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[VIC, NSW, SA] Fully Installed 6.5 kW Solar Panels & Inverter $3,999 (or $1,999.50 after 50% VIC Solar Rebate) @ HelloSolar

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[VIC, NSW, SA] Fully Installed 6.5 kW Solar Panels & Inverter $3,999 (or $1,999.50 after 50% VIC Solar Rebate) @ HelloSolar
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supercheap1 on 09/09/2018 - 20:11 hellosolar.com.au (1935 clicks)
Last edited 10/09/2018 - 04:47 by 2 other users

Fully Installed 6.5 kW Solar Panels & Inverter $3,999 (or $1999.50 $1,774 after Victorian Solar Home Rebate of 50% $2,250) Victoria Only

275W TIER 1 SOLAR PANELS- We only use Certified Tier 1 Solar Panels - Manufactured by the best in the business.
Platinum Tier 1 Panels- Designed specifically for optimal performance to combat the unpredictable Australian climate. Utilise their industry leading warranty and 48 hour warranty fulfillment and Positive Quality' by the Australian Solar Council.

PLATINUM AC BATTERY READY INVERTER - Prepare for the future of solar with our battery compatible inverters. All systems come battery ready so you are not left behind when solar storage options become more affordable.

The Hello Solar Dashboard provides a personalised and comprehensive analysis of your own system's performance. - Easy to use and hosted in the cloud, you can access your dashboard at any time from your computer, tablet or smartphone. See how the system is performing and even get immediate alerts for when it's not - Making it easier to diagnose and resolve issues promptly.

LIFETIME WARRANTY - We are so confident in the components supplied and the professionals installing them that we offer a Lifetime Warranty on the workmanship. Live with peace of mind that the installation is protected for a lifetime.

Melbourne Office: Level 8, 90 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000; P: 1300 070 786
E: [email protected]

Sydney Head Office: Suite 2/25 Solent Circuit; BAULKHAM HILLS NSW 2153; NSW Contractor License No: 307439C

Adelaide Office: Level 5, City Central, Tower 2; 121 King William Street; Adelaide, South Australia 5000

Electrical & Electronics Solar Energy System

Related Stores

hellosolar.com.au
hellosolar.com.au

closed Comments

  • Bellpop on 09/09/2018 - 20:14
    +1

    Interested in solar for NSW to offset the costs for the family. Someone in the know: is his a good deal?

    • brad1-8tsi on 11/09/2018 - 07:42

      It's an average deal.
      I got pretty much the same last week.
      Zever 5kw inverter and 20x 300w (6kw) Jinko black series panels for $3890 in Metro NSW from Captain Green. The installation is a lot better looking than the Solar PVA I fitted at the last place in 2010 ($3660 for 1.5kw of panasonic panels and a crap inverter that peaks at 1250 watts)

      That's a reasonable quality entry level setup. You can get a cheap 6kw for $2500 but it's a long term purchase so it's worth spending a little more.

      I'd suggest you check https://www.solarquotes.com.au/. Lots of good info and reviews.

  • PinzVidz on 09/09/2018 - 20:17
    +2

    C'mon, OP, 30 posts and yet you have no store name in the title…

    • Moderatorneil on 09/09/2018 - 20:22

      Please use report link in future.

  • Baghern on 09/09/2018 - 20:20

    WTF under 2k for Vic… that would be paid back in a couple of years with Victoria's dodgy energy companies

    • mps41 on 09/09/2018 - 21:29
      +2

      Should be 2k as the rebate is limited to 50% of the cost of the system. At that price most households would pay it back in 1-2 years even if they aren’t generally home during the day.

    • bobwokeup on 11/09/2018 - 09:41

      Hey quit complaining we have no options in WA, it’s Synergy or nothing!!

  • digitalaxon on 09/09/2018 - 20:22
    +2

    Guess they must be using a low end hosting package?

    Resource Limit Is Reached
    The website is temporarily unable to service your request as it exceeded resource limit. Please try again later.

