Solar Photovoltaic panels generate electricity directly from sunlight, not from heat. They capture the sun's energy to generate electricity cleanly and quietly. Light energy is converted directly into electricity by transferring sunlight photon energy into electrical energy. This conversion takes place within cells of specially fabricated semiconductor crystals.

While it might be true that solar cannot generate electricity all the time, it does generate electricity when it is needed most – during the day and on hot sunny days when electricity demand is at its peak driven by air-conditioners.

Importantly, electricity is generated at the point of demand - where people live and work which means there is no need to transfer the energy long distances across expensive infrastructure.

http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cec/technologies/solarpv.html

There has never been a more affordable time to install a solar electricity system on your home. The Solar Credits Scheme provides significant discounts at the time of purchase, whilst the Premium Feed-in-Tariffs can help you pay off the system quickly and even earn money over many years. A solar electricity system has a typical lifespan greater than 30 years and represents an excellent investment to save on your future electricity bills and improve the value of your home.

There are a number of reasons warranting the installation of a Solar Electricity System:

• Solar Photovoltaic Energy or Solar Electricity is a renewable energy technology capable of providing your household with emissions free electricity that assists in climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability efforts, and alleviates today's and the future's high cost of electricity.
• Solar Credits is a mechanism within the RET scheme that boosts support to households, businesses and community groups that install small-scale solar PV by providing a capital subsidy at the time of purchase. Depending on the value of the solar electricity system, the REC's and the location in Australia, this discount could be as high as 70% for a 1.5kWp system. The level of discount diminishes as system sizes increase.
• A feed-in tariff (FiT) is a premium rate paid for electricity fed back into the electricity grid from a designated renewable electricity generation source. In Australia, FiTs have been introduced or are under consideration in all States and Territories, and come in two forms; a gross FiT or a net FiT. The premium FiT rate varies from $0.20/kWh in Tasmania to as high as $0.68/kWh offered by some Victorian electricity retailers. Although the FiT schemes differ from State to State they all have the capacity to greatly offset the cost of electricity usage during the evening when peak tariffs apply. The more electricity a household feeds back into the grid the quicker they may recoup the cost of their system. This provides incentive for additional energy efficiency measures in the household. The FiT schemes in general provide greater incentive for larger systems.
• Eco-Kinetics provides high quality Solar Electricity Systems at competitive prices, installed by BCSE accredited electrical installers and back-up by high quality technical support. We offer a range of systems that can be customized to meet your needs.

• A grid-connected solar PV system is an array of photovoltaic modules that produces DC electricity.
• An inverter converts the solar DC electricity to AC electricity suitable for export to the grid.
• The Gross Metering scheme means that all electricity produced by your solar system is exported to the grid. To measure what is exported a new meter is installed.
• The house will continue to source its electricity from the grid during the day and night.
• The premium gross feed-in-tariff enables households to offset the cost of their electricity usage through the sale of all of the solar electricity to their supplier.

Click to view enlargement

(Source: SolSource)

The roof need not be facing due north. At 45 degrees off north, the loss is a very reasonable 7%. Even at 90 degrees, i.e. an east-west roof, the loss is only approximately 12-16%.

Generally by far the biggest reduction in output is created by full or partial shading of the PV panels. Systems that are in the shade for more than 2-3 hours between 1 hour after sunrise and 1 hour before sun set should not be installed.

All you need is a pitched roof with a predominantly northerly aspect, an inclination between 20° and 30°, a useable rectangular area of at least 12m² that is ideally free of any obstructions and that is free of shade throughout the day. If you are unsure you may speak to our friendly staff that will help you assess the suitability of your roof. Generally this can be determined from a simple telephone interview and using internet tools such as Google Earth to view your roof. Depending on the complexity of house's design, a site inspection maybe necessary and this will be organized to suit your availability.

The panels are rectangular which must be kept in mind when estimating the usable area of your roof. It is not permissible to have panels overhanging the roof. For tiled roofs, the edges of the array must be at least 150-200mm from the closest ridge tile. As a guide a 6 panel or 1kW array has the nominal dimensions of 5.1m x 1.6m.

