What is a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)?
“I’d love to switch to solar energy… but I just can’t afford the installation costs.”
At SnapSolar, this is one of the most common objections we hear from customers who love the idea of solar but can’t make the upfront financial commitment.
It’s frustrating — even though you know your solar system will pay for itself over the first few years, you’re still locked out because of that initial price tag. But what if there was a way to gain access to solar without that upfront cost?
Well, there is. It’s called a solar PPA, and in this article, we’ll explore precisely what it is, how it works, and how you can use it to access solar in a more affordable way.
With a solar PPA, your solar energy provider will install a solar panel system on your property. You’ll pay for the electricity it generates, at a rate you agree on beforehand, and in return, your energy provider will completely cover the upfront cost of buying and installing the solar panels, along with the ongoing costs of maintaining them.
If you’re struggling to save up the required amount of money to purchase and install solar panels, a PPA can be the perfect solution. This is because a PPA allows you to tap into the many benefits of solar power, such as:
At the same time, you’ll avoid the large upfront costs typically associated with solar panel installation. For solar energy providers, it’s a good deal too, as the money you pay them helps fund their growth and development.
What’s the difference between a solar PPA and leasing your solar panels? The two concepts can appear very similar at first glance, but there are some key differences.
The main thing to note is that, with a lease, you pay a fixed monthly fee to use your solar system. With a solar PPA, on the other hand, you pay according to how much energy you generate — on a per kilowatt-hour basis.
There are pros and cons to each approach, so it’s worth taking the time to figure out your personal situation, needs, and goals before committing to one or the other.
Entering a solar PPA can be a daunting decision, and it’s not one you should simply dive into. Take some time to consider things like:
A solar PPA can be an excellent choice if you want to tap into the power of solar and start building your own solar infrastructure but want to avoid a large, one-off payment to install the panels.
At SnapSolar, we can help you learn more about a solar PPA and whether it’s the right option for you. We can also help you explore other options to save money on your solar installation costs, and to manage these costs by accessing government rebates and incentives.
We’ve already done this for countless households and businesses in Mackay and the surrounding Queensland area. Get in touch to find out how we can help you.
In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on sustainable business practices, with many organisations recognising the importance of reducing their carbon footprint and embracing renewable energy solutions.
One such solution is solar power, which offers not only environmental benefits but also financial advantages for businesses. In this article, we will explore the concept of claiming an instant asset write-off on solar installations for businesses, highlighting the potential cost savings and explaining the eligibility criteria.
The instant asset write-off is a tax incentive provided by the government that allows businesses to immediately deduct the cost of eligible assets, including solar installations, from their taxable income. This means that instead of depreciating the asset over several years, businesses can claim the full deduction in the same financial year as the purchase, providing an immediate financial benefit.
To be eligible for the instant asset write-off, businesses must meet certain criteria. As of the time of writing, it is essential to note that the eligibility criteria may vary, so it is advisable to consult with a tax professional or refer to the official guidelines provided by the relevant tax authority. However, we can discuss some general guidelines based on previous policies:
It is crucial to note that eligibility criteria and thresholds can change, so it is recommended to refer to the official guidelines provided by the ATO or seek advice from a tax professional to ensure compliance with the latest requirements specific to your state.
Claiming the instant asset write-off on solar installations for your business offers several benefits. Let’s explore them:
Claiming an instant asset write-off on solar installations can be a game-changer for businesses looking to reduce their carbon footprint while maximising financial benefits. By understanding the eligibility criteria and taking advantage of this tax incentive, organisations can enjoy immediate cost savings, improve cash flow, and demonstrate their commitment to a sustainable future.
As with any tax-related matter, it is always advisable to consult with a qualified tax professional or relevant authority to ensure compliance and make the most informed decisions for your business.
Get in touch with us to find out more about how we can help and get started today.
The Queensland government has exciting news for residents in the Sunshine State – they are rolling out the Battery Booster Rebate Scheme 2024 to make solar battery systems more accessible and affordable to Queenslanders. In this article, we’ll delve into the details of this innovative program aimed at empowering households with green energy solutions.
