Unscrupulous solar panel installers often emerge amid incentives for renewable energy
In the realm of renewable energy, solar power has been a popular choice for many Australian households. However, with the rise in solar panel installations, issues related to solar battery systems have become increasingly prevalent. Here's a look at some common problems and tips to avoid them, along with updates on solar incentives in Western Australia.
### Common Issues in Solar Battery Installations
1. **Inverter Problems**: Signs of inverter issues include low power production, flashing warning lights, buzzing noises, or error messages on the inverter’s display. These can be caused by faults, tripped breakers, wiring issues, or grid fluctuations.
2. **Poor Battery Placement and Ventilation**: Battery units require ample space and good air circulation to prevent overheating and reduced efficiency. Placing them in cramped or poorly ventilated areas can cause overheating issues.
3. **Quality and Accreditation of Equipment and Installers**: Choosing cheap quotes without ensuring quality can lead to low-quality panels, inverters, or subcontractors, and poor after-sales support. Lack of certified or accredited installers can increase risks of improper installation and faults.
4. **Wrong Solar Panel Direction and System Design**: Incorrect panel positioning or missing system design tailored to your energy use could reduce output and savings.
5. **Battery Maintenance and Monitoring Neglect**: Neglecting battery maintenance can lead to failures, including slower charging, shorter backup time, frequent error codes, unexpected sounds or heat, and inability to reach full charge.
### Tips to Avoid Issues
- **Choose Accredited Installers and Quality Equipment**: Ensure installers are accredited and check product warranties and brand reputation. - **Proper Battery Placement**: Install batteries in well-ventilated, dry, and clean areas, ideally outside, in a garage, or another spacious indoor location. - **Understand and Be Able to Reset Inverter Faults**: Learning basic troubleshooting can restore system function quickly. - **Plan for Future Energy Needs**: Design your system based on current and anticipated energy consumption to avoid undersizing or inefficient setups. - **Regular Maintenance and Monitoring**: Watch for warning signs of battery degradation and schedule periodic checks with professionals to maintain optimal system health.
By carefully selecting experienced installers, ensuring proper installation environment, designing the system according to your household usage, and understanding inverter troubleshooting basics, you can avoid many common pitfalls in solar battery installation.
### Western Australia's Solar Incentives
In Western Australia, solar battery incentives are available through a virtual power plant (VPP) participation. The Residential Battery Scheme, launched on July 1, offers a combination of rebates and no-interest loans for eligible households. SolarQuotes estimates that including a VPP brings battery payback times to 10 years or less in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, and Canberra.
Unsolicited sales activities in Western Australia are governed by rules, including a cooling-off period of 10 business days and requirements for salespeople to present identification, explain the purpose of the visit, and allow the prospective customer to ask them to leave. Solar battery retailers participating in the WA Residential Battery Scheme must be approved sellers under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code and have batteries on the Clean Energy Council's approved list.
In mid-June, WA Consumer Protection put 1300 solar businesses in the state on notice not to falsely claim affiliation with the state's Residential Battery Scheme. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced it was launching a review into unsolicited selling and lead generation, including door-to-door sales and cold calling, in response to a designated complaint.
It's important to remember that while solar batteries can offer benefits, they may not recoup costs via electricity bill savings for all households. Feed-in tariffs, the financial benefit solar owners receive for sending back their unused energy, have steadily dwindled from a high of around 60 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).
As many as 2000 homes around Australia were at risk of fire due to shoddy solar installations related to the subsidy program. Scammers posed as government employees, asking for bank details or a fee to deposit a rebate. Approximately four million rooftop solar systems are operating in Australia, but only around 2.5% have installed batteries to store energy for future use. The program cost around $1 billion in taxpayer dollars and reduced Australia's carbon emissions by a mere 0.015%.
In conclusion, while there are challenges in the solar battery industry, with careful consideration and research, homeowners can make informed decisions and enjoy the benefits of renewable energy.
- To prevent inverter problems, homeowners should monitor their system for signs such as low power production, flashing warning lights, buzzing noises, or error messages on the inverter’s display.
- To avoid overheating issues, battery units should be placed in well-ventilated, dry, and clean areas, like a garage or another spacious indoor location.
- To ensure quality equipment and installation services, homeowners should choose accredited installers, check product warranties, and consider brand reputation.
- For optimal solar panel performance, it is crucial to design the system according to the household's energy consumption and positon the panels correctly to maximize output.
- Regular battery maintenance and monitoring are essential to prevent failures and maintain optimal system health.
- In Western Australia, eligible households can benefit from solar battery incentives through the Residential Battery Scheme, which offers rebates and no-interest loans.
- To avoid scams related to solar incentives, homeowners should be cautious of unsolicited sales activities and ensure solar battery retailers are approved sellers under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code and have batteries on the Clean Energy Council's approved list.
- Despite the challenges in the solar battery industry, informed decisions can help homeowners enjoy the benefits of renewable energy and potentially save on energy costs.