    • johnyBgood on 09/09/2018 - 21:02
      +7

      The hosting company don't use solar…

  • easternculture on 09/09/2018 - 20:23
    -1

    I'm looking into solar roof tiles aka tesla roof or bristle solar tiles
    Any recommendations

    • [Deactivated] on 09/09/2018 - 20:29
      +3

      yeh, keep waiting…..
      Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV) has been just around the corner for a while now, there just doesn't seem to the market in Australia to bring them over here on any scale.

      • easternculture on 09/09/2018 - 20:31

        Will need them end of 2019 or start of 2020.

        There are at least 4 companies manufacturing solar roof tiles.

        Just interested to see if anyone has any valuable input. Planning to go off grid by 2025 if battery technologies improve and become cheaper.

        • Steptoe on 09/09/2018 - 20:42

          Trim consumption as low as you can first.

        • [Deactivated] on 09/09/2018 - 21:10
          +1

          If you want to go off grid that is different from wanting roof tiles. Roof tiles have been more costly, and the benefit of roof tiles is that they replace the actual roofing material. Only makes sense if you are putting on a new roof. Also as the market is more specialist,costs are higher.

          If you want to go off grid, then I'd go for a large array of high efficient panels and spend your extra cash on getting your house to the highest Green Star you can. What's the point in generating and storing power because a house is so inefficient?

          Also watch out as the deem-able STCs are reduced 7% YoY.

        • easternculture on 09/09/2018 - 21:14

          @kelpi3:

          Only makes sense if you are putting on a new roof

          Exactly right

    • coxymla on 09/09/2018 - 20:46

      Why? There's no way solar roof tiles will be as good as panels.

    • deelaroo on 10/09/2018 - 01:11
      +1

      Why? Do you not like having money? You will be waiting a very long time before they are cheaper than a tin/tile roof and panels on top.

  • Tiredman on 09/09/2018 - 20:25
    +2

    Would be nice to know what panels and inverter in the deal.

    • Steptoe on 09/09/2018 - 20:31
      +1

      Picture shows Zeversolar Inverter

      • Felixrising on 10/09/2018 - 11:22

        Is that reasonable quality/efficiency?

        • Grunef on 10/09/2018 - 21:24

          They are a better brand in the budget side of stuff.

          The bigger issue is being install quality.

          I've seen some really top solar gear ruined by very poor installation.

          If you don't pay for a quality install you'll end up with issues.

          Check

          Solarquotes.com.au for reliable info

  • LaTerrible on 09/09/2018 - 20:26
    +2

    Anyone interested in this should check the crappy solar and creator electrical groups on Facebook for feedback on this sort of thing.

    Get a feel for where the corners are being cut.

    That said, incredible price.

  • Frogprince7 on 09/09/2018 - 20:26

    i am in Vic, hope i can get cash back., under 2k nice

  • DoesntEvenMatter on 09/09/2018 - 20:30
    +1

    Can you still get the rebate if you previously had a solar power system installed. My current one had died after 8yrs

    • Frogprince7 on 09/09/2018 - 20:31

      hi !
      how do you know if it had died ? how to check ?

      • DoesntEvenMatter on 09/09/2018 - 20:33
        +1

        Inverter is reporting 0kwh, I think it might be the inverter panel should be fine

        • PlasticSpaceman on 09/09/2018 - 21:21
          +1

          Mine 'died' recently - the issue turned out to be a connection gone bad. Very cheap and quick fix. Separately, I'm also interested to know if I can get the rebate for this, given we also had ours installed over 8 years ago and is only 1.5kW….

        • PlasticSpaceman on 09/09/2018 - 21:26
          +4

          @PlasticSpaceman: Have answered my own question: https://www.solar.vic.gov.au/Solar-Panel-Rebate

          *Early adopters of solar PV, who meet all other eligibility criteria, are able to claim a rebate for a new or expanded system. An early adopter is defined as a solar system that was installed prior to the commencement of the Premium Feed-In Tariff (PFIT) on November 1, 2009. Your Distribution Network Service Provider can confirm that the date on which your solar PV system was connected to the grid was prior to the start of the PFIT. Other than for early adopters, the solar rebate cannot be used to expand an existing solar panel installation.

