Debunking myths about solar power and solar panels

When it comes to rooftop solar energy, bigger isn’t necessarily better. RACV Solar chief executive Andy McCarthy says bigger solar systems don’t automatically mean you’ll save more on power bills as “you still have to pay a fixed daily connection fee for energy produced as well as power used at night.” 

Additionally, there’s no point spending up big on a higher-output system if you don’t need it or can’t afford it. However, Andy advises it’s important to consider not just your current power consumption, but also your future needs. A large solar system might help “future proof” your home with clean energy, say for the day you want to sell, get an electric vehicle or a solar battery. 

Andy therefore advises that every household is different, and the most important consideration is to “discuss your needs, including future power usage, with your experienced solar installer before deciding what system size is right for you.”  

High-quality solar panels do produce energy in low-light conditions, such as cloudy days, although you will experience a reduction in power output on rainy days.

“In partly cloudy conditions, you may commonly see panels still performing at anywhere between 40 per cent to 70 per cent of their normal output,” says Andy. “On severely overcast days, you can see a performance drop to the point where almost no electricity is produced at all.”

When crunching the numbers of your solar investment, installing a cheaper system may seem like sound economic sense. But low cost often means fewer panels and lower efficiency compared to a higher-priced, higher-quality system that will generate more power and ultimately save you more on your electricity bills.

“Over the past decade, we’ve seen so many consumers dazzled by offers that appeared ‘too good to be true’,” says Andy. “Time after time, those consumers find themselves with a myriad of problems, and a provider that won’t support them after they have paid for their system. We get SOS calls asking us to rectify problems on a system that we didn’t install, and often the repair bill is more than the cost of the entire system.”

The smartest solar investment is to pay a reasonable price for installing solar panels and, most importantly, have it installed by a reputable company with a long history in the solar industry. 

Solar panels don’t work at night, but solar batteries do. Excess energy produced by homes with rooftop solar panels during the day can be stored in a home battery and used when the sun goes down. 

Even if you don’t have a battery, excess solar power can be fed into the electricity grid in return for a credit from your power retailer. This so-called ‘feed-in tariff’ may help to offset night-time power costs, but check with your retailer for the most up-to-date information. 

While it’s true that households with higher daytime consumption make the most of solar energy, all homes have a ‘baseload energy consumption' used to run the fridge, hot-water system, appliances on standby, etc. Solar will offset the cost of this baseload use during the day.

Even if you’re out of the house all day, you can make the most of your solar system and decrease your energy bill by setting a timer to run energy-greedy appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, or dryers during daylight hours.

Andy also recommends running heating or cooling systems during the day so that your house is at a comfortable temperature when you get home. This way, you’ll use less energy to change the temperature to a comfortable level at night.

Solar systems automatically stop working when there’s a power blackout on the grid, essentially to stop power flowing back into the grid and risking the safety of electrical workers fixing the problem. Some solar battery storage systems can provide backup power, but not all of them do. “It’s important to check before you buy,” says Andy.

Solar panels shouldn’t damage your roof if they’re installed correctly. However, Andy says while a quality installer will take great care to avoid causing any damage during installation, accidents can sometimes happen, especially on tiled roofs. “It’s a good idea to have some spare tiles on hand so they can replace a broken tile for you straight away.”

They may not look pretty, but research shows that dirty solar panels rarely make more than one per cent difference to the power produced. 

Andy argues that rain naturally cleans solar panels, but if they are on a flat roof, dirt will build up and become a problem. “If your home has a flat roof, it’s worth having panels installed on a slight tilt to avoid dirt and debris building up.”  

If they do need a clean, he recommends spraying with a hose in the early morning or evening when the panels are cool.  

Note that applying cold water to hot panels may cause cracking. 

If you’re a renter, it’s worth talking to your landlord about the benefits of installing rooftop solar on your home, especially as a new state government interest-free loan program has made it more affordable. The new loans allow landlords to take out an interest-free loan to install solar on rental properties, in addition to the existing solar rebate. Not only will rooftop solar improve the resale value of a property, but lower electricity bills will also help ensure good tenants stick around.  

Ready to go solar? RACV can help