Government Solar Policies Approved Solar Retailer
May 25, 2021in Government Solar Policies 0 Likes

CEC Accredited Solar Retailer

CEC Accreditation – What does it mean?

In Australia, several governing bodies determine the safety, ethics and regulatory practices that need to be adhered to in the Australian Solar Industry. One of the biggest is the Australian Clean Energy Council (CEC). They provide best practice guidelines for solar retailers to adhere to via a strict code of conduct.

This document aims to protect both the industry and consumers regarding the standard solar design and installation practices that solar retailers undertake. This protection applies to individuals, households, commercial businesses, and business owners.

A board of representatives called the Code Review Panel, governs the CEC Code of Conduct. It’s an independent panel that is made up of consumer and industry representation. The purpose of the meeting is to continually review the code and make relevant updates to reflect industry progression. It inadvertently reshapes the expected standards and best practices for solar installations.

What is a Clean Energy Council [CEC] Accredited Retailer?

Westsun Energy has recently become a CEC-accredited solar retailer by the Clean Energy Council. We have been in the solar industry for over ten years and are incredibly happy with this achievement.

Becoming a CEC Accredited Solar Retailer for businesses and consumers has many benefits. Firstly, it allows us to provide peace of mind to our customers about how their solar energy and solar storage systems are being designed, installed and maintained. It gives them unwavering certainty about the high level of service and industry best practice that is being followed and maintained for every solar panel and battery storage system install that is being performed.

In conjunction with this, it allows approved retailers to feel confident in their business practices by knowing they are performing electrical work of the highest standard and safety precautions in the industry today. Read More

Solar Analytics Solar Analytics
May 3, 2021in Solar Analytics 0 Likes

Solar Analytics

Solar Analytics

Solar Analytics is a compact add-on monitoring device that closely monitors real-time solar generation and electricity consumption. The system uses a small electronic module installed inside the switchboard and uses highly accurate sensors (CT clamps) to measure solar power generation and electricity consumption. The data is sent to a mobile App every few seconds via the onboard 4G transmitter and analysed by the intelligent algorithms developed by the solar analytics team to provide an abundance of helpful information such as:

  • Your electricity usage and consumption patterns
  • Overall solar system performance
  • How much electricity should your system be generating vs actual generation
  • Net electricity bought and sold
  • Alerts and faults diagnostics
  • Grid voltage and frequency monitoring
  • Estimated savings and credits

THE SOLAR ANALYTICS MONITORING PLATFORM

By closely analysing the consumption and solar generation data, the patented solar analytics algorithms can accurately detect and diagnose faults and identify under-performance for several reasons, which will be explained in further detail below. Read More

Solar Batteries Growatt Solar
April 29, 2021in Solar Batteries 0 Likes

Growatt Solar

Growatt Solar is one of the world’s most famous Chinese-manufactured inverters. Growatt has rapidly expanded its operations worldwide due to the proven quality of its products. Growatt now has branch offices worldwide, including Germany, Brazil, Australia, the US, the UK, Thailand, the Netherlands, India and more.

Growatt Inverters

Growatt inverters are known for being notably quiet and efficient compared to other solar inverters available today. Growatt inverters are powerful, aesthetically pleasing and compact.

Growatt has all the features that go into creating a high-quality inverter that will make for an effective control centre for your home PV system for years. 

Growatt inverters are easy to use for both installers and consumers; with OLED displays and touch interfaces, Growatt inverters enjoy incredibly high levels of efficiency. All inverters that Growatt manufacture come with a 5-year warranty and the option to be expanded to 10 years.

In addition to all of this, Growatt inverters are battery ready! Read More

Solar Energy solar systems perth
April 21, 2021in Solar Energy 0 Likes

What Makes The Best Solar System?

Finding the best solar system can be a significant challenge. Although, with abundant sunshine year-round, Perth is ideal for solar-powered energy generation. If you’re looking for an experienced installer who is reliable, trustworthy and efficient, Westsun Energy is the company for you.

Westsun Energy is Perth’s leading solar specialist. With over ten years of experience and a team of in-house CEC-accredited electricians, we have worked on every solar project you could imagine. Our team of dedicated professionals have seen the ups and downs of the industry and loves to share the knowledge they have gained on their journey. Our mission is to provide our customers with as much information as possible, allowing them to understand what solar system will suit their homes.

INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS IN PERTH AND WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The installation of residential and commercial solar is on the rise in Perth due to ever-rising energy costs; this has motivated home and business owners to source effective ways to mitigate these costs. Another reason for this is the cost of solar batteries and panels has steadily decreased whilst their performance increases.

No matter your reason for going solar now is a great time to switch to solar power in Western Australia. Many advantages come with relying on an independent, environmentally friendly solar system for your home or business. Whilst the installation process cost puts many off, all of our customers see a very fast surpass of return on investment. If you’re still unsure if solar power is for you, we think we may be able to help.

More than two million Australian properties have installed some form of solar technology, whether it be solar batteries, solar panels or alternative renewable energy sources. The growing interest in becoming energy independent is rapidly increasing across Perth and Australia. Moreover, it’s not hard to see why electricity bills and rates continue to increase yearly, meaning more Australian homes are charged enormous rates for general power generation. The secret to freeing your household or business from massive electricity bills is to invest in quality solar systems that will help reduce these bills whilst paying themselves off in the short term. Read More

Commercial Solar Commercial Solar
April 13, 2021in Commercial Solar 0 Likes

How Commercial Solar Systems Work

Why Use Commercial Solar?

Commercial solar is targeted towards businesses that use most electricity between 9 am and 5 pm (operating hours).
These commercial-sized systems (10kW) and up carry unique design considerations and challenges we will go through within the blog.

The three distinct size breaks for commercial solar

(Baring in mind, the average residential solar system size is 5kW or around 20 solar panels).

Less than 30kW (around 100 panels)

A 30kW solar system will usually generate around 120kWh of electricity daily on average over a year; this will save approximately $2000 per month if 100% is self-consumed (which is possible in commercial situations).

30kW to 100kW

Solar systems of this size are usually installed in medium-sized offices, small retail businesses and local clubs.

Solar systems of this size require unique designs to protect the grid from all the electricity they generate. They also need special permission from your local electricity network (DNSP) to connect to the grid.

100kW – 250kW

These systems are typically installed in large offices, wineries, hotels and small to medium factories.

If your system exceeds 100kW, you can no longer claim the STC incentive. However, don’t stress you are still eligible for the subsidy known as ‘LGCs’. This is paid every year based on how much energy the system generates. The application process and paperwork can become quite complex as you have to install a special meter and report your generation every year to be eligible for your incentives. We will be more than happy to help you through this process. Read More

Solar Installation Westsun Solar
April 7, 2021in Solar Installation 0 Likes

The Difference Between A Quality Install And Dodgy Install

The difference between quality and dodgy installs has become a significant talking point within the solar industry. At Westsun Energy, we take pride in identifying our customer’s solar needs, helping them every step of the way, including design and installation.

This article goes through critical points that separate an excellent install from a bad one, including whether your solar installer has added value to your home, not just a future headache for you.

Licensing

All solar work is legally required to be installed by a licensed electrician with an attached CEC-accredited license. Firstly, you should check that the company that is completing your solar installation is both insured and licensed – this will protect you and your home in the event of anything going wrong and prevent you from being added to the list of casualties who have been caught out by using unlicensed tradespeople to install solar on their home.

Anything with solar requires a Clean Energy Council Accreditation; this ensures that the electricians installing your system have completed the required courses and are adequately educated regarding the correct installation procedures.

Finding a licensed installer will help prevent any future headaches and can be found here:

https://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/consumers/buying-solar/find-an-installer

Signage

Appropriate labelling and identification should always be on the inverter, isolating switches and switchboards. Acceptable forms of signage should include some of the stickers pictured below. Read More

Solar Energy Savings Westsun Solar
March 29, 2021in Solar Energy Savings 0 Likes

Why you should invest in solar power in 2021

The world continues to move away from fossil fuel resources like gas and coal to produce electricity, transitioning towards a more sustainable model that utilises renewable energy resources. This means turning towards solar installation instead of the traditional grid power for businesses and homes. More than 2 million Australian homeowners have already transitioned to solar power.

