There's no better time to get solar panels for your home
Welcome to the renewable energy age.
Listen up—The earlier you take advantage of government rebates, the more you’ll save. But you want to make sure that your system is a sound investment, not one that disappoints in a few years’ time. Depending on the quality of the system, your solar panels could last you 5 years or 25 years.
Inverters, panels, wattage, warranties...there’s a lot to think about.
Which is the best system to choose?
Glad you asked. We love a good design question.
Use our calculator below to start you off, and then contact us to talk more.
- Peace of mind knowing off-grid system design is our speciality
- Ongoing support after installation means you'll never be left stranded
- Protect the environment by using sustainable energy
Find the perfect system for you, and work out what you'll save
Solar Panels
We only use what we'd recommend to our grandmothers
You want a guarantee that each panel is well-designed and thoughtfully engineered. Plus, they must tolerate our Queensland hailstorms and salty coastal air. The brands we select come with excellent warranties. Useful accessories like smart monitoring apps to give you more control over your household energy consumption. You’re also guaranteed that the panels will keep producing high energy outputs as they age, even after as long as 30 years.
QCELLS Q.MAXX Panels
- 15-year product warranty
- 25-year linear performance warranty
- Q.ANTUM DUO Z Technology with zero cap cell layout boosts module efficiency up to 21.1%
- Long-term yield security with Anti LID Technology, Hot-Spot Protect and Traceable Quality Tra.Q
- Optimal yields, whatever the weather with excellent low-light and temperature behaviour
- High-tech aluminium alloy frame, certified for high snow (5400Pa) and wind loads (4000Pa)
QCELLS Q.PEAK Panels
- 25-year product warranty
- 25-year linear performance warranty
- Q.ANTUM DUO Z Technology with zero cap cell layout boosts module efficiency up to 21.4%
- Long-term yield security with Anti LID Technology, Hot-Spot Protect and Traceable Quality Tra.Q
- Optimal yields, whatever the weather with excellent low-light and temperature behaviour
- High-tech aluminium alloy frame, certified for high snow (5400Pa) and wind loads (4000Pa)
Our Other Favourites
Hyundai Solar Panels
- One of the most trusted brands globally
- Monocrystalline cells
- Weather resistant with tempered glass and reinforced frame
- Proven cell efficiency of 17-19% (that’s high)
- Low operating temperature (so it loses less power)
- 25 year warranty
Longi Solar Panels
- 10-year guarantee on product and workmanship
- 25-year warranty on power output
- Proven reliability through hail stones, sand, pH changes, and wind load
- Dense monocrystalline and polycrystalline cell combination
- Proven cell efficiency of up to 22.3% (that’s really good)
- Anti-reflective coating allows more sunlight to be captured
- Hotspot prevention leading to improved yield over the lifespan
Solar Inverters
Why a Quality Inverter is important
It’s the brain of your solar system. (Let’s face it, we all want a good brain.) It translates sun power from the panels into electrical power that your home can use. It also sends excess energy to the batteries for storage.
Years on the job have narrowed down our favourites to the SMA Sunny Inverters as the best long term investment. Besides being tried and trusted in Australia, they provide proactive support services. Track your system’s performance via web interfaces, or simply receive email notifications if anything plays up. We get notified too, so we’ll jump on it quickly.
Not only that, but you can keep your trees. The Sunny inverters’ Shadefix technology is genius for working around shaded rooftop areas.
The Sunny Specifications
Sunny Boy 3.0 - 6.0
No glaring eyesores or noisy fans. It’s a small and simple box that will tuck neatly into the space you allocate. Batteries can be added easily if ever you want to increase your energy storage capacity - no upgrade required. SMA Smart Connected monitors your inverter around the clock for optimal functioning.
Sunny Tripower
This is the big brother inverter. Because it's more powerful, with three phase power rather than single phase, it can integrate power in houses and small commercial properties. Add batteries without needing to upgrade if demands on your system increase. SMA Smart Connected monitors your inverter around the clock for optimal functioning.
SMA Sunny Island Inverter
- German precision with a 10-year warranty
- a multi-mode inverter with an IP54 weather rating
- optimised data logging via the web
- compatible with over 20 types of lithium batteries
This one’s our favourite for off-grid power, working in combination with our other SMA inverters. Doesn’t matter how remote your property is, this is how it shines:
It can endure extreme weather changes, which means it can be installed in a relatively exposed location without compromise on long-term reliability.
It can handle single- and three-phase current, making it suitable for powering anything from one home right up to a large community…. even a sunny island somewhere (couldn’t resist that one!). We’re not joking, though—SMA has successfully powered entire islands in the Pacific region including Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Scalability is almost unmatched by other systems, with a capacity for sending energy to a very large battery stack. It has an active cooling system with integrated energy management, and can handle a high power load.
For any remote solar system design, the Sunny Island Inverter is our all-purpose solution.
Intelligent Home Monitoring
Stop money going down the drain through poor energy efficiency. Instead, watch your household’s energy flows in real time and see what’s working and what’s not. Your solar installation will have web interfaces so you stay in control, and you’ll receive notifications if there’s anything to troubleshoot.
You’ll also have us jumping on the job if anything looking dubious. We’re SMA PowerUP Partners, so we’re in on their Smart Connected service that provides quick, targeted solutions.
Residential Home Monitoring
SMA Energy Meter
An online portal gives takes the guesswork out of how much your solar power is costing you. See an overview of solar vs grid power, which will help you keep track of how much you’re being paid for your renewable energy, and how much you’re buying.
