Written by Alice Clarke / The Age / 10 April 2019

It is a truth (almost) universally acknowledged that having your own solar panels in this sunburnt country of ours will make your power bill cheaper, and give you that warm sense of greenie superiority.

But most people with solar panels actually have no idea how much energy they’re producing, whether they’re getting the most out of their system, or how much electricity their household actually consumes. So, here are my tips on how to get the most from your panels.

The first thing that’s drilled into us when we pay the thousands of dollars to put solar on our roof is that we have to keep them clean. It makes sense: a dirty panel is an inefficient panel. However, unless you live in an extremely dusty area, with no rain, and birds who not only have gastro-intestinal difficulties but an outright vendetta against you; you’re probably fine.

If you can easily get on your roof, just hose them off once a year or so before summer, and maybe rub them down with a soft cloth or sponge if there are any stubborn stains. If you can’t get up there, some window washers offer solar panel cleaning as a service. But the rain will probably take care of them for you anyway.

The main thing you have to worry about is debris. If a plastic bag or something gets caught on the side of a panel, you lose the whole panel until it’s uncovered. Worse still, if all your panels are connected, you’ll lose even more output.

To that end, shade is your worst enemy, because if part of a panel is shaded the whole thing can become useless. So keep an eye on any trees you have around your property.

The best way to make sure your system is working properly is to monitor the output. Your electricity bill isn’t going to be very useful for this, because it can’t tell you how much of the solar power you’re using before selling back to the grid. Same goes for your inverter’s web portal.

There are a couple of different ways around that: you can get a battery, which is very expensive, but means you might be able to get rid of your power bills completely, depending on where you live and the size of your roof. Batteries come with apps that tell you all about the efficiency of your panels and what goes in and out.

A cheaper option than a battery is to spend a couple of hundred dollars on a home energy management system, which records the flow of energy into your home and sends messages to let you know when you need to perform maintenance, or if your panels aren’t performing as well as other connected panels in the area.

Another option is using DC Power Co’s app. DC is a power company based in Melbourne which only services solar users, and the app that comes with its plans does roughly the same thing as the home energy management system. But you’ll need to decide if its energy plans are right for you.

On the topic of power companies, make sure you choose the plan that suits your needs, and don’t just look at the solar plans. It’s surprising how many electricity companies charge solar users higher daily fees, as well as increased electricity usage charges. Not to mention the wildly different (and ridiculously low) feed-in tariffs. Shop around, and don’t be afraid to ask your power company for a better deal, especially if you can back up your request with numbers from its other plans.

Energy Stuff specialises in Residential Solar with emphasis on Repairs, Replacements and upgrades. We also provide new systems, battery storage, Small Commercial, Off-Grid systems and smart monitoring systems. Energy Stuff only uses CEC accredited installers and we fully comply with the Victorian Govt. Solar Rebate Program.

For further information please call us on 1300 656 205 or go to our website at http://www.energystuff.com.au

Written by Sophie Vorrath / RenewEconomy / 10 April 2019

The Queensland government has confirmed plans to put in place controversial new regulations for solar farm construction in the state that will restrict the installation or removal of PV panels to licensed electricians.

In a media statement dispatched late on Tuesday afternoon, Queensland’s minister for industrial relations, Grace Grace, said the new code of practice  would allow only licensed electricians to mount, locate, fix or remove solar panels on projects of 100kW and above would become law on May 13.

The new rule, which came to RenewEconomy’s attention on Monday, has been slammed by industry groups as excessive, unnecessary, and potentially devastating to developers, due to the “large and sharp increase” in electricians that would be required for solar farm construction.

One solar developer told RE that is was “akin to requiring an electrician to come and plug in your kettle every time you want to make a cup of tea.”

And in a statement on Wednesday, the Clean Energy Council formalised its objections to the rule change, arguing it would will cost local jobs and slow the rollout of large-scale solar in Australia’s Sunshine State, which has a huge pipeline of more than 20GW of large scale solar projects waiting for development.

Numerous solar developers and contractors were stunned by the news broken by RenewEconomy, and asked to see details of the proposed legislation. “Were very unhappy,” one said.

CEC director of energy generation, Anna Freeman, expressed her organisation’s astonishment at the new rules, and even made her own household appliance comparison.

“It’s the equivalent of a homeowner having to call an electrician as soon as they’ve unpacked a new television from the box, in order to hang it on the wall,” she said.

