy you use during most days. 
  • Energy Security – with a storage battery ‘blackouts’  aren’t a problem any longer & fixed price for your power  
  • Energy Efficiency – rooftop solar generated energy stored and used on-site is the cheapest, most reliable and efficient energy produced: no loss in transmission.
  • Greater good! – rooftop solar and battery storage is essential to the transition to renewable energies to reduce domestic demand on the electricity grid and generate the energy Australia requires to build an Economy based on renewable energies; jobs/industry. 
  • It’s Green Energy! – makes the Environment & YOU feel GOOD!        

 

          INSTALLING A ROOFTOP SOLAR SYSTEM.

  • DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE ASKING FOR INSTALLATION QUOTES!

       Some useful sites:

‘Solar Consumer Guide ’  https://www.energy.gov.au/solar [a site established by the Australian Federal Government in association with Clean Energy Council & UNSW: step-by-step guide to assessing site conditions; system best for your home; costs/rebates etc]

‘Solar Quotes’ – https://www.solarquotes.com.au/ site to obtain quotes for installation.

‘Sunspot’ https://www.sunspot.org.au – assesses scale of system suitable for your site.

Ku-ring-gai Council https://www.netzero.krg.nsw.gov.au – lots of useful information.

  • Search on your search engines, independent sites e.g., ‘Things/Points/What to Consider When Installing Solar’: local Councils often have sites like this. 
  • Have a reasonably accurate idea of what a system that suits your home and requirements should cost from site information and conversations.
  • Shop around for different quotes, talk with friends/neighbours who have solar systems. 
  • IF a received quote seems ‘to-good-to-be-true’ when compared with your expected quote then it probably IS!!
  • Don’t necessarily go with the cheapest quote.
  • READ carefully and understand the fine print on any quotes/contracts.
  • Consider long-term uses & benefits V short-term gains [e.g., including installing of storage battery (Batteries/panel installations:‘22=1/12; ‘23=1/6; ’24= 1-2/3]EV chargers]. With $2400.00 government + $500.00 Ku-ring-gai Council subsidies + reduced cost of batteries  AND having now to pay to export your electricity during the day!-  
  • Planning to install a residential storage battery (ies) makes a lot of sense!! 
  • Use only electricians/solar installers ACCREDITED by ‘Solar Accreditation Australia’ [previously ‘Clean Energy Council’]
  • Choose companies that have been established for some reasonable time and that have public access to their bona fides and positive testimonials of previous projects.
  • Have a building rooftop inspection by a structural roofing engineer. Make sure your roof construction is suitable for solar. 

THREE POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR FINANCING SOLAR INSTALLATION: 

  1. BUYING UP-FRONT:   generally- if possible - is cheapest in the long term.

Advantage: You own and control your system to use and/or sell energy produced.

A further potential advantage is negotiating costs down from solar companies/contractors and energy selling prices up to electricity companies by bulk-buying/selling from a significant number of houses/businesses  [street/block/apartment] installing at same time.           

Disadvantages: Having the capital to meet the upfront cost; responsible for cleaning, maintenance and repairs/replacement. 

POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE REBATES/SUPPORTS [as at May, 2024]:

NOTE: These are not fixed. They have varied over the last years. Generally, the trend has been downwards as demand for them increases. So, don’t delay!

      NOTE: Rebates will generally be already built into the quotes you receive.  

Federal Government Rebate:   by sacrificing low income energy supplement by eligible receivers

Ku-ring-gai Council Rebate:      $500.00 on approved application prior to installation

NOTE: Ku-ring-gai Council also has potential Rebates up to $4000.00 on application approval after installation for Apartment buildings having 6 apartments or more. 

2. LOANS:

      A number of banks [e.g., Comm-Bank; Westpac; NAB; Suncorp; Bendigo; Bank Australia] have available commercial and personal loans for the installation of rooftop solar systems and batteries. 

NOTE: Interest rates vary considerably from free to 17% and have significantly different terms and conditions, some tied to other elements of your accounts (e.g., other loans/mortgages/ interest rates etc) – SO ‘One-Step-Off-The-Grid’ an independent site that has an investigative review of available current loans says ‘buyer beware’!. Usual repayment period seven years.

3. PURCHASE POWER AGREEMENTS (PPSs)/VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS (VPPs):

Advantages: No up-front cost to you. Installation, cleaning, maintenance, repair/ replacements costs paid by the contract company [until you buy system].

Possible significant savings in your annual energy costs.

Disadvantage: You DON’T own or control your energy system, the energy it generates  or how your energy is used.  These are owned by the company according to the contract you have with them and until you purchase your system at a depreciated amount if you choose - AND your contract allows: 

 In summary-you generate & buy back the energy you use at fixed price which is used to gradually pay for your solar system.

Examples of PPSs & VPPS: ‘Amber Energy’: ‘Origin Energy‘; ‘Clean Energy Project’.

NOTE PARTICULARLY: THE Terms and conditions OF YOUR CONTRACT regarding:

* how much energy you are able to generate and return to the electricity grid: 

*prices you pay to buy-back the electricity you use [that generally exceed the cost of owning   your own system and using the energy generated in your home];

* maintenance, repairs and replacement and depreciation rates; and, 

*conditions to system purchase, vary significantly with different companies, structures and contracts.

Quality , efficiency and sophistication of solar energy systems have increased significantly in the last 10 years. Issues that used to be potential problems/obstacles to effective installation and generation [e.g., shading; unsuitable roof [type/orientation]; heritage zoning] can, in many cases, now be overcome.  

[by David Smith, for ‘Electrifying Bradfield Inc.’ , 17th March, 2024; revised 31st May,2024]

[from Handout at 'Gordon Rooftop Solar Project meetings - Feb-May, 2024]