Solargain Blogs

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

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

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

Solargain and the City of Cockburn have recently signed an agreement for a 901kW solar PV system at the City’s new Cockburn ARC recreation and aquatic centre. When added to the 100kW system Solargain will be installing at Cockburn ARC for the Fremantle Dockers, this will be a massive 1MW, creating Western Australia’s largest rooftop solar installation yet. “It’s an exciting time for Solargain. We are proud to be part of the team driving Western Australia’s solar future forward and to demonstrate our extensive commercial solar experience on such an iconic project,” Solargain CEO Domenic Mercuri

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

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

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