“The government has not demonstrated why this new regulation – which risks hundreds of local jobs and could bring some projects to a standstill – is even necessary.”

In her statement, Minister Grace said the new rule had come in response to stakeholder concerns that unlicensed workers, including backpackers and labourers, were mounting and removing “live” solar panels.

“Solar panels generate power as soon as they are exposed to light and cannot be isolated while they are being mounted,” she said.

“Workers are at risk from electrocution and fires if solar panels are not properly earthed during installation.

“Removing panels can be even more dangerous. These are not jobs for unlicensed workers.”

But solar developers have described this rationale as “daft” and said there was no electrical work involved in mounting and demounting panels, an argument reiterated by the CEC.

“There is zero electrical work involved in this task and as such there is no need to require an electrician to do it,” said Freeman.

“The existing regulations already ensure that an electrician carries out the electrical cabling and earth testing, which is the next step in the construction process.”

In turn, the Electrical Trades Union, has slammed the CEC’s response to the rule change as “hysterical” and “misleading,” while at the same time comparing current working conditions on solar farms to the Wild West.

“For the CEC to talk about projects coming to a grinding halt is not helpful and does little to improve perceptions that the CEC and major players in the solar industry put profits before people,” said ETU Queensland State Secretary Peter Ong.

“We the ETU have been on the front foot raising the issues about the dangers of using unlicensed workers such as backpackers and other unskilled workers on these farms.

“It was literally like the wild west where workers were picked up from backpackers and driven to the sites similar to a mango or banana farm, it was an accident waiting to happen,” he said.

Ong also warned that a failure to tighten safety standards in this way could lead to industry fall-out similar to the high-profile collapse of RCR Tomlinson who – he said – “were trapped in a race to the bottom on costs.”

But solar insiders argue that the rule change is more likely to make matters worse in an industry already facing problems of grid congestion, network connection delays, the reduction and variations in marginal loss factors, and lack of policy certainty.

“(This rule) will result in fewer jobs for locals on new clean energy projects, more fly-in, fly-out workers, and increased pressure on the availability of electricians throughout Queensland,” said CEC’s Freeman.

“The process followed has been rushed and poorly communicated and should have progressed through a proper regulatory impact assessment process, as per the government’s own guidelines for regulatory change.

“Other solutions which should have been considered include a system where a single licensed electrician supervises a team of workers, which is the case in the rooftop solar industry.

“We urge the Queensland Government to rethink this rushed requirement before inflicting significant and unnecessary damage on the large-scale solar industry and the thousands of regional workers whose livelihoods depend on this growing industry,” she said.

Energy Stuff specialises in Residential Solar with emphasis on Repairs, Replacements and upgrades. We also provide new systems, battery storage, Small Commercial, Off-Grid systems and smart monitoring systems. Energy Stuff only uses CEC accredited installers and we fully comply with the Victorian Govt. Solar Rebate Program.

For further information please call us on 1300 656 205 or go to our website at http://www.energystuff.com.au

Written by Clancy Yeates / The Age / 2 April 2019

Thousands of small and medium businesses will receive tax breaks on purchases of new equipment, as the government seeks to bolster investment in the economy’s “engine room”.

In a budget that also highlighted future tax cuts for small businesses, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg expanded the instant asset write-off, so that it can now be claimed by medium businesses with turnover up to $50 million a year, up from a previous $10 million limit.

The threshold for the tax perk — which allows businesses to write off assets against their taxable income — is also being lifted, from $25,000 per asset to $30,000.

The government said the changes, projected to cost the budget $400 million over four years, will mean an extra 22,000 businesses are able to claim the tax break.

Mr Frydenberg said the write-off could be claimed every time a business bought an eligible asset worth less than $30,000, such as when a plumber bought new tools, or a cafe owner purchased a fridge.

“Small businesses are the engine room of our economy,” he said in his budget speech.

“They are integral to every local community. People running a small business put their livelihoods on the line. We want small businesses to prosper, and we are backing them to do so.”

Under one case study presented by the government, a hypothetical nursery employing five people would be able to write off the purchase of two vans under the scheme, instead of depreciating the assets. As a result, the business would save on tax and improve its cash flow by $13,500. A hypothetical business with 60 staff could boost its cash flow by $30,800 by buying 10 commercial ovens, a budget document says.

As a result of the changes, the government says a total of 3.4 million small and medium businesses will now be eligible for the tax perk.