          So for me, that would be a no as mine was installed in 2010. Sigh.

        • DoesntEvenMatter on 09/09/2018 - 21:56

          @PlasticSpaceman: where was the bad connection?

        • PlasticSpaceman on 10/09/2018 - 06:57
          +1

          @Dezeption: each panel is connected to each other in series. One of the connectors had corroded and just needed to be replaced. Specifically I have two rows of panels, and it was the longer cable connecting the two rows together.

  • webtonmoy on 09/09/2018 - 20:33

    Can anyone please advise about how much I may require to spend for suitable batteries to be used with these systems?

    • Steptoe on 09/09/2018 - 20:38

      Go have a read at Solar Quotes regarding economics of batteries.

    • coxymla on 09/09/2018 - 20:47
      +2

      Batteries aren't worth it yet.

    • mysterytal on 09/09/2018 - 20:50
      +5

      Nothing. You can use the grid to export power and import it later. It's far cheaper doing that.

      Export is 11.3 cents with AGL. Import price is about 22.5 cents on the AGL Essentials tariff depending on region.

      So…do the maths. Export unused power let's say about 2,000kWh at 11.3 cents and import that 2,000kWh later at 22.5 cents. Get $226 and pay $450 = Net cost $224 per year. Batteries can't beat that.

      • Jamesx on 10/09/2018 - 09:02

        We only got 6c and pay 25c

        • mysterytal on 10/09/2018 - 12:58

          You'll probably see it on your next bill.

          The lowest rate any supplier can give in Victoria since the 1st July 2018 is 9.9 cents/kWh.

          Switching suppliers to a suitable tariff saves more than a battery (at this point in time).

    • brad1-8tsi on 11/09/2018 - 07:43

      Not worth it yet. Give it a few more years.

  • mysterytal on 09/09/2018 - 20:37

    I wish I could use this offer or something similar.

    I've only got 1.5kW of panels and the cheap Chinese inverter which is faulting too often needs replacing. The company that installed it and the manufacturer of the inverter have both now gone out of business making the warranty worthless.

  • rifter on 09/09/2018 - 20:41
    +6

    Maximum rebate is the lower of "$2250" or "50% of price".

    At $3999 the rebate will be $1999.50 not $2250. Hence you will pay $3999 and if you qualify for the Vic Govt rebate and all your paperwork is correct the most you can get back from the Vic Govt is $1999.50 giving you a final outlay of $1999.50 not $1774.

    • deelaroo on 10/09/2018 - 01:14

      Are they calculating their price before the solar credits thing? I know when we got solar we signed off that the installer gets those.

      • moar bargains on 10/09/2018 - 07:54

        No that price would assume you assign the rights to the STC's to the installer like you did.

  • Kooratz on 09/09/2018 - 20:44

    Not so good credibility based on whirlpool discussion

    • rifter on 09/09/2018 - 21:08
      +3

      Credibility also shot by incorrectly quoting your potential savings in title. I would not trust these guys.

      • Steptoe on 10/09/2018 - 05:29

        So long as you realise the OP is not a company Rep and may have made a mistake with deriving the final price. Admittedly the Ad aims to make you draw the conclusion that you can get the full discount.

  • Gimme1 on 09/09/2018 - 20:52
    +1

    I just want to add that if you are not at home during the day (wont use the electricity when the suns out) or don't have a battery its pointless investing in solar until the prices come down a lot more

    • Steptoe on 09/09/2018 - 20:57

      Not true. There is a feed in tariff available, however small.