Typical roof area required by system size:

For those roofs with a flat or very-low-pitched roof (below 10 degrees), it is recommended to have a frame installed to elevate the panels to approximately 30 degrees pitch. The extra expense is offset by the improved performance of the system inclined to the optimal tilt angle.

Eco-Kinetics offers a range of solar electricity system sizes and configurations up to a capacity of 30kWp designed to suit almost any need and budget.

The size of the system chosen depends on a range of key factors including;

• Available area for system installation.
• Budget. Fully installed solar electricity systems can range in price (after solar Credits deductions) from $1,990 for a 1.5kWp system, to in excess of $150,000 for a customized 30kWp system.
• Whether to offset all or just some of the current electricity usage.
• The desired payback period.
• System capacity limits imposed by the respective State premium feed-in tariff schemes.
  In Victoria for instance, systems larger than 5kWp capacity are ineligible for the premium feed-in tariff, whereas in Qld, WA, & SA this limit is 10kWp for single phase connections and 30kWp for three phase connections.

The Solar Credits Scheme in its current form provides the greatest percentage discount for a 1.5kWp solar electricity system but this size system may not meet your total electricity demand. The level of discount reduces as the system size increases, however because larger systems generate more electricity they may not only meet your average daily demand but significantly exceed it. This is especially important for net premium feed-in tariff schemes where only excess electricity generation is eligible for payment at the higher tariff. The more electricity that can be exported to the grid the greater the earnings and financial return. In some cases these systems could finance themselves.

The Government's RET scheme is designed to ensure that 20 per cent of Australia's electricity comes from renewable sources by 2020. The new RET laws include the Solar Credits mechanism to boost support to Australian households and businesses installing small scale solar systems.

The Solar Credits mechanism works by allowing eligible households, businesses and community groups at the time of installation to create RECs equivalent to the output of up to 15 years operation, and for the first 1.5kW of capacity installed, multiply their number. The scheme is designed to allow the system owner to transfer the right of REC creation to their system provider in return for a discount on the system price. This provides an upfront capital subsidy to the householder. The householder if they choose may create the RECs themselves.

Solar Credits are available for eligible systems installed on or after 9 June 2009. Solar credits apply to the first 1.5 kilowatts (kW) of capacity installed. Generation from capacity above 1.5 kW is only eligible for the standard 1:1 rate of RECs creation.

REC's are a tradeable form of currency equivalent to 1 Megawatt hour of electrical energy produced. Many renewable energy devices or installations, including residential solar photovoltaic systems that reduce carbon emissions have a REC value attached to them. RECs can be traded for money or "surrendered" / "retired" (removed from trading circulation) to ensure additional renewable energy capacity is added.

The REC's are a tradable commodity and thus are subject to price volatility. As the REC price increases so does the level of the Solar Credits discount.

Eco-Kinetics on its quotation will specify the REC price it is currently offering, the level of Solar Credits discount available at this price, and if you choose to sell your REC's to Eco-Kinetics, the balance payable for the solar electricity system.

To be eligible, the following conditions must be met;

• Systems must be installed between 9th June 2009 and 30 June 2015
• Only applies to the first 1.5kW of installed capacity at the eligible premises (after which standard REC creation applies).
• No previous Government rebate was received or been applied for any PV system on eligible premises.
• Must be installed on eligible premises, these include;
  • a house (including the land on which the house is located and any outbuildings on the land)
  • a townhouse
  • a residential apartment
  • a shop (including the land on which the shop is located and any outbuildings on the land); and
  • Other premises located at an address.
• No means test now applies. For more information on the rebate and your eligibility click here.

The amount of RECs for which a system is eligible is also governed by the Australian Solar Zone in which the solar electricity system will be located. A table specifying the Solar Zone by postcode is available on the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator's (ORER's) website.

As of 1 January 2011, the enhanced Renewable Energy Target (RET) will be split into two parts, the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) and the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).

