COMPONENTS & THEIR FUNCTIONS
1. Solar Modules
DC Electricity is generated by the rooftop mounted solar panels.
2. Hybrid Inverter
Electricity is converted into AC and connected up to the existing home switchboard.
3. Electrical Grid
The system works in parallel with the grid – meaning that power is taken from both the solar and the grid. At night power is imported from the grid and during the day from the solar. If the solar cannot provide all the needed power, the balance is imported from the grid. If the sun is shining and little/no power is needed, the excess power can either be exported to the grid for a credit, stored in batteries for later use or diverted to EV Car charging or Hot Water cylinders.
4. Household Appliances
Electricity to power household appliances is provided from either the solar or the grid. Household appliances and usage can be optimised for greater savings, for example doing laundry or heating water when there’s lots of sunshine.
5. Battery Storage
Lithium batteries can be used to store excess solar and used at night, further reducing reliance on the electrical grid.
SOLAR POWER & ELECTRICITY USAGE
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to Solar Power. This graph illustrates the importance of choosing the right size Solar power system, understanding household energy consumption and effective usage of excess Solar Energy.
At New Zealand Solar Power we try and make renewable energy as simple as possible. You can view a list of common questions and answers below.
Yes, New Zealand Solar Power offers energy storage and devices to divert excess power to hot water cylinders and electric car charging to maximise the available energy.
We generally install within a two hour driving radius of Auckland. This helps to ensure we can offer a more personal service. If you are outside of our area please feel free to contact us.
Nearly all buildings have a roof that faces a suitable direction. Ideally north facing roofs are the best but systems can also be fitted on an east or west facing roof.
Generally speaking installation is one day, however depending on the building we would also need additional time to erect scaffolding. Also some complicated rooftops and equipment combinations require additional time.
Generally, the answer is yes. Renewable technologies have been designed to be installed in existing buildings and the process is generally quite straightforward. Talk to one of our solar experts for more details.
We perform a shade analysis as part of our survey, and our technical design team can model the potential output for you to check if Solar is worth installing.
As a rule of thumb, 8m² of unshaded roof area is required for 1kWp of Solar Modules. Our smart inverters mean that you can install on adjacent roofs if space is limited.
The is one of those “how long is a piece of string” questions as the suitability and type of solar system depends on the patterns of electricity in the house, roof type and other factors. Generally a basic system starts at $8,000 including GST.
Batteries are the future for home energy and the final piece of the puzzle to become independent from the electrical grid. Therefore all our inverters are have battery connectivity to allow our customers flexibility in adding batteries to their solar power system in the future.
Installing solar reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change by offsetting the power generated by the coal and gas generators in the country.
Simply put – the sooner you get solar, the sooner you will enjoy its benefits. If you wait for some unproven technology down the road, you will have missed the opportunity to generate your own power now. Solar is like saving for retirement – the sooner you start doing it, the better.
Solar panels absorb the sun’s energy throughout the day and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity. Homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC) electricity, so the DC electricity is then passed through an inverter to convert it to usable AC electricity. At that point, you either use the electricity in your house or send it back to the electric grid.
When you install solar panels on your property, you will still be connected to the grid. This allows you to draw from the grid when your system is not producing all of the power that you need, and send power back to the grid when you produce more than you use. It is possible to go off the grid with a solar energy system that includes battery storage, but it will cost significantly more and is unnecessary for the majority of homeowners.
Diverting devices are used to optimise the usage of the Solar Energy you produce by diverting excess power to EV Car charging and Hot Water cylinders. They work by sensing excess energy and turning on devices to reduce exported power.
There are a few options when it comes to excess Solar energy.
- Export the energy to the electrical network @ 8c / kWh
- Store it in batteries for usage at night
- Divert the excess for EV Car Charging and Water Heating
We stand by the quality of our systems and offer a 10 year blanket guarantee for all products. The solar modules are guaranteed for a total of 25 years on performance.
Do you have any questions about our services?
Call or email to talk to one of our experienced solar professionals