      • Gimme1 on 09/09/2018 - 21:16
        +1

        yes, which drastically increases the payback period

        • mps41 on 09/09/2018 - 21:41

          It increases the payback period yes, but at typical prices the current feed in tariffs will still provide a good payback. Do your own sums for your situation, but even if you are not home you’ll always still have some power drawn during the day at least for a fridge and generally people are home at least some daylight hours, plus it is generally possible to run the dishwasher and washing machine during the day while you are out, but even with none of the power consumed by yourself it will often still be worth it. AGL is currently offering a feed on of 20c per kWh in a number of states which is a great feed in rate (you do have to pay more for the power you consume to get that, but often it will still be well worth it).

          If you qualify for the new Victorian rebate then unless your home is well shaded or doesn’t have space on the roof I don’t think you will find a house that won’t benefit financially by getting solar. if you are in SA the the high power prices and high feed in tariffs make it worthwhile for virtually everyone.

    • brad1-8tsi on 11/09/2018 - 07:55

      What do you consider a reasonable payback period?

      My $3360 1.5kw system paid for itself in 1.5 years when it was GFIT 60c. Even on a net feed tariff of 20c that only blows out to 4.5 - 5 years. That was in a house where both adults worked and both kids were at school.

      I've just done a very similar system to the one abpve and for my GFs place and the payback is 4 years on a 10c NFIT using some very conservative usage figures. She's at work all day but still running a fridge and the underfloor heating. She also leaves the radio and fan on for her dogs (yes, I think this excessive too).

      Edit. She also has a fan system that blows air from the roof cavity into the subfloor to keep the area dry. It runs about 18 hours a day.

  • Bellpop on 09/09/2018 - 21:01
    +2

    Why TF don’t they pay more for feed in Tarif so we don’t need to have coal fired plants pumping all day (I get it’s needed at night)

    • daydream on 09/09/2018 - 21:15

      Because energy companies make money selling customers energy not the other way around (esp if most people did it) and yes we don't store energy. It's produced on demand ;-)

      • mps41 on 09/09/2018 - 21:45
        +3

        Coal also doesn’t particularly like scaling up and down on demand, it prefers to run fairly consistently. Hydro and gas provide much better ability to scale up and down as required.

    • poboy on 09/09/2018 - 22:09

      The public pay for the feed in. So if you're happy to pay more money to your neighbour, just slip them a fiver in the mail.

    • garage sale on 10/09/2018 - 01:08
      +1

      the issue with coal is it can’t rapidlt be brought up for the night time if there is demand, bas powered plants can be brought up very quickly, but the problem is the gas companies have sold our gas to overseas contracts ……

      if we went gas instead of coal, we could bring power up quickly when needed and reduce carbon emissions as gas is less then 1/2 of coal …….

      the government isn’t game to set a domestic gas price and limit exports …..the usa has ensured a certain amount. if cheap gas for domestic use so industry and in the usa don’t pay world market.

      WA also has rules to ensure they get cheap gas and that not all is exported.

  • liveish on 09/09/2018 - 21:09
    +3

    Sttay away from any company trying to sell you somthing and not list the brands.

    Tier 1 means nothing….

    • kaboomxyu on 09/09/2018 - 21:12

      Inverter is entry level according to solar quotes. No idea what panels though.

    • rifter on 09/09/2018 - 21:21
      +6

      To qualify for Vic Govt rebate panels and inverter must be listed on the Govt CEC approved list available on their website. Unlisted panels or inverter will invalidate your rebate claim.

    • FimpBARGAIN on 10/09/2018 - 18:35
      +1

      Agreed, plus pretty much any inverter is AC Battery ready. No way in hell I would go with this company

  • AppleLime on 09/09/2018 - 21:58
    +1

    I am in Vic, Eastern Suburb and with the new rebate, I thinking of putting Solar panels. I don't know much about solar system. Can someone advice me on which company is reliable and trustworthy to deal with? I am with Red Energy for both Electricity and Gas. Do I have to change provide once I installed Solar? Thank you in advance.

