Shortly after your application is sent out, we will match you with the perfect solar provider. You will be contacted by up to 3 companies with custom quotes for your project. It has never been easier to get the best price for your solar panels! Welcome to the 3Quotes Solar Barrel, a unique opportunity only available to Homeowners who have purchased their solar system from a 3Quotes referred Solar Installer. When you purchase your solar system from a Solar Installer referred by 3Quotes, your name can be entered into our quarterly Solar.
Hot water is a basic necessity in almost every home. However, it can also raise your utility bills, and dent your monthly budget. There's no need to use ineffective and high-power consuming heaters in your home. With a solar water system, you can not only reduce the bills, but also save the environment.
Overview
A solar hot water heating system is energy efficient for obtaining clean, hot water in your home. It can help you save a good amount of money on the utility bills. There are many different types of solar hot water systems, including evacuated tubes, close coupled, heat pumps and more. For some people, it can be quite difficult to choose an appropriate system for their home.
It is important to hire a professional solar water heater installer. In most cases, you can hire a plumber for the job. A professional will even help you choose the right system. Professionals can also help you with various things like installing mixer valves. This will ensure the water heater never reaches a dangerous temperature. In addition to this, boosters can ensure that you have hot, clean water on cloudiest, coldest days.
Installation
It is always better to have your solar water heating system installed by a professional plumber who's licensed, insured and qualified. Moreover, professional plumbers should be familiar with eco-friendly practices and solar hot water heaters. When you hire a registered plumber to install the system, you will be eligible for State or Federal Government rebates.
Flat Plate Solar Collectors
Flat plate solar collectors can work on efficient copper pipes running through a glass covered collectors. In most cases, these are connected to a standard water storage tank on your roof. The Sun heats copper pipes, and hot water can be thermo-siphoned out of the storage tank of your solar water system.
Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors
As the name suggests, evacuated tubes consist two different glass tubes properly fused at the bottom and top. It is worth mentioning that the space between these two different tubes is evacuated to create a vacuum. A copper pipe (also called a heat pipe) runs through the centre of the glass tube. This pipe meets a common manifold that is easily connected to a slow flow circulation pump.
It pumps water to your storage tank. This provides you with hot water during the day. Solar hot water can also be used at night or even the next day. A solar hot water heater will be your best choice for your hot water needs.
Electric and Gas Boosters
Although the Sun can provide you with sufficient energy to obtain plenty of hot, clean water for most part of the year, there may be some extended periods of cold, cloud days. During these periods, your solar water heater will need some help. This can be provided by a gas booster or electricity system.
A solar hot water heater will be your best choice to fulfill hot water needs, and reduce your energy bills. Just make sure you hire a professional for installation.
The best reason to get solar water systems is the rebates that may be available in your State. Regardless of State-based rebates and initiatives, the Federal Government has a Solar-credits program which is part of the RET (Renewable Energy Target). Under the scheme residents who install solar hot water are still eligible for STCs. Systems are assigned an STC value depending on the system size, area it's installed and other factors.Then the homeowner sells those STCs to carbon based energy producers who are required to purchse STCs to offset their power generation.
Essentially, this means that if you are forced to move from electric to a solar-electric hybrid system then you can get a helping hand from the federal government.
One of the most common questions people have before investing in solar is how many panels they need.
The simplest way to find this out is to ask an expert installer. They will likely conduct a consultation and provide you with a quote based on your energy needs.
As a rough guide, a house with one or two people will likely need a 1.5kW system. A household with up to three people and a few fancy appliances may need 3kW. While a big family will probably need a 5kW system.
But this all depends on the type and number of appliances you use, the expected output of the panels, where the panels are located, and how they are oriented on the roof. With so many variables, it really is worth consulting an expert solar installer to determine how many panels you need.
Alternatively, if you're mathematically inclined, you can attempt the estimate yourself. To do this, you need to figure out your average daily use of power.
3 Solar Quotes Australia
You can probably find this on your most recent bill. If it only shows your yearly use, simply divide this number by 365 to get a daily average. For example, let's assume your yearly use is 5,000 kilowatt hours (kWh). Divide this by 365 to get a 13.7 kWh daily average.
Whatever way you use to determine your needs, it's best to build in a buffer. Solar panels don't work at 100 percent efficiency. There will be times when their output is reduced. So add a little extra – say another 25 percent. To do this, multiply the daily average by 1.25. Using the example above, this comes to 17.1 kWh.
You also need to take into account the amount of sunshine your home receives. While Australia is mostly sunny – and receives more solar energy than any other continent – some parts are shadier than others. Ask your installer or local solar authority about the amount of sunlight you can expect to receive on your roof.
You then need to divide your daily average by the number of daylight hours. This figure will tell you how many kilowatts are needed each hour by your panels to absorb solar energy. Let's assume your suburb receives 6 hours of daylight. Divide 17.1 by 6 to get 2.85 kW needed every hour. Times that by 1,000 to convert the sum into 2,854 watts.
These system sizes allowed you to run your home on solar as much as possible while minimising the wasted electricity sent back to the grid.
We asked Stephen Jenkins, a homeowner on Central Coast and proud solar owner since May 2017 to share his energy bills with us before and after installing a 5kW solar system. Some data on the bills below have been blurred due to privacy reasons.
| Bill from 2017 | Bill from 2018 |
|---|
Unfortunately, you can only save
on power you use during the day
This is frustrating for many people, especially if you have a full-time job. You end up getting free energy during the day, but you aren't able to use it.
Thankfully, these limitations have now been overcome by modern solar battery storage technology. Homeowners can now save money no matter when they use their appliances
Let me explain...
