Solar articles

Getting an EV? You'll need more solar panels to cover the charging load. Here's how to calculate how many extra panels an EV adds, and whether to time charging to solar hours or overnight.

Small business solar in Perth offers stronger paybacks than residential in many cases, thanks to higher daytime consumption, commercial tariffs, and instant asset write-off. Here's what you need to know.

From MPPT to DEBS to STC to DoD: Perth solar involves a lot of abbreviations and technical terms. This glossary explains what they mean in plain language, in the context of WA's energy market.

Adding solar to a granny flat or secondary dwelling in Perth is more complex than a standard home installation. Shared meters, export limits, and strata-like electricity arrangements need careful planning.

Not every Perth property suits rooftop solar. Ground-mounted systems are an option for properties with limited or shaded roof space but available land: here's what's involved.

Most Perth solar installations go on the roof. But ground-mounted solar panels (fixed on frames at ground level) make sense when roof space is limited, roof orientation is poor, or large acreage properties want to maximise solar generation. Here's how ground mount solar works in WA.

Heritage-listed and character-listed homes in Perth face additional approval hurdles for solar installation. The rules vary by heritage listing type, local council, and roof visibility. Here's what Perth homeowners in heritage precincts need to know.

Perth households with ducted air conditioning, pools, EVs, or large family loads need a different solar approach than an entry-level 6.6kW system. Here's how to size correctly for high consumption.

A holiday home that's vacant 80% of the time has very different solar economics to a permanently occupied residence. Self-consumption is low, DEBS exports dominate, and the numbers are tighter.

If you're planning a home extension or major renovation in Perth, solar system planning needs to account for future changes to your roof area, load profile, and switchboard. Here's what to coordinate.

A solar diverter sends excess solar generation to your hot water system instead of exporting at 2c/kWh. Here's how they work, what they cost, and whether one makes sense for your Perth home.

Perth solar system sizing isn't just about roof space: it's about matching generation to your household's consumption pattern. Here's what system size makes sense for different Perth household sizes in 2026, including typical consumption benchmarks and the impact of pools, EVs, and ducted AC.

Buying a Perth home with solar? What a pre-settlement solar inspection covers, what it costs, and the documents to ask the vendor for before you settle.

Solar installation day takes 6–10 hours. Here's a practical guide to what the crew does, what they need from you, what gets tested, and what paperwork you should receive before they leave.

After a Perth solar installation you should end up with seven documents: NCN approval, an electrical safety certificate, an SAA certificate, panel and inverter warranties, a workmanship warranty, and monitoring access. Here's what each one proves and how to chase it up.

How long does solar installation take in Perth? The full timeline from getting quotes through Western Power's connection approval to your first DEBS credit, typically 8–20 weeks.

If your Perth solar installer did poor work, went quiet on a warranty claim, or misrepresented the system, you have several escalation options: the New Energy Tech Consumer Code, Consumer Protection WA, the Energy and Water Ombudsman, and the courts.

Consumer Protection WA recommends capping a solar deposit at 10%, though Perth installers commonly ask for more. This guide covers the legal limits, what protection you have if an installer fails to complete the job or goes out of business, and what to check before paying a deposit.

Solar installer insolvencies happen. Here's what Perth homeowners can do to protect their warranties, find records, get repairs done, and pursue claims when the company that installed your system no longer exists.

Perth hailstorms and storm events damage solar panels more often than most owners expect. This guide explains how to make a solar panel insurance claim in Perth, what home building insurance typically covers, how assessors evaluate damage, and common reasons claims are rejected.

A 6.6kW panel array on a 5kW inverter clips on its sunniest days. In Perth that clipping is normal, deliberate, and usually the right design choice. Here's when it's fine and when it's worth a closer look.

Solar inverters typically last 10–15 years, shorter than the panels they run. Perth homeowners with older systems should plan the replacement before failure. Here's what to expect and what to budget.

A soft hum, fan noise on hot afternoons, and a few relay clicks at startup are all normal for a Perth solar inverter. This guide explains which sounds are expected, which point to a fault, and where to place an inverter so you barely hear it.

Perth's 2009-2015 solar cohort was installed with inverters that are now failing. Here's what replacing a string inverter in Perth actually involves: cost, brands, approvals, and whether to add a battery while the system is open.