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September 14th 2020
Solar energy is a great way to reduce your monthly power bills in the long run, while helping to reduce carbon emissions. For under $10,000 you could have solar panels installed on your home. Solar energy has become more affordable in recent years and is expected to get even cheaper. In 2008, the price of a 3kW solar power system in New Zealand was $40,000. In 2019, it was $8,500. With the right-sized system you could lower your monthly power bills by up to 70%.
According to World Solar, “for a Christchurch household with high energy consumption, at 20% self-consumption, the first-year savings are $811 with a 16.8-year payback period. With 80% self-consumption, that’s $1,627 in first-year savings with an 8.4-year payback period.”
To get the most out of your system, you need to be using the solar power as it is generated rather than buying from or selling to a retailer. The peak for solar generation is between 11am and 3pm. However, for most households, power usage peaks in the morning (around 7am) and in the evening (around 6pm).
Solar battery units are a way to store the power generated by your solar panels if you are not at home when the sun is at its strongest. Another way to get around this issue is to invest in a power management system that can automatically turn your appliances on or off to fit in with your power usage. This will further increase your savings and potentially reduce your payback period to as little as 5-7 years!
The size of the system should match your electricity usage so you are using as much of the power generated as possible rather than selling it at a low buy-back rate to a retailer.
Your solar panels need to face north to get the best power generation. Make sure the panels are not in the shade (e.g. under trees or buildings) as this will significantly lower the generation levels. It is also important to think to the future. Are you living in an area where there could be tall buildings going up?
We have a dedicated Aotea Solar Panel team who can assess your property and give you a bespoke quote and advice on harnessing the suns energy to provide clean energy and save on your energy bills. Installing solar panels on your home helps combat greenhouse gas emissions and reduces our collective dependence on fossil fuels.
Contact us to get a solar energy assessment and quote for your home.
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