The Ultimate Guide to Solar PV Energy

Transcription

1 The Ultimate Guide to Solar PV Energy Questions & Answers Madison Australia

2 The Ultimate Guide to Solar Energy EQUIPMENT What is a solar panel? A solar panel transforms sunlight energy into electricity without any harmful pollution. Solar electricity panels are also known as a photovoltaic or PV modules (photo = light, voltaic = electricity). How long has PV been around? The first solar cells were created in the late 1800s. Today s versions of solar panels were developed around the 1950 s and have been progressively improved to increase module efficiency, quality, longevity and gradually reduce production costs. Can a solar system damage my roof? Most household roofs will support panels without the need for additional reinforcement. The panel s mounting is actually attached to the rafters of the house, underneath the tiles, the load is therefore on roof structure rather than the roof material (e.g. tiles / Colorbond). Each panel is only approximately 15kg and is spread over approximately 1.7m x 1m. Our accredited installers design your system, factoring in your type of roof structure and any modifications are carefully waterproofed. Do they need any maintenance? Our panels need little or virtually no maintenance. Dust can reduce output by a modest 4-6% however given most solar panels are sloped, rain usually keeps them clean. If there are extended periods of high dust or little rain, a low pressure rinse, without chemicals is worthwhile. Are your panels able to survive a hailstorm? Yes. The panels Madison Australia provides are made of high pressure tempered glass and are generally able to withstand extreme storms and high winds. They are tested and guaranteed, far beyond Australian standards and weather conditions. What are the different types of solar PV panels? There are many different types, the three main types are; Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline (also called Multicrystalline) and Thin film panels. Madison Australia uses both Monocrystalline and Poly/Multicrystalline panels. Monocrystalline panels are made of single wafer cells which have a high efficiency yield when sunlight is perpendicular to the angle of panel. Multicrystalline panels are made of multiple layers of wafer cells which have a higher efficiency over greater angles of sunlight. In the past Mono panels were often better than Poly/Multi panels, however the efficiency difference in recent times is quite minimal and your location / climate will be the deciding factor in which is best for you. Are higher wattage panels better than lower wattage panels? No. In general a higher wattage panel is usually just bigger in physical size than a lower wattage panel. The most important specification to look for is panel or module efficiency. This is more important than the cell efficiency which is just one cell on its own before the panel is constructed. Call Us Today to answer all of your Energy questions on

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4 Madison Australia prides itself on using the most efficient components on the market including World record holding brands. Is the lowest price system the best value? Similar to many goods and services, you often get what you pay for. Some solar retailers offer low priced systems, however this does not necessarily translate to mean better value, cheaper systems often experience a greater upfront degradation, less yield and sometimes complete failures which means less power and / or less or no money off your electricity bill. Many cheaper systems will also have inferior warranties, both on equipment and installation / workmanship. If your panel does not have Hotspot protection for example, parts of your panel may experience a burnout from something as simple as bird droppings, or a leaf from a tree. This can render the panel, and in some cases, your entire system ineffective. What is an inverter s function? An inverter transforms the DC power from the solar panels to AC power, this is the same type of power as your mains power. It also exports any excess power back into the electricity grid. An inverter s quality is partly measured by how efficiently it converts the DC electricity into AC electricity, usually this ranges from 93% to 96% for most brands. How efficiently an inverter can transform low levels of power or it s efficiency curve (i.e. on cloudy days or early in the morning/late afternoon) is also is important Does a larger inverter produce more electricity? No. The total output in Watts of your Panels is what determines how much power is produced. What does MPPT or a Maximum Power Point Tracker mean? A typical inverter has a single Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT). Meaning that it can only optimise the production of panels facing in one direction (ie, North West) at a time. If you had another set of panels facing a slightly different direction (ie. West), then when your North-West facing panels are producing, your West-facing panels will be shut down, or the inverter will act to reduce the performance of your Northfacing panels. Inverters that are made with dual MPPT counter act this by allowing 2 strings of panels (ie. arrays or rows of panels facing different directions) to export into the inverter independently, meaning you have no efficiency loss by utilising different roof directions and pitches on your installation. Is there any advantage to having an upgraded inverter? Some companies offer packages that have an inverter larger than the total rating of the solar panels. Ie. a 4kW inverter, and panels producing 1.52kW. This allows you to add more panels at a later time (provided that the exact same panels, with the same electrical characteristics, including Wattage, Ampage and Voltage is still sold). It will not improve the current efficiency of your system, in fact the likely result will be a reduction in output in the short-medium term until you install further panels. This is because the inverter has been designed and built specifically to receive that or a similar amount of inputted power, to be able to operate at it s optimal conversion efficiency. How will I know if my system is performing to it s potential? Our inverters have an easy-to-use display that provides the daily output and total production since installation, or you can connect the inverter to a personal computer for more detailed information. Madison Australia can set-up your computer to sync with the inverter at your request. Your electricity meter will also show total power exported to the grid. Call one of our Solar Experts today on

