Your Home Electrification Steps
Install Rooftop Solar PV
Turn sunlight into energy and power your home for free!
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Rooftop solar uses solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to turn sunlight into electricity. PV panels can be installed on almost any roof on your property – main dwelling, sheds, carports, etc. The electricity produced is free from carbon emissions and can save you thousands of dollars a year on your electricity bill!
- Generate your own FREE electricity
- Reduce your energy bill
- Protect yourself from market price changes
- Use with a home battery to save even more!
Aussie solar is the lowest cost energy source in the world
Thanks to our abundant sunshine and government incentives, the cheapest form of energy is Australian rooftop solar. With energy prices expected to continue to rise – especially with gas shortages looming – once you’ve paid for your solar system your energy costs will continue to remain low. Once installed, solar energy provides inflation-proof, low-cost electricity for 20-25 years.
Home battery storage
When paired with home battery storage, rooftop solar can keep your home powered in the event of grid outages. Home battery storage also lets you store free energy from the sun to use at night.
- Store your own FREE electricity
- Reduce your energy bill even further
- Blackout protection
Costs & Benefits
|
UPFRONT COSTS
approx. $6k-$9k for a 6.6kW system (after rebates) |
AVERAGE LIFESPAN
25-30 years. |
COST SAVINGS
$1,000+ /yr. Increases as you electrify! |
|
FEATURES/BENEFITS
Zero carbon, no-cost electricity. |
DIFFICULTY
Hard. Installer required. |
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
100% Green Energy. |
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Learn more about rooftop solar PV
Your next steps with solar PV
1. Get a home energy assessment (optional)
Consider getting an energy assessment to determine how well your home is sealed and insulated, and inspect your current appliances for their efficiency. These professionals offer insights through experience and software modelling that can better educate your decisions and save you a significant amount. In Victoria, professional home energy assessments (Scorecard Assessment) are offered at a discount through the VEU program. You can find a local assessor via the national Scorecard website.
2. Decide what type of solar is right for you
You can choose to install rooftop solar on your home (roof, shed, carport), or you can also install a home battery system as well. This may be a good option if you live in a place with frequent power outages or have high night time electricity consumption. Talk to a solar installer and make sure you have a recent energy bill handy!
3. Make sure your roof is solar ready
If your roof needs to be replaced sometime in the next 5 to 10 years, you may want to replace your roof before getting solar. Talk to a Solar or Roofing professional before locking in any contracts.
4. Get quotes
It’s important to get a number of quotes to see if you’re getting a good deal. Make sure you are comparing similar sized systems, and make note of the estimated payback period. In Wangaratta, some suppliers to start a conversation with are: Elect Solar, SolarGain and FutureNRG (Shepparton based but happily service Wangaratta).
5. Install
Install rooftop solar and enjoy your energy bill savings — and the satisfaction that your electrical appliances are powered by the sun!
Solar PV FAQ's
What size solar PV system should I get?
You can get any size you want (you’re not limited to 6, 8 or 10kw). If you can, we encourage you to get the biggest system you can afford (and fit). This is because…
You might get additional electric appliances, and especially an EV and a battery in the future
It costs less to install all at once – each site visit from tradespeople requires roof access, and expanding systems is not always straightforward
Subsidies for solar are getting gradually smaller each year.
At the moment you can only sell up to 5kw of your excess energy back into the grid, and this has been one of the main reasons that 6.6kw systems have been so popular. However this limit will increase in the near future to 10kw after the success of ‘flexible export limit’ trials The lowest cost energy future is maximising rooftop solar and offering that to nearby EV charging and other demands in our local areas – the bigger your system, the more you’ll be contributing to a greener and cheaper grid.
How much does Solar PV cost?
Generally, a solar panel installation will cost around $8,000 after rebates. This will vary depending on things like:
– Your roof condition and ease of access.
– The condition and suitability of your electrical switchboard.
– The size of the system.
– Brand of components (premium comes at a premium!).
– Features (app connectivity, micro-inverters, optimisers, etc.).
I'm a renter, can I get solar on my home?
It’s possible to arrange for solar to be put on the roof of your rental home (at your expense). Of course, this doesn’t make a lot of sense as you can’t take it with you! We encourage you to have the conversation with your landlord (via your agent) about investing in solar. After all, it will add rental value to their home!
What about batteries?
The biggest savings are from having rooftop solar (payback generally 3-5 years).
There are many reasons to use a battery (environmentally, be more self sufficient, protection against grid blackouts etc). The general consensus is if your primary motivation is to save on energy bills then battery systems may not meet the return on investment under warranty currently. However the cost of batteries is declining and these economics are expected to change and batteries will become a big part of our energy system.
Furthermore soon we also expect most new EVs to have Vehicle to Home (V2H) and Vehicle to Grid (V2G) capability (ie. you can use the battery in your car to feed energy back to your house or grid). So if you can charge your car for free/cheaply during the day from excess solar energy, you can use the car as your house battery overnight (assuming you don’t need the full EV range the next day). It’s an exciting future ahead!
Explore the electrification projects
Start your all-electric home journey today
The Home Electrification Guide is a tool we’ve created to help Wangaratta homeowners navigate their transition to an electrified future. It’s free and takes 2 min to complete.