To cover your daily energy consumption you need a 3kW to 4kW solar system.

Summer is the best time to install solar panel. When considering a solar system, you should first ask yourself these questions.

  • Does your home has unobstructed access to sunlight for most or all day, all year round?

  • Do you have a large enough roof for the system?

  • Does your community allow solar panels?

  • Is the installation of solar panels is worth the savings?

Your solar system needs to be properly set up, installed and maintained for optimal performance, which is best done by a professional, licensed solar contractor. Size matters! Find out how big the system is to meet your electricity needs. Then check the roof area required for your PV module system. It is important how the PV modules are oriented to collect the maximum amount of daylight and seasonal sunlight. For various reasons many people do not have access to solar panels due to the expensive starting price for both the solar panels and the installation.

How much does it cost to go completely solar?

In Australia, a household consumes an average of 12 to 16 kWh of electricity per day. So to cover your daily energy consumption in Australia you need a 3kW - 4kW solar system, as a 1kWh solar system produces 4kWh of energy. To live off the grid, you need:

Reliable solar battery

Critical if you plan to store and use solar energy at night. If you use most of your energy at night, you will need a larger storage system of 10 kWh, which can cost you up to $12,000 (with installation included).

Large off-grid solar system

If you turn off the mains completely then you need a larger system and a 5 kW system will cost you between $4,500 to $8,000 dollars.

Reserve generator

In total, off-grid will cost at least $ 25,000, even after government discounts. But it is a long-term investment worth considering.

How to go solar without the set-up costs

Here are four of the ways which will help you get solar energy without putting solar panels on your roof:

Peer-to-peer solar sharing networks

You can share electricity with people living near you from a host who has installed panels on the roof for a fee.

Using solar adapters or converters

The device uses a smart output adapter. It measures the electricity you take from your wall outlet, and upgrades it to solar power, by purchasing small fractions of a solar energy certificate from an authorised solar farm.

Solar powered bicycle

Solar bikes have batteries that charge in the sun. Once charged, that energy can be used to charge small electrical devices such as tablets, phones, etc.

Solar network

Governments have already begun installing their own solar power farming projects, which provide electricity to entire cities across the country. You just need to connect to the grid, just like a normal grid.