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If you are shopping for solar, you may have been warned about phoenix companies which, like their namesake, are reborn from their ashes. But how much do you really know about them and, more importantly, about how to avoid them? What is a phoenix company? Although there is no legal definition of a phoenix company, the Australian Securities & Investments Commission, describes this practice as an illegal activity involving “t he intentional transfer of assets from an indebted company to a new company to avoid paying creditors, tax or employee entitlements.” In order words, phoenix companies are

Winter is coming and your power bills are about to send shivers down your spine. Why not anticipate by analysing your consumption and adjusting your usage? Read on to find out what your electricity bill is made of and how to reduce it thanks to solar energy, load shifting and battery storage. Understand your electricity bill Your Synergy bills vary according to your plan, consumption and billing period. 1. Your Synergy plan There are two main household Synergy plans: With the Home Plan A1, you pay the same rate every day: $0.26474 per kWh (inc GST). This is called “anytime tariff”. Update

Is your old hot water system due for replacement? The day has finally come for you to replace your old hot water system. All those years of wear and tear, extreme temperatures, corrosion and exposure to the elements have taken their toll. Yet, where should you start looking for a suitable replacement? What’s the most affordable and efficient approach, taking into account your existing set-up? These are questions we hear on a daily basis at Solargain. To help you choose the best replacement for your household, we’ve put together some recommendations based on the type of hot water system you

With Western Australia’s conditions well suited to solar power and over 220,000 solar power systems now installed in Western Australia, there is no denying our love for clean, green energy. However, with a change of government, you might have been wondering what the future holds for renewable energy and solar power in Western Australia since Mark McGowan and WA Labor won the recent state election. We take a look at the impact Premier McGowan’s election commitments might have on this important industry. First up is his commitment to invest in innovative technologies for the state’s jobs future

Solargain is proud to announce the renewal of its partnership with Carbon Neutral as well as its new Green Partner status. Carbon Neutral helps businesses nationally and internationally to decrease their environmental footprint by supporting them in the assessment, reduction and compensation of their greenhouse gas emissions. With over 15 years of experience in carbon management and consulting, it is the largest biodiverse reforestation offset developer in Australia. Each year, Solargain contributes to the “ Plant a Tree” program and has, since 2013, helped to establish 720 native trees and

At Solargain, we understand the devil is in the details, which is why we select the best quality materials to install and service your solar power system. Plus, we keep track of the items we use, so we can be proactive in informing our customers, should any issue arise. It’s the little things that count Coated stainless steel cable ties Our experience has shown us that stainless steel cable ties have the potential to cut into the system’s DC cables and create faults down the track. This is why we only supply polyester-coated stainless steel cable ties instead. Their smooth rounded edges

Over the past year, Choice magazine and the CSIRO have partnered up to test and review some of the most commonly sold solar panels in Australia. This is excellent for consumers, as it highlights the most popular panels and quantifies their features. Now, the results are in. After a full year of exposure to all sorts of Australian weather conditions, the JinkoSolar panel came second overall and was one of only two modules to score over 90%. It was also one of two modules to receive an “excellent” performance rating. It comfortably outperformed all other modules in its price range, with the

If you’ve recently noticed water dribbling from your hot water system, don’t panic, it may not be a leak you need to worry about. In the heat of summer, the valves in your hot water system can drip. In fact, hot water systems are designed to release a small amount of water (particularly on hot days) to regulate pressure in the water tank, ensuring it doesn’t over pressurise. However, if the amount of water that your system releases is more than the occasional drip, you may have a serious leak on your hands. In this case, you’ll be paying to heat water, only for it to go to waste. How will I

Do you want your solar PV system to produce as much energy as possible? Increasing the array-to-inverter ratio, using a technique known as ‘maximising’, can help ensure you’re getting the most out of your system. What is maximising? Maximising is when you install a solar array that has the ability to generate more electricity than your inverter’s maximum output capacity. For example, you can pair a 6kW solar panel array with a 5kW inverter (assuming it is operating safely within the inverter's voltage parameters). How does maximising work? Firstly, it is important to understand how solar

Cell optimisers vs panel optimisers vs micro-inverters Once upon a time, if you were installing solar panels on a home with an unusual roofline or shaded areas, you’d use micro-inverters to ensure your system was delivering as much energy as possible. Micro-inverters allow for panel level optimisation, which enables panels to be managed individually - ideal for these challenging installations. Even on roofs ideal for solar, the panel level optimisation in micro-inverters provide about 5% extra yield. However, now there are new and alternative technologies on the market that also enable panel

Want to add more panels to your solar PV system? Here’s what you need to know. On 9 October 2016, changes to AS4777.2:2015 (the Australian Standard for ‘Grid connection of energy systems via inverters - Inverter requirements’) took effect which are likely to influence your plans to upgrade your existing solar PV system. What has changed? Legislation regulating solar power installations (which is guided by AS4777.2:2015) now states that you will only be entitled to receive STC (small-scale technology certificate) discounts for new solar panels if you meet the following requirements: Your system

Are you still undecided about investing in solar PV panels for your home? If you’re put off by the cost involved, it’s time you had another look because solar panel prices are lower than ever before, meaning now is an excellent time to buy. The reason for this lies in China. Background In the first six months of 2016, China experienced a massive surge in the uptake of solar PV systems. In fact, the Chinese installed a whopping 20GW of new solar panels in that time. That’s triple the amount they installed in the first half of 2015. What does 20GW of solar capacity equate to? To put it into