Owners of small-scale solar photovoltaic systems will have two options for gaining a financial benefit for their RECs including;

• Follow the existing process of transferring the right for REC creation to their system provider in exchange for a discount at the time of payment. The system provider must specify the REC price they are offering and the respective Solar Credits discount.
• Receive a guaranteed price of $40 for their certificates through a Small-scale Technology Certificate Clearing House. More details can be found on the ORER's website.

Yes. The Solar Credits scheme is scheduled to be phased out by 2015-2016 and the multiplier which determines how many extra RECs are received will gradually reduce during this period. The multiplier reduction schedule is shown in the table below.

 

This is our step by step process:

1. 1. Client registration which occurs by either;
   
   a. Placing an on-line purchase order whereby the customer selects the solar electricity system, completes the Property Assessment, submits their installation address and payment details and confirms their order. The customer downloads the Property Assessment and Order Forms, and returns the signed copies to Eco-Kinetics.
   
   b. Over the phone, the customer is registered by our staff on-line and is automatically sent a Price Schedule, Property Assessment and Order Forms. The customer completes the Property Assessment and Order Forms and returns the signed copies to Eco-Kinetics.
2. Eco-Kinetics will contact you to discuss the Property Assessment, the Solar Electricity System selected and arrange a site evaluation if required. Please allow 2-3 weeks for follow-up. If the site evaluation identifies changes to the surcharges detailed in the on-line order form, Eco-Kinetics will reissue a formal quotation for the client's review. The client must sign the order form as confirmation of order placement and return the documentation to Eco-Kinetics.
3. Eco-Kinetics administration team will submit on your behalf, the application for connection to the relevant energy distribution authority.
4. Relevant energy distribution authority will provide an approval job number (generally within 2 - 4 weeks of the application being received by them), as approval to proceed with installation of the Solar Electricity System. A Solar electricity system cannot be installed in NSW without this approval.
5. Eco-Kinetics (or accredited Installation Contractor) will contact you to schedule the installation within 1 – 2 weeks from the proposed installation date.
6. Eco-Kinetics will issue the client with a Tax Invoice approximately 2 – 3 weeks from the proposed installation date. The invoiced portion is payable one day prior to installation. All other monies are payable through the assignment of RECs on the day of installation and commissioning.
7. The accredited installation contractor will complete the supply, installation and commissioning of the system at the mutually agreed time (RECs assignment to Eco-Kinetics at this point).
8. On the day of installation you must be present to ensure contractor access to necessary areas of the property and to sign all relevant documentation including the RECs assignment forms.
9. Should the client require assistance with the installation of the Gross Meter, arrangements can be made at the time of the installation through the accredited installation contractor. The Level 2 (ASP) Electrician upon request may provide a written quotation for the installation of the meter. The customer may choose whether to proceed with the Level 2 (ASP) Electrician recommended by Eco-Kinetics or organise the gross meter installation themselves with an accredited Level 2 ASP Electrician of their choice.
10. The Level 2 (ASP) Contractor will complete the required documentation and generally install the Gross Meter within 2 weeks from Installation and commissioning.

A standard installation comprises;

• Roof pitch between 20 and 30 degrees.
• Single storey residence.
• Clear unobstructed, preferably North facing roof area, free of shade, hazards, and large enough to accommodate the solar array.
• Continuous solar array installed in multiples of 6 (1kW) or 9 (1.5kW) panels on a single roof.
• Wiring distance from PV panels to inverter to switchboard-meter less than 20 metres.
• Meter-box and wiring conforms to Australian Standards and requires no modifications.
• Travel (delivery and installation) within Metropolitan areas.
• Client assists with installation documentation under direction of accredited installer.

If the house's suitability cannot be determined via a simple survey, a telephone interview and utilizing tools such as Google Earth, we will contact you to make arrangements for a site evaluation. Please allow 30 minutes for the site visit. It will be quicker if you are prepared and have read these FAQs. The site evaluation will be completed by an experienced member of our team.

A recent electricity bill will help us understand your current energy usage and work with you to determine what size system is best suited to meet your requirements for savings on your bills, electricity generation or minimizing payback periods.