5 Are there any storage batteries installed for a solar PV grid connected system? No. A typical metropolitan solar system will not store the electricity on site, rather any electricity you do not consume instantly in your home is exported or sold onto the electricity grid. What happens to the system during a blackout? Due to safety reasons, when a blackout occurs your solar PV system will automatically stop producing electricity. This is due to a mandatory safety requirement in place to protect technicians working in your immediate area. Once the grid is back up, your system s ability to generate will resume. WARRANTIES What is covered by the Madison, 25 Year Performance warranty? A guarantee that the solar panel will produce a specific amount of electricity at a future time. The Q.Cells panels that Madison Australia uses are guaranteed to produce not less than 83% of their full potential after 25 years, and a World Recording holding 92% at 10 years. Furthermore the warranty is a linear warranty, this means that in any given year the Q.Cells panels will not degrade by more than 0.6% per year. This is the best standard warranty on the market. What is covered by the Product warranty? Product warranties differ from performance warranties, they cover the panel s construction and design. Madison s Q.Cells panels offer a superior 10 year product warranty vs. most manufacturers at 5 years warranty. They are the only panels that are guaranteed against salt mist and ammonia resistent. Why are local manufacturer s warranties important? The solar industry worldwide is in a state of flux. Domestically, following the removal of the NSW Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) approximately 80% of the solar companies operating in NSW are no longer operating. Many have stopped doing business, leaving thousands of customers without valid workmanship and performance warranties. Our Global ties and backing by the Madison Foundation, mean Madison Australia is going to be here to stay for many decades into the future, but just in case we are not, you still have peace of mind knowing that all of our components are covered by local manufacturer s warranties. Our partner manufacturers have offices in Australia that you can contact now, and at any time in the future. Are your system designers and installers accredited by the Clean Energy Council? Yes. Both our PV System designers & our installers are BCSE / Clean Energy Council qualified and approved. What install & workmanship guarantees do I get for the system as a whole? Madison Australia provides a full 15 year warranty (covering labour and components) on installation, inverter, cables and racking. This compares to a typical 1, 2 or 5 year installation warranty offered by less reputable companies. Which guarantees / warranties are your responsibility and which are the manufacturer s? In the unlikely event of a warranty claim, Madison Australia is your first point of contact, we will arrange replacement / repair if necessary, and

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7 where interaction is required with a third party, we will take care of it all. REBATES & INCENTIVES What are STC s? An STC is a Small Scale Technology Certificate. Formerly called RECs, they are part of the government s commitment to renewable energy. An STC represents 1 MWh (Megawatt hour) of electricity. STC s are created when you buy a qualifying solar electricity, solar hot water or wind power system. They are designed to encourage households to take action towards the target of Australia being 20% renewable energy by They are effectively an industry or market funded rather than government funded discount to installers of solar systems. When you assign the value of the STC s to Madison Australia you receive an upfront discount based on the size of your solar system. We then sell these to electricity companies, who are required to buy them to offset their carbon emissions. What is the difference between a Net feed-in tariff and a Gross feed-intariff? A Net feed in tariff pays you, the solar PV system owner, only for surplus electricity you produce but haven t used at that time of production. It feeds into your home first and only the excess is exported / sold to the grid. A gross feed in tariff pays for all the electricity produced from the system, 100% of the output is exported to the grid. FiT s differ from state to state, please speak to one of our consultants for up-to-the-minute information in your location. What council permits do I need to install solar on my property? Generally speaking none, however permits may be required if your property is located in a heritage listed area. Madison Australia s consultants will be able to advise on this at no cost to you. How much are STC s worth? The Federal Government s Office of Renewable Energy Regulator (ORER) website have solar REC calculators, to determine the number of STC s your system could be worth. You can also view the Rebates & Incentives page on our website for more information. What is a FIT? GRID CONNECTION Who does the electrical connection to the grid? Madison Australia installs all the wiring back to your switchboard, however by law, we cannot connect the switchboard to the grid in your street / area, as directed by government electrical regulations. From there we arrange for your power supplier to do the rest. A feed in tariff is the rate paid for any electricity your solar PV system exports or sells onto the electricity grid. The amount or rate, which is paid to you varies from state to state. Continued overleaf

