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Passive and Active Solar Design Green Door Design provides an independent, professional  consultancy service to help you go solar. Our advice is independent of any supplier. We find the best-fit solution for you.
Some frequently asked questions about solar energy Why go solar? Solar power generates energy from an abundant, renewable, resource - the sun. While generating energy, solar does not produce any pollution. These are two big advantages over electricity that is generated by coal fired stations. Coal fired stations make use of coal to produce electricity. Coal is abundant but not renewable. As the coal is burnt, it produces large amounts of carbon dioxide. This goes into the atmosphere where it contributes to global warming. Scientists advise that we need to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to avoid dangerous raises in earth temperatures. Coal fired stations also use use copious amounts of water while producing energy. Isn't going solar expensive? Once you have paid off the cost of your solar panel(s), you receive free energy. It seems likely that energy prices will rise in the future. You can look forward to having no, or very, small energy bills. Switching to solar energy is becoming cheaper. Federal and State governments are increasingly supporting solar energy and are offering rebates to people who purchase solar panels. This helps to make the initial purchase price of panels cheaper. In addition, some State Governments recognise that solar energy can contribute to the national grid. They encourage the use of solar panels on homes by paying you for the solar energy you produce. This is called a feed-in tariff.    What is the payback time for solar panels? The payback time is how long it will take to 'payback' the cost of the panels by reduced energy bills. The payback time will depend on the size of your panel(s) and how much energy you use. Payback times are reduced by governement rebates and feedin tarriffs (see above). It is important to remember that there is no payback time for people who use electricity generated from coal fired stations. If you currently draw electricity from the national grid, you will always be paying electricity bills. Conversely, solar panel users will pay back the capital cost of the panels and, from then on, then receive free energy. What is grid connected solar? Solar panels can be connected to the national grid. Any energy produced by the panels can then be 'stored' in the grid. This has several advantages. It removes the need for the homeowner to use batteries to store their energy. It also means that the grid can supply any shortfalls in energy, typically over prolonged rainy spells or when your relatives descend on you over Christmas. The disadvantage is that by connecting to the grid, you are, potentially, connecting to coal-fired produced electricity if you need to draw on grid energy. However, if your sytem is sized correctly, this will happen on limited occasions. The alternative - using batteries to store your energy - has its own disadvantages. Batteries do not last long and are difficult to dispose off cleanly. They require covered storage and add to the expense of setting up a solar system. |
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