    • kaboomxyu on 09/09/2018 - 22:07
      +1

      Google solarquotes since 2009. Don't want to post the link as not sure on the rules. I've used them and they get a good rap on whirpool.

      • AppleLime on 09/09/2018 - 22:10
        +2

        I am at it now. Someone gave the link earlier. Thank you.

  • Diji1 on 09/09/2018 - 22:14
    +2

    Isn't it great that the gummints made electric power so expensive that building your own generation plant is more economical than buying electricity.

    You really feel like your eating shit when they act like they're doing you a favour by subsidising it.

    • petry on 09/09/2018 - 22:32

      I really think that you are being way to polite referring to pollies of all parties as gummints.

      Shits are shits.

    • deelaroo on 10/09/2018 - 01:18

      One party sold it all off made it the stupid mess it is now of overpriced shit, the other party is doing something about it to genuinely help reduce electricity costs. What is state Labor doing wrong here??

    • daydream on 11/09/2018 - 14:36

      I agree. Can't they tax some our wasted taxes and build massive solar farms in the arid, desert areas. Cheaper to build, maintain, upgrade and add batteries. Makes no sense everyone doing their own given the installation overheads, lack of maintenance/upgrades, degradation over time, etc. Very short sighted even if pro-solar and ripe for ripping off naive customers (which is most of us).

  • 99altezza on 09/09/2018 - 22:29
    -1

    For the experts out there, someone mentioned if you're not home during the day to use the energy then this is not worth it. Isn't the energy stored somewhere so you are able to consume at a later point?
    Is there no battery in this package or am I getting the whole concept wrong?

    • luka on 10/09/2018 - 00:04
      +1

      No battery is included.

      You still save during daytime as whatever power you generate but don't use gets sold to the grid (at a lower price). Then at night time you have to buy the energy back for a more expensive price.

      Of course, the best savings are when you use your generated energy directly. Hence the comments about being home during daytime.
      But even when not home during daytime you still save money as the fridge is running and you can also time your dishwasher, washing machine, aircon etc.

    • brad1-8tsi on 11/09/2018 - 08:01

      no battery.

      The trick is to change your usage habits so you consume power when the solar is working.
      eg: run your dishwasher and washing machine during the day rather than at night. Pre-cool the house with the AC during the day rather than trying to cool it when you get home.

      Of course, the best way to reduce power costs is to not use it in the first place. So look at converting lights that are used 3-4 hours a day into LEDs.
      Put some appliances that run all the time onto a timer.
      Turn off at wall TVs and other appliances that have a standby mode.
      Try and schedule washing machines, dishwashers and dryers to run at off peak power times.

  • brotherfranciz on 10/09/2018 - 00:53

    I must admit I don't know much about solar panels, but 24 panels seems like a lot to fit on a roof?

    How many sqm of roof space would you need for this system? I presume the roof space should ideally be north-facing?

    How do I calculate whether a 6.5kW system is suitable for a 3-bedroom dwelling?

    • donkcat on 10/09/2018 - 07:46
      +1

      An average solar panel is about 1.5 to 2 sqm, so really they are going to take up about 40 to 48sqm of roof space. And yes you're correct that ideally they would all be on the north plane. If there is not enough room to fit all then west is your next best option, then east then south. Easiest way is to get on the roof and measure.

    • moar bargains on 10/09/2018 - 07:50
      +2

      It'd be worth looking at the solar quotes website. They've got some calculators which can help you estimate generation, payback time etc, and get some other quotes if you're interested.

      It really depends on the shape and orientation of your roof, but 24 panels is usually doable. North facing is ideal but with power prices like they are basically any direction is worthwhile (I.e. will save you money within 10 years).

    • mps41 on 10/09/2018 - 07:51
      +1

      Each panel is about 1m x 1.6m. Generally for a system like this you’ll need 10-14 all facing the same direction and the rest all facing another direction. They can all face the same direction if you like as well. They Don't have to face north east and west are fine too and somtimes West is better than north because it will produce more in the evening in summer in particular.

