Solar power has become so affordable that a top-quality solar power system can pay for itself in as little as 3-5 years, saving you tens of thousands of dollars on your power bills over the life of the system.
With fantastic government rebates available and great solar power deals now running on high-efficiency solar panels, now is a great time to be making the switch to solar.
The Best Solar Power System In 2023
Getting the best solar system in 2023 is all about smart energy management with online consumption monitoring and battery storage. The future of renewables is here with systems now offering home automation functionality, online monitoring and back-to-base status reports. Let’s have a look at the best options for your solar system.
Solar Power Deals In 2023
We approach things a little differently here at Solaray to help you cut through the confusion. We believe you should have all the information you need to make an informed decision, including pricing.
And so here it is:
For a good quality 5kW solar system, the average solar price in Sydney starts at $5,500, fully installed. This 18-panel system will output around 20kWh a day, and can save you up to $500 every quarterly power bill.
| System Size | Solar Panels | Cheap Solar | Good Quality | Panel Level Output |
| 3kW | 8 x 415W Panels | Less than $4,000 | From $4,000 | From $5,000 |
| 5kW | 12 x 415W Panels | Less than $5,500 | From $5,500 | From $7,000 |
| 7kW | 17 x 415W Panels | Less than $6,500 | From $6,500 | From $9,000 |
| 10kW | 24 x 415W Panels | Less than $9,000 | From $9,000 | From $13,000 |
| 15kW | 36 x 415W Panels | Less than $12,000 | From $12,000 | From $18,500 |
==> A warning about cheap solar systems
==> The future of solar power technology is here! Nearly all Solaray systems now feature panel-level output, online monitoring, back-to-base status alerts, home automation and more!
The Best Solar Panel in Australia in 2023
There is always a lot of hype around the world’s most efficient solar panels, and rightly so. Advancements in solar panel technology have global significance because with increased output more households will be able to become self-sufficient, especially now that solar storage is available.
High-efficiency panels have dropped in price significantly, and nearly all Solaray Systems installed in 2023 have 400W or higher solar panels.
REC Alpha Pure Series
Scandinavian quality with a 25-year warranty. Founded in Norway in 1996, REC Group is recognised for producing high-quality solar panels with long warranties and excellent reliability.
REC Alpha Pure panels feature REC’s innovative design, with high panel efficiency & power output thanks to top-quality monocrystalline cells. This enables you to get more out of the space available on your roof – helping to lower your energy bills and shorten the payback time through increased yield and lower costs.
Choosing a top of the range panel such as the REC Alpha Pure panel is an investment in superior standards of design, manufacture, support and customer service. This high quality is the result of REC Solar’s strong commitment to developing a module that delivers reliable, high output for decades.
REC solar products are rigorously tested beyond industry standards, and those standards apply equally when selecting materials for their solar modules. When you choose REC Solar, you’ll have peace of mind that you are buying the best.
The best news of all is the price – REC Alpha Pure panels are extremely well priced for such a quality panel. REC Solar is striving for industry-leading efficiency, but critically they incorporate this new technology into their production line to ensure all customers have access to the best technology available. It’s not much use if a company releases a new high-efficiency panel (with a lot of publicity) but only makes 1000 of them and/or charges an absolute fortune for them.
More information about REC Alpha Pure Panels is available here
The Best Solar Inverter In 2023
Microinverter technology allows each panel in a solar system to work independently from the other panels, ensuring the maximum output of clean renewable energy for your household or business. Enphase Microinverters help homeowners avoid common roadblocks that stop a solar installation on many houses such as patchy shade and small roof areas.
An Enphase Micro Inverter system uses a small DC to AC inverter under each panel. This means that each panel’s performance does not affect any other panel’s performance – this is of particular use when there are shade issues, or when you need to face panels in two or more directions. Here are the top reasons why Enphase Microinverters are the best solar inverters on the market:
Increased Output from Microinverters
An Enphase Micro Inverter is attached to the mounting kit underneath each panel. The micro inverter uses state of the art electronics to convert DC to AC underneath each panel. This allows each individual panel to output power independently from the other panels, significantly increasing system output.
According to Renewable Energy World, shading of as little as 9% of a solar system connected to a central inverter, can lead to a system-wide decline in power output with as much as 54%.
The below image is a great example of how micro inverters can significantly increase output. In this image, the system will be working at near maximum output with micro inverters, despite the patchy shade because each panel is independent of the rest of the array.
Micro Inverters vs String Inverters
One of the biggest limitations with standard string inverter systems is that the panels are installed in series, meaning that the system will always perform at the rate of the worst performing panel. This means that partial shade on even just one panel can have a large impact on the output of a system.
It is not just shade from trees that can affect solar output. Bird droppings and dust, as well as chimneys and power lines, can affect solar output. Additionally, solar panels have a +- tolerance during the manufacturing process. For example, LG Solar 320W panels have a +3% tolerance, so they will range in output from 320W to 329W. Your system won’t be able to take advantage of this unless each panel is outputting power independently from the other panels.
Increased Flexibility
Using Micro Inverters allows our solar technicians to design a panel array across multiple roof areas – both across different orientations and angles. If you use most of your power in the afternoon, it can be beneficial to have panels facing both north and west to distribute the output of solar power across the day. This avoids having a big peak of solar power in the middle of the day, making it easier to use a large percentage of the solar power as it is generated, and hence increasing the value of your system.
