Commercial and residential properties go solar for many reasons from environmental benefits to cost savings. Being a clean source of energy, installing solar systems is one of the best solutions to the global concern of carbon emission.

Around 10% of Australia’s electricity in 2020-2021 is produced by solar systems. More than 30% of Australian households have rooftop solar PVs.

Some of the factors that affect the choice of solar panels are location, weather, time, the orientation of azimuth, the orientation of tilt, shading, and pollution. Proper planning and smart design will help one get the most out of their PV system and improve the rate of return.

Budget solar panels Vs Premium solar panels

Advantages of premium panels over budget panels are:

Premium panels are made from superior quality materials.It degrades less than any other panels over time.Premium panels are highly advanced and backed by science and research.It is designed to perform better in extreme heat and lower light.Premium panels come with more comprehensive warranties.

It is ideal to buy the ones that best meet one’s needs. If you are planning to stay in a home for a decade or less, they can maximize the return on investment by choosing a solid budget solar system over a premium one.

If you wish to stay less than 10 years in that house, the minimum 12 years guarantee offered by good solar panels will cover the entire time of stay.

A premium panel with a 25year guarantee will do good to those who intend to stay in the same house for a longer time.

Nevertheless, the best solar panel is the one that fits neatly into one’s performance and warranty expectations, without breaking their budget.

Tier 1 Solar Panels in Australia 

Tier 1 solar panels are manufactured by companies with a stable financial background. They invest in research and develop new and emerging technologies.

Besides being a fully-automated production they have a high degree of vertical integration as well.

The quality control manufacturing process of Tier 1 solar panels makes them defect-free. It safeguards future technical issues or warranty claims.

These qualities make Tier 1 solar panels the most expensive option. They are 10-30% more expensive than Tier 2 and Tier 3 solar panels. They last longer and produce abundant solar power.

Some of Tier 1 solar panels 2021 include Canadian Solar, Hanwha Q Cells, SunPower, SolarWorld, Panasonic, LG, Trina, Jinko, and Risen Energy.

Solar Panel Warranty in Australia

In Australia, most solar panels come with a performance warranty of 25-years and a product warranty of 10 to 15 years from the manufacturer. Better quality solar panels come with a product warranty of up to 25 years.

The performance warranty gives protection against panels that degrades sooner. The product warranty provides protection against the system’s underperformance due to faulty modules.

A workmanship warranty provides homeowners with coverage against workmanship or installation errors. This type of warranty generally covers about one year following the completion of the work.

An extended solar warranty is a service contract that costs between $350 to $500 per term. The level of coverage is the same as that of the manufacturer’s warranty, but it extends coverage for another five to fifteen years.

To claim a warranty one should first contact their solar retailer in order to have the product replaced or repaired. If that doesn’t work, one needs to contact the manufacturer of the product.

If that too is unsuccessful, one has to lodge a complaint with the relevant Office of Fair Trading in their state or territory: They negotiate on your behalf and arrange mediation where necessary.

Solar panel specification

When it comes to efficiency, commercial solar panel (19.6%) is more efficient than residential solar panel (18.1%).

A residential solar panel system typically has 72 cells and is 65 inches by 39 inches; whereas, a commercial solar panel system typically has 96 cells and is 78 inches by 39 inches

Both residential and commercial solar panel systems are installed using a bolted racking system.  Being large, commercial systems can take up to a month to complete, while residential solar panels generally take one or two days to install.

Commercial solar panel systems tend to be white, residential systems are black or white.

The efficiency of solar panels

The main factors affecting the efficiency of solar panels are:

Sun Intensity – The efficiency of the solar panels increases when the temperature drops and decreases in high temperatures.Solar shading – total or partial shading by nearby trees or buildings can result in lower output and power losses.Cloud Covers – Cloudy atmosphere decreases the efficiency of solar panels by allowing less amount of sunlight to fall on solar panels.Soiling – Soiling of solar panels due to dust, ice, snow, debris, bird droppings can result in a significant decrease in its efficiency.The Orientation, Inclination, Latitude of the place, and Climatic conditions – These factors have to be considered while installing solar panels so as to get the full advantage of solar irradiation or else it affects the power output.

Maintenance of solar panels is very important for its efficient working. Making frequent physical inspections and a periodic light cleaning of the panels ensure that dirt, leaves, and other debris aren’t obstructing the sun’s rays from reaching the panels.

The performance of a clean solar module is at least 5% higher than that of a dust-accumulated module.

Professional solar installation

Professional solar installers handle everything to make sure the installation and connection is completed professionally and efficiently.

As a first step, the installers lodge an application to the power network notifying them about the installation of a PV grid connect system on your property.

Once the approval is received, the installers schedule a date for the installation. Professional solar installation is done by highly experienced and CEC Accredited installers and designers.

After installation, there will be a briefing on the metering process.  All the paperwork required to get the meter upgraded and the warranty package will be sent.

To conclude, solar panels are an integral part of any solar system. Professional solar installers help you to choose the best panels according to the requirement.  Professional installers are technically sound to install in the best possible way to get maximum output.

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