      Simply put, 6.5kw is the perfect size for any house if you have enough non-shaded roof.

      There is a lot more detail and options you can get into, but thats the simple explanation that should work well for moody people.

  • deelaroo on 10/09/2018 - 01:27
    +2

    I have near 6kw and is only worth it to us having a big F Off ducted aircon that means we can basically run for free during summer through the day. Still in the evening the usage is higher and you’re paying for electricity again.

    The problem with solar is it is one bell curve of generation through the day peaking early afternoon. But your usage bell curve peaks in the evening with applicances and such running.

    So even with the aircon and sometimes in winter heater to run as a “battery” I calculated approx $2k a year saved or discount from rebate.

    If I didn’t have the ducted air con it would be worth about $500 a year. The rebate is like $20 a month on our system..

    Unless you have a big energy sink to use as a battery - heating or cooling air, lots of washing or other large appliances to run, heating water etc. it is not worth having unless you’re willing to stay put 5+ years even at this price.

    Or even better get battery storage with the money saved. I just wish Daniel Andrews has given a battery company a call and done a deal on say 10,000 batteries to onsell to vic households. You really want to be able to shift your captured electricity to when the usage is highest.

    • Ice-Eyes on 10/09/2018 - 09:02

      One thing many people don’t realise is you can have it set to heat your hot water from excess solar before export instead of buying electricity back “off peak” to do the same job. You can use up to 1/3 of your daily power on hot water depending on your usage.

      • NeverMissABargain on 10/09/2018 - 09:12

        I am aware of CatchPower being one of such tools. But in order to do so, does your water heating system would need to be electric instead of gas, is it?

        • Steptoe on 10/09/2018 - 10:17

          Needs an electric element or heat pump.

  • Jamesx on 10/09/2018 - 09:09

    After moved house we installed new system and claim went through.
    Can anyone advise if I can claim on my investment property even I already claimed for my own house please? Thanks

  • McWicked on 10/09/2018 - 09:43
    +5

    Seriously - these pop up solar companies will be gone in a couple of years. People need to understand that ASIC is powerless to stop these pop-up companies liquidating themselves at any time. Implied warranties are useless. These guys can claim a warranty period as long as they like because quite simply their business model is not about longevity. Its about capitalising on existing rebates based on a wafer-thin margin (sell thousands of systems) and then when the industry slows, or they become exposed to any mass warranty claim, they liquidate (legally) and then you see another Pheonix company pop up and the cycle continues. Buyer beware. You buy this system with no workmanship warranty in my opinion.

  • D3NI3D on 10/09/2018 - 15:28

    I paid almost 15k for a 4.5KW system in the NT a few years back. Im yet to understand why we pay through the roof for our systems in the NT. I'm looking to upgrade to 6.5W using the new $1000 energy rebate still gonna cost me $2500 to $3000.

    • deelaroo on 10/09/2018 - 17:27

      Couldn't you just buy the panels yourself, mount them then pay an electrician to the do electrician part?

  • dreamzz on 10/09/2018 - 18:58
    +1

    2x 275w Astroenergy panels plus 5Kw Zever solar invertor is on the offer.
    Upgrade cost to Jinko panels are $250, Qsell $500, LG $3500.
    Upgrade to 5Kw Fronier invertor is $1000.
    So eventually with a good panels and invertor the system will cost you $5499 - $2225 = $3274 for victorians after rebate.

    • brad1-8tsi on 11/09/2018 - 08:21

      Definitely worth the extra $250 for Jinko panels (assuming Eagle PERC 60m or similar). Could get it down to 21-22 panels as well

      Zever are owned by SMA now and have lifted their game and are a good entry level choice. Agree, the Fronius inverter is a nice step up and probably worth it given the generous government rebate to cover part of the extra cost.

  • dreamzz on 11/09/2018 - 11:47
    +1

    I have some reading and find these useful info from solar4ever.

    Solar Panels?

