Solar Power - Solar Hot Water - SolarGreen

7 Energy Saving Tips For Life at Home

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

With the majority of the population isolated at home at the moment, thinking about your energy consumption has become more important than ever before. To help you through this challenging time, we have included 7 simple tips below to help reduce your energy bills. Much of this information and more tips on saving energy are available on the QLD Government's website here. 1) Compare electricity retailers and ensure you're getting the best deal Ensuring you're on the best possible ...

5 clear signs that it's time to replace your hot water system

Sun, 15 May 2022 03:00:00 +0000

With winter well and truly set in and the temperatures dropping down to the single digits at night every day we are reminded of the importance of a reliable hot water system. When we wake up in the morning and its freezing outside the last thing you want is to jump into the shower only to find that your Hot Water System has packed it in. Knowing that your current Hot Water Heater is going to withstand the pressure through winter is a tricky one. Luckily there are some clear signs you can lo...

Solar AC / DC Air Conditioners

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 04:00:00 +0000

With summer fast approaching and temperatures starting to rise, there is no better time than now to consider a Solair World International Hybrid Universal 15U and 12U.

Solar AC / DC Air Conditioners use an innovative Intelligent Power Management technology. This technology integrated into the systems means that it can simply be plugged into your solar DC connection and AC power to cooling and heating your environment without needing an inverter, controller or batteries required. The sys...

100Kw Photovoltaic Commercial Solar System - a SolarGreen Case Study

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 09:00:00 +0000

When North Brisbane's East Coast Electroplating came to us hoping to reduce reliance on the grid and shrink its hefty demand charges, we had just the solution - a 100Kw Photovoltaic Commercial Solar System. Local grid provider Energex approved the system based on a zero feed and we have estimated that the new system will provide East Coast Electroplating with power bill savings of $2,660 a month. Equipment used: Jinko 260P Optimised panels x 384 Solar ...

Solar Industry Under Threat Again

Mon, 11 May 2015 04:00:00 +0000

The following solar update was provided by the Australian Solar Council on Monday 11th of May, 2015. On Friday, the Abbott Government threw the solar industry back into turmoil by backing two yearly reviews of the Renewable Energy Target. This is devastating. The next RET Review will start in 7 months time! After 3 RET reviews in 3 years, they want another review in 7 months! That will devastate every solar business and every solar worker in Australia. Household s...

Help Save Australia's Solar Industry

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 01:00:00 +0000

ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST NOW Despite persistent efforts from Australia's solar community, The Renewable Energy Target continues to be on the chopping block in Canberra with both sides of Government recently discussing a potential cut of around 20% to the 2020 target. This would not only affect the existing 1.3 million existing Australian solar households, but more disturbingly - the many more millions considering solar for the future. Solar Citizens (an Australian not-fo...

Are all Solar Systems the same?

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 05:00:00 +0000

The thing we hear from a lot of people is "Solar is solar. What difference does it make?" It makes a huge difference. If you buy an LCD television from a reputable company with a good history, you would expect that you will pay for the quality, backing and service that comes with a good brand; it is the same with solar power.
You are not just paying for the Solar Panels, or even the inverter. You are paying for: Rooftop isolators, so your solar syste...

Why should I get Solar Power?

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 06:00:00 +0000

This is a question we are asked daily - "why get Solar Power?". The answer is easy. It is helping our environment; it is helping to slow the effects on global warming and the consequences of traditional fossil fuel energy sources. Most of all, it will save you money! It is easy to work out what size solar power system will most help you reduce your power bill. No matter who is your electricity retailer, they all provide a graph of your usage ...

Increases to electricity pricing

Mon, 28 Jul 2014 05:00:00 +0000

At the start of July, energy providers announced that there would be significant increases to electricity pricing. For example, AGL Energy announced that they would be introducing the following tariff increases effective from July 15, 2014: 5% increase to their Peak tariff
16% increase to their Off-Peak tariff
66% increase in Supply Charge What does this mean for the average household? A 13.6% total increase to the average power bill* The average Australian will be $...

Helpful energy saving tips for winter!

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 05:00:00 +0000

SolarGreen has developed the following list of helpful hints and tips for all Australian families to consider for the upcoming colder months. Don’t overheat your home Keep your thermostat set to 20ºC in winter. You shouldn't need it any warmer than this. Program your heater’s thermostat so it only works when you need it. You can buy an affordable timer from any hardware store. Consider installing a reverse cycle solar air con...

Stop the Newman Government cutting the feed-in tariff

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Dear Solar Owners, Sign the petition now - www.solarcitizens.org.au. Unfortunately there is more bad news on the horizon for solar owners, with Energy Minister Mark McArdle announcing today that the Newman government will be completely removing the 8 cent feed-in tariff, effective as of 1 July this year. If this policy is introduced then the only way to negotiate a feed-in tariff will be directly via a retailer, which we feel is a lose-lose for the 40,000 solar owners thro...

2013 The Sun's Solar Flare Storm

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 22:00:00 +0000

A massive solar flare could cause global chaos in 2013, causing blackouts and wrecking satellite communications.
Nasa has warned that a peak in the sun's magnetic energy cycle and the number of sun spots or flares around 2013 could generate huge radiation levels.
The resulting solar storm could cause a geomagnetic storm on Earth, knocking out electricity grids around the world for hours, days, or even months, bringing much of normal life grinding to a halt. (Protect yours...

