Commercial Solar 10 Benefits For Businesses That Switch To Using Solar Energy
December 19, 2022in Commercial Solar 0 Likes

10 Benefits For Businesses That Switch To Using Solar Energy

As the effects of climate change continue to impact the planet, businesses need to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt more sustainable practices. One effective way to achieve this is by installing solar panels on their business premises. Not only is solar energy eco-friendly, but it can also provide a range of benefits for businesses; below we have outlined ten of them.

Reduced Electricity Costs

A primary benefit of solar energy for businesses is the potential for reduced energy costs. As they generate their electricity, companies rely less on the grid and can lower their electricity bills. This is particularly advantageous for businesses that consume large amounts of energy.

Increased Energy Independence

Switching to solar energy can also provide businesses with increased energy independence. By generating their electricity, companies are no longer at the mercy of energy suppliers and the grid, which can be prone to power outages and other disruptions.

Commercial Property Value Increase

Solar energy systems can increase the value of commercial properties. Studies have found that installing a solar energy system can increase the value of a property by up to 20 times the annual electricity savings. This can be advantageous for businesses that plan to sell their property.

Government Incentives and Grants

State and federal governments worldwide offer tax incentives and grants to businesses in specific locations that adopt renewable energy sources such as solar power. These incentives can help reduce the initial costs of installing solar panels, making it more feasible for businesses to adopt this technology. Moreover, some governments offer feed-in tariffs, which pay companies for any excess energy they generate and then feed into the grid. Read More

Solar Installation Solar Installation For New Homes
November 23, 2022in Solar Installation 0 Likes

Solar Installation For New Homes

When considering solar power for your new home, you want to get it right from the start. A new home build allows you to optimise your set-up, but you want to ensure you have done your homework. You can do this by providing you have consulted with your builder, architect and solar expert during the planning process. This will allow you to avoid common installation issues or roadblocks. Westsun Energy is here to help!  

Below are Westsun Energy’s tips for navigating to a sunny future in your new home.

Roof Design 

First, you will need to check with your home builder that your roof has enough space to fit solar panels on it. Surprisingly, even in this day and age with an all-electric future upon us, there are still developers and home builders getting away with ‘slender roof houses’ without provision to support solar resources. 

The good news is that if your new home needs roof modifications during the planning stage, it can easily be included as a build contract variation which usually costs a few hundred dollars. 

Moreover, another great thing to discuss with your solar experts and architect is tailoring the design to your roof. They can help identify possible shading issues from neighbouring properties and solutions for optimal placement of skylights, ventilation, antennas etc., on other areas of your roof line. 

Westsun Energy suggests supporting your roof space with panels so North, East, West and South. This means you’re not limited to the system size you can have installed. A 13kW system can fit 32 solar panels, which will help you produce more electricity in cooler months whilst charging your battery and electric vehicle. 

Pre-Wiring 

At Westsun Energy, we advise pre-installing your solar system wiring whilst your home is under construction. We can pre-wire the house for solar, meeting all solar CEC standards, before the walls have been gyprock. This is much simpler and more cost-effective to do at the beginning of the build rather than after; it also ensures there are no visible cables in your home. 

Here are a few things you should be aware of: 

  • The solar cable can run up to 600V DC in your home and are live at all times, except for when you switch your solar panels off or the sun goes down, and a safety switch or circuit breaker can’t protect them
  • Due to this, strict regulations are implemented on how and where to run solar cables, and specific heavy-duty solar conduits must protect them. It is important to note that not all electricians or builders are across these industry standards as they are not necessarily ‘solar experts.’
  • Westsun Energy recommends engaging a CEC-approved electrician to do your pre-wiring. By doing so, you can ensure it’s compliant, avoiding any extra costs that can crop up when mistakes are made.
  • It helps to know which solar system you plan on installing on your home before wiring; it ensures correct cables are laid. 
Read More

Solar Installation Low Load Responses – Distributed PV Generation Management
January 31, 2022in Solar Installation 0 Likes

Low Load Responses – Distributed PV Generation Management

Information for Industry – Distributed Photovoltaic Management 

New requirements will apply to new and upgraded rooftop solar installations from Monday, 14th February 2022. 

From this date, all new and upgraded solar PV with an inverter capacity of 5kW or less will need to be capable of being remotely turned down or off in emergencies. 

On 28th September 2021, AEMO released its Renewable Energy Integration – SWIS Update report. The report highlights the substantial acceleration of DPV uptake in recent years and identifies priority actions needed to manage the power system. 

The requirements will be outlined in Western Power’s Embedded Generator Connection Technical Requirements. 

There are multiple ways that this requirement can be met to allow the lowest cost outcome for consumers. In the first instance, the methods available are direct communication to the inverter via API control (requires household internet) or wiring up the system to be disconnected at the meter (a dual element meter). 

In the future, there will also be the option of installing a ‘gateway’ box to send instructions to an inverter. 

Synergy will have a crucial role in supporting installers by providing information on the options and how to meet these requirements. Installers must register with Synergy to receive updates and details for information sessions and workshops. 

