SolarQuotes customer Louise Potgieter invested in a home battery system expecting to cut her bills down to size. She went on holiday, only to return to an unpleasantly large bill. She’s written about what happened, what to look out for, and how the right inverter paired with a 3 free hours of power plan solved the predicament.
About Anthony BennettAnthony joined the SolarQuotes team in 2022. He’s a licensed electrician, builder, roofer and solar installer who for 14 years did jobs all over SA - residential, commercial, on-grid and off-grid. A true enthusiast with a skillset the typical solar installer might not have, his blogs are typically deep dives that draw on his decades of experience in the industry to educate and entertain. Read Anthony's full bio.
Do You Have The Right Inverter For 3 Free Hours Of Power?
Don’t Let Mice Nest In Your Home Battery This Winter
Is your battery warm and cosy this winter? Yes, it probably is.
This means it could be a very attractive house for a mouse, so be warned – rodents are terrible for electrical installations, and a mouse plague is currently chewing its way through Australia.
[Read more…]
We Need To Put A Price On Used Solar
Solar has a bit of a waste issue presently. With extraordinary growth in both installations and system size, millions of panels are set to come off the roof in the next few years.
So, can we solve the problem? Yes, with just one word, pricing.
Fox ESS Seems Good Value, But Watch Out For The Shonks
SolarQuotes is forever fielding questions from punters about quality of both hardware and installation, but recently we’ve seen a huge amount of interest in one fast-rising player.
So are Fox ESS batteries any good? I’ll give them a qualified yes and outline why in this article.
This Winter, Insulate The Roof Before Getting Solar
As winter closes in again I’ve set about some improvements to casa del cottage.
So can you retrofit efficiency? Yes, but it’s difficult to get the best results – especially when you’ve already got solar. [Read more…]
Living With Irene The Classic EV
I can’t believe it’s been almost 3½ years that I’ve been living with a cute little lady who’s not my darling wife.
So how has it been, owning a close to classic EV? Brilliant really.
Is Your Battery Wired For Wheelie Bin Impact?
Batteries shouldn’t be put in the bin, and nor should bins be put into your battery – but has your home energy system been installed in a way that can handle a wheelie bin or worse of impact?
[Read more…]
The Aussies Converting Classic Cars Into EVs
As Australian drivers go electric en masse amidst global uncertainty around fuel prices, classic car lovers might feel left behind. A Melbourne-based workshop is doing the work to make sure they can join the party, converting the automotive stars of yesteryear into EVs.
[Read more…]
Stop Plumbing Conduit Into Inverters: The Drainage Problem
Conduit into inverter = path for water into power electronics.
DC cables need mechanical protection. That’s not up for debate. But the way some of the industry is achieving it, by plumbing conduit directly into inverters, is creating a new problem: water ingress. [Read more…]
Exposed Battery Cables Are Everywhere. Regulators Don’t Seem to Care.
Once again the solar and storage industry is facing some uncomfortable questions about whether the rules we work with actually line up with each other.
Finn did an excellent job of explaining this issue a few weeks back1 but strap in and we’ll get into the weeds of wiring rules and ask, why are they being ignored by installers, inspectors and regulators and who is going to bear the cost of getting this right? [Read more…]
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