THE HARMFULL EFFECTS OF EMF

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Perhaps the most dangerous, damaging form of pollution facing people every day is invisible, soundless, and cannot be touched or felt. It is electromagnetic field radiation (EMF) and it is emanating from virtually every single electrical appliance, computer, electric wire, and especially high voltage lines (overhead and underground), which are carrying current. EMF is specifically causing cancer in children and in older adults and may be triggering countless other immune deficiency and psy...

Does Solar Work During a blackout?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:00 +0000

One of the questions people ask us when installing grid connected solar power systems is: Do they keep my power on during a blackout? Alas, no. When the grid goes down, a grid connected solar array goes down. This is because the grid connected inverter which converts DC photovoltaic power to AC household current, is designed to trip out during a blackout and not feed power back to the grid (saving a linesman’s life if he is working on a power line that is down nearby). The pr...

Maintain Your Solar System

Thu, 30 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Solar system specialist Glen Morris wears many hats. The Vice-President of the Australian Solar Council, a technical presenter at workshops and conferences, and contributor to Solar Progress Magazine (where we found this article). More recently Glen took on a role as guest lecturer at Swinburne University teaching Solar Power Systems and Grid Connect short courses. Between commitments he penned these insights into the importance of PV maintenance. “Recently I had a group of stude...

Free Solar! Cheap Solar! Get A Free...............

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Do alarms go off in your head when someone says something is free or buy this and get that for free? What about "its okay the government is paying for it"... Do you remember the water tanks fiasco and then there was the home insulation scheme; or the home builders that gave away free pools when you signed up to build a home? And the list goes on. So what about FREE Solar…………… Well the truth is that anyone looking to insta...

Grid Assisted Electricity

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

One hundred years ago receiving your electricity from the electric grid was a goal for everyone. Forty years ago, many people got interested in being independent of the electrical grid. Recently, the idea of being grid-tied has gained acceptance. In this article I am going to propose a new idea which I have decided to call grid-assisted. If this idea interests you, I would like to hear from you. The concept is simple. It means that you live operating as self-sufficiently as is practica...

LED, Compact Fluro and The Truth Behind 12 Volt Halogen Downlights

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Let’s talk about those wonderful looking 12 Volt Halogen Down lights that have been all the rage since the 1990’S – every day I walk into a home that has 5 to 500 of these lights, other than noticing how bright the house is I also notice how hot the house is. The heat that comes off these lights is lost energy being burnt up, this heat makes your home or business hotter therefore requiring more cooling – so there is your first expense. I love the way spark...

The Dangers of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

You see them in every grocery store and home center – those funny-looking curly compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) that are rapidly replacing the old round bulbs. And pretty soon, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 kicks in, requiring bulbs to be 25 to 30 percent more efficient by 2012 to 2014, and 70 percent more efficient by 2020, effectively phasing out traditional incandescent bulbs as a way to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The energy efficienc...

"How do I tell if this deal from XYZ solar is too good to be true?"

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

What a great question! Read on and find out about some of the dirty tricks used by the cowboys.
Imagine you see an advert for a 1.5kW system, installed for an incredibly low price compared to everyone else. (We’ve seen a few) Everyone loves the idea of getting a bargain. So is this a great deal or not? Your first port of call should be to see what experiences previous customers have had. Just do a google search for the companies name and a review or use whirlpool...

4 Things You Must Know About Solar

Sat, 04 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

I recently got off the phone with a homeowner interested in solar power and here's a snippet of what he was ranting about... "The profit margins in solar power are outrageous! They want to charge me $6000 (when you include the rebate) when the wholesale price of the panels and inverter is only $2000! Even if it costs them $1000 to install, That's still almost a 100% mark up! This is highway robbery! I'll just wait until the prices come down and there is more competi...

Why Queensland is Perfect for Solar Energy

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 06:17:00 +0000

So you’ve been thinking about investing in a photovoltaic solar energy system but are not sure whether or not you can generate enough energy from the sun for your needs? Well thankfully, if you are fortunate enough to call Queensland home, there is not a better place on this planet to be collecting the sun’s energy for your own power consumption. What is Photovoltaic? The word photovoltaic (PV) is comprised of two root terms: Photo, which comes from “photon”...

How to Attack Energy Costs at Both Ends

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 01:26:00 +0000

Reduce and Even Eliminate Energy Bills In the media, residential solar power often gets all the publicity. However, thousands of businesses in Australia are quietly turning to commercial solar power. For many business owners, the cost of power has been steadily increasing; this directly affects the bottom line—especially for companies that need a lot of power. Based on figures from electricity company Switchwise, electricity prices are likely to double in the next ten years in A...

Welcome to the SolarGreen Solar Power Blog

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 01:29:00 +0000

Welcome to the SolarGreen Solar Power blog!

Visit us often to read notes from the field, browse our photos and videos, hear the latest about solar power, and keep up on what’s new at the Solar Green HQ.

Stay tuned!

The SolarGreen Team