Solar panel and household battery storage systems
Solar energy systems
If you are interested in solar panel systems, then we encourage you to get multiple quotes to ensure that you're getting good value for money.
Solar panels (also known as photovoltaics or PVs) can help reduce your household energy costs.
It's important to choose the right-sized system to suit your needs, and to make sure your panels face north or north-west and are free from shading.
To make the most savings, you should also match the capability of your solar panels with your average daily electricity consumption - which is measured in kWh (kilowatt-hours). Information about how much electricity you're consuming can be found on your electricity bill – and you can call your retailer to confirm it. Because your electricity consumption could differ seasonally, you may wish to consult your bills from different periods throughout the year.
Visit the Clean Energy Council website for more information about the right solar energy choices for you – including advice about cost.
Loans may not be approved for solar energy systems that are too expensive.
To participate in the Scheme, your solar retailer must have committed to the Clean Energy Council (CEC) Code of Conduct and have CEC approved seller status. Installers of solar equipment must hold the CEC's installer accreditation.
The CEC approved seller program is authorised and overseen by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. It's designed to give you confidence that your vendor supplies quality products, complies with consumer protection laws, and backs the operation of the systems they sell well into the future.
Your solar power provider must:
- Ensure that their products and services meet the ACCC's consumer guarantees.
- Not provide you with false or misleading information in advertising, promotions or during their sales pitch.
- Not approach you in person or by phone or email using forceful or high-pressured sales tactics to get you to buy something that you don't want or you can't afford.
If you have any concerns with a vendor's sales practices, or if you're concerned that a vendor's quote is excessive, then you should raise your concerns directly with Brighte.
Battery storage systems
Installing a battery storage system in conjunction with solar panels can also provide savings.
Each battery storage system has its own benefits, so it's a good idea to discuss your needs when you're getting a quote.
Battery storage systems use a chemical process to store electricity for later use. They are designed to reduce your reliance on electricity from the grid – so the right system for you will depend on your patterns of electricity consumption. For example, a battery storage system may help you to avoid the higher cost of electricity during peak times (such as during the evening) by providing you the electricity that you stored during the day. Depending on your system, it may also be able to provide electricity to your home during power outages.
When you're comparing battery storage systems, you should compare them based on their usable energy - not on their total capacity. Typically, a battery's total capacity is expressed in kWh (similar to the way that electricity is charged on your bill) - but remember to pay attention to what is called their 'depth of discharge' (DoD). The majority of batteries cannot have 100 per cent of their total storage capacity extracted from them in energy - instead, they can only use their DoD. This means, for example, that a 10 kWh battery that has a DoD of 80 per cent will only provide 8 kWh of usable energy. It's always a good idea to compare DoDs.
Visit the Clean Energy Council website for more information about the right battery storage choices for you – and for information about cost.
Other benefits
You may wish to talk to your solar or battery installer about federal government policies, including the eligibility of different systems for federal government rebates and how to access them.
Products approved for loans must also approved for use in Australia by the Clean Energy Council.
Talk about which products are eligible with your supplier.