This is a great question and the answer generally depends on a combination where you live, the available roof or ground space upon which to install the Solar (PV) Panels and your individual requirement.
Solar Power can dramatically reduce the running costs of your property, to find our how much you can save with Solar Power and what size Solar power System you’ll need to achieve those savings depends on a number of factors:
- Your Average Annual Electricity Usage
- Your Electricity Usage Patterns
- Your Feed-in Tariff Rate
- The kW Size of Solar Power System You Install
- Where You Live
- Your Long Term Plans
- The Roof Space Available
- Your Budget
For a general idea of the size of system you’ll need and the saving you can make you can use our Solar Estimator tool.
Your Average Annual Electricity Usage
This can be easily determined by checking out the back page of your last Power Bill. The amount of electricity that you consume is shown in Kilowatt Hours (kWh). Finding out how much power you normally use is the first step along the way to choosing the right Solar Power System for your circumstance and finding out how much money you could save.
Typically the bigger your home and the more power you consume then the larger you Solar Power System will need to be. A 5KW Solar Power System generates on an average day between 18 to 25kW/h of Solar Electricity depending on where you live. Your Power Bill states how many kW/h your currently using so this is a good initial indicator on the Solar System size you’ll need.
Your Electricity Usage Patterns
Your Solar Power System will be producing electricity during daylight hours. Any surplus electricity that your system produces with be fed back into the power grid. And your energy provider will credit you for this power offset against your Power Bills.
The clean green electricity your Solar Power System generates during daylight hours is used in your home before power from the grid. If your home uses more power than your Solar System generates then you’ll also top up your homes usage requirement with electricity provided by the power grid.
Your Feed-in Tariff Rate
The Queensland Government ‘Solar Bonus Scheme’ which ended on 1 July 2014 offered 8 Cents/kWh Feed-in Tariff. Depending on where you live in Queensland there are now different arrangements in place for Solar Feed-in Tariffs.
Most of the energy retailers offer a Solar Feed-in tariff ranging from 6 to 10 Cents/kWh. It pays to shop around and we’re here to help you, we find most customers will be offered a rate of 8 Cents/kWh for any surplus Electricity you’ll be exporting back into the grid.
The kW Size of Solar Power System You Install
The size of the Solar Power System you decide to install will have a a direct impact on the amount of money that you can save. Ideally our 3 golden rules would be for your system to:
- be large enough to cover your homes required power usage
- reduce the payback period on your Solar Power System
- maximise your possible Return on Investment
Larger Solar Power Systems such as a 5kW Solar System will obviously produce a lot more power than a smaller 2kW system. You need to be careful though as installing a system that’s too big for your requirement will mean that you’ll be exporting your surplus electricity back into the grid. The reason this is not currently such a good thing to do is that now the Feed-in Tariffs are lower you’ll be selling your electricity back to your energy provider at lower rates than the actual cost of your electricity.
So finding a system that works for your property and individual requirement by following our 3 golden rules is the key to saving you money and providing maximum R.O.I.
Where You Live
Australia and in particular Queensland has the highest solar radiation per square meter of any continent the world over. So the great news is that Queenslanders already live in the best place to install a Solar Power System and be in Partnership with the Sun.
On average a 3kW Solar Power System installed in QLD will save you per annum:
- $1146 – Based on 5% of your electricity being fed back into the power grid*
- $1060 – Based on 25% of your electricity being fed back into the power grid*
*Estimations on annual FiT and Offset values provided by the Clean Energy Council
Your Long Term Plans
This is a really important consideration, as planning for the future such as expanding your family, extending your home and increasing your power usage requirement needs to be considered from outset.
It may be that you’ll plan to install a smaller Solar Power System initially that’s designed to be easily expanded in future. Or though it’s more expensive in the short term it may be wiser to install a large system initially as it’s more cost effective in the long term. That’s what our trained Solar Consultants are here for, to get to grips with and fully understand your requirement during your FREE No Obligation Solar Consultation.
The Roof Space Available
Our Solar Systems allow a great degree of flexibility in design and specification. They are easy to install on your home in an on-roof, in-roof and flat roof arrangement, both landscape and portrait. Generally, the size of the system is determined by the available roof space on your home. Though we can ground mount the Solar (PV) Panels too in the right situation.
Halcol Energy are experts in designing the right size and configuration of Solar Power System for your property, ensuring that your system can make the most out of its Partnership with the Sun throughout the year.
Your Budget
Solar Energy Systems come in a variety of shapes, sizes and of course prices.
Our Solar PV System prices start from $10.43pw on a 1.05kW system or from $35.26 for a 2.8kW system*, enough to run an average energy conscious home**.
*Per the industries general expectations of 4.8 hours per day x kW size of system x 365 (days per year) For every 1kWh of electricity generated 0.43 kg of carbon dioxide is offset
Halcol Energy will help you choose the right Solar System for your home. So that you can harness the suns awesome power and make it your energy provider for life.
With all our Solar Panel Systems sourced from top rate Australian approved brands and our own Clean Energy Council accredited installation engineers, we are uniquely placed to assist homeowners achieve significant reductions on their electricity bills and carbon footprint.
We will attempt to tailor your solar system so that your electric bills are a thing of the past! Whilst ensuring that your monthly payments for the Solar System are no more than your current electricity bill.