Quality & Value

Those two words sum it up.

We will not compromise on quality of

Design:
We listen until we completely understand your needs, then we take our time to assess your site and find the optimal location for panels and inverter

• Panels from SunPower, the manufacturer that delivers the highest efficiency modules available with warranties of 10 to 25 years.
• Inverters from SMA, the clear world market leader, robust enough to be installed outdoors, with 5 years warranty, made in Germany.
• Mounting rack: high strength corrosion resistant aluminium rack with stainless steel accessories, with 10 years warranty.
• Cables: high quality well insulated cables that exceed the minimum requirements to ensure maximum power is fed into the grid.

Suppliers:
All main components are currently sourced from Australian wholesalers who have been dealing in photovolatic systems for many years, we build on their experience.

• We don't use sales reps! Your site inspection will be done by a BCSE The Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) is a member based industry association representing the sustainable energy industry in Australia. In order to qualify for the government rebate both the designer and the installer of your PV system have to be accredited by the BCSE. accredited system designer who understands every detail of the technology and can tailor a system that best suits your needs.
• We don't promise anything we can't deliver. Our estimates for power generated by your system are conservative, taking into account specific details of your installation.
• Every detail on every job is checked by BCSE accredited designers and then supervised closely during the installation, to make sure the solution we offer is optimal for the client and all standards and legal requirements are fulfilled.
• The electrical wiring is done by independent licensed electrical contractors who add their specialised skills to ensure a safe grid connection of a great system.

We also strive to deliver the best value

Our aim is to get as much high quality PV connected to the grid as possible. By installing many systems we don't need excessive margins on any one of them.

With the highest quality components we use we might not be able to match pricing of the very cheapest systems out there in the market. But if you want quality that lasts at the best possible price, talk to us!

Our recommended system:

Given the currently available government rebates we recommend the following:

• 5 high efficiency SunPower 210W modules with a total rated output of 1050W
• SMA Sunny Boy 1100 inverter
• Schletter (tile) or Conergy Suntop III (tin) mounting rack

What does all that mean financially?

After accounting for rebates and RECs The government cash rebate PVRP, $8 per Watt, capped at $8000. RECs currently trading at $40 each, total about $800, but price is variable and fluctuates with demand and supply. Both can change at any time without prior notice. For more details follow the above links. and including Western Power fees Synergy/Wester Power charge an application fee of $107 before they check an application for the Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS). Once approved in most cases a meter upgrade to one of their smart meters will cost $205. If you already have a smart meter, it can be reprogrammed for $66. If you have a 3 phase meter, the upgrade would cost $655. Prices subject to change, the above numbers were verified on 23/3/2008. a home owner will usually be out of pocket from $4000. Costs can vary between installations for a number of reasons. For example houses with 3 phase power supply will attract Synergy fees of $655 for a meter upgrade, while upgrading a single phase meter costs only $205. The length of cable runs influences labour and materials required by the electricians. Old electric installations might require some upgrades, etc... All that makes it inevitable that we have to do a site visit before we can give you a detailed fixed price quote. The expected power generation for a north facing roof would be about 1710 kWh/year. At current power prices Synergy A1 tariff, $0.1394/kWh incl. GST, correct as of 23/03/2008, assuming you export less power than you import per billing period that amounts to a saving of $238 per year. Even without inflation of electricity prices a grid connect system would pay its cost back in 17 years.

With adoption of the Kyoto protocol and global energy shortages, rising energy and especially electricity costs are very likely. If electricity prices rise just 5% p.a. in coming years, the payback time for your system is reduced to 12.5 years.

Yesterday's (29/1/2009) news about massive increases to WA electricity prices comes as no surprise. Assuming price rises as requested by the Office of Energy, your system will pay back its cost in less than 8 years.

An even better situation would arise if feed in tariffs, which successfully boosted PV installations all over Europe and in parts of the US, are adopted. Some Eastern states have already passed legislation in this area. The WA Liberals promised to introduce a feed in tariff and are currently working on the details. A feed in tariff means that power you generate from clean sources and deliver to the grid will earn you more than the usual price of grid power.

What will it do for the Environment?

A grid connect system in Perth will reduce CO2 emissions by a huge amount, more than in most other locations around the world! That is a result of both the 'dirty' coal fired power we use here combined with the huge amount of sunshine we receive. Our recommended system can help avoid 1,675 kg of CO2 every year. That is the same quantity produced by a small car running over 10,000 km.

How to get it?

Once you are confident that you want a grid connect system for your home and that Solar Designs is a suitable vendor, please contact us.

• discuss your needs and wishes
• determine the best location for modules and inverter
• do a shading assessment
• collect all other information necessary for a detailed personalised quote
• provide a first estimate of the cost

Within a few days we then send you a detailed written quotation.

Of course you are encouraged to compare prices and features offered by other installers. We pride ourselves in paying attention to the smallest details and are confident we can provide the best possible system at the best price. To be able to make a fair comparison, please check the list of important questions you should be aware of.

If you choose to get your system from Solar Designs we will make another (short) appointment to sign the unavoidable paperwork (for the PVRP, Western Power and RECs). At that time a deposit of $1000 needs to be paid, which will be refundable only if approvals are not received from either the AGO (for the SHCP) or Synergy. If you just change your mind later, this deposit is forfeited.

• first of all: your wishes
• availability of materials from our suppliers
• availability of the licensed electrical contractor

The outstanding balance is due in full by the installation date. Payment is either by electronic transfer, which has to be received in our account (please transfer a couple of days earlier), or by bank cheque on the day. No material will be left on site without full cleared payment.

On the day of installation we will also complete all the documentation that is required to claim payment of the pre-approved government rebate. Quoting from the form: "You can generally expect to receive the rebate within six weeks of the receipt of the Installation report.". Practical experience shows that it usually only takes about 4 weeks to get the $8,000 cash back.