As the world moves closer towards a renewable energy goal, 2021 presents the best opportunity thus far to switch to solar: with many reasons to transition, including:

Solar is becoming more affordable

New data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that solar has become the cheapest electricity in the world as technology continues to improve. In the last ten years, the cost of solar panels has plummeted by more than 80%.

In addition, solar technology continues to improve, meaning households and businesses from all budget points can afford to make the transition while getting a great quality product.

Panels are becoming more efficient, allowing you to get great bang for your buck.

In the current solar environment, manufacturers are putting out PV systems that are around 25-26% efficient, meaning that around a quarter of all of the sunlight that is hitting your panels will be converted into clean energy.

In 2021 you can use fewer panels to generate more electricity; this allows residences and businesses with smaller amounts of space to consider going solar as fewer panels have now become an alternative when going solar. Read More

Solar Batteries Solar battery storage
March 23, 2021in Solar Batteries 0 Likes

Solar Battery Storage

Solar battery storage is it worth it?

Solar battery storage

A solar battery captures unused solar power generated during the day, used later at night and on low-sunlight days. Solar installations that include batteries are becoming increasingly popular. There is a natural attraction to being independent of the grid: for most buyers, it isn’t just an economic decision but an environmental one. For some, it expresses their wish to be independent of energy companies.

If your solar panel array and Battery included are large enough, you can run your entire home on solar power. Using the energy from your Battery can be cheaper per kWh than using electricity from the grid, depending on the time of day and electricity tariffs in your area.

Grid-connected vs off-grid

Your home can be set up for electricity supply in four main ways.

Grid-connected solar (no solar battery storage)

The most general set-up for homes with solar panels. The solar panels supply power throughout the day, and the home typically uses this power first, resorting to grid power for any extra electricity needed on low sunlight days, times of high power usage and at night.

Grid-connected no solar

The most generic set-up, where all of your electricity comes from the primary grid. The home has no solar panels or batteries installed. Read More

Commercial Solar Choosing the right commercial solar system
March 19, 2021in Commercial Solar 0 Likes

Choosing the Right Commercial Solar System

Choosing the right commercial solar system has many great perks.

Solar Power has become an attractive investment option for Perth and Western Australian businesses.

How much energy will commercial solar panels in Perth generate?

Generally, a solar PV system in Perth will generate an average of 5.3kWh (kilowatt-hours) of energy per kilowatt of capacity per day on average throughout the year. This is based on 30 years of sunlight data from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Therefore, on average, a 10kW solar system will generate around 53kWh of energy per day, whilst a 100kW solar system will generate around 530kWh per day (with less in winter and more in summer months. Actual energy yields will vary depending on location, orientation/tilt angle and the components used. The below table shows the expected output from typical commercial solar system sizes.

Westsun Energy’s engineers will review your power bills with you whilst providing a detailed summary of the optimal size system and expected savings through the life of your commercial strategy. Read More

Solar Installation Solar Panel Direction
March 18, 2021in Solar Installation 0 Likes

The Direction Solar Panels Face

The Direction Solar Panels Face

The direction solar panels face for optimum sun exposure varies depending on location. In Australia, solar panel yields are higher when solar panels face north. All Southern Hemisphere locations should ideally position panels in a northerly direction.
The direction solar panels face, along with their angle, or tilt, at that orientation, are all vital inputs to accurately calculate the solar power for the property. These inputs and the property’s location are needed to calculate the solar energy at a given site.

For Australian conditions, the best orientation for your panels is NORTH. Although, if your commissions do not face north, you can still generate good solar yields.

What if your panels aren’t facing north?

If you live in Perth, and your panels don’t face north, your property may still be suitable for generating solar energy. Conferences can still generate good yields if your property faces east or west. Depending on your roof pitch and location, you will lose somewhere between 10-20% efficiency due to not having panels facing north. It is recommended that you can place the panels in more of a northeast or even northwest direction. This will increase sun exposure to the meetings and improve the system’s ability to generate solar power.

Suppose your property is constructed so that you can only face solar panels in a southern direction. In that case, you will also lose capacity compared to a north-facing solar system.

The table below shows the panels’ efficiency in Perth at different orientations; this is based on a roof pitch of 25°. Read More