FAQ

General

1. Why choose solar panels?

Aside from the impact of cutting your household's carbon footprint by tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, solar units can drastically reduce your electricity bill in two distinct ways. Firstly, by generating your own electricity from the solar panels you reduce the electricity you need to buy from your power provider. Secondly, any excess "Green" electricity your system produces is sold back to the power provider – and at a higher rate then what you pay for standard electricity. These two benefits mean many households will be able to reduce their electricity bill significantly.

Another often overlooked benefit is that the solar units increase both the energy rating and value of your house.

2. What is a grid connect solar panel system?

Grid connect solar panel systems are connected to the electricity supply grid. An inverter converts DC low voltage power generated by the solar panels to 240V AC household supply. The smart meter also manages how much electricity is drawn from or fed back into the grid. When excess "Green" electricity is fed into the grid, the meter ticks backwards, so the household only pays the difference between what is fed and drawn.

3. Are there other benefits from having solar panels?

Yes, by reducing Australia's dependency on electricity generated from coal, we not only reduce CO² emissions, we also reduce the demand on water that power companies require to generate this electricity. Currently 130 billion litres of drinking water is used just to generate coal-based electricity.

Furthermore, if more Australians installed solar panel systems it will reduce the stress on our electricity grid. This in turn will minimise the number of blackouts occurring during times of peak electricity use.

4. How much will this cost me?

Thanks to the Government’s Solar Credits scheme the cost to the customer is greatly reduced.

5. How much roof space is required?

The amount of roof space required depends on the size of the system installed. For example, a 1.5Kw system requires about 12m2 of roof space. This should be on an un-shaded and preferably a north-facing part of the roof. The system is modular and can therefore be arranged in a way that best suits the roof.

6. Is there a warranty provided with the solar panel unit?

Yes, True Value Solar provides warranty to your solar system in the form of: • 5 year manufacturer warranty on your inverter • 20 year performance warranty on your panels (guarantee to perform a minimum of 80% of its maximum output within the first 20 years) • 10 year parts and labour warranty on non-structural products (This includes things such as cabling, wiring and install) provided your property is inspected by a registered solar installer every two years for the 10 year period

7. What do I do if my Unit is damaged or vandalised?

Contact True Value Solar immediately.

8. Have the solar panels and inverters been tested for quality to both Australian and international standards?

Yes, the panels are tested to and meet the standard IEC61215 and IEC61730 and the inverter complies with standard AS/NZ4777.

9. Will the electrician installing the product be qualified?

Yes, all installers are licensed electricians and are accredited in Design and Installation of Photovoltaic systems by the Clean Energy Council.

10. Are solar systems as effective in winter?

Solar Photovoltaic systems rely on sunlight and ultra violet rays, not heat. So while there may be fewer hours of sunlight in winter, the actual conversion of power is unaffected by the change in season. However, you will benefit from extended hours of sunlight in the summer.

11. Do the solar systems True Value Solar sell come with a battery?

There is no battery as the system is completely grid interactive. Battery systems are normally used with RAP (Remote Area Power) systems that have no grid connectivity.

12. In event of a supply failure or blackout does the unit take over supply of the house?

No. For safety reasons, when the normal supply of electricity is interrupted the solar units are also shut down.

13. What is a STC?

When you install solar power, you are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This entitles you to create environmental credits called Small-Scale Technology Certificates or STCs for short. “Renewable Energy Certificates” (RECs) was the original term, which was replaced by “STCs” in January 2011; however it is still an umbrella term covering both Small-scale and Large-scale certificates.

Like other commodities, the price of STCs is not fixed and varies with supply and demand. Prior to January 1st 2011 the price of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) would fluctuate daily. Now these commodities have been renamed Small-scale Technology Certificates and regulation has been put in place to stabilise their price. One STC equals 1MWh of generation from a renewable source and is part of the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target. This target is an industry development mechanism created by the Government in 2001. The government will be revising the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme in early July 2012; therefore we recommend you install your system prior to this date.