Where possible, yes. We will endeavour to provide an accurate quote during the site visit, however this may not always be possible if there are complexities to be considered, such as a renovation yet to be completed, significant electrical upgrades are required or skylights need to be relocated.

No, the quote is valid for 7 days.

No, Eco-Kinetics has waived the normal site visit fee of $55 for those customers who have placed an order, and the site visit is purely to confirm that there will be no unforeseen difficulties with the installation and that all non-standard charges are understood and considered.

If the house's suitability cannot be determined via a simple survey, a telephone interview and utilizing tools such as Google Earth, we will contact you to make arrangements for a site evaluation.

Eco-Kinetics only employs or subcontracts BCSE accredited installation personnel in line with Australian Government Solar Credits approval conditions and regulations. All installers are sourced from within the local metropolitan or regional areas.

The majority of the installation will take less than one day in most cases. For systems larger than 3kWp, completion of the installation may take 2 days. Please allow 3-10 days for complete commissioning and issuance of a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Once the Safety Inspector inspects the system and is satisfied that it is safe the system may be turned on if State regulations permit.

Eco-Kinetics is a renewable energy company that provides a diverse range of high quality Solar Energy products and services with experience in developing large scale Solar Energy plants through to installing 1000's of smaller scale systems for Residential and Commercial customers.

Peace of mind with Eco-Kinetics being a wholly owned subsidiary of CBD Energy Limited (an ASX listed company). CBD Energy is at the forefront of ecologically sustainable engineering and design excellence.

Eco-Kinetics has installed over 10,000 systems Australia wide, and continues to grow from strength to strength.

Eco-Kinetics uses high quality ECOKES Monocrystalline 170 Watt Photovoltaic panels.

In order to ensure that market fluctuation and supplier lead-times do not affect the continuity of installations, Eco-Kinetics has co-specified the following photovoltaic panels;

1. Ulica 175D UL800
2. Sopray EcoTech 175W All panels have BCSE accreditation and have been independently tested for safety and longevity. Furthermore, Eco-Kinetics has conducted on-site quality audits of these organizations.

Eco-Kinetics offers a market leading 10 year limited written Product Warranty and a minimum Performance Guarantee of 25 years. The performance guarantee is 90% of initial output after 10 years, and 80% after 25 years. The expected lifetime of photovoltaic panels is in the range of 30 - 40 years.

Eco-Kinetics offers a range of high quality and high performance inverters to suit a range of budgets and performance requirements.

• Oelmaier PACS Series – a German designed and manufactured transformerless inverter that offers an exceptional voltage range and an 8 year written limited product warranty.
• SMA (Sunnyboy) – a German designed and manufactured series of inverters that suit a range of residential and commercial applications. Capacities range from 1.1kW to 10kW in transformer and transformerless styles.
• CMS – a Taiwanese inverter that offers an excellent voltage range that represents a cost effective solution for smaller residential systems

Oelmaier Technologies offers an 8 Year limited written warranty that is extendable to 12 and 20 years respectively. Both CMS and SMA provide a 5 year limited written product warranty. Typically an inverter should operate well for 15 years.

The technical datasheet issued by the inverter manufacturer will specify a maximum DC power input and maximum AC power output. Typically their tradename will provide an indication of the kW capacity. All inverters have a nominal capacity and it is generally possible for the PV modules to be rated lower or higher than the nominal inverter capacity. The Oelmaier PACS series of inverters in particular possess a broad voltage range which allows flexibility in the number of panels incorporated into the system. For instance a 2kW inverter has a maximum AC power output of 2.2kW and allows for the safe input of 2.4kW of DC power or 14 x 170/175W panels to achieve this level of performance.

Customised solar electricity systems are available however they need to be designed properly and Eco-Kinetic must review all parameters to ensure a safe and compliant system design.

The panels are rated at 170/175W DC at certain an irradiance (1000 W/m²) and temperature (25°C). The inverter converts DC to AC current but does so with a loss of approximately 5%. The cable loses can amount to approximately 2%, and dirt accumulation can add a further 5-7% reduction to system yields. The biggest yield reductions occur when panel temperatures increase. When panel temperatures on hot summer days approach 60°C the heat related yield losses could be as high as 15% – 20%.

