Domestic Solar Power Australia
In October 2010 the Government of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) announced their goal to reduce emissions by 40% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. Project Sunshine is an ACT Conservation Council initiative designed to help achieve this goal through the use of “mini solar power systems”.
Australia’s capital city, Canberra, has the second longest average hours of sunshine of all capital cities in Australia, and at the same time it has the highest per capita carbon footprint. Project Sunshine aims to take advantage of the former fact and help change the latter. The Project sets a challenge for 1000 more Canberra homes to “go solar” in 2011.
How much it costs to switch to solar power domestically, and how long before your solar system is earning you an income, both depend on a number of factors which are independent of how much energy you need to power your home. They include what local or federal grants are available to you, what you are currently paying for electricity, and the value of any feed-in-tariff in your area. According to Conservation Council ACT Region’s Executive Director, John Hibberd, in Canberra at the moment a solar system will typically pay for itself in seven years, and then continue to earn income for its estimated 25 year peak-performance life-span.
Between ACT and Federal Government incentives to switch to solar, it is becoming an increasingly affordable option for Canberrans. The ACT government offers a gross feed-in tariff (which means households are paid for every kilowatt they generate, not the net amount after subtracting the energy they use) of 45.7cents per kilowatt, guaranteed for 20 years. Since Canberrans only pay 13 cents per kilowatt currently, that makes for a substantial profit. Domestic Solar Power Australia
Is Solar Power Suitable for Your Home?
There are a number of factors to consider, and for an individual assessment you would be wise to have a local contractor examine your house. However, broadly, it will depend on what sort of roof you have and the condition it is in (if your roof is going to need replacing in the next few years you might want to do that before installing a solar power system, which will last for 25 years or more), the orientation of your roof and any shading, and of course the amount of sunshine in your location.
Project Sunshine is offering a discount (ranging from $ 150-$ 3000 depending on the size of the installation) for solar systems purchased through it.
Before deciding on a system size, you should consider having a home power audit, to determine how much energy you really need, and how much you can reduce your use through increased efficiencies.
Home Power Audit
In the ACT the HEAT Energy Audit is available free from the government for houses built before 1996. The HEAT team will not only show you how much energy you are using in different parts of your house, but will also provide a report with recommendations of how best to reduce your energy use. In others areas, both in Australia and overseas, energy audits are often available from your local utility company, or from private consultants. Domestic Solar Power Australia
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