The Best Solar System Monitoring
The Enphase Envoy Communications Gateway is the networking hub for the system. The Envoy Gateway connects to the internet to transfer live data on system performance and critical issues. As your Enphase Installer, Solaray receives automatic emails alerting us to any technical issues, making it simple to conduct system checks remotely from our head office in Glendenning, or even when our technicians are on the road. Customers are also able to read system output and check the system status on the Envoy’s LED screen.
The Enlighten software platform provides solar professionals and solar system owners with ongoing system statistics and uptime assurance. Enlighten has a user-friendly and engaging interface to view your energy production. This energy monitoring platform is regarded as one of the best in the industry.
System Safety
Micro Inverter systems avoid the need for high voltage DC cable runs, increasing safety for the homeowner. If a string inverter system was invented today it would probably be deemed illegal due to the need for a high voltage cable run through your home. There is also power leakage on longer DC cable runs, making safe and easy AC cable runs the preferred option whenever possible.
No single point of failure
In the unlikely event that something goes wrong with one of the panels or micro inverters, the rest of the system that is unaffected will still be operational. This allows for less downtime, and allows you to continue to generate solar power during a warranty claim or service check.
Remote Technical Support
Both Enphase and Solaray as your installer have access to live, real time monitoring of every panel. In the event of a fault, Solaray receives an automated message to alert us to the issue. In most cases, the firmware can be updated by Enphase technicians and the problem fixed remotely. This can save you days of downtime and the frustration of having to call out a technician.
Easily Expandable
Micro inverter systems are expandable, limited only to your roof space. Solaray can install as many additional panels as you like, and we don’t need to match the panels to your existing array. This allows you to take advantage of any technology gains over the next few years. For example, you may find that in 3 years time, 300W panels are the market standard.
With a standard string inverter, you need to match the inverter size to the panel array to ensure high performance. This means that adding panels normally requires the inverter to be replaced. The other limitation is that we need to match the panels in order to add panels to a string. This limits the upgrade window to around a year or so, as trying to find old stock is close to impossible due to the fast advances in technology.
Single Phase vs. Three Phase Power
With a standard string inverter system, we would normally use a single phase inverter even if you have three phase power. We connect the inverter to the phase that uses the most power. The alternative is to use an expensive three-phase inverter. For systems over 5kWs, you must have three phase power and so the only option is to use a three-phase inverter.
With an Enphase Micro Inverter system, there is no additional cost for you if you have three phase power. This is the best option from a technical viewpoint and can save you a lot of money as you don’t need to upgrade to a three-phase solution.
10 Year Microinverter Warranty as Standard
As your Platinum Enphase Partner, Enphase systems installed by Solaray include a 10-year warranty that can also be extended to either 15 years or 25 years. It is a full replacement warranty so you are not out of pocket in the event of a failure. One of the reasons Solaray are considered to have industry-leading support standards is that we offer full-service warranties. Solaray does not have ‘back to base warranties’ where you need to send faulty parts to the manufacturer.
All of the main string inverter manufacturers including SMA, ABB (Aurora), Fronius and Growatt offer a 5-year warranty as standard. In some cases, these warranties can be extended to 10 years by registering the inverter online with the manufacturer.
Battery Ready Solar System
Enphase systems are battery ready and are the preferred option if you are considering batteries in the near future.
The Enphase Energy Management System is unlike anything else currently available because of its compatibility. Enphase Batteries are connected directly to the meter board, where we install a control hub that manages power consumption and storage in the home. This allows the Enphase power storage system to be compatible with any existing solar system. This is in stark contrast to other battery systems that typically connect directly to an expensive hybrid solar inverter and have limited compatibility.
The system itself has been designed to be modular, expandable, easily installed and can be tailored to each customer’s usage profile. A household or business will be able to monitor their usage, solar generation and peak times, and install more battery capacity knowing that it will pay for itself in the quickest possible time. Find out more…
Australia’s Best Solar Panels – Quality Systems With Full Customer Support
The Best Solar Battery Storage in 2023
As more solar batteries are installed across Australia, we are witnessing a revolution in the way households are able to generate, store and use power. Thanks to solar storage, some Solaray customers on sunny days are now running their homes on solar power 24/7, allowing them to significantly reduce their power bills. More information is available here: Tesla Powerwall
After adding a Tesla Powerwall Home Battery to a solar system from Solaray Energy, this family in Pitt Town are now running their home entirely on solar power, with an average daily energy usage of around 15 kWh.
During the day, a Solaray solar power system powers the house (blue) and excess solar power is used to charge the Powerwall battery (red). Once the sun goes down, the household runs entirely on battery power all night (green), it even has enough capacity to work the next morning. Other than a small supply charge, this solar household won’t have to worry about their power bill any time soon.
The Tesla Powerwall 2 Home Battery
Automated, compact and stylish, The Tesla Powerwall 2 enables solar households to further reduce their power bill and maximise self-consumption of solar power. With a capacity of 14 kWh, by installing a Tesla Powerwall 2 you will now be able to run your home almost entirely on solar power. The Tesla Powerwall 2 is a beautifully functional storage solution that inherits Tesla’s proven automotive battery technology to power your home safely and economically. Completely automated, it requires little to no maintenance and is specifically designed for residential installations.
As one of the few Tesla Energy Authorised Resellers in Sydney, new and existing Solaray customers can now pre-order the Tesla Powerwall 2 and expect the same high installation standards and support that has helped build Solaray Energy into the leading independent solar installer in NSW.
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