The Battery Booster Rebate Scheme 2024 is a groundbreaking initiative by the Queensland government to help residents overcome the financial hurdle of investing in solar battery storage systems. With an upfront cost of over $9,000, solar battery systems have been out of reach for many households. However, this scheme is set to change that.
Under the program, eligible Queensland households can receive substantial rebates of up to $4,000, depending on income eligibility requirements. This means that more families can harness the power of the sun and reduce their reliance on traditional energy sources.
As the program becomes available, Queenslanders interested in participating can find application details on the official government website. Be prepared to meet income eligibility requirements and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to reduce your carbon footprint and power bills.
While an official launch date for the Battery Booster Rebate Scheme 2024 is yet to be announced, Energy Minister Mick de Brenni has confirmed that it will commence in 2024. Additionally, the government has quietly published the legislation enabling the scheme, indicating its commitment to making this program a reality. For more information, you can visit this ABC News article.
To ensure the safety and quality of installations, the government has initiated the establishment of an inspectorate. This body will oversee up to 2,500 inspections across Queensland, ensuring that battery systems are installed correctly and adhere to industry best practices and safety standards. Installers will also receive guidance on battery safety risks.
The Queensland government’s Battery Booster Rebate Scheme 2024 is a significant step towards a more sustainable and affordable energy future for residents. By providing generous rebates for solar battery systems, the government is encouraging Queenslanders to embrace renewable energy solutions while mitigating the impact of rising power prices.
Stay tuned for more information on this exciting initiative, and take advantage of the opportunity to become part of Queensland’s clean energy revolution.
What are the main reasons for switching to solar power? There are lots of reasons, but for most people, the environment is close to the top of the list.
In this survey, for example, 87% of people said the environment was a key reason behind their decision to adopt solar power.
This is with good reason. Solar panels are a much cleaner source of energy than traditional fossil fuels like coal and oil. They produce renewable energy, don’t release harmful emissions, and allow us to be more self-sustaining.
But there’s a big unanswered question here — what happens when your solar panels reach the end of their life? How do we make sure they don’t end up contaminating the earth with the chemicals inside them, undoing all the good they did in their lifetime?
In this post, we’ll dig into that. We’ll look at how solar panels are recycled, and what you personally can do to ensure your panels end their life in the most environmentally-friendly way.
In 2016, there was 900 tons of solar waste in Australia. By 2020, that number had reached 2000 tons, and by 2035 it’s expected to reach 100,000 tons.
Solar panels contain a number of components that can be harmful to the environment, including small — but not insignificant — amounts of metals like lead. If we aren’t careful about how we recycle solar panels, the waste from them could harm our natural resources and water supply.
What’s more, recycling panels is much more sustainable and environmentally-friendly than building new ones from scratch, forcing us to extract all the materials needed from nature.
Although they might look like fairly simple structures on the outside, solar panel systems contain a wide range of materials and components, and these vary greatly in terms of how easy they are to recycle. Let’s start with the easiest ones.
The average solar panel contains about 75% glass. If you’ve ever thrown a few empty bottles into a recycling bin, you’ll know that glass is a pretty easy substance to recycle. This is good news — the majority of a solar panel is easy enough to take care of. On top of that, panels also contain things like aluminium (for the frame), copper wiring, and plastic. All these things are fairly easy to recycle.
Solar panels also contain small amounts of many other different materials, and these can be somewhat harder to recycle safely and efficiently. These can include:
There are a few other things to consider, too. For example, if your solar system uses a battery, this can be notoriously tricky to dispose of and will require a specialist.
The process of recycling solar panels is really a series of different processes, since the materials involved are very different and require very different approaches to properly handle.
The goal with recycling solar panels is to recover as much material as possible to be safely reused, minimizing the amount of material that has to be disposed of. Here are the main stages involved:
Some solar panels (a small percentage) are made from cadmium and tellerium, and these will require a somewhat different recycling process compared to the more common silicon solar panels that we focused on in this post.
If you’re using thin-film solar panels, you’ll need to take them to a specialist facility to be recycled.