8 Does the price quoted include all the necessary metering changes and paperwork for my local electricity supplier? Almost. Here s how the typical process works: 1. Consultation & Discovery The first step is for us to go over your current electricity bills with you to find your current usage. Our Consultants will also discuss at what time of day your usage is at its peak and during each season, then advise on ways of making the most from a PV system. You will be asked whether you would like to reduce your bills, cancel them out entirely, or earn money from the system and your motivations for going Solar. We will then take a look at your home through our satellite systems. We can assess the best size system that can be fitted, to the most productive side of your house or property, we ll also discuss features of your home, i.e. the type of roofing materials you have, to make sure our quotes are 100% accurate. Our Consultants will then produce a detailed quotation for you on the best possible system for your property, consumption, lifestyle and investment with a Madison Quotation there are no hidden extras or costs, unlike many other installers. 2. Design & Paperwork Once a system has been agreed with you. Our consultants will pass your details to our Clean Energy Council certified Technical Designers. The Designers will make sure that your chosen system meets all the relevant Australian standards and because each house is different, we make sure that your chosen system will work specifically for your house. We will then produce all necessary paperwork for the Government solar credit scheme, which provides funding when you generate solar power. These offset the cost of your solar installation, and make your system so affordable. 3. Co-ordination Our Designers then pass your information to our co-coordinators, they will work with you and our install teams to set a date for your install and make sure all products and parts are ready for the install date. We will ensure that your grid connect application has been filled in with all the correct technical information and submitted. This means that your System is Government approved and the System can be connected to the grid, after install. All you have to do is sign these forms, we do the rest for you. 4. Installation Our install teams will come to your property on the pre-arranged date and time. Firstly they will discuss the system with you to make sure everything is exactly as you wanted. They will be there to answer any questions you may have and also discuss with you the best place to mount the Inverter in a place that is secure, aesthetically pleasing, but that you have easy access to so you can track the Systems performance. Then we place the cables, rails, Panels and lastly the Inverter. This can take between 3 hours and a full day, depending on your System size and complexity of your property. Then we go over the finalised paperwork with you and brief you on the next stage Continued overleaf Call one of our Solar Experts today on

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10 All Panels are NOT created equal. Q.Cells, quite simply, the best panels on the planet (and in Outer Space). Call one of our Solar Experts today on

11 5. Inspection & Certificate of Electrical Safety (CES) We will organize for a government inspector to visit your property to check the system has been installed correctly, and that all paperwork is correct, typically this occurs within 1-3 business days of your installation. We will leave all documentation needed with you or in your electricity meter, usually you do not need to be at home for the inspection. Your system will then move to the Grid Connect stage. 6. Meter Upgrade/Re-Programming & Grid-Connection How long does it take from my initial deposit to generating electricity from my system? Generally, 5-7 weeks if you have a smart meter already, or approx weeks if you have an oldstyle spinning disc meter. Some delays can occur from events outside our control, however we keep you fully informed along the way. FOR MORE INFORMATION AND IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL MADISON CONSULTANT. We will liaise with the electricity wholesaler/ distributor in your region on your behalf saving you time and hassle. A meter re-programming or replacement meter will be required to handle bi-directional flows to enable both importing and exporting electricity to the grid. This is requested via a Electrical Work Request (EWR) and PV Generation Connection request to enable your connection to the grid as an electricity generator. This process can vary depending on your region, however typically allow 2-6 weeks post system installation. 7. Post Grid-Connection Visit & System Test Only with Madison As part of our quality and service guarantee, following your successful grid connection we will then arrange for a Solar Electrician to re-visit your property again to make sure your system is functioning as expected. If requested, we can install any remote monitoring systems that you may have purchased and make sure they are working with your PC or other compatible devices. This comes as no extra cost to you and is yet another reason why Madison is the only choice for your Solar System. *$200 commisioned when an acquaintance is referred to Madison Australia through facebook and / or directly. Balance paid when referral completes a new sale or purchases products or services from Madison Australia Pty Ltd. Amount of referrals is unlimited to each individual. 24/7 and remote monitoring services available only to Platinum Members. 48 hour replacement of parts, applies only to inverter products. **20 Year Inverter warranty as standard, only applies to Eltek products.

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