I live in the Albury Area and have received 6 competitive quotes for very good 6.5Kw-6.6 Kw systems however with different panels and one has a Solaredge inverter.
All installers have very good to excellent reviews.
In the winter there may be very minor shading on a couple of lower panels from a sewer vent pipe which protrudes above the roof 600mm or as one installer suggested leave a gap in the panel array around the vent pipe. I am in my late 60s and want a reliable system.
The prices are my out of pocket costs.
How do I pick
6.6KW System
20x330w REC Twin Peak 2 Mono Series Panels
1 x Fronius Primo 5.0-1 5000w Inverter
Price $7900
2 6.615Kw System
21x315w REC Solar N-Peak Black Series
1 x Fronius Primo 5.0-1 5000w Inverter
Price $7800
3 6.5 Kw System
20 x SunPower 325W P-series All Black Mono Crystalline modules (SPR-P3-325-BLK)20 x SolarEdge P500 DC optimisers
1 x SolarEdge HD Wave 5kW solar inverter (SE5000H)
Price $7700
4 6.65Kw System
19 off 350w QCells QMaxx Duo Panels
1 x Fronius Primo 5.0-1 5000w Inverter
Price $7500
5 6.5Kw System
20 x 325 LG LG NeON 2 Panels
1 x Fronius Primo 5.0-1 5000w Inverter
Price $8500
6 6.615Kw System
21 Ă— 315W Hyundai Green Energy RG Series 315W
1 x Fronius Primo 5.0-1 5000w Inverter
Price $6800
Hi Marty,
Thank you for your site, I would never have considered going solar without the information available on your site and also Finn’s site to navigate the many solar options.
Thank you for the suggestion.
Actually NEC N peak was my thought with Sunpower down my list due to their financial issues and concern whether they will be around for another 20 years to honour warranties and also the uncertainty with a possible China Trade war in the future.
Sorry for the delay @Davosnr. Yes, you’re right. That’s a good quote too. It is a tough comparison. I guess because of SunPower’s issues you are maybe getting a really good panel at a discounted price, but the concern about the company’s longevity is valid. REC N-Peak is a very good option.
To get the panel level optimisation and monitoring with the SolarEdge is pretty handy, and good value. Although if you’ve only got very minor shading it’s probably not that useful. Would be worth considering system monitoring with Solar Analytics or the Fronius Smart Meter though, that would add about $500 to the Fronius systems. The system monitoring will allow you to get a clear idea of how your system is performing over time, and give you some peace of mind that it’s operating as it should be.
Like I said, I don’t think you can go too wrong with most of these systems, so I reckon you should go with your instinct.
If customers are sold high-quality solar modules (that has nothing to do with the “Teir-1” marketing spin many Retailers promote), and if the system is Not a grossly over priced !
Nearly ALL Solar systems should hit the break-even investment point in around 2.5~3.5 years, depending on consumption & Feed-in rate.
So, why even bother with the paper the Warranty is written on, as Quality panels will keep on generating energy for decades to come!
I would like to see the Solar industry become more transparent, by offer the REC to be paid back into the Customer’s bank account!
Then everyone would have to table there True itemised Supply & Installation cost, instead of camouflaging the True Total costs behind the Government REC.
Well, that may be like asking/expecting a politician to tell the truth. -)
One point;
I would suggest you get prices for say Longi 435W, 144cell half-cut panels, as they are SUPERIOR for shading and all other aspects of panel structure & you will only require 15 solar Panels, the panel dimensions are 2115mm x 1052mm.
Good luck.
-)