A Household Fact Sheet is available to provide to clients, showing the policy changes.  Read More

Solar Batteries Adding A Solar Battery To Your Existing System
August 13, 2021in Solar Batteries 0 Likes

Adding A Solar Battery To Your Existing System

Can I add a solar battery to my existing solar power system?

With solar battery storage systems becoming more affordable and accessible, many homeowners are considering solar batteries for their existing solar power systems.

Solar batteries provide many benefits to their owners, including the ability to utilise more of their solar power generation, backup power in case of an outage, and increased energy savings, so it’s not hard to see why there has been an increase in demand recently.

While many people interested in solar batteries include them in the initial investment in their solar power system, adding a battery to your existing system is possible down the track.

Before purchasing solar battery storage for your existing solar power system, we believe you should consider the following factors first:

The Size Of Your Solar System

If your current solar energy system only generates enough solar power to meet a small portion of your electricity needs, it may not be worth purchasing a battery. Although, if you’re consuming most of your solar generation, there will be minimal solar power leftover to store in your solar battery storage. Instead, it would probably be worth considering expanding your solar power system.

Suppose your solar power system generates more than enough solar power for your energy needs. In that case, a solar battery will help you consume more of your solar power generated and displace a large proportion of what you would need to buy from the grid at night when your solar power system is not generating energy. Read More

Solar Panels What Happens To Your Solar Power In Winter?
July 6, 2021in Solar Panels 0 Likes

What Happens To Your Solar Power In Winter?

Winter is the best time of year to monitor your off-grid solar system’s output closely.

In an off-the-grid solar house, a row of days with complete cloud cover can occasionally mean a drop in the available power from your battery storage due to fewer hours of sunlight hitting the solar panels.

Of course, as most solar households are also connected to the electricity grid, energy is always available even though the sun might be hidden. But it’s important to understand what happens to your solar production during winter and learn the best way to monitor your solar system.

What happens to your solar production during winter?

To understand that, let’s first look at how solar panels work.

It’s a common misconception that solar panels need heat to produce power. Still, they need light, incredibly ultraviolet light (UV), which is the most effective at creating a direct current. But, when sunlight hits your solar panels, direct electricity (DC) is produced; this is converted to alternating current (AC) by your inverter, and it’s the AC we use in our homes. Read More

Solar Batteries Huawei Luna Battery
July 5, 2021in Solar Batteries 0 Likes

Huawei Luna Battery

Huawei Luna Battery – Product Spotlight

The Huawei Luna Battery

Solar energy storage systems are becoming more and more attractive to Australians nationwide as prices continue to fall and more incentives become available, which is why we wanted to go through the Huawei LUNA battery with you, one of the best investments you can make if you’re looking for a top-quality solar battery.

Scalable from a compact 5kWh up to an incredible 30 kWh, the Huawei LUNA’s modular design makes it a flexible and practical investment, able to be adjusted to your energy needs, whatever they may be. Coming from one of the most trusted manufacturers in the solar industry, it’s hard to deny the value presented to homeowners by the Huawei LUNA battery.

Huawei, Technology Experts

Huawei may be best known for its smartphones and other communication technologies, but its presence in the solar energy industry is undeniable. They have made their name with fantastic inverters that are easily monitored with their proprietary app, allowing users to control their energy more than ever before.

They have applied the experience they’ve gained in various other industries to their solar technologies, integrating cutting-edge digital, Internet and PV technologies to make their FusionSolar SmartPV solution the best it can be.

Their systems have a reputation for being safe and reliable, achieving a better return on investment through higher yields while experiencing lower maintenance costs than other similar systems. Read More

Solar Companies Why Solar Companies Fail
June 30, 2021in Solar Companies 0 Likes

Why Solar Companies Fail

Why Do So Many Solar Companies Fail?

Over the past decade, the solar industry has boomed. In 2018, the number of Australian households with solar PV installations reached 2 million. That’s an average of six solar panels installed per minute!

The solar industry is increasing, yet many solar companies have left. ABC News reports that more than 700 solar companies have gone out of business since 2011, leaving around 650,000 Australians without warranties if their systems are faulty. These are called ‘orphaned’ systems because no company can take responsibility. 

So, how is it possible that so many solar companies have shut down in a booming industry?

Why Solar Companies Go Out Of Business

There are many reasons a solar company might shut down. One of the biggest reasons is how they handle claims against their products. Low prices conceal what is happening under the surface – subpar business practices and poor management.

It could be said there are two types of companies. The first are those who face adversity, doing everything they can to rectify product complaints. The second are those who, when facing such claims about their products, cannot fix the problem. The second company type is likelier to go out of business because they continuously overlook customer complaints.

Additionally, if the company uses low-quality, cheap solar products, the chance of going out of business further increases. This is because more affordable systems fail faster, leaving the company with a magnitude of failed systems at once. This can place stress on the company’s resources, causing a business to shut down due to increased pressure and the inability to deal with the problem correctly.

At this point, it’s easier for a business to declare bankruptcy instead of replacing many failed solar systems. When this happens, existing customers are left with few options and are forced to write off the failed system, starting fresh with a new company.

This situation is all too common for solar companies and many companies operating in different industries. Thankfully, it’s possible to prevent this by choosing a stable solar company and avoiding cheap products at all costs. Read More

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