Solar can be complicated. It’s a big decision, and understanding how to do it safely, sustainably, and cost-effectively can require a lot of research. At SnapSolar, it’s our job to guide you through that process and ensure you have everything you need to make an informed decision about your solar future. We’ve helped households and businesses across Mackay and the surrounding Queensland area do exactly that.
Get in touch with us to find out more and get started.
In order to understand if solar really is the right choice for you and your energy needs, it’s important to understand how much energy solar panels actually produce. This way, you can more easily see how solar stacks up against alternative energy sources and how it will help meet your current and future energy needs.
To understand how much energy solar panels produce, we need to look at a number of factors. Remember that different types of panels and systems can vary quite a lot in terms of their output and efficiency, so you’ll need to perform your own calculations for whatever system you opt for.
Most solar panels can produce somewhere between 250 and 500 Watts of energy each hour, and systems of panels can usually give out somewhere between 1kW (that’s 1000 Watts) and 4kW.
To calculate the output over time, we need to multiply the figure in Watts by the number of hours your panels are actually producing energy during that time. This depends on a number of factors, such as:
To get a realistic figure for the amount of energy your solar system will produce, we need to dive into each of these factors.
Peak sun hours are an interesting concept, and one you might not have come across before. The official definition of a ‘peak sun hour’ is when the sun’s intensity reaches an average of 1,000 watts of photovoltaic power for each square meter.
So peak sun hours might not be consecutive throughout the day, and can vary quite a bit from day to day and especially from season to season. Peak sun hours can also vary a lot by region. Mackay, Queensland, for example, receives an average of 5.5 peak sun hours per day. In other parts of the world, like Northern Europe, this number will be far lower.
As we mentioned, solar panels usually range from about 250 to 400 Watts in terms of energy output. This is a big range, however, especially when extrapolated over the course of a year. A system using more powerful panels, or a greater number of panels, will produce a significantly higher amount of energy over time.
There are many different types of solar panels out there, and they all differ in terms of the energy they’re able to produce. The two main types of solar panels on the market today are monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Let’s take a look at the main differences here.
Monocrystalline solar cells are cut from a single piece of silicon, which makes them more efficient than their polycrystalline cousins. It also makes them more expensive — monocrystalline solar panels tend to cost about 50% more than their polycrystalline counterparts, which can add up over the course of a full solar panel system.
The extra cost comes with benefits, though. Monocrystalline solar panels tend to perform better in both higher temperatures and shadier conditions, so depending on your location it might make sense to pay a little more.
Polycyrstalline solar panels are cheaper than monocrystalline, but they’re also less efficient and don’t work quite as well at higher temperatures. This means that the overall power output of your solar panels will be less if you opt for a polycrystalline system instead of a monocrystalilne one.
The unit we use to express power output is daily kiloWatt hours (kWH). To calculate this, you need to know the size of your solar panel system in Watts and the average number of hours of direct sunlight your receive per day.
Here’s the formula:
Size in Watts x average hours of direct sunlight/1000 = output in daily kiloWatt hours
So for a 2kW solar system in Mackay: 2000 x 5.5 / 1000 = 11 kWh per day
This gives you a great starting point to estimate your energy production for the week, month, and year. Of course, this system relies on averages — your solar panel will always produce more energy at certain times of the year than others, and this can vary considerably.
In Mackay, sunlight levels throughout the year are more constant compared to places like Scandinavia, but your hours of direct sunlight and therefore your solar output will still vary somewhat between seasons.
Solar can be tricky to understand at first, but it won’t take too long to master the basics and get to grips with how your system works around the year. At SnapSolar we can help guide you through the first stages of the learning process, helping you decide on the right size of solar system for your needs and location. We’ve done this for countless businesses and households throughout Mackay and the surrounding Queensland area. Get in touch to learn more and get started.
A solar battery can be one of the most useful parts of your home solar system, allowing you to draw on your solar-generated power even when the sun isn’t shining. This helps you reduce your reliance on expensive and environmentally-unfriendly fossil fuels and become even more energy-independent.
