Solar Can Deliver Sufficient Power 

Right now, there are millions of solar systems installed through-out Australia, and with generous government incentives still possible solar energy is becoming a no-brainer for households that can use solar energy as it is generated during the day. But what is the real price of solar power vs the grid? Let’s do the maths.

According to the Clean Energy Council Guidelines, a solar power system in Sydney generates 3.9 kWh a day per kW. For example, a 5kW system will produce 19.5 kWh a day, equated out across the year (it will create more power in summer and less in winter). We have found this number to be conservative, but let’s stick to the general guidelines for this one.

Some state of the art solar panels come with a 25-year performance warranty, that states that after 25 years the panels will produce at least 86% of their original output. For instance, a 325W panel will be delivering 286W after 25 years. So in the initial year, a 5 kW system might create 7,117 kWh and in the 25th year, it may give somewhere in the ballpark of 5,700 kWh.

5kW Solar System Rated Output

Something else to consider is that the inverter will presumably need to be replaced at least once across the 25 years. If you stick to the right brands, an inverter is expected to last up to around 15 years, and the cheaper Chinese models have a life expectancy of much less, seldom not much longer than their 5-year warranty or even graver. The best choice is to get microinverters, as they have a much longer life expectancy and a lower breakdown rate. Let’s budget $2,000 for replacements and parts.

The Cost For 5kW Solar System per kWh

The cost of a solar system diversifies depending on the quality of the products you buy, so let’s look at two choices, using Trina Honey 265W panels with either a European Made string inverter or Enphase Microinverters.

Using a general figure, the string system will run $6,000, plus the $2,000 for a new inverter/ repairs. If we suspect the system to produce 156,600 kWh over 25 years, we have a price of 5.1 cents per kWh.

The most significant factor that affects your cost per kWh is whether you can use the solar power in the house or whether you send it off to the grid. A standard feed-in tariff is now around 13 cents a kWh, so even if you don’t use some of your solar power, you are buying it for about 5 cents per kWh and then selling it at a profit for around 13 cents per kWh. This is why so many homes are now getting much larger solar systems.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.