The Oelmaier PACS and SMA Sunnyboy inverters are weatherproof. It can hang on any external wall that is preferably sheltered from rain and direct sunlight (extreme temperatures affects the internal operating components and may shorten their operating life). The inverters may be installed internally provided there is adequate air ventilation.

The CMS inverters are designed for internal installations only. If an external installation is unavoidable an outdoor enclosure must also be source to provide protection from the elements.

Eco-Kinetics warrants all other materials and installation workmanship for 2 years.

Yes, it is possible to expand your system at any stage adding more PV panels and a larger capacity inverter. Should you do this from the outset? Generally, yes. Future expansions will incur an additional installation charge.

Eco-Kinetics can provide assistance in determining whether an upgrade or expansion is possible. We also recommend that before proceeding, the customer should inquire with the previous supplier/installer whether contracting another system provider for the upgrade would void the warranty on the existing installation.

Take Victoria as an example where the State is split into Zone 3 and 4, the solar irradiance is low in winter, but extremely high in summer (exceeds Sydney and Brisbane) which coincides with extremely high electrical cooling demand.

The Victorian average household uses about 16-18 kWh (kilowatt-hours) per day. A 1.5kWp system will produce on average approximately 6 kWh of electrical energy per day. This could be as high as 10-12kWh per day in summer and as low as 2 kWh per day in winter.

Assuming that 4kWhr/day are fed into the grid and 2kWhr/day are used in the household from the Solar Electricity system, the saving calculated is as follows;

4 kWh @ 66cents/kWh (Origin Energy)	= $2.64
2 kWh @ 20cents/kWh	= $0.40
Total	= $3.00/day

Equivalent kWh based on saving is $3.00/$0.20 = 16.6 kWh (This is in excess of average daily usage of 16 kWh).

Based on this analysis with approximate annual savings of $800-$900 from a 1.5kWp solar electricity system, a Zone 4 customer with a final balance payable of $3,500 will yield an approximate 25% return on investment with the system paying for itself in approximately 4 years. If the balance payable for customers in Zone 3 is $2,500, then the return on investment is approximately 35% and the system paying for itself in 3 years.

Both. Panels and inverters have been tested in-situ as well as in laboratory situations. Estimated forecasts of performance are based on these tests and standard meteorological data for the region.

Standard test conditions:	Radiation Output 1000 W/m2
	Spectral density of AM 1.5
	Cell temperature 25°C

Note: the efficiency of crystalline Silicone photovoltaic panels decline with increasing temperature and electrical yields will correspondingly reduce.

All technologies get superseded. However, it is forecast to be quite a while before significantly better solar cell technologies, such as the sliver cells, are commercially available at these prices.

No. Regulations stipulate this is not permissible and the system must shut down. (It protects the linesmen from being electrocuted.)

Ideally the inverter goes near the switchboard and/or meter in a sheltered location that avoids direct contact with rain and sunshine. This incurs the minimum cost. However, with aesthetic, heritage overlay or other considerations, inverters can be placed in locations which are more discreet. This means inverters may have to be moved from the ideal location possibly incurring an extra fee due to extra wiring and labour requirements. (Refer to non standard schedule of rates – section "Costs & Payments".)

If you have an internal inverter (one not rated for exposed external installation) a sheltered location within a garage, utility room or enclosed patio will be sort. Otherwise an external enclosure will be provided to provide protection from the weather.

The Oelmaier PAC2S Inverter has the dimensions: 22 cm wide x 35 cm high x 15 cm deep. The SMA SB1700 Inverter is 45cm wide x 35cm high x 25cm deep. Larger systems will require larger inverters which are slightly larger in size. Inverters produce a low level humming sound which can be heard if located near bedrooms (Only during daylight hours).

Yes. Eco-Kinetics' final quotation for its Solar Electricity Package includes the supply, delivery and installation of the system. It does not include the meter installation charges, nor the application for the Premium Feed-in Tariff.

