Solar Panels

Solar panels contain modules made of very thin silicon crystal wafers. When sunlight strikes the silicon wafers it excites the atoms in the silicon releasing electrons and producing electricity. Free power from the sun!

There are incentives in the form of Small-Scale Technology Certificates (STC’s) attached to panels according to the size of the system. in 2025 these are worth about $2,200 for a 6.6kW solar system.

The NSW government also has incentives available to assist with solar batteries.

Solar panels are there for 20 to 30 years so if you have major issues with the roof the answer is yes. If your roof is in decent condition some maintenance before install might be required but not necessary. If you have tiles covered with mildew, we recommend you have the roof cleaned.

“Tier 1” refers to a financial only ranking scale developed by Bloomberg New Energy Finance Corporation that ranks companies manufacturing solar panels according to their financial stability or “bankability.” It is not a technical ranking of the panels that they manufacture or an indication of panel quality or performance.

For sure they are! China is the largest supplier of solar panels in the world. What isn’t made in china these days? Also be aware that you get what you pay for. There are inferior quality panels offered on the market at low prices. You may save $1,000 on the installation cost but it may cost you many times that in lost production due the inferior nature and poor performance of the panels.

With 11,000 installs over 11-years we obviously choose to supply high quality T1 panels from reputable suppliers as well as other brands that are not made in China. We are an authorised LG solar dealer and offer the LG Solar panels widely acknowledged as the best solar panels available.

The power output of solar panels degrades over time. A solar panel performance warranty is a manufacturers’ warranty that only covers the performance of the panel in terms of power output and how much the panel output degrades over time. It does not cover the panel as a product.  The standard performance warranty is 25-years and most panels degrade over 25 years to around 80% of their original output.

Making sure the panels are clean is important. As most home solar panels are mounted with the tilt of your roof, they are self-cleaning with rain. If you notice bird droppings or dirty sections on the panels you should organise to have them cleaned and it is a good idea to have the panels cleaned every couple of years.

Good quality panels like the brands installed by SolarBright will give you trouble free service.

Yes! Solar panels pay for themselves so are a great investment. Choosing a high-quality solar system from a trusted, licenced, and insured solar installation company such as SolarBright ensures you will have a system that will give you years of trouble-free operation.

How long it takes to pay off solar depends on the size of the system, the cost, its power production and your consumption patterns – that is, how much of the electricity generated by the system that you consume in your home rather than export to the grid. Your SolarBright consultant can work through the numbers for your system with you to estimate your payback time.

In broad terms a 6.6kW system in NSW will produce nearly 9,600kWh of power per year according to the Clean Energy Council (CEC) guidelines. If you consume 65% of the power generated at a power cost of 29c/kWh and export the balance to the grid at a feed in tariff of 10c/kWh the system can generate savings of $1,200 per year for you.

Your solar system will begin saving you money from day one. Remember that every kWh of power that you consume from the system will save you 30 to 48c depending on the time of day.

In order to get your feed in tariff for any excess power you produce and export back to the grid you will need to have a net meter installed by your energy provider. Once your solar system is installed you need to contact to your provider to organise their installation of the net meter. Once this is installed they will be able to measure your power exports and pay you the feed in tariff.

Your SolarBright enegry consultant will analyse your power bills and discuss your household usage patterns and run through the numbers with you to see if solar is the right choice for your household.

What is the largest solar system I can put on my house?

This depends on whether you have a single phase or three phase electrical system. Under CEC guidelines single phase homes are limited to a 5kW inverter which supports a maximum size solar system of 6.6kW. Three phase household electrical systems support larger solar installations. We have customers who install 20 and 30kW systems to cover the power needs of larger properties.

Most roof types are suitable for solar as we have mounting bracket and systems for tile and metal roofs. Tilt frame mounts can be used on roofs with shallow pitches. On a flat concrete slab roof we use ballast mounting so there is no danger of compromising water-proof membranes. Your SolarBright consultant will assess your roof and advise you accordingly.

In order to reach rock bottom pricing, compromises need to be made on the installation quality and solar panel quality. Since 2011 hundreds of solar companies have come and gone in NSW.

SolarBright offers high quality products with a high quality installation service by CEC accredited installers at fair prices. Given we have been in business for since 2008 with over 17 thousand installs, every one of our customers has the assurance their warranty is covered, By charging a fair price we can run the business efficiently and ultimately safeguard your investment. Would you rather go with a company offering this peace of mind or risk your most valuable asset – your home – with cheap, poor quality solar?

What size solar panel system do I need?

Normally 6.6kW to 8.4kW sized solar panel system will suit most families. Your SolarBright consultant will look at your power bill and consumption patterns and assess what size system will suit your situation. Generally, these days solar is so affordable that sometimes you should just fit as many panels as you can because of the small price difference.

A combination of a correctly sized solar system and solar battery can reduce your bill to nearly zero.  The majority of solar systems installed are grid connected so even if the solar covers all of your power requirements your energy provider will still be charging you a network access fee and the feed in tariff from your power exports may cover that.

A standard grid connected solar system will not supply your home with power during a blackout. A solar system with a correctly optioned and configured battery can protect you from blackouts. If you want protection from blackouts talk to your SolarBright consultant about battery options for your solar system.