Solar power in Australian cities has recently sprung to life with various grants and great prices on offer. Furthermore, more people are realizing the obvious benefits that it can have in the long term. 

Lower Prices
The drive to own a home that is green is ‘on’ at the moment. The government is supporting this push and have set aside a large chunk of money to put towards various plans like the feed-in tariff program. If you have thought about installing solar panels in your home, at the moment you could save in the region of 30% off the total store price from a government-backed program alone.

On top of this, Australia receives the perfect amount of sunlight for solar panels to be effective. This means the homes in this country will receive the best benefits when they use them.

Utility Bill Saving
Apart from the positive impact on the environment, the main benefit of installing solar panels on your home is that you will start to notice your utility bills reduce significantly. Depending on the amount of solar energy you are generating, you could reduce your bills by a couple of hundred dollars a year or you could even make them obsolete. Furthermore, if you produce enough energy and do not use as much as you produce, then your panels could actually make you money as you can sell your units back to the government.

Developments to the Technology
There are a lot of people that are still under the impression that solar panels only work on sunny days, yet this is not the case. Even at night, solar panels gain power through the light emitted from the stars and the moon. Furthermore, on cloudy days, there are still rays of light that hit the panels, and all of this goes towards how much energy your panels gather.

Environmental Gain
Of course, if you think of yourself as green, then by using any amount of electricity contributes to global warming. When you use solar panels, this is not the case because there are no coals or oils that need to be burned, and no nuclear waste is produced. In fact, there are no emissions at all. While this may not be the biggest point to many, to some people, this is the point that makes having solar panels worthwhile.

Solar power will continue to become a bigger ‘force’ in the way we generate energy until it becomes commonplace for every home to have panels. So, contact a solar panel expert today, and start saving money on your electricity bills.


Written by Paul Lee

Found at http://www.greenerideal.com/alternative-energy/solar-energy/0319-why-should-i-install-a-solar-panel/

LOWER government subsidies may be causing people to hesitate about investing in solar power, but energy groups say with summer electricity bills likely to cause some nasty shocks, solar is still a smart purchase.

Australian Solar Energy Society chief executive John Grimes says a huge fall in solar panel prices and rising electricity prices mean there has "never been a better time to buy" solar panels.

"In the past 18 months prices have dropped by about 80 per cent," Grimes says.

"There has been a winding back of government support but, even taking that into account, if you were to put in a metered system today it would be cheaper than it was, even with the higher level of government support in the past."

He says with ageing electricity infrastructure requiring government investment in the order of $140 billion, there will continue to be upward pressure on electricity prices "well past 2020".

Solar panels can vary widely in price. An Origin 2kW solar system installed in a capital city on a single-storey building starts at about $6740, while a 3.4kW system starts at $13,490.

Grimes says the average system currently being installed is about 2kW, but to supply all the electrical needs for the average family would require a 3.5-4kW system.

"If people have the funds and want to make a longer-term investment it's a pretty smart thing to do," he says.

Origin energy efficiency advocate Anne Armansin says buying solar panels means consumers are "avoiding the cost of imported energy".

"The cells you get today are going to be of benefit to you for at least 20 years and everything you generate means power you're not going to have to buy from the grid," she says.

"The potential benefits of getting a solar system far outweigh the initial dollar outlay."Richard Turner, chief executive of ZEN Home Energy Systems, says with electricity prices forecast to rise as much as 40 per cent over the next two years, the payback period for an investment in solar panels will decrease.

But he says consumers should be careful when making what is a major purchase.

"There are a wide range of solar systems currently being advertised to Australian households but there are wide variations in the quality of the product and the experience of the various companies and installers," Turner says.

"Consumers should make sure they shop around and get an understanding of exactly what they are getting before committing to a purchase.

"Solar panels are a long-term investment and buying a cheap system or one that is not suited to your house may not deliver the savings or performance you anticipated."

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/cost-of-living/solar-switch-is-still-worth-flicking/story-fnagkbpv-1226250949150#ixzz1kQ7SgQ76