"Non Standard Installations" typically incur additional costs due to the need to make provisions for specific safety considerations, additional labour, additional components and possible freight of the system to regions outside of metropolitan areas.

Property evaluations are used to understand the specific circumstances of each resident's house, switchboard and meter-box, and whether there will be a variation to our advertised pricing and whether electrical upgrade work is required prior to installation.

Description of non-standard installation surcharges	Price (inc GST)
Steep roof pitch > 30° (per kW)	$150
Terracotta tile installation	$220
Multiple storey installation	$220
Lifting and access equipment (when safe access to roof is unavailable)	POA
Splitting of PV Array - different roofs or splitting 6 panel module (per split)	$220
Tilt Frame - flat roofs or east or west facing roofs when a northerly orientation is sort (per kW)	$440
Cathedral ceiling or limited roof cavity	$300
Excessive wiring distance / underground cabling / additional surface conduit & ducting	POA
Freight to Regional Centre	POA
Installer & Electrical Inspector travel charge outside of serviced regions	POA

POA = Price on application

The quoted price takes into account the Solar Credits discount and represents what the customer pays to Eco-Kinetics. Once the system is fully installed and works approved by the electrical safety inspector, the solar credits is claimed by Eco-Kinetics (on behalf of the participant) and paid directly from the government to Eco-Kinetics. This payment schedule is designed to minimize the financial exposure of the participant and limit payments to the out of pocket expense. The quoted price by Eco-Kinetics does not include the bi-directional meter. This will be charged by your retailer and will be added to your next quarterly bill after the meter is installed.

The balance of payment invoice is to be paid by the day of installation. An invoice will be issued once an installation date has been scheduled.

In most cases, yes. If you have a traditional accumulation meter (with a spinning disk) this will need to be replaced with an interval or smart meter. This is because an accumulation meter does not record the energy you export to the grid or the electricity you import from the grid. An interval meter or a smart meter provide half hourly readings of the electricity you consume and the surplus electricity you generate (Source: Clean Energy Council).

No. It may have capacity to measure the import and export of electricity, but it will not be programmed accordingly. A callout by the Distributor is required to come and program the meter to perform these functions.

As part of the installation of your solar electricity system, Eco-Kinetics will issue a request on your behalf to your electricity retailer to have a new meter installed. Your electricity retailer (the retailer of your choice eg: Origin) will then organize for your electricity distributor (geographically dependant, eg: Integral Energy, Country Energy or Energy Australia) to come out and install a new meter. This may take 6 to 8 weeks to complete.

A new digital "solar" interval meter will be installed in addition to the existing meter to measure the exporting of electricity to the grid, thus allowing the household or business to take advantage of the Premium Gross Feed-In Tariff.

This will depend upon the State in which you live, what area you live in and which electricity distributor/retailer covers that area. Typically the charges for a new meter, its installation or a callout for reprogramming will cost between $100 and $300. This charge and service is outside of the scope of Eco-Kinetics quotation and scope of works.

Residents with off-peak tariffs for hot water and concrete slab heating may lose their current tariff rates and enter a new tariff regime. The new tariff regime may include both higher peak and standard tariffs than that previously paid, and the period when peak tariffs are paid maybe longer in duration. Residents may need to install additional timer switches to help them control their electricity use and hence additional charges maybe incurred. A further complication exists with combinations of electrical Distribution and Retail companies. In some cases a Retailer will offer off-peak with one distributor but not the other. It is also important to realize that there is uncertainty about off-peak electricity in the future, policies and tariffs may change in the short-term.

Once your system is fully installed with a bidirectional meter, your electricity retailer may contact you and offer their feed-in tariff. Otherwise please contact your retailer and request their Premium Feed-in Tariff Contract and Schedule of Tariff Rates. Please note electricity retailers offer a variety of packages and rates and you may need to review.

Yes, they would be covered by your home insurance policy but you may need to inform your insurance company of your solar PV installation. The value, for insurance purposes, should be the total on the quote prior to the rebate being applied.