Should I ADD Panels to my existing PV Solar System?

With the launch of the Solar Industry in Australia from 2009 and the generous Solar rebates provided by the government, thousands of Australian households invested in installing PV Solar Panels at their homes.

The most popular size sold between 2009 – 2012 was a 1.5KW system. The reason for this was the size of the system, 8 panels, would fit easily on most roofs, and the rebate provided was twice as generous for the first 1.5KW of any system.

What many Australian homes have found in the years that have followed, is that a 1.5KW system, which produces approx. 6KW of electricity per day, does not offset enough electricity usage to fully power their homes. Having secured an insight into the benefits Solar Systems provide to homeowners, for example reduced or no electricity bill, the desire for a larger solar system, or a system upgrade, has understandably grown.

With the price of Solar Systems reducing in recent years, and the price of purchased electricity steadily rising, it’s a very convincing argument to reduce a home’s reliance on purchasing from the grid where possible.

Having said this, it is very important that homeowners review their existing Solar Feed-In-Tariff prior to making any grand plans to expand their Solar System.
Depending on what state you reside in, and if you are currently receiving one of the early adopter generous feed-in-tariffs, by upgrading your system you may accidentally forfeit this tariff and be automatically shifted onto the current minimal one of around 5c.

For homes that are not receiving the 30c or 60c tariffs, looking at adding panels to an existing system will be more beneficial, and the questions to ask of your household and current system include: Panel size, inverter capacity and roof space.

For more information on the solar requirements of your home, or if you are unsure about your existing feed-in-tariff or want more information about the next steps in Solar for your household, please don’t hesitate to contact Solar Service Group on 1300 40 41 42.