IMPORTANT TIPS FOR BUYING YOUR
SOLAR POWER SYSTEM.
Buying a home solar power system
can be a very exciting experience, but
don’t get too carried away by
advertising – be sure to focus on the
important aspects of your purchase
as it’s a substantial investment and
one you’ll be living with for a long
time. The following are some tips on
what to look for when buying a
system.
Recommendations
Ask friends, family neighbours or
colleagues who have had solar PV
systems installed; they’ll be able to
tell you about their experiences and
perhaps alert you to any problems
they experienced – ones that you’ll
be able to avoid. Learn more about
potential issues in our consumers
guide to solar power – avoiding
tricks and traps.
Length of manufacturer’s warranty
Take note of what guarantees the
manufacturer offers. If the
manufacturer is reputable and the
warranty period on the panels is
substantial (at least 25 years) you
would naturally expect your solar
system to last long for a long time,
long enough to pay for itself and
make you a profit.
Decide on the type of panels
It used to be the case that if you had
limited roof space you would need
highly efficient mono-crystalline solar
panels. This is however changing
with advances in polycrystalline
panel technology and some thin film
technologies. Still, even if you have
ample roof space you may still want
to consider panel sizes vs. output as
filling up your roof with inefficient
panels will affect your ability to add
more panels at a later date, and does
not maximise the power output of the
space.
It’s also important to bear in mind
that regardless of claim, no solar
panel technology will produce a
significant amount of power in full
shade. Learn more about
monocrystalline vs. polycrystalline on
previous posts.
Solar inverter efficiency
A power inverter is the box between
the panels and your appliances that
converts DC electricity from solar
panels to AC; suitable for use in your
home.
Not all solar inverters are equal and
inverter efficiency will have a direct
impact on the amount of time it takes
for a system to pay for itself. Look at
the inverter efficiency before
purchasing a system. Obviously, the
more efficient the inverter the better
– as less electricity will be wasted as
heat during the conversion from DC
to AC.
Get a few solar quotes
It always wise to gather a few quotes
when making a major purchase as
you will find that prices vary widely
between providers; but don’t be just
swayed by price as inferior
components can be used to reduce
the up-front cost of the system – but
they may wind up costing you more
in the long run in terms of reliability
and efficiency, also you may be
overcharged, so its always wise to
compare quotes.
Avoid high pressure sales people
High pressure sales tactics are
unfortunately common in the solar
industry. Try not to make decisions
on the spot, just ask the person to
let you consider the offer. If it’s as
good as they claim, it will still be a
good deal tomorrow. Pressured
decisions on the spot often turn out
to be less advantageous in reflection.
High pressure sales people are only
one of the pitfalls that may await you
when you shop for a solar power
system. Learn more about the
potential issues and how to avoid
them in our consumers guide to solar
power – avoiding tricks and traps.
SOLAR POWER SYSTEM.
Buying a home solar power system
can be a very exciting experience, but
don’t get too carried away by
advertising – be sure to focus on the
important aspects of your purchase
as it’s a substantial investment and
one you’ll be living with for a long
time. The following are some tips on
what to look for when buying a
system.
Recommendations
Ask friends, family neighbours or
colleagues who have had solar PV
systems installed; they’ll be able to
tell you about their experiences and
perhaps alert you to any problems
they experienced – ones that you’ll
be able to avoid. Learn more about
potential issues in our consumers
guide to solar power – avoiding
tricks and traps.
Length of manufacturer’s warranty
Take note of what guarantees the
manufacturer offers. If the
manufacturer is reputable and the
warranty period on the panels is
substantial (at least 25 years) you
would naturally expect your solar
system to last long for a long time,
long enough to pay for itself and
make you a profit.
Decide on the type of panels
It used to be the case that if you had
limited roof space you would need
highly efficient mono-crystalline solar
panels. This is however changing
with advances in polycrystalline
panel technology and some thin film
technologies. Still, even if you have
ample roof space you may still want
to consider panel sizes vs. output as
filling up your roof with inefficient
panels will affect your ability to add
more panels at a later date, and does
not maximise the power output of the
space.
It’s also important to bear in mind
that regardless of claim, no solar
panel technology will produce a
significant amount of power in full
shade. Learn more about
monocrystalline vs. polycrystalline on
previous posts.
Solar inverter efficiency
A power inverter is the box between
the panels and your appliances that
converts DC electricity from solar
panels to AC; suitable for use in your
home.
Not all solar inverters are equal and
inverter efficiency will have a direct
impact on the amount of time it takes
for a system to pay for itself. Look at
the inverter efficiency before
purchasing a system. Obviously, the
more efficient the inverter the better
– as less electricity will be wasted as
heat during the conversion from DC
to AC.
Get a few solar quotes
It always wise to gather a few quotes
when making a major purchase as
you will find that prices vary widely
between providers; but don’t be just
swayed by price as inferior
components can be used to reduce
the up-front cost of the system – but
they may wind up costing you more
in the long run in terms of reliability
and efficiency, also you may be
overcharged, so its always wise to
compare quotes.
Avoid high pressure sales people
High pressure sales tactics are
unfortunately common in the solar
industry. Try not to make decisions
on the spot, just ask the person to
let you consider the offer. If it’s as
good as they claim, it will still be a
good deal tomorrow. Pressured
decisions on the spot often turn out
to be less advantageous in reflection.
High pressure sales people are only
one of the pitfalls that may await you
when you shop for a solar power
system. Learn more about the
potential issues and how to avoid
them in our consumers guide to solar
power – avoiding tricks and traps.