Budget documents also highlighted that the corporate tax rate for companies with annual turnover of less than $50 million will fall from 27.5 per cent this year, to 26 per cent in 2020-12, and 25 per cent in 2012-22.

Businesses are also being offered larger cash payments for taking on apprentices where there are skills shortage, the centrepiece of a $525 million skills package, but the budget had a tougher message for some larger businesses, such as banks and multinational corporations.

After the Hayne royal commission exposed a series of rip-offs by financial institutions, there was an extra $607 million to fund the government’s response to the inquiry, as announced last month.

This included an extra $405 million for the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, which has pledged to be more aggressive in taking companies and individuals to court, after it was criticised for being too lenient. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority will receive an extra $145 million for priority areas such as improving governance and remuneration practices in banks. There will also be extra funding to resolve past disputes between customers and banks. The extra spending will be partially funded by higher levies to be imposed by regulators on the financial sector, the budget said.

The budget is also expected to raise an extra $3.6 billion in revenue over four years by extending a tax crackdown on multinationals and the very wealthy.

The Australian Taxation Office will receive an extra $1 billion over four years to expand a tax avoidance taskforce that targets multinational businesses, large companies, trusts and “high wealth” individuals.

Energy Stuff specialises in Residential Solar with emphasis on Repairs, Replacements and upgrades. We also provide new systems, battery storage, Small Commercial, Off-Grid systems and smart monitoring systems. Energy Stuff only uses CEC accredited installers and we fully comply with the Victorian Govt. Solar Rebate Program.

For further information please call us on 1300 656 205 or go to our website at http://www.energystuff.com.au

Written by Cole Latimer / The Sydney Morning Herald / 5 April 2019

Main image: The platform lets households with solar systems trade their excess energy in an online marketplace. CREDIT: JUSTIN MCMANUS

An online marketplace designed to let households trade their excess solar power has received the backing of the government renewable energy agency.

Greensync has been given $10 million by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to accelerate the deployment of its ‘deX’ energy trading system.

The deX platform allows multiple household rooftop solar systems, batteries, smart appliances and even plugged-in electric cars to be accessed by the network operator to push power back into the grid when needed, turning homes into virtual power plants.

“Studies indicate that virtual power plants could account for 700 megawatts of capacity by 2022 and consumer-owned distributed energy – rooftop solar panels and battery systems – could account for up to 45 per cent of all generation within two decades,” ARENA chief executive Darren Miller said.

Greensync said deX also acted as a marketplace, where anyone registered with solar and batteries can trade their excess power based on current electricity prices, demand and availability.

“It’s an exciting step in unlocking extra value for energy asset owners,” Greensync chief executive Phil Blythe said.

ARENA’s funding will support Greensync’s wider $32 million rollout across Australia and the world.

The deX platform has close to 100 organisation and utility partners using the software across 20 countries. It was used in South Australia by Simply Energy and South Australian Power Networks (SAPN) to run an 8-megawatt virtual power plant trial, also funded by ARENA.

This $23 million program used the solar and battery systems of about 1200 Adelaide homes to create a virtual power plant.

Energy Stuff specialises in Residential Solar with emphasis on Repairs, Replacements and upgrades. We also provide new systems, battery storage, Small Commercial, Off-Grid systems and smart monitoring systems. Energy Stuff only uses CEC accredited installers and we fully comply with the Victorian Govt. Solar Rebate Program.

For further information please call us on 1300 656 205 or go to our website at http://www.energystuff.com.au

Written by Tom Bowden / realestate.com.au / 22 March 2019

SOLAR power is becoming a sought-after feature for househunters who want the clean energy supply contributing to their biggest asset.

According to a realestate.com.au and Origin Energy study, 85 per cent of Australians believe solar panels add value to a property.

About 75 per cent of renters said they would pay more to live in a property with solar energy, while two out of five respondents said they would pay an extra $10 a week.

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee said while it was difficult to quantify how much value solar power added to a house, most buyers saw it as an attraction.

“It is something that’s nice to have and will be seen as something that’s increasingly nice to have, given we have rising energy costs and there has been greater work done on batteries,” Ms Conisbee said.

“The environment is certainly a consideration for some people, but I think the pricing issue is the major attraction.

“If you can say to someone that by living in this house your energy costs are going to be negligible – that is a very powerful statement.”