Sunny Home Manager
Welcome to the SMA Smart Connected service. A single web-based tool that tells you everything you need to know about energy consumption in your home, in real time. Use it to get smart about energy use in your home by comparing usage of your major appliances.
More Clever Tools
Tigo Optimisers
Don’t sacrifice your beautiful trees, and don’t worry if there’s shade over your roof. Even though shade is the enemy of solar power, this technology works around it. Tigo Optimisers recover an average of 36% power loss from partial shading, so talk to us before you give up on solar options.
Edimax Smart Plug
It’s a simple, compact plug but it does a whole lot. With your smart phone you’ll be able to monitor the power used by individual appliances, and even control them from your device.
Hot Water
Heat Pumps
Save a heap on heating when you use a heat pump for hot water instead of the conventional electric system. Why? Because you’ll only use a third of the power, and they work especially well in warm climates like Queensland's.
Heat pumps work in a similar way to air conditioners running in heating mode, except the heat gets blown onto water to make it hot. They can be powered by solar electricity, although that is not essential.
Stiebel Eltron
Since we’re always looking for quality, this is the heat pump we recommend. It’s made from superior components with high grade thermal insulation. Best of all, it’s so quiet you’ll hardly hear it.
And here’s the clincher: you can add this to your list for government rebates.
What Our Clients Say
Service Programs
Service Programs
Helping you pick the right solution, installing, monitoring and servicing—it’s all part of the Expert Electrical experience. We’re not going anywhere—we’ll be alongside you all the way.Rebates
Rebates
Get a head start on payment with the government scheme for ‘Small Scale Renewable Energy’. And here’s the best part — we do all the hard work for you.Winning!Ask the Solar Experts...
Similar to grid connected solar, solar panels use the sunlight to create DC power and your inverter converts the DC power into AC electricity to be used within the home.
The difference between an on grid system and an off grid system is that the energy is stored into the off grid batteries. Once the battery is full the solar power output will be reduced back to your consumption level.
When there is a situation whereby there is insufficient sunlight and the battery storage is consumed, the battery inverter will automatically trigger the generator to charge the battery back up to a preferred ‘state of charge’. This is why an off grid system is more reliable than the electricity grid.
As a rule of thumb we recommend the following system sizes to suit your dwelling:
- 1 bedroom home - we recommend a 5.5kW solar system with 8 kWh battery storage
- 2 bedroom home - we recommend a 7.7kW solar system with 12kWh battery storage
- 3 bedroom home - we recommend a 9.9kW solar system with 16kWh battery storage
As a rule of thumb we recommend the following generator size to suit your dwelling:
- 1 bedroom home - we recommend a 3.5KVA generator
- 2 bedroom home - we recommend a 5KVA generator
- 3 bedroom home - we recommend a 8KVA generator
Historically, lithium batteries were considered too expensive and the lead acid batteries were the flavour of choice. However, these days - “Lead is Dead”.
This is due to lithium batteries typically having a 10 year warranty and they have a 80% discharge ability everyday (deeper & faster discharge ability). They are more forgiving and through improved technology Lithium is becoming more environmentally friendly.
Lead Acid Batteries typically only have a maximum 5 year warranty and need to be treated with great care to get maximum benefit from their shelf life. They are also detrimental to human health and the environment if mistreated.
This does depend on the customers daily consumption levels but we recommend there to be at least 1-3 days storage available.
However, note that in a situation where the system cannot work as efficiently (i.e. poor weather), you can make significant temporary changes to non-essential appliances which will ensure the longevity of your stored energy.
If all else fails, you can rely on the generator to lift the battery storage back to a desired state of charge.
Most new home buyers are expecting solar to be included in their new home. People are now demanding this as a standard feature when once it was considered a luxury.
Home buyers are now becoming very aware of the benefits of running their modern appliances without the shock of the expense. This interest in the market will definitely increase the demand for your property and accordingly the value.
Another point to note is that a good quality off grid system will ensure you have more reliable power than the electricity grid. If you live in an area that experiences black outs regularly then an off grid system will add long term value to your property.
- How long have you been in business?
- Will my system be designed and installed by a CEC qualified designer and installer?
- Ask for their Electrical contractors licence number and CEC approved retailer accreditation
- Where is the head office? Do they have an established business footprint
- Do they have good online reviews? If not, why?
- How long are the warranties and the workmanship guarantee?
- What is the quality of panels, inverter and batteries that you install?
- Can I come and see you at your office and can you show me the products you recommend?
- Do you offer cleaning, service and maintenance? For an off grid system, how long does it take to get support in a situation where my system is not working?
- How many off grid systems have you installed?
- How long have you been installing off grid systems and the locations?
- Could they provide you with examples/referrals to other off grid work they have installed?
When planning the building layout on your lovely leafy green property - you will need to consider how much shading you might have from nearby trees.
Some solutions will be to move the dwelling to a more desirable location, cut back some of the problem trees or relocate the panels onto a ground mount system.
We're More Than Just Solar
Are we claiming too much? We don’t think so. As both accredited electricians and solar specialists, we don’t like the cookie cutter approach. Instead, we partner with you to understand the big electrical picture of your property before any recommendation or installation. That’s what makes us especially good at the non-standard situations. And while we’re talking solar, we can help with any other electrical issue too.
General Electrical
Lights, fans, power upgrades and more. No need to look any further for household electrical services. That includes hooking up your solar system to a switchboard. Use our one-stop shop advantage.
Air Conditioning
Queensland summers—sticky, huh? Stay cool and comfortable with the perfect air con for your home. Whether it's a split system or the more powerful ducted vents, we'll help you weigh the pros and cons to make the best decision.