On Monday John Inglis from Positronic1 Solar had a guest post published on our blog where he called for 100% of new rooftop solar installations to be inspected by the state or territory’s electrical regulator. [Read more…]
Smart Energy Council Says Dumb Things About Batteries
On Thursday the 1st of May the Smart Energy Council put out a press release1that strongly implied home batteries can pay for themselves. Unfortunately, at this time, they don’t with the possible exception of South Australia with their hefty subsidy of up to $6,000. Anyone who says they do without a large subsidy is either being ignorant, incompetent, or deceptive. [Read more…]
Large 72 Cell Solar Panels Can Go On Home Roofs But Beware Of Shoddy Installers
Large 72 Cell Solar Panels Can Go On Home Roofs But They Must Be Clamped Correctly
This article is about big solar panels. Bigger than the standard sized 60 cell panels commonly installed on residential roofs. Those are only around 1m by 1.65m. I’m talking about larger ones with 72 cells that are about 1m by 2m. These larger panels are mostly used for commercial installations and solar farms, but they can be used on household roofs provided they are installed properly.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. [Read more…]
The Best Tilt For Solar Panels By Australian Capital: It’s Not Equal To Latitude
This article is about the best angle to tilt solar panels for the maximum possible energy yield over a year. It’s a common belief that panel tilt from horizontal should equal a location’s latitude, but this is not quite correct. [Read more…]
Pmax And NOCT: How Solar Panels Perform In The Heat
Solar panel output reduces (slightly) as the temperature rises.
It’s an unfortunate fact the hotter it gets the worse solar panels perform. As fossil fuel generators can suffer even greater efficiency loss due to heat, this is nothing to get all steamed up about. But it’s still not a good thing. [Read more…]
PERC Solar Panels And LeTID — Cause For Concern But Not Panic
Solar panel manufacturers are always on the lookout for low cost improvements they can make to get an edge over the competition. Or rather, stay in competition, as they are involved in a Red Queen Race1 where they have to run as fast as they can just to stay where they are. [Read more…]
Solar Panel Direction: North Doesn’t Always Give Most Energy
Optimal Orientation For Solar Panels In Australian Capitals: Directly North Isn’t Always Best
It is generally accepted the best direction to face solar panels to get the maximum possible output is directly north. While this is not a bad direction, it is often possible to get a very small boost by having them face slightly away from due north. Usually facing them a little to the east will improve output, but in some locations a small nudge to the west is best. [Read more…]
Hyundai Solar Panels: What’s The Hyundai Name Worth?
Hyundai Panels: Driving A Good Bargain?
After a 7 year absence Hyundai solar panels became available again in Australia around 10 months ago. Michael wrote about their return last year and in this article I’ll let you know what I’ve found out about them. [Read more…]
Bad For Consumers & Bad For Business: CEC Approved Solar Retailer Scheme Now Mandatory In Victoria
Last week the Clean Energy Council announced their formerly voluntary Approved Solar Retailer Scheme would be — with the smallest of fig leafs — made mandatory for all companies installing residential rooftop solar power systems in Victoria. This means installers are faced with joining the scheme — if they can — or going out of business or moving out of state. [Read more…]
The Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre: Which Panels Are Winning In 2019?
The Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre Puts Panels Through Their Paces: SunPower, Winaico, Q-CELLS, & Tindo Do Well
The Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre isn’t just a mouthful, it’s also where they test a range of solar panels and display their performance on the internet for everyone to see. [Read more…]
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