But what size battery do you need? Solar batteries come in a variety of sizes, and you’ll need to pick the right one based on your energy needs. In this article, we’ll show you some of the factors that go into solar battery size and how you can calculate the right size for you.
These are the steps you’ll need to follow to determine the right size of solar battery for your home.
Remember that you don’t need to account for all of your energy usage with your battery, just the hours you aren’t getting sunlight.
So even though your energy needs are 20kWh per day, you might only need a battery that supports 5kWh per day.
Once you have this information, it’s time to find the right battery size. This isn’t quite as simple as just taking your energy needs and buying a battery of that size, because of something called depth of discharge (DoD) which essentially refers to how much of your battery capacity you can actually access.
Lead solar batteries usually have a DoD of about 80%, which means a 20kWh battery only really gives you 10kWh of charge, so you’ll need to multiply your daily energy usage in kWh by 2 to find the right battery size. Lithium batteries tend to have a DoD closer to 5-10%.
Multiplying to match your battery’s DoD might still not be enough. It’s usually safer to opt for a battery size bigger than what you need, just to be sure.
Not all batteries will show their capacity in kWh. The typical unit for measuring battery storage capacity is Amp-Hours (Ah). Solar batteries range from less than 100Ah to well over 1000Ah, so there’s a big range here.
Amp-Hours refer to the amount of time a battery will run before it runs out of charge. In other words, a 200Ah battery can sustain a 10 amp load for 20 hours.
To understand the battery size you need in Ah, you’ll need to do a quick calculation.
Let’s assume you need your battery to hold 5kWh to keep your home running during times when sunlight is scarce. First, you need to divide by the voltage of your battery. Most solar batteries are either 6V, 12V, 24V, or 48V. Let’s run the calculation for a 48V battery:
5 ÷ 48 x 1000 = 104Ah
Finally, multiply by 2 to account for your battery’s Depth of Discharge: 208Ah
As you’ve probably realised, there are many different factors that go into choosing the right solar battery size. Your energy usage, location, hours of sunlight, how happy you are to depend on the grid, the type of battery you use, the voltage, and much more.
At SnapSolar, we can help. We help households and businesses throughout Mackay and the surrounding Queensland area choose the right battery size for their needs and future plans. Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help.
Just when you think you understand solar, along comes a brand new concept that changes everything. Today’s example is solar export limiting — something you may have heard of before but, if not, is important to get familiar with.
Solar export limiting is a key concept because it impacts the amount of energy you’re able to return to the electrical grid in exchange for compensation. It also affects how large your solar panel system can be.
In this article, we’ll show you what solar export limiting is, how it works, and how it affects you personally.
Homes in Australia that use solar power have a limit on the amount of energy they can transmit into the electrical grid. This limit varies according to your location, but it’s typically somewhere around 5 kiloWatts. Once you reach that limit, you can’t transmit any more energy into the grid.
Why is this restriction in place? Solar panels, especially in sunny regions like Queensland, often produce more energy during the sunniest periods than the household can use. If you don’t have a solar battery installed, that energy will go to waste — unless you return it to the electrical grid in exchange for a feed-in tariff.
The problem is that as more and more homes started using solar, the national power grid began receiving huge surges of energy during peak hours. This resulted in power surges, power outages, and other complications for the electrical grid, forcing energy retailers to take action in the form of solar export limits.
A major issue for solar customers here is that the 5kW limit makes it difficult to upgrade your solar system to a bigger size. That’s where export limiting comes in — if you want to increase the size of your solar system and have an inverter that’s bigger than 5kW, you’ll have to export limit your inverter. Let’s dive into that idea a little deeper.
Solar export limiting is, ultimately, a necessary idea. It protects the grid from all the above issues and ensures everyone has access to reliable, consistent, and safe electricity. But on top of that, there are several reasons why solar export limiting can benefit you.
Because solar export limiting your inverter permits you to have a larger solar system in your home, you can take a big step towards energy independence, renewable power, and a more sustainable future. Plus, if you have a solar battery, you can save your excess energy and use it when sunlight is scarce, which is arguably more useful long-term than simply selling it back to the grid.
