Residential Solar

As homeowners we understand the pressure that rising electricity costs is putting on families and individuals in Tasmania. With a solar panel system, you’ll generate free power for your system’s entire 25+ year lifecycle. Even if you don’t produce 100 percent of the energy you consume, solar will still reduce your utility bills and save you a lot of money.

Many of us are out of the house throughout the day when your solar system is producing energy, but even if you're not using the energy produced it is not wasted. Any excess energy produced by your system is exported back into the utility grid for your friends and neighbours to use. Additionally Aurora Energy will credit you a Feed-in-Tarrif rate of 9.82 cents per kWh you export back into the grid.

Solar panels aren’t an expense – they’re one of the best ways to invest, with returns rivalling those of more traditional investments such as stocks and bonds. Thanks to substantial electricity bill savings, the average Tasmania homeowner pays off their solar system in six years and experiences an ROI of 20 percent or more. Given that most systems have a lifetime of 25+ years, that's 19 years of using the suns energy for free rather than paying never ending increasingly expensive utility bills.

Most solar panels on todays market come with long-term warranties ranging from 10-25 years depending on the brand. There are two types of warranties - product and power warranties. Product warranties protect against manufacturing or workmanship defects; where as power warranties ensure your panels output is no less than promised. Inverters also generally come with ten year warranties plus the option to extend. Warranty lengths on panels and inverters are longer than the average payback period on a solar system making solar a safe investment.

One of the most clear cut benefits of solar systems is the ability to hedge utility prices. By investing in a solar system now, you're decreasing your reliance on the grid and protecting yourself against unpredictable increases in electricity costs. If electricity prices increase by an average of only 1% per year, over 25 years you could save tens of thousands of dollars.

Multiple studies have found that homes equipped with solar energy systems have higher property values and sell more quickly than non-solar homes. Appraisers are increasingly taking solar installations into consideration as they value homes at the time of a sale, and as homebuyers become more educated about solar, demand for properties equipped with solar systems will continue to grow.

Solar panels generally only need to be cleaned twice a year depending on your location. Solar panels can be cleaned yourself with just some clean water and a little scrubbing with a coarse cloth covered sponge or soft brush. In addition to being low maintenance, solar systems produce no noise and no waste compared to other energy independent solutions such as generators.

Under the Federal Governments Renewable Energy Target, residents that install a solar system are entitled to the creation of Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs). STCs are a commodity that can be traded on a market and are worth money. Given the hassle it takes to trade STCs, most residents sign them over to their installer for a point of sale discount. This makes installing a solar system affordable for the regular Australian.

Unlike other forms of finite energy sources such as fossil fuels, sunlight is an infinite energy source we can utilise for free, and it will always remain free. Additionally, contrary to popular belief, solar panels do not rely on heat to produce power, they just rely on sunlight. Temperatures above 25 degrees can actually decrease the efficiency of a solar panel. This makes Tasmania the perfect environment to install a solar system.

Solar power is a free, infinite energy source that produces no waste. Installing even a small system can reduce your carbon emissions by 2 to 3 tonne per year. Solar panels are made primarily from good, non-polluting resources. Also, almost all the components used in the manufacturing process are recyclable, so when their life is over, they can be broken-down and reused.