14. How do STC's benefit us as customers?

Under the new RET (Renewable Energy Target); STCs may be traded to an electricity retailer for a point of sale discount on their renewable generation unit by their solar installer. Saving themselves is the value of the STCs generated. The new Solar Credits Scheme has been in operation since 2009 and households are entitled to claim five times the normal amount of STCs for the first 1.5Kw worth of supply.

STCs are based on zones that are set by the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator. There are 4 zones based on how much sun a specific suburb gets – with zone 1 being the sunniest down to zone 4.

15. How do I go about getting a Solar System installed in my home?

There are 3 easy steps to solar

1. Phone us for a free quotation

        a. Let our solar consultants find the best system for you based on;
                i. Your budget
                ii. Your electricity costs
                iii. Your available roof space

2. Place an order

        a. We will verify your quote over the phone
        b. Place a $1000 deposit to order your solar system

3. Installation

        a. Each solar system installed is approved by a registered solar designer
        b. Installation is conducted by an accredited BCSE installer within 8-12 weeks of deposit (provided all relevant paper work is completed and submitted on-time)
        c. Each solar system is independently assessed by a government electrical inspector
        d. We will submit the relevant paperwork on your belahf to your electricity distributor and retailer to install your bi-directional solar smart meter.

Too expensive? Ask us about our interest free finance options!

16. How long does an average installation take?

3 to 4 hours

17. Does the orientation of the roof affect whether or not a home can successfully install a solar product?

Although it is optimal to install solar products on the north-facing side of a roof, it is also possible to install a solar PV system on the east or west facing side of a roof, as long as there is sufficient space. However, this will not produce the same results as a north–facing installation.

18. What are the finance options available?

True Value Solar provides two finance options. The first option is with GE Money which provides interest free options using the GEM Visa card. The second is MyBuy which interest free finance options from Once Credit. The MyBuy Line of Credit is an attractive alternative to an upfront payment. With MyBuy, supply of any of True Value Solar solutions can be paid for through structured easy payments.

19. How long will it take for my installation to take place after making my booking?

8-10 weeks for metro areas. 10-12 weeks for country areas.

20. What is the payment period?

Payment is required prior to installation or by bank cheque on the day of installation.

21. Is it possible to increase the size of a solar PV system in the future?

This depends on your roof space and the size of the inverter. If you have sufficient roof space and additional capacity in the inverter you could increase the size of your system. Or you could add a second system to your roof. Please note: At this time, the solar feed-in tariffs in each state have limits on the system size which to they apply. Increasing the size of an existing solar power system could affect your eligibility for a feed-in tariff. Please call us on 13-SOLAR for further information.

22. Do I need to be there while the system is installed?

Yes

23. What will happen during a blackout?

For safety reasons, in the event of a blackout, your solar PV system will stop producing electricity. This safety measure is mandatory and has been put in place to protect anyone working on the blacked-out grid system. As soon as the grid is back online, your solar PV system’s ability to generate will be restored.

24. What happens at night?

As solar PV systems only produce electricity when they are exposed to sunlight, they do not produce electricity at night. At night you will need another source, such as electricity from the grid.

25. How effective is a solar system in terms of value for money?

Australia is world famous for its sunny climate however we do not always best use our abundance of sunlight. Sunlight is a natural clean energy resource and once you pay the initial outlay for the solar system to be installed all the electricity generated by your solar system is absolutely free. Your solar system lifespan is over 25 years so imagine how much it could reduce your household running costs over this time.

26. What if I have a flat roof?

Roof mounting systems can be installed to angle your solar panels at an adequately slanted position so that they can still collect the maximum electricity from the sun.

27. What regional areas do True Value Solar service?

True Value Solar provides solar panel installations in all states excluding Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. True Value Solar franchises also service the following regional areas: • Wangaratta, VIC • Bendigo, VIC • Gippsland, VIC • Ballarat, VIC • Rockhampton, QLD • Cairns, QLD