Posts By Ronald Brakels, Author & Fact-Checker At SolarQuotes

Trina Solar Panel Warranties: Deep Dive

Trina solar panel warranty review

Image: Midjourney “bearded man drowning in a sea of warranty documents”

Trina Solar:  A Company That Acts Better Than Its Warranties Require

Trina Solar is a giant Chinese company and, in 2022 was the world’s second-largest producer of solar panels.  Their products are among the most common electricity-producing rectangles on Australian roofs. [Read more…]

A Deep Dive Into REC Solar Panel Warranties

A deep dive into the warranty for REC solar panels

Image: Midjourney, Prompt “a bearded man diving into a warranty document”

REC produces premium solar panels. That means they’re not cheap, but they are high quality.  The company was Norwegian, but its headquarters are now in Singapore, along with its sole factory.  This article will be a deep dive into REC solar panel warranties.  [Read more…]

Premium Feed Tariff & New Hot Water System? Don’t Make This Mistake!

Hot water systems and premium solar feed in tariffs.

A well-meaning plumber recently made a mistake that could have cost a friend hundreds of dollars. Fortunately for her, I was on hand to save the day by explaining that because of her high solar feed-in tariff, her hot water system should only be turned on at night. [Read more…]

Update: ACT’s 0% Sustainability Loans Scheme Gets Better & Worse!

ACT Sustainable Household Scheme - zero interest loans

Zero-interest loans of up to $15,000 are available to most Canberra households and can be used to purchase a range of energy-saving home improvements and electric vehicles. [Read more…]

ACT Pensioner Rebates For Solar & To Help Ditch Gas: How To Apply

Canberra pensioner rebates for solar and ditching gas

If you’re an ACT pensioner interested in getting solar panels installed; provided you live in your own home, I have good news.  To help meet their target of zero net emissions by 2045, the ACT Government is offering a rebate of up to $2,500.

But this isn’t the only good news I have. [Read more…]

Randwick City Council Solar, Battery & Other Rebates Explained

Solar and battery rebates in Randwick LGA

Randwick City Council Has Buckets Of Solar, Battery & Sustainability Rebates

There are a lot of local councils in Australia, but there’s none better than Sydney’s Randwick Council. Their incentives are so generous a household could receive rebates of up to… [Read more…]

Good News! 2022 Was The Worst Year Ever For Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Carbon emissions and coal power

2022 is on its final legs and soon to expire.  Even though it’s disrespectful to speak ill of the soon-to-be departed, I’m going to come straight out and say — when it came to greenhouse gas emissions — 2022 was the absolute worst. [Read more…]

Yes, Heat Reduces Solar Panel Output. But Not Enough To Worry About

Solar panels in summer - heat impact on performance

Solar panel temperature is typically at least 20ºC above ambient temperature.

Solar panel output is hurt by heat. The hotter they are, the lower their efficiency. This seems like a major drawback for something deliberately exposed to the Australian sun. In practice, it’s not something anyone with a solar power system needs to worry about. This is because our hottest days … usually have the most sunshine. [Read more…]

The Best Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is 93 Million Miles Away. Here’s Why.

Nuclear fusion as a source of energy

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably heard about a recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion. But if you missed it because you were distracted by Elon Musk’s latest buffoonery, you’re forgiven. [Read more…]

Allume SolShare Makes It Easier For Stratas To Go Solar

Solar on apartments - Allume Energy Solshare review

Putting solar panels on a Strata property is often tricky. There can be technical challenges with the design and installation, not to mention the political challenges of dealing with multiple owners and a shared roof.

Making solar power easy for people in multiple occupancy buildings is a tough nut to crack.  Some good news is Allume Energy appears to have developed a powerful nutcracker in its SolShare system that distributes energy from one large solar system to multiple users in a building. [Read more…]

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