By this point, you probably have some concerns about solar export limiting.
For example, solar export limiting means wasting energy. If you’re unable to export more than a certain amount of energy to the grid (and in some areas, it’s zero) that means everything else simply goes to waste. Not a good feeling, when you’ve paid for solar panels.
However — we think this is simply all the more reason to invest in your own solar batteries and take even greater control of your energy needs in the long-term.
One of the key things to know about solar export limiting is that it works differently according to your location within Australia.
If you live in Queensland, your export limit depends on the type of solar panel system you have:
The exception to this is South East Queensland, where you need special permission from Energex to install any export limited inverter over 15kW.
Solar export limits ensure that everyone has access to a reliable, safe, and sufficient supply of energy at all times. If you want to expand the size of your solar system — something everyone should eventually be considering as we move towards an increasingly renewable world — you’ll need to export limit your solar inverters.
At Snap Solar, we can help you through this process. We help businesses and households in Mackay, Queensland figure out the best solar strategy for their needs, and we can help you do the same. We’ll show you exactly how export limiting works, outline the best approach for your specific needs, and help you every step of the way. Get in touch with us to find out more.
Power outages are no fun for anyone. One of the best things about solar panels is that they help you to rely less on the electrical grid, meaning you’re less affected when there’s a power cut. As long as the sun is still shining, your panels will ensure your home gets a steady supply of electricity.
But what about when the sun goes down? When power outages happen overnight, you have to rely on the energy stored in your solar battery if you want any power at all in your home.
For this reason, many people are asking, “how long will my solar battery last during a power outage?” It’s a good question and unfortunately has no clear-cut answer since there are lots of variables to consider.
In this article, we’ll round up the factors that affect how long your solar battery can keep the lights on during a power outage, and how to maximise that time.
Solar batteries come in many sizes, and it probably won’t come as a surprise to find that larger batteries will result in a longer performance. An average solar battery of about 8-10kWh can power a home for about 24-48 hours.
However, this is just one piece of the puzzle. There are several other crucial factors that impact how long your battery can power your home.
There are several different types of solar batteries out there, and the type you opt for will have an impact on how long it can keep your lights on in the event of a power outage. Let’s take a look at some of the main battery types:
When considering how long your battery can keep your home running during a power outage, you need to think about how much energy you’ll use. If you want to keep all your appliances running as normal, you will of course run out of power much faster than if you carefully ration your energy usage.
The best approach here is to prioritise your energy use, allocating your electricity to only the most essential appliances and tasks. That means saving your energy for things like your refrigerator, heating, water heating, and lighting, and considering holding off on things like loud music systems and multiple TV screens until the power outage comes to an end.
Not all homes are created equal when it comes to energy efficiency. More energy-efficient homes can last much longer on a single solar battery compared to less efficient ones, even when energy usage is the same.
Some buildings are simply unlucky in this regard, but there is still a lot you can do to make your home more energy-efficient, such as:
Choosing the right solar battery and solar panel system for your needs is the best way to reach energy independence and keep your home running smoothly even when the traditional power grid isn’t there for you.
At SnapSolar, we can help you choose and install the right solar system for your needs — something we’ve done for countless homes and businesses throughout Mackay and the surrounding Queensland area. Get in touch with us to learn more.
The right solar battery can be an incredibly useful addition to your home solar panel system. A solar battery allows you to keep your home powered without relying on the energy grid even when the sun isn’t shining. It’s a big step towards a more energy-independent, sustainable, and cost-effective home.
However, it’s essential to get the right solar battery for your needs. There are tons of options out there, at a range of different price points and performance levels. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused, and even end up dropping a lot of cash on the wrong battery for your needs.
We want to help you avoid that, so we’ve put together this guide to help you choose the right solar battery for your specific needs.
In use since 1859, lead-acid batteries are tried-and-tested. They’re safe, affordable, and used in all kinds of places from cars to UPS systems. While cheap, they have a relatively short cycle life and storage capacity compared to the newer alternatives.