Separate data shows there were 4509 searches carried out on realestate.com.au for either the keywords “solar” or “solar panels”.

“It clearly is something people are searching specifically for – the ability to be self-sufficient is really desirable for a lot of people,” Ms Conisbee said.

“One of the challenges is people have solar power and are feeding it back into the grid, but the amount they are getting paid is still highly variable, so there’s not a whole lot of confidence that their investment in panels will pay off in energy bills.

Real Estate Institute of South Australia chief executive Greg Troughton said solar panels were quickly moving from being a “nice to have” to a “must have”.

“With SA’s exorbitant power prices, people are seeing value in anything that might help offset minimise or offset those costs,” he said.

Jesse and Amy Sumner recently installed a 29-panel 8.4kW system at their Mt Barker home. Mr Sumner, 31, said their attraction to solar was purely financial.

“The return on investment was worth it,” he said.

“In summer, we don’t pay any electrical bill and in winter we have an extremely reduced electrical bill.

“It should pay itself off in under five years – a 20 per cent return on investment is certainly worth it.”

The family hopes to add a battery to the system in the future.

Energy Stuff provides a full range of new smart solar systems which can include battery ready inverters or systems with integrated battery storage. All our systems come with smart energy management to provide real time monitoring and energy efficiencies. Finance options can be arranged. For further information call 1300 656 205 or go to our website at

https://ongrid.energystuff.com.au/new-solar-system/

Written by Bridie Schmidt / The Driven / April 1st 2019

A damning report from international research firm Climate Analytics is lending substantial weight to the argument that Australia needs to improve its scorecard on clean transport.

Pollution from light passenger vehicles and heavy transport is soaring, the report shows, up 57% in 2017 since 1990 and projected to rise to 82% from 1990 levels by the end of the decade.

Cars are the worst offenders, with CO2 levels emitted by passenger vehicles increasing 25% from 1990 to 2017 and accounting for the majority of CO2 levels overall.

Heavy trucks and utes/vans combined account for an equal amount of CO2 emissions as cars, with both doubling in emissions from 1990 – 2017.

Aviation, while accounting for a much smaller proportion of CO2 emissions, increased by an incredible 235% from 1990 – 2017.

The rapidly rising levels of CO2 are due to a lack of strict fuel emissions regulations that now govern 80 per cent of light vehicles globally.

The USA, China, Japan, India and the EU have all improved fuel emissions, with the EU leading the way followed closely by India.

While the USA’s auto market is most closely compared to Australia’s in terms of segment popularity (eg “pickups” or utes, and SUVs), the USA is far ahead of Australia in terms of grams of CO2 released per kilometre.

In many key indicators considered by the report, such as transport emissions per person, EV market share and access to charging infrastructure, Australia is falling well behind other markets.

The figures, which show that if Australia is to help meet the obligations of the Paris Agreement it must work towards zero emissions transport by 2050, have elicited a call from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) for stricter fuel efficiency standards and a ban on sales of high emissions vehicles.

ACF’s Chief Executive Officer, Kelly O’Shanassy, said in a note that successive governments had dropped the ball on mandatory fuel efficiency standards, incentives to take up electric vehicles and installing charging infrastructure.

The call comes as Australia gears up for an imminent federal election, with a dire need for a purposeful climate change policy fuelling discussion on the state of electric vehicles in Australia.

“Australia has been considering mandatory climate pollution and fuel standards for years and years – but governments have fallen for reckless scare campaigns and shirked implementation.

“As a result, Australia is the only country in the OECD without mandatory climate pollution standards for cars and trucks.“Australia has also been slow to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and has no national strategy, targets or infrastructure support.

“Countries like China, India and France have started to adopt forward thinking regimes that Australia should follow.”

Just last week the Coalition government confirmed that it would not be releasing a national electric vehicles strategy until mid next year.

The statement has sparked response from opposition party Labor which only this morning announced a new climate policy highlighting an electric vehicle strategy of 50% passenger electric vehicle sales by 2030 and 50% government electric vehicle sales by 20205.

“Countries like China, India and France have started to adopt forward thinking regimes that Australia should follow.”

Just last week the Coalition government confirmed that it would not be releasing a national electric vehicles strategy until mid next year.

The statement has sparked response from opposition party Labor which only this morning announced a new climate policy highlighting an electric vehicle strategy of 50% passenger electric vehicle sales by 2030 and 50% government electric vehicle sales by 20205.

