Australia has developed stringent standards for the supply and installation of solar systems. One of these requirements is that an accredited solar designer must design the system to be installed. This is to ensure that solar panels are positioned on your roof for maximum efficiency and safety and that they are correctly wired to the meter.
At Bluestone Electrical Solutions, we design the system for you rather than outsourcing the design to an external designer. This ensures that we can design the system that best suits your needs and that the system we quote for is the system that will be installed. We do offer our design services at a cost to installers who do not have design accreditation.
Many factors influence the design and placement of a solar system in a home or business.
System Size
There are multiple factors that will influence the size of the solar system to be installed. These include the physical unshaded area available, the amount of electricity to be generated, and of course budget.
All grid connected solar systems will reduce yearly power consumption and therefore your power bill. We use the information that you provide us along with your previous power bills to help determine the best system size for your home.
To make the most of solar power, the key is to implement simple energy efficiency strategies. We will discuss these strategies with you at the design stage of your system.
Panel Installation Factors
Orientation: due to Australia's location in the Southern Hemisphere, in some situations, solar panels should be facing as close to true north as possible. However northwest or west-northwest can be optimal if the majority of power is consumed in the afternoon. Evolving technology is now also allowing for east-west split systems where northern aspects cannot be achieved.
Tilting: for best performance on average over a year, the angle of the panels can vary between 20 degrees and 32 degrees. While tilting angle is an important factor, it isn't as important in the majority of situations as the orientation of the panels.
Shading: ideally solar panels should be in full sun from at least 9am to 3pm daily. They should not be placed in shaded areas and should be kept as free as possible from dust and dirt. Shading from objects such as trees, roof ventilators or antennas will have a large impact on the output of a panel, as it changes the flow of electricity through the panel. Prolonged shading or dirt spots can cause damage to panels that isn't covered under warranty, so a good designer will always avoid shading as much as possible.
Mounting: all mounting systems should be engineer certified for the area where the solar system is being installed. All quality systems will be wind certified to ensure they will not take off during a wild storm.
PHONE: 1300 399 055 / EMAIL: INFO@BLUESTONEELECTRICAL.COM.AU