    A typical 6.5kW installation of polycrystalline panels from the big Tier 1 brands like Canadian Solar, Jinko, Trina, ET, Talesun, REC, Winaico, JA, GCL, Phono, (and a dozen others) costs about $360 for the panels only, after deducting the STCs (aka 'the rebate').

    Better panels than a standard polycrystalline model, such as the REC TwinPeak 2 (half-cell) 295W poly, Canadian Solar's and Q.Cells 300W monocrystalline panels are more efficient than a poly, and output a percent or two higher too as they handle the heat and low light better, but typically add $400 to $700 to the cost of the 6.5kW system.

    If you buy premium Mono panels like LG, SunPower then your 6.5kW of panels currently costs you around $2,500 more than the mainstream polys.

    Inverters – Are they ready for battery?

    Almost every inverter sold today, unless it is a hybrid model, is not capable of connecting to a battery, not now, not ever. You can connect them using a retrofit convertor its same as another inverter, cost almost the same.

    Which Hybrid inverter?

    The entire Huawei FusionHome range are hybrids from 2kW to 5kW.
    Goodwe have four hybrids from a range of 20 inverters.

    Delta and Sungrow have one or two hybrids, also from a pretty large range.

    SolarEdge have one hybrid (StorEdge) and one non hybrid range (HD Wave) but the non hybrid can be made into a hybrid by adding a SESTI interface costing about $700.

    Fronius three phase 5kW HYBRID Symo product costs about $1500 more than the regular Symo, and it connects to its own Fronius battery (very expensive), and soon the LG Chem and BYD (2018 4th qtr). It's only a single tracker which is very limiting for most roof panel layouts, and a new range of single and three phase hybrids is due from Fronius in 2019. Huawei have a 3 phase hybrid range due in 4th qtr 2018.
    The nice thing about Huawei hybrid is they give a 10 year product warranty. and its only 35cm square in size.

    Oversizing inverter?

    Oversizing is putting more panel power on an inverter than its rated maximum.

    For example 6.6kW of panels on a 5kVA inverter.

    The reason why this works is because solar panels never make their rated output. Not even close. When the panels are flash tested in the factory it's at a frosty 5°C and with a really bright 1000W per square meter of irradiance. In the real world, its much warmer and less bright and the light is less directly aimed at the cells inside the panel.

    Real life conditions result in 25-30% less output than the maximum…even when the sun is perfectly overhead.

    So that's why it works. Oversizing pushes the output closer to the inverter upper limit for longer througout the day so you get more power without having to buy a larger and more expensive inverter.

    Enphase micros (there are other brands, but Enphase are the market leader)

    A micro inverter connects to each and every solar panel. Each micro has it's only MPPT so it operates independently of every other micro. It also converters the DC panel power to 240V AC, right there on the roof.
    The combined current produced by all these micros is then sent down to your electricity meter and switchboard. There is also a small WIFI enabled (or it can use your regular AC cabling) monitoring device called the 'Envoy' that provides statistics on the system as a whole, or at an individual panel level (if enabled) via their software product Enlighten. The Enphase system can have their own AC coupled battery system connected (or any other AC coupled such as Tesla Powerwall 2 system)

    The principal advantages of these micros are that they

    1. Allow panels to be placed in roof areas where shading occurs at some time in the day as the power loss caused by the shaded panel will only reduce the current produced by that panel, and not bring down all the others.

    2. They allow the panels to be located on multiple roof orientations (e.g. North, West and East), and at different roof tilts, because each micro (and it's connected panel) is a law unto itself

    3. They allow different panel sizes to be connected. e.g. Large 72 cell, 320W panels can be used where they fit, and in tighter areas, smaller 270W panels could be used.