Lithium-Ion batteries have only been commercially available for about 30 years, and they’re based on more advanced technology than their lead-acid predecessors. This gives them a longer cycle life and larger storage capacity and a higher price tag. You’ll find lithium-ion batteries in your laptop, smartphone, and — if you’re lucky — your Tesla.
Flow batteries are the most advanced battery type on this list. They have a much larger capacity than the other two and offer both a longer cycle life and longer storage life. The drawback is that they cost significantly more.
Now it’s time to work out which type of solar battery is best for your needs. We put together a simple checklist to help you get there.
If you have a smart meter, this will give you a good approximation of your daily, weekly, and monthly usage. If not you’ll have to take the longer route — add together the wattage of every single appliance in your home and then multiply it by the number of hours you use it every day, week, and month to calculate the kilowatt-hours for those time periods.
Your solar battery will come into play whenever your solar panels can no longer generate enough power to keep your home running. Find out how many hours of sunlight your home receives each day around the year, and from that calculate roughly how many hours you’ll need your battery to cover.
Also, think about your usage patterns — if you use most of your high-wattage appliances during sunlight hours you’ll have less need for a battery than if you use them at night. Remember to consider power outages if that’s a factor in your area. If you want to go fully off-grid, you’ll need a much bigger battery.
How much are you willing and able to spend on a solar battery? Remember that some batteries, like lead-acid, are much cheaper than others, like flow batteries. Batteries with a larger voltage, storage capacity, cycle life, and storage life are typically more expensive, so you’ll need to weigh up the options to find the right fit for your budget and needs.
One of the best things you can do when choosing a solar battery is to consult with a professional. At SnapSolar, we’ve helped countless households and businesses in Mackay and the surrounding Queensland area with this.
We can answer all your questions relating to your solar battery and help you make the right long-term decision for your budget and solar needs. Get in touch with us to find out more and get started.
2023 has been quite the year already. It’s starting to feel like we get a new global crisis every day, and nobody can deny that the world is changing fast.
One of the biggest and most immediate challenges facing Australian families is the skyrocketing cost of electricity, coupled with unstable pricing. Jeff Dimery, chief executive of Alinta Energy, said that energy prices could increase by 35% over the course of 2023, and there’s a good chance it won’t stop there.
We’re not saying this to scare you or drive you deeper into a pit of existential despair (the news will take care of that). Instead, we want to share a more optimistic viewpoint — about how switching to solar energy is the perfect way to future-proof your home against rising energy costs and build a more stable and sustainable future.
In a time of economic uncertainty, dropping a chunk of cash on a new energy system for your home can feel pretty daunting. We get it. But here are just a few of the reasons why switching to solar is one of the smartest energy choices you can make.
By switching to solar, you take a big step towards generating all your energy self-sufficiently. This means you can rely much less on the electrical grid in your region — and maybe even stop relying on it completely.
This means you’ll no longer have to worry so much about changing energy costs. You won’t have to start anxiously rethinking your budget every time you see the words “energy crisis” on the news. You’ll be able to take control of your own energy production — an incredibly smart move as prices look set to keep going up.
Solar is a much more environmentally-friendly source of energy than fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas. It produces no emissions and relies on sunlight which is a renewable resource (at least for the next few billion years).
This is a good thing for many reasons, but from a financial perspective, it means you don’t have to worry about cost increases linked to environmental causes. As climate change becomes a bigger concern for governments, it’s likely that energy costs will rise to reflect this. Investing in a sustainable, green source of energy today is an excellent long-term strategy.
One of the many unfortunate downsides of energy crises is power shortages — a natural consequence of limited resources and infrastructure issues — and these could become more common as time goes on.
Solar is an excellent way to defend against power outages, by helping you reduce your dependence on the electrical grid and also store power in your solar batteries to keep things running even when power is scarce.
What’s the best way to switch to solar power and future-proof your home against energy crises? There are a few key steps to take here:
At SnapSolar, we’ve helped countless households and businesses throughout Mackay and the surrounding Queensland area switch to solar confidently with the best plan for their needs. We’ll help you through every step of the process so you can take control of your energy needs and protect yourself against energy crises for good. Get in touch with us to learn more and get started.