FAQ's >Grid Connect & Standalone Solar Systems Return to FAQ's main web page Greenway Energy recommends that all our clients read two publications by the Clean Energy Council; Solar PV systems explained and Users' maintenance guide What types of solar power systems are there? What is a standalone power system? What is a Grid Connect power system? What can influence the amount of solar energy received? What are Peak Sun Hours (PSH)? How much power will my solar system produce? What is the cost of a Grid Connect solar systems? What is a Feed In Tariff and how much will I get paid? What size solar system will I need to run my home? Is my building suitable to have a solar power system? How long will my grid connect solar power system last? If my energy requirements increase, can I upgrade the system? What happens on cloudy days? How reliable will my system be?
What types of solar power systems are there?
There are principally two different types of solar power systems, Standalone and Grid Connect. What is a standalone power system?A Stand alone solar power system is a solar power system which has the capacity to store power, for example in deep cycle batteries. Stored power can then be used at a latter time, at night or in periods of low light when solar panels are not working at full capacity. What is a Grid Connect power system?A Grid Connect solar power system is a solar system that is integrated with the mains power grid. Grid Connect systems don’t have batteries or store power. Grid Connect systems use an inverter to convert solar power into 240 volt mains power. The advantage of being Grid Connected means that when you need more power than your solar system can produce power can be drawn from the mains power grid. When a Grid Connect solar system is generating more power than is needed the surplus power goes to the main power grid to be used else where. What can influence the amount of solar energy received?There are many things that influence the strength of the solar energy (radiation). The amount of solar energy available depends on the time of year, the time of day, and the latitude of the generation point.
The amount of energy generated can be further affected by the amount of dust, temperature, water vapour in the air and the amount of cloud cover. What are Peak Sun Hours (PSH)?Peak Sun Hours represent the equivalent number of hours per day when solar irradiance averages 1 kW/m2. The value of Peak Sun Hours change according to location for example Melbourne has an annualised value of 4.5 Peak Sun Hours. Top of the page How much power will my solar system produce?The easiest way to calculate how much power your solar system will generate is to multiply the solar system size by the amount of Peak Sun Hours in your area. This will give you the amount of kWh’s per day on average. For example a 1kW solar system in Melbourne 1kW × 4.5PSH = 4.5kWh/day × 365days = 1643kWh/year. What is the cost of a Grid Connect solar systems?Each system cost will be individually calculated by our solar system calculator according to your needs.
A small Grid Connect solar system starts from about $13,000 before rebates or $4000 after rebates.
A modest sized system to provide 100% green power for your home may cost up to $30,000 before rebates and $19,000 after rebates. There is currently an $8000 Federal Government rebate available for systems sized 1kW and greater. Additional rebates are available for Renewable Energy Certificates (REC’s) which is about $800 per 1kW system. What is a Feed In Tariff and how much will I get paid?A Feed In Tariff is whereby the Grid Connect solar system owner is paid for the power their system generates by a power utility or government agency. There are two different types of tariffs, gross and net. A gross feed in tariff pays a premium on all power produced whereas a net feed in tariff only pays for surplus power created by the system. The amount paid is usually above market rate. This rate maybe up to 60cents per kWh, but this varies from state to state. What size solar system will I need to run my home?That entirely depends on your energy usage and your geographical location. A 1 kW system is currently the "entry point" for Grid Connect and attracts the most rebate per Watt.
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your latest power bill and we will advise what types of solar systems are available for your needs. Any size Grid Connect solar system will make in impact on your yearly power consumption and reduce your power bill. Naturally the bigger the system, the bigger the impact. Our first advice is to use the available power most efficiently. It is easy to conserve energy by using appropriate lighting and efficient appliances. Running high power appliances such as electric bar heaters, electric hot water systems and air conditioners etc. is really not economical.Instead of getting a bigger and bigger solar system it is advisable to invest in energy efficient heaters, solar hot water and design features such as strategically placed vents or insulation to avoid heat entering the house in the first place. In summary - all your energy can be supplied by solar power and your budget and daily energy usage will determine the size of your solar power system. Is my building suitable to have a solar power system?Several aspects will need to be evaluated to determine if your home is a good solar site, such as orientation, space available, shadows on the space available and your current electricity usage.
The best site will be one with adequate north-facing roofs that have no shade. Variations on that will cut into the productivity of the system. Top of the page How long will my grid connect solar power system last?Solar modules have been tested in the field showing small reductions in power output after 20 years, mostly because the glass surface becomes a bit dull and reflects more light.
All our solar panels carry an output warranty of 25 years. There are now solar panels delivering power in Australia today, which were installed more that 30 years ago. Deep cycle batteries can last between 12-15 years, depending on correct system design and regular maintenance. The electronic components such as inverters, being the most sensitive, will last 10 -15 years. If my energy requirements increase, can I upgrade the system?Yes. Additional solar panels can be added at any time to increase generating capability but you might have to upgrade to a larger inverter. Alternatively you could purchase a larger inverter when installing the system initially and then plan to add some extra solar panels later. What happens on cloudy days?In a grid connect system, as you are still tied to the mains power supply, any deficit will come from the mains grid. How reliable will my system be?As the Greenway Energy systems are designed to Australian Standards, the reliability of components and
consistency of power supply should be more than adequate for the loads specified. Top of the page Back to FAQ's main page For further questions, feel free to click on our Contact Us page, or call us on 1300 300 477
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