Energy Stuff provides a full range of new solar systems which can include battery ready inverters or systems with integrated battery storage. We also provide smart energy management systems which will continue to deliver energy saving benefits into the future. We only use CEC accredited installers and we fully comply with the Victorian Govt. Solar Rebate Program. For further information call 1300 656 205 or go to our website at https://ongrid.energystuff.com.au/new-solar-system/

Victorian Registered Electrical Contractor Licence # 27787

Written by PowerArk Solar

What is the difference between mono and poly panels you ask? Well, this article is designed to help you identify key difference that will help you decide which panel is most suitable for your needs.

If you are planning to install your first ever solar PV system on your rooftop, you will probably encounter monocrystalline and polycrystalline as your options for PV panels. Mono and poly panels serve same purpose of harnessing energy from the sun and converting it to usable electricity. Both can be a great choice for your home as they additionally use silicon, which is an abundant and durable material. However, there are key points between the two forms of technology that are essential before settling your final say on what type of panel to purchase. Other articles may say that one is better than the other but why they still both exist?

Answering the question of which the better panel is, lies on each household’s preference and need. Thus, one household can say that mono panels are the perfect modules and one might choose poly technology as the better option instead. To shed some light on this, let’s break down the typical considerations in order to be sure which one is appropriate to install. You might want to have a scorecard for both types of panel while giving each important point a grade weight if you opt to.

Required System Capacity

The search starts from the needed system capacity for your home. In order for you to pick the appropriate solar modules, consider the needed electricity output that is required to power the whole household. By and large, each Australian home typically utilizes 20kWh of electricity every day which equates to a 5kW system. Just a simple tip to measure the actual electricity your home is using, you can effortlessly check it from your past electric bills and simply compute for your home’s daily usage of power. From the underlying thought of knowing daily average consumption of electricity, it should now dictate the number of panels you have to install whether they are mono or poly modules. As an example, you will be needing at least nineteen (19) Jinko 275W Poly or eighteen (18) Astronergy 285w Mono  panels in order to power a 5kW-system household.

Available Rooftop Space and Panels’ Efficiency

By this time, you need to know that monocrystalline solar modules provide the highest efficiency rate of converting sun’s energy into electricity since they are made of high-purity silicon. They perform at 15% to 20% efficiency rate based on top panel brands available in the market. On the other hand, polycrystalline panels produce power at efficiency rate of 13% to 16% at the very least. This might sound to be a done deal of using mono panels instead of poly but believe us when we say that choosing a panel is more than its efficiency. This is now the time that you need to gauge the rooftop space where the panels are to be installed. Ideally, limited rooftop space may require you to have mono panels as they are more space-efficient while poly panels is preferably for houses with larger rooftop space.

Cost of the System

As you determine the available rooftop space, another factor that comes in is the cost of the panels. Since the technology used in making mono solar cells are more advanced than a poly, the cost is significantly higher. The process and technology used in making poly panels is simple – making it costs less. With poly’s simple manufacturing process, they produce less waste in production which result to minimal ecological footprint to the environment. If you are working on a specific amount of budget, you might want to request an actual quotation from solar installers and retailers. But to give you an insight of the current market trend, price of mono panel ranges from $120 to $196 while poly panels price ranges from $104 to $150. Prices may vary depending on solar panel brand and time of purchase.

Appearance of Solar Panels

Another point that you might want to keep in mind on your journey of looking for the best panels is how they are going to appear on your household rooftop. Monocrystalline panels have rounded edges which have been cut during production to optimize performance while polycrystalline modules look perfectly rectangular so you can easily identify them by their appearance. In terms of color, mono cells are mostly dark and poly module have bluish finish. If this is something you are not particular with, you can give equal points for this specific point.

We suggest that you explore choices with both mono and poly panels. Both panels have each pros and cons based on your available resources and preference. We hope that you will consider all the mentioned points of consideration before finalizing your purchase decision.

Energy Stuff provides a full range of new solar systems which can include battery ready inverters or systems with integrated battery storage. We also provide smart energy management systems which will continue to deliver energy saving benefits into the future. We only use CEC accredited installers and we fully comply with the Victorian Govt. Solar Rebate Program. Finance can be arranged for as little as $2.96 a day. For further information call 1300 656 205 or go to our website at https://ongrid.energystuff.com.au/new-solar-system/

Victorian Registered Electrical Contractor Licence # 27787