Top 10 solar panels – Australia
In Australia, SunPower, LG, REC, Qcells and Winaico are generally regarded the best quality solar panel manufacturers offering the best service, longest warranties, highest efficiency and lowest degradation over the life of the panel.
In every Australian state, no matter your electricity consumption, solar panels are worth buying in 2021. While there are many variables that impact the cost, savings and payback of solar panels, the upshot is that in Australia they are a good investment.
Though solar power as we know it is no more than 60 years old, the discoveries that led to the solar cell began nearly 200 years ago. These discoveries about the properties of light and conductivity have made solar power what it is today.
Solar power is a 100% clean, renewable energy source. It reduces reliance on oil, coal and natural gas for electricity production. These fossil fuels produce harmful emissions that affect the quality of air, water and soil, and are responsible for global warming.
Australia receives an average of 58 million PJ of solar radiation per year, approximately 10 000 times larger than its total energy consumption. However, Australia’s current use of solar energy is low with solar energy accounting for only about 0.1 per cent of Australia’s total primary energy consumption.
Western Downs, a 460MWp solar farm located near Chinchilla in South West Queensland, will deliver clean energy into Powerlink’s transmission network and is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the region.
Australia has the highest uptake of solar globally, with more than 21% of homes with rooftop solar PV. As of 31 December 2020 more than 2.66 million rooftop solar power systems have been installed across Australia (source: CER).
One STC is generally equivalent to: 1 MWh of renewable electricity generated by a small generation unit, or. 1 MWh of electricity deemed to be displaced by the installation of solar water heaters or air source heat pumps.
Solar farm investment should be done cautiously and after a lot of financial planning, since starting a solar farm will mean you have to investment of a minimum of $1 million. The good news is that the ROI is worth the investment as the recurring revenue will pay dividends for years.
1. How much land does a solar farm need? With all the equipment and space between panel rows, a 1 MW solar farm typically needs 6–8 acres, according to GTM Research. Be aware that with large solar projects, you don’t just need space for the solar arrays.