    4. All the power running through the cables in your roof is regular old 240V AC instead of potentially up to 600V DC with a string inverter

    5. You can monitor the output of each panel individually.

    Huawei, SolarEdge and Tigo DC optimisers

    Pretty much ALL of the above that is written about Enphase micros applies to Huawei and SolarEdge, except that they do not convert DC to AC on the roof. They have DC optimisers that have an MPPT tracker but the DC to AC conversion happens at their centralised inverter. Tigo optimisers can be connected to any panel on any string inverter to combat shade. These $100 boxes are a cheap way to solve shade issues when you are buying a regular string inverter like Fronius, SMA, Goodwe etc.

    Connecting batteries?

    With the Enphase solution you can only connect an AC coupled battery system. Huawei and SolarEdge provide you with a choice of DC or AC coupled batteries.

  • dreamzz on 11/09/2018 - 11:47

    In short,

    REC TwinPeak 2 (half-cell) 295W poly, Canadian Solar's and Q.Cells 300W monocrystalline panels and a goodwe inverter with purchase of additional warranty for $200 or delta inverter as a good budget system, or upgrade to a fronius inverter if you have the cash

    if you plan to add battery later on go with Huawei FusionHome

    All the above inverters gave you 10yr warranty.

    LG panels are the best but cost you an extra 2k-3k

  • daydream on 11/09/2018 - 14:27

    Just wondering, if a state government gave a rebate of $1000 for new solar systems, for example, would all all the solar companies just jack up their prices by a similar amount? Winners would seem to be the solar companies, no one else, esp tax payers.

    • deelaroo on 11/09/2018 - 15:45
      +1

      In theory competition between them should keep prices down. But then this doesn't actually happen. When I worked at a chain of petrol stations they all just set the price the same locally, knowing if any of them dropped a cent the others would then undercut them, so was better for all just to keep the same price. Was spoken or planned but just naturally happens and prices get artifically inflated.

      • daydream on 14/09/2018 - 00:11

        Yes, I'm thinking the solar rebate the VIC govt is planning (if re-elected) will just do the same thing.
        Same with the first home buyers scheme. False economy, as the sellers knew everyone would have the extra cash so they just upped the price to cover it! ;-(

  • bargain_knight on 17/09/2018 - 15:17

    I know this may not be the forum for this, but does anyone actually think this is a good deal? Nobody has voted +. Most are just commenting.

    What is a good deal for a similar 6.6kw system and who would you trust? I'd do Longi or Jinko panels and a Fronius inverter. At the moment the best prices I can find are about $6,200. Looks like these guys would do it for $5,250, which I think is a good price.

    Would you trust these guys with your install and if not, who would you trust who could install for a similar price?

    • brad1-8tsi on 18/09/2018 - 14:13

      It's a good deal but not exceptional and there would be a fair selection of companies that are similar pricing.

      Work out what you want, have a look at the installer revues on the solar quotes website and get 3 quotes.

      We got a Zever 5kw inverter, 20x Jinko 300w (6kw total) Black series panels for $3900 and the install was of a high standard (the bits we can see). That was Captain Green. I have no idea why we didn't get 22 panels but it's the GF's place and she paid / researched and made the final decision.

      • bargain_knight on 18/09/2018 - 17:07

        I'm in VIC but going similar to your spec. 22 x Jinko 300w but a Fronius inverter.
        Captain Green quoted me $6.5k.
        Solargain quoted me $6.5k.
        Hello Solar turned out dodgy. Quoted $5k, but won't put it in writing. Want a deposit. Then start back tracking on components to lower end.
        Used Solar quotes, but those installers are charging between $8k and $10k.
        I can't get the price you did. Not sure how to.

        • brad1-8tsi on 19/09/2018 - 09:45

          As someone else in this post alluded to, the companies all appear to have raised their prices $1k as a result of the rebate. I wouldn't worry too much about the quoted price - just go off price after rebate.

          If it's any help, Soltek quoted us $6290 for 22x300w Jinko with a Fronius Primo 5kw inverter, so Captain Greens offer is in the ballpark.

          We went with the "quality but budget" option because we don't quite know if we'll be living in her house or my house in a few years time and we wanted a quick payback.

          You don't say what part of Vic you are but maybe it's a bit extra because of where you live?

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