Getting the best solar system deal in the Hunter Valley, NSW, can really made a difference to your energy bills. Solar Choice provides customers with instant solar quotes based on a few simple details, after this our energy brokers work alongside customers offering impartial advice on the best solar PV system to meet customers needs. We do this at both residential and commercial scales. Due to an influx of Chinese manufactured components the cost of installing a solar power system has never been lower and, there are up-front financial incentives available through the Federal Solar Credits rebate scheme.
So what are the advantages of owning a solar power system in the Hunter Valley?
How much power will my system generate?
Across Australia, thousands of home owners are experiencing the benefits of going solar. The amount of power your system will generate depends on a number of variations, the two most important are the size of your system and your geographic location. Residents and businesses located in the Hunter Valley, NSW receive a daily average 4.76 kWh of solar exposure across the year. In the summer this averages at 6.27 kWh per day and 3.13kWh per day in the winter months. Using the average daily sunshine Hunter Valley residents with 1.5kW solar systems can expect to produce 7.14kWh of sunshine a day or over 2,600 kWh in a year. As the system size increases so does the volume of energy produced, a 2kW system will generate approximately 9.5kWh of electricity, 3kW systems around 14.28kWh, and a 5kW system will generate around 23.8kWh per day.
As there is currently no mandatory feed-in tariff in NSW, Solar Choice uses customers energy bills and energy usage to determine the best size solar system for their needs. Aligning systems sizes with energy usage customers can make a significant impact on their energy bills without sending too much additional energy to the grid for minimal returns. Although some electricity retailers do credit customers 6-8c/kWh for solar electricity exported to the grid, these are nominal offerings. Solar PV owners who can adopt energy efficiency measures and use power as it is generated, however, can avoid the need to purchase electricity from the grid. In effect, this makes each kWh of solar power equivalent in value to each kWh of power bought from the grid.
How much will a solar PV system in the Hunter Valley cost?
The cost of a solar PV had decreased dramatically in the last few years with systems now costing less than half than they did 4 years ago. The benefit for customers is that they can now purchase a quality system for a good price, however, there are a number of exceptionally good deals on the market with some companies (not associated with Solar Choice) advertising 1.5kW systems for under $500. This problem with these deals is that the components are likely to be a combination of old stock or non-brand products from manufacturers who may already, or soon will, be out of business making warranties invalid. This means that your ‘cheap’ system may actually cost you more in the long run if it breaks or fails and the manufacturer has gone under. With a quality system, performance and warranty will be guaranteed for 25 years, this means that your energy may cost as little as 8¢ per watt, a cheap system that breaks after a few years may end up costing you 30¢ or more.
Customers looking to purchase a solar PV system in the Hunter Valley can take advantage of up front discounts on their system under the Federal Government’s Solar Credit Scheme. Essentially, solar systems are awarded something called Renewable Energy Certificates or RECs for short (just to confuse the mater RECs can also be referred to as Small-scale Technology Certificates or STCs but these are part of the REC). The solar rebate is dependent on location, the size of the system in question, and the REC price agreed on between the system owner and solar installer. REC prices are flexible, fluctuating with supply and demand. Installation companies will usually tell customers what price they give per REC when initial pricing details are settled on. (REC prices are also clearly listed in Solar Choice’s Solar Quote Comparison sheets.)
Unfortunately, the calculation of the Federal Solar Credit Rebate isn’t straight forward, as such Solar Choice calculate the figure automatically when generating a quote comparison. As a rough guide most of the Hunter Valley is located in REC Zone 3.
A 3kW solar system located in REC Zone 3 in the Hunter Valley would generate a base number of 31 RECs/STCs. Once the base number is defined the Solar Credit REC Multiplier is applied to the first 1.5kW, the total number of STCs generated is (31 x 2 + 31 =) 93. Assuming an STC price of $30, a rebate of $2,790 off the up-front price of the system can be applied.
What other incentives are there in the Hunter Valley?
Although we are no longer seeing the Premium rate feed-in tariffs that can make households money, the main reason for going solar is still financial. Houses with systems that closely match their energy needs can effectively be ‘paid’ the market value of their energy if they can shift most of their energy consumption to sunlight hours. Customers with solar PV can effectively have free air conditioning by investing a timer that turns the system on mid afternoon so the house is cool when they arrive home meaning they can switch it off once the panels stop producing for the day.
How do I find the best solar deals in the Hunter Valley?
The Solar Choice, Solar Quote Comparison tool has helped over 105,000 Australians find the installer, price and solar power system that best suits their needs and budget. We have a network of over 100 installers across Australia, all of whom are Clean Energy Council certified with long track records of installing solar PV systems. You can request a Solar Quote Comparison by filling out the form to the right of this page, we’ve just added a new feature for our commercial customers so their needs can be directed to our Commercial Solar Brokers, alternatively you can speak to one of our Brokers directly by calling 1300 78 72 73.
© 2012 Solar Choice Pty Ltd
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