Cut your electricity bills with
modern solar battery systems
It pumps water to your storage tank. This provides you with hot water during the day. Solar hot water can also be used at night or even the next day. A solar hot water heater will be your best choice for your hot water needs.
Electric and Gas Boosters
Although the Sun can provide you with sufficient energy to obtain plenty of hot, clean water for most part of the year, there may be some extended periods of cold, cloud days. During these periods, your solar water heater will need some help. This can be provided by a gas booster or electricity system.
A solar hot water heater will be your best choice to fulfill hot water needs, and reduce your energy bills. Just make sure you hire a professional for installation.
The best reason to get solar water systems is the rebates that may be available in your State. Regardless of State-based rebates and initiatives, the Federal Government has a Solar-credits program which is part of the RET (Renewable Energy Target). Under the scheme residents who install solar hot water are still eligible for STCs. Systems are assigned an STC value depending on the system size, area it's installed and other factors.Then the homeowner sells those STCs to carbon based energy producers who are required to purchse STCs to offset their power generation.
Essentially, this means that if you are forced to move from electric to a solar-electric hybrid system then you can get a helping hand from the federal government.
One of the most common questions people have before investing in solar is how many panels they need.
The simplest way to find this out is to ask an expert installer. They will likely conduct a consultation and provide you with a quote based on your energy needs.
As a rough guide, a house with one or two people will likely need a 1.5kW system. A household with up to three people and a few fancy appliances may need 3kW. While a big family will probably need a 5kW system.
But this all depends on the type and number of appliances you use, the expected output of the panels, where the panels are located, and how they are oriented on the roof. With so many variables, it really is worth consulting an expert solar installer to determine how many panels you need.
Alternatively, if you're mathematically inclined, you can attempt the estimate yourself. To do this, you need to figure out your average daily use of power.
3 Solar Quotes Australia
You can probably find this on your most recent bill. If it only shows your yearly use, simply divide this number by 365 to get a daily average. For example, let's assume your yearly use is 5,000 kilowatt hours (kWh). Divide this by 365 to get a 13.7 kWh daily average.
Whatever way you use to determine your needs, it's best to build in a buffer. Solar panels don't work at 100 percent efficiency. There will be times when their output is reduced. So add a little extra – say another 25 percent. To do this, multiply the daily average by 1.25. Using the example above, this comes to 17.1 kWh.
You also need to take into account the amount of sunshine your home receives. While Australia is mostly sunny – and receives more solar energy than any other continent – some parts are shadier than others. Ask your installer or local solar authority about the amount of sunlight you can expect to receive on your roof.
You then need to divide your daily average by the number of daylight hours. This figure will tell you how many kilowatts are needed each hour by your panels to absorb solar energy. Let's assume your suburb receives 6 hours of daylight. Divide 17.1 by 6 to get 2.85 kW needed every hour. Times that by 1,000 to convert the sum into 2,854 watts.
These system sizes allowed you to run your home on solar as much as possible while minimising the wasted electricity sent back to the grid.
We asked Stephen Jenkins, a homeowner on Central Coast and proud solar owner since May 2017 to share his energy bills with us before and after installing a 5kW solar system. Some data on the bills below have been blurred due to privacy reasons.
| Bill from 2017 | Bill from 2018 |
|---|
Unfortunately, you can only save
on power you use during the day
This is frustrating for many people, especially if you have a full-time job. You end up getting free energy during the day, but you aren't able to use it.
Thankfully, these limitations have now been overcome by modern solar battery storage technology. Homeowners can now save money no matter when they use their appliances
Let me explain...
Cut your electricity bills with
modern solar battery systems
Although solar battery systems have been around for years, they were cumbersome, expensive and a poor investment. Unless you lived in the remote outback without a grid connection, they didn't' make sense.
But new technology breakthroughs have changed all that…
3 Quotes Solar Energy
The newest batteries can economically store the electricity generated by solar panels during the day… so that you can still benefit from free energy even if you are only at home after dark.
Here's how they work...
- Solar panels convert sunlight to DC (Direct Current) electricity
- Any surplus DC electricity charges the solar battery.
- When the sun sets and the panels stop working, the battery powers your home.
At night, you can run your dishwasher, watch TV, or charge your phone without paying for power.
It's no wonder thousands of Australian homeowners
are itching to install these battery systems as soon as they can.
The current leader in the solar storage market is the Tesla Powerwall 2.
The Tesla Powerwall 2 has twice the storage capacity of the original Powerwall - 13.2kWh. This is enough to power most homes after dark, so you can cut your bill significantly.
Not only that, the Tesla Powerwall 2 is beautifully designed. It is streamlined, sleek and stylish. Plus, it is rated for indoor or outdoor use in the harsh Australian climate.
It is also very safe. There are no live wires or unsightly vents - and the lithium ion battery requires minimum maintenance.
You can even monitor your electricity usage from your iPhone or Android device!
Plus, if you need additional capacity, you can connect nine Tesla Powerwall 2 units together. This is great if you want to power your home during blackouts or on overcast days.
How much can you save with a Tesla Powerwall 2?
3 Quotes Solar Power
It varies.
The amount of money you can save will depend on your actual individual circumstances.
3 Quotes Solar System
However, case studies suggest you could reduce your mains grid electricity consumption by as much as 80% with a solar + battery system. This is based on standard system installation in a state capital.
The upfront costs are variable too, but it is possible to get the system installed for as little as $35 a week on an interest free loan.
These savings are based on existing government incentives, which may disappear at any time, so if you are thinking about solar storage, don't delay.
