Solar Energy - Get your power from the sun!

Are you thinking about buying a solar energy system for your home or business?

Solar electric systems, which are also called photovoltaic or PV systems, are reliable and pollution-free. They make use of a renewable source of solar energy from the sun, and PV systems for homes and businesses are becoming more affordable all the time.

PV works best in an energy-efficient building. So, adding insulation, energy efficient lighting and appliances with a high energy efficiency is a good idea, to reduce your home’s overall electricity use before you install a PV system.

To make PV systems even more affordable the government offers financial incentives through solar rebates and other programs. Some utilities have net metering programs, which further enhance the economics of PV. Net metering means that when your PV system generates more solar power than you need, the excess goes to the utility grid and the meter runs backward. This allows you to receive full retail value for the power that your PV system generates.

What is a solar electric or photovoltaic system?

Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight directly to electricity. They work any time the sun is shining, but more electricity is produced when the sunlight is more intense and strikes the PV modules directly (as when rays of sunlight are perpendicular to the PV modules - Solar Panels). Unlike solar thermal systems for heating water, PV does not use the sun's heat to make electricity. Instead, electrons freed by the interaction of sunlight with semiconductor materials in PV cells are captured in an electric current. PV allows you to produce electricity— without noise or air pollution — from a clean, renewable resource. Many PV system components are manufactured right here in Australia. These characteristics could make PV technology Australia’s energy source of choice for the 21st century.

Solar Energy Grids
example of how a solar grid works

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Is your home or business a good place for a PV system? Can you locate your system so it works well?

A well-designed PV system needs clear and unobstructed access to the sun's rays for most or all of the day, throughout the year. You can make an initial assessment yourself. If the location looks promising, Solargain can determine whether your home or business can effectively use a PV system.

The orientation of your PV system (the compass direction that your system faces) affects its performance. In Australia, the sun is always in the Northern half of the sky but is higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Usually, the best location for a PV system is a north-facing roof, but roofs that face west may also be acceptable. Flat roofs also work well for solar electric systems, because PV modules (Solar Panels) can be mounted flat on the roof facing the sky or bolted on frames tilted toward the north at an optimal angle. They can also be attached directly to the roof as “PV shingles.”
If a rooftop can't be used, your solar panels can also be placed on the ground, either on a fixed mount or a “tracking” mount that follows the sun to orient the PV modules. Other options (often used in multifamily or commercial applications) include mounting structures that create covered parking, or that provide shade as window awnings.

Is your site free from shading by trees, nearby buildings, or other obstructions?

To make the best use of your PV system, the PV modules must have a clear “view” of the sun for most or all of the day—unobstructed by trees, roof gables, chimneys, buildings, and other features of your home and the surrounding landscape. Some potential sites for your PV system may be bright and sunny during certain times of the day, but shaded during other times. Such shading may substantially reduce the amount of electricity that your system will produce.

Why should you buy a PV system?

People decide to buy PV systems for a variety of reasons. Some people want to help preserve the Earth's finite fossil-fuel resources and reduce air pollution. Others want to invest in an energy-producing improvement to their property. Some people like the security of reducing the amount of electricity they buy from their utility because it makes them less vulnerable to future price increases, and some people just appreciate the independence that a PV system provides. Whatever your reason, solar energy is widely thought to be the energy source of choice for the future, and you may be able to take advantage of a state-sponsored program